CHILD WELFARE SOCIAL WORKER - PERMANENCY PLANNING (BILINGUAL)

About the role

Durham County Government is home to over 2,000 dedicated professionals working together to deliver essential services that strengthen and support our vibrant, diverse community. As the heart of a fast-growing region, we offer meaningful careers across a wide range of fields—giving you the opportunity to make a real impact where you live, work, grow, and play.

This is advanced, professional level casework providing protective, investigative, counseling and case management services for children who are at risk for neglect and/or abuse. Employees are assigned to local departments of Social Services and provide social work services including treatment and immediate response to crisis situations for at-risk children in the most complex cases in the departments. Work involves investigation of alleged neglect and abuse, substantiation of the alleged neglect or abuse as prescribed by federal and state guidelines, providing expert testimony in court hearings, and following-up with case management and preventive services for clients. Employees analyze situations and determine appropriate courses of action immediately or in short time spans and often under very stressful conditions. Employees may provide group, family or individual treatment to clients of any age and any developmental, mental, medical, substance abuse, financial or family problem. Employees typically report to a Social Work Supervisor III under general supervision. Employees may have combined investigative and treatment roles or may have separate functions depending on the size and organizational structure of the departments of Social Services.

Department: Social Services (DSS); Date Posted: October 13, 2026; Closing Date: Open Until Filled; Position Number: Multiple; Job Type: Full-Time, Exempt.

Responsibilities

• Provides services to children in the legal custody of the Department of Social Services who require reunification, relative placement, adoption and/or termination of parental rights.
• Makes diligent efforts to achieve permanency for children while monitoring their safety and well-being.
• Maintains thorough documentation of all case activity.
• Works in partnership with other community agencies.
• Prepares court summaries and participates in associated court proceedings.

Requirements

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Thorough knowledge of social work principles, techniques and practices and their applications to complex