Social Worker III- Permanency Planning

About the role

An employee in this position provides advanced professional social work services within the Child Welfare Program. Duties involve assessing family functioning, developing and implementing permanency plans, coordinating services, preparing court reports, and ensuring timely achievement of safe and permanent outcomes for children in foster care.

Responsibilities

• Manage a caseload of children and families involved in foster care and permanency planning services.
• Develop, implement, and monitor individualized permanency plans designed to achieve safe, permanent homes for children.
• Conduct comprehensive assessments of family functioning, strengths, risks, and service needs.
• Facilitate family engagement and maintain regular contact with children, parents, relatives, foster parents, and service providers.
• Cookordinate and participate in Child and Family Team (CFT) meetings.
• Evaluate potential relative, kinship, guardianship, and adoptive placements.
• Assess the appropriateness and safety of placement options and recommend permanency goals.
• Monitor compliance with court orders, case plans, and state and federal child welfare requirements.
• Prepare and maintain detailed case records, documentation, and service plans in accordance with agency, state, and federal standards.
• Prepare court summaries, affidavits, petitions, and reports for juvenile court proceedings.
• Provide testimony in district court regarding case status, recommendations, and permanency planning efforts.
• Cookordinate services with schools, healthcare providers, mental health agencies, law enforcement, attorneys, and community partners.
• Conduct home visits and face-to-face contacts as required by policy.
• Participate in placement reviews, permanency planning hearings, and foster care review meetings.
• Assist youth in foster care with independent living planning and transition services.
• Ensure compliance with North Carolina Child Welfare policies, federal regulations, and agency procedures.
• Coordinate services with schools, healthcare providers, mental health agencies, law enforcement, attorneys, and community partners.
• Conduct home visits and face-to-face contacts as required by policy.
• Participate in placement reviews, permanency planning hearings, and foster care review meetings.
• Assist youth in foster care with independent living planning and transition services.
• Ensure compliance with North Carolina Child Welfare policies, federal regulations, and agency procedures.
• Coordinate services with schools, healthcare providers, mental health agencies, law enforcement, attorneys, and community partners.
• Conduct home visits and face-to-face contacts as required by policy.
• Participate in placement reviews, permanency planning hearings, and foster care review meetings.
• Assist youth in foster care with independent living planning and transition services.
• Ensure compliance with North Carolina Child Welfare policies, federal regulations, and agency procedures.

Requirements

• Knowledge Of North Carolina Child Welfare policies and procedures.
• Foster care, permanency planning, adoption, guardianship, and reunification processes.
• Juvenile law, court procedures, and legal documentation requirements.
• Child development, family dynamics, trauma-informed practices, and crisis intervention techniques.
• Community resources and service delivery systems.
• Ability To Establish and maintain effective working relationships with families, community partners, attorneys, court personnel, and other stakeholders.
• Assess complex family situations and develop appropriate intervention strategies.
• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Prepare accurate and timely reports and case documentation.
• Exercise sound judgment and maintain confidentiality.
• Manage multiple priorities and meet strict deadlines.
• Testify effectively in court proceedings.

Physical Requirements

• Frequent driving throughout the county and surrounding service areas.
• Ability to visit homes, schools, foster placements, and community locations.
• Ability to traverse uneven terrain, climb stairs, and enter various residential environments.
• Ability to lift and carry files, records, and equipment weighing up to 25 pounds.
• Ability to operate a motor vehicle and maintain a valid North Carolina driver's license.

Minimum Education And Experience

• Social Worker III Requirements (North Carolina Child Welfare Classification):
• Master's degree from an accredited school of social work and one year of directly related experience;
• or Bachelor's degree in social work from an accredited school of social work and two years of directly related experience;
• or Bachelor's degree in a human services field from an accredited college or university and three years of directly related experience;
• or An equivalent combination of education and experience as approved by the North Carolina Office of State Human Resources.

Special Requirements

• Valid North Carolina Driver's License.
• Successful completion of required state Child Welfare training.
• Ability to obtain and maintain required certifications and credentials.
• Subject to criminal background check, reference verification, and pre-employment screening requirements.

How to Apply

Pre-employment drug screening and background check is required. Applicants will be given credit only for information provided in response to this announcement. No additional information will be solicited by the McDowell County; therefore, persons who submit incomplete applications may not receive full credit for their education, training and experience. McDowell County is an equal opportunity employer. It is the policy of the County to recruit, hire, train and promote individuals without regard to age, sex, race, color, religion, political affiliation or national origin. The County will interactively work with disabled applicants and employees to identify reasonable accommodations that will allow the individual to perform essential job functions. McDowell County participates in E-Verify. Applications are available on our website: www.mcdowellhrportal.org - under “Job Opportunities”. McDowell County Administration Building: 25 W Fort Street Marion, NC 28752. Applications can be submitted online at www.mcdowellhrportal.org, in person at the County Administration building: 25 W Fort Street Marion, NC 28752, or by mail to: McDowell County Human Resources 60 East Court Street Marion, NC 28752, or by email to: employment@mcdowellgov.com. We offer a complete benefits package to full-time employees including health care, dental, vision, retirement, deferred compensation plans, flexible spending accounts, life insurance, long-term disability, holidays, vacation, and sick leave. We also offer up to 8 weeks of paid family leave to eligible employees.