Sr. Social Worker (2nd Shift CPS)

Forsyth County; Winston-Salem (NC); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Forsyth County's Department of Social Services seeks a Senior Social Worker in the CPS Child Protective Service to provide social work services to children identified as victims or potential victims of abuse, neglect and/or dependency in North Carolina.

This role requires mobility to work outside the office in homes, courtrooms, and schools, with strong communication, safety planning, and collaboration with families and partner agencies.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in social work from an accredited school of social work.
• Bachelor's degree in social work from an accredited school of social work and completion of the Child Welfare Collaborative or related.
• Bachelor's degree in social work from an accredited school of social work and one year of directly related experience or similar.
• Master's degree in counseling in a human services field and one year of social work or counseling.
• Bachelor's degree in a human services field with two years of related experience or Bachelor's with three years of related experience.

Responsibilities

• Excellent communication and customer service skills.
• Assessing and evaluating the family's strengths and needs.
• Identifying safety factors and the appropriate safety response.
• Developing safety plans with parents/caretakers to ensure child safety.
• Initiating court intervention when needed to protect the child.
• Ongoing assessment/evaluation of family progress and required contacts.
• Completing documentation to comply with county, state, and federal requirements.
• Maintaining case records with accurate documentation and timely submissions.
• Collaborating with team members, community agencies, and service providers.
• Attending ongoing professional development training (min. 24 hours/year).

Skills

Communication skills

Mobility/field work

De-escalation techniques

Team collaboration

Education

MSW or BA in Social Work + related experience

Bachelor's in Social Work + Child Welfare Collaborative

Bachelor's in Social Work + 1 year related experience

MSW counseling degree + 1 year SW/counseling experience

Driver's license

Job description

General Statement of Duties

Forsyth County's Department of Social Services is currently seeking to hire Sr. Social Workers in the CPS Child Protective Service to provide social work services to children who have been identified as victims or potential victims of child abuse, neglect and/or dependency as defined by North Carolina General Statutes.

For an overview of this position and child welfare work, you are encouraged to view this realistic job preview video: 1_5_24_RJP_v6 on Vimeo

This position has been identified to interact with children and must comply with NC G.S. 153A-94.2(b) “requires an applicant for employment to work with children in any capacity, must require the applicant, if offered the position, to be subject to a criminal history record check conducted by the SBI.” These checks must be conducted in accordance with G.S. 143B-1209.26, the statute which authorizes the SBI to provide a fingerprint-based state and national criminal record check to cities and counties.

Distinguishing Features

The selected candidate will need to possess a comprehensive understanding of and adhere to all relevant Federal, State, and local laws, policies, and procedures about child abuse, neglect, and dependency. This role necessitates mobility, as a significant portion of the work will be conducted outside the Department of Social Services office, including client homes, courtrooms, and schools.

This individual must demonstrate the ability to observe, accurately report their findings, and effectively communicate with individuals from diverse social and economic backgrounds, as well as varying mental capacities. Clear and concise communication of information obtained is essential.

The selected candidate will provide services to families while conducting thorough assessments of their strengths, needs, safety, and support systems. The aim is to enhance family functioning and assist in the development of permanent plans for children.

Additionally, this individual must be adept at using de‑escalation techniques to maintain a calm environment and proactively address any situations that may become disruptive during client interactions.

The work schedule for this role is Monday-Friday: 11:00 am – 8:00 pm. There may be instances when Sr. Social Workers are required to work after 8:00 pm to accommodate families' meeting availability.

Minimum Education And Experience

• Master's degree in social work from an accredited school of social work or;
• Bachelor's degree in social work from an accredited school of social work and completion of the Child Welfare Collaborative or;
• Bachelor's degree in social work from an accredited school of social work and one year of directly related experience or;
• Master's degree in counseling in a human services field and one year of social work or counseling (Department of Social Services) or;
• Bachelor's degree in a human services field from an accredited college or university and two years of directly related experience or;
• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and three years of directly related experience (Department of Social Services).

Valid driver's license required.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Excellent communication and customer service skills;
• Assessing and evaluating the family's strengths and needs;
• Identifying safety factors and the appropriate safety response.
• Assessing the child's safety and developing safety response plans with the parent/caretaker to include identifying interventions;
• Initiating court intervention to ensure the child's safety, if needed;
• Providing ongoing assessment/evaluation of the family toward its goals; maintaining required contacts with the child, parents, and other collateral contacts;
• Completing documentation promptly based on county, state, and federal requirements to ensure appropriate service provision to children and families;
• Documenting all interactions and maintaining this documentation in the case record.
• Completing and submitting documentation to the supervisor at established timeframes;
• Collaborating and consulting with team members, community agencies, and service providers as appropriate;
• Completing all documentation related to initial legal and court proceedings;
• Attending at least 24 hours of ongoing professional development training each appraisal year.