Public Health Social Worker

General Summary

Under direction, this position addresses the fragmented structure of the social services industry by taking a holistic, whole-family approach. The Public Health Social Worker will provide expert advice and troubleshooting solutions to support Maternal Infant Health Program (MIHP) Nurses in connecting their participating families to quality resources in the community, based upon each individual family's specific needs, strengths, and motivation, as identified by the Nurse Home Visitor.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Identifies the social and emotional needs of clients.
• Provides counseling, education, support, advocacy, and crisis intervention services.
• Buils and maintains trusting relationships with staff, MIHP families and community resource partners.
• Develops and maintains a network of high-quality community resources.
• Affords MIHP nurses evidence-based outcomes.
• Creates easily accessible rapid-response and long-term solutions for MIHP nurses and families to connect effectively to quality community resource networks.
• Participates in MIHP team meetings, case conferences and one-to-one reflective discussions with MIHP supervisors and nurses.
• Ensures timely and accurate entry of required information into MIHP databases and files.
• Participates on selected community and agency committees as directed.
• Attends and participates in workshops, meetings, seminars, and conferences as directed.
• Participates in orientation and training of assigned staff.
• Operates an automobile to perform assigned job functions.
• Performs related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Required Education and Experience: Master’s degree from an accredited college or university in Social Work or related field; One (1) year of providing social worker services to clients.
• Required Licenses or Certifications: Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) or Limited Licensed Master of Social Work (LLMSW); Licensed by the Michigan Board of Social Work to practice as a Social Worker; Possession of a valid Michigan driver’s license and an operable insured automobile for authorized travel.

Preferred Education And Experience

• Previous public health social work experience.
• Experience working with a Maternal Infant Health Program.
• Experience with the mental health system.

Competencies For Successful Performance Of Job Duties

• Social work principles and practices.
• Maternal/child health and social services systems and programs.
• HIPAA and other related laws and County policies.

Knowledge

• Social work principles and practices.
• Maternal/child health and social services systems and programs.

Skills

• High level of prioritization and organization skills.
• Basic skills in Word, Excel and Google products.
• Performing data entry in multiple software applications.
• Able to communicate highly complex information to people with varying levels of knowledge.
• Able to communicate in a language other than English is preferred.

Physical Demands

• Balancing on even or uneven surfaces/ground: Frequently/Continuously.
• Bending (forward or backward bending at the waist): Frequently/Continuously.
• Climbing up or down stairs, ladders, scaffolding and platforms: Never/Seldom.
• Crawling (moving about on hands and knees).: Never/Seldom.
• Digging: Never/Seldom.
• Driving on sealed and unsealed roads: Frequently/Continuously.
• Grasping, gripping, holding, clasping with fingers or hands: Occasionally.
• Kneeling to work at low levels: Occasionally.
• Lift/Carry/Move objects from one level/position to another up to 24 pounds: Occasionally.
• Push/Pull objects away from or towards the body: Occasionally.
• Reaching overhead (arms raised above the shoulder) or forward reaching (arms extended): Occasionally.
• Sitting in a seated position during the task performance: Frequently/Continuously.
• Standing in an upright position without movement: Frequently/Continuously.
• Walking considerable distances in the facility on multiple surfaces: Frequently/Continuously.
• Running considerable distances in the facility on multiple surfaces: Never/Seldom.
• Manual Dexterity (fine finger movements i.e., keyboard operating, writing): Occasionally.

General Requirements And Disclaimers

• Complies with P.A. 390, as amended, known as the State’s Emergency Management Act and the County’s Emergency Management resolution as well as all related plans, policies and procedures covered by those statutes.

Grant Or Externally Funded Position

This position will continue only if sufficient grant or external funds are provided.