SOCIAL WORKER (INVEST/ASSESS & IN HOME SERVICES)

Assessments/Investigations

This role involves investigating and assessing the needs of children involved in reports of alleged abuse, neglect and/or dependency. Responsibilities include engaging the family to formulate a plan to alleviate any identified risk factors. This position may require after hours (after 5pm) and weekend work as needed.

General Definition of Work

Provides social work services including intervention and immediate response to crisis situations for at-risk children in the most complex cases in the department; investigates and substantiates the alleged neglect and abuse, provides expert testimony in court hearings, assesses and evaluates child(ren)'s needs, makes case decisions and judgments that impact the life and safety of children, develops service plans and goals and follows-up with case management, treatment referrals and preventive services; manages an investigations or in-home services caseload; prepares detailed and complex court summaries and reports; maintains records, files and confidentiality.

Essential Functions/Typical Tasks

• Provides social work services including intervention and immediate response to crisis situations for at-risk children in the most complex cases in the department; investigates and substantiates the alleged neglect and abuse, provides expert testimony in court hearings, assesses and evaluates child(ren)'s needs, makes case decisions and judgments that impact the life and safety of children, develops service plans and goals and follows-up with case management, treatment referrals and preventive services; manages an investigations or in-home services caseload; prepares detailed and complex court summaries and reports; maintains records, files and confidentiality.
• Analyzes situations and determines appropriate courses of action immediately or in short time spans and often under very stressful conditions.
• Provides group, family or individual counseling and education to clients of any age and any developmental, mental, medical, substance abuse, financial or family problem.
• Assesses individuals and family dynamics, crisis intervention, referrals for treatment and placement in foster care or residential facilities.
• Exercises considerable judgment in determining whether abuse or neglect has occurred, to what extent and how it occurred, assessing initial safety and devising on-going Safety Plans with families as prescribed by federal and state guidelines.
• Interviews the child, family, and collateral contacts. Collects background information. Gather and shares information to determine the extent of abuse or neglect, to provide counseling, to arrange for services and to provide expert opinions to legal counsel.
• Implements the Initial Services Plan or In-Home Services plan including education and counseling with client, providing direct services according to the service plan, assessing changes and time limits, and making necessary referrals.
• Decides modality of counseling in conjunction with mental health experts and uses both individual and family counseling. Provides some behavior modification counseling.
• Makes monthly or more frequent visits to monitor client's use of services and progress of the family and writes a case plan with families each time changes in placement or goals occur.
• Engages families, family support systems and community partners in Child and Family Team meetings to engage all parties in providing information regarding the family's progress or lack of progress, identification of on-going safety needs and obtain input regarding further case planning efforts and goals.
• Offers consultation to foster parents and group home staff.
• Travels to homes, schools, health and mental health facilities, and other service agencies.
• Attends case conferences and staffing with legal, court personnel, and other Department of Social Services staff. Attends other agency and community meetings as required.
• May assist peers with case work required in the evening, weekends or holidays.
• May assist supervisors with case reviews/closures.
• Independently responds to crisis in a calming, de-escalating manner.
• Performs related tasks as required to potentially include but not limited to emergency shelter operations.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Thorough knowledge of social work principles, techniques and practices and their applications to complex casework, treatment, and investigation of abuse or neglect of children; of federal and state laws, policies and procedures, program rules, directives, professional ethics and quality assurance standards; and of individual and group behavior, family dynamics, and medical, behavioral and/or psychosocial problems and their treatment theory.
• Considerable knowledge of organizations and resources in the community.
• Working knowledge of office equipment and computers and applicable software applications.
• Ability to write clear, concise, and grammatically correct reports, documentation, case records and service plans; to testify as an expert witness; to employ advanced case management interview techniques to establish a supportive relationship and involve families in the initial assessment for the need of services; to quickly assess the risks and safety of the client environment during daylight hours, after dark and in high crime areas; to analyze and assess child development safety issues in relation to risk factors; to analyze tense family situations and make decisions about removing children when the decision has to be made with limited direct information and limited access to consultation; to interact and motivate a resistant involuntary client; to work with multidisciplinary teams; to establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients and their families, a variety of medical and psychological professionals, law enforcement, court officials, attorneys, community agencies and the general public; and to attend work regularly.

Minimum Education / Experience requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Social Work AND one of the following: one year of social work experience; qualifying internship; successful completion of the NC Child Welfare Collaborative program or;
• Master’s in Social Work or;
• Bachelor’s Degree in related Human Services major AND 2 years of social work experience or;
• Master’s Degree in related Human Services major AND 1 year of social work experience or;
• Bachelor’s Degree AND 3 years of social work experience OR Master Degree AND 2 years of social work experience.

Special Requirements

• Possession of an appropriate driver's license valid in the State of North Carolina.
• Position is a safety-sensitive position as defined by the Drug Free Workplace Policy.
• Must be available to meet with families and children within a time frame that meets state policy and law as well as provides the greatest protection to children.
• Position often requires after hours work and occasional on-call duty rotation.
• Must possess or attend and complete the required NC state child welfare pre-service training and in-service training.