Social Worker III - Foster Care
: Job Details :

Salary : $46,123.00 AnnuallyLocation : ColumbusJob Type: Full-Time RegularJob Number: 202300153Department: HHSADivision: HHSA - Social ServicesOpening Date: 10/14/2024Closing Date: 1/15/2025 11:59 PM EasternDescriptionThis position involves providing intensive social services in serious and complicated cases which require the flexible use of a wide range of social work skills. This position includes assessment and providing interventions to strengthen, preserve and /or reunite families after children have come in to agency custody. This person will be developing family services case plans with the family; helping families improve the conditions in the home that caused agency intervention while ensuring a stable, safe, nurturing, and appropriate temporary living arrangement for children removed from their homes. Work involves providing, arranging for and coordinating interventions and services as needed for children and young adults ages birth to 21 years of age who have been abused, neglected and/or dependent and to their parents or caregivers in order to focus on child safety and protection, family preservation/reunification/independent living and the prevention of future abuse, neglect d/or dependency. Work must be accurate and done in accordance with state law.General Statement of DutiesWorker must be able to communicate well with clients, supervisors and co-workers and also possess the ability to make independent decisions when needed. This worker will be required to make decisions which affect the safety and well-being of clients in neglectful or abusive situations. Work involves making visits to client's home to monitor and assess the family's situation, and also visits to other agencies, facilities, schools, hospitals and foster homes. Work may also involve the investigation of alleged child neglect and abuse; in-depth assessment of family dynamics and needs; service provision in the child's home; child placement activities of foster care, completion of necessary forms, documents, home studies, summaries, presenting cases in court and adoptions. Examples of DutiesEssential Duties and TasksChild Placement Services - Foster Care (65%)

Conducting a broad range of activities related to supervising the care of a child (children) placed in the legal custody and responsibility of the agency.

The primary elements of Child Placement Foster Care Services are defined by law and policy and include but are not limited to the following managing case plans and case reviews:

• Referral to, coordination with, and utilization of other services
• Maintenance of contact with the family and others significant to the case
• Working with the parents on the status of the case and case goals toward the permanent plan for the child including reunification, adoption, guardianship / custody, etc.
• Giving information, instruction, guidance, and mentoring regarding parenting skills
• Preparation for and participation in court, e.g., petitions, motions, reviews, reports
• Preparation of the child and biological family for separation and placement, including negotiation/preparation of visitation agreements
• Monitoring and updating the Out of Home Family Services Agreement
• Periodic reviews of the Out of Home Family Services Agreement including foster are review and Child & Family team meetings
• Supervising the care of the child and of the foster care arrangement to assure that the child receives proper care
• Supervising aftercare services to the family when a child is placed via a court order with the parents, a relative, or a non-relative, or who has been placed on a court ordered trial home visit
• Grievances, appeals, and fair hearings surrounding foster care services
• Coordinating LINKS services to youth eligible for participation

Recruitment, Assessment and Training activities which assure the availability of foster care placement and the initial and on-going compliance of such resources with standards and activities directed toward assisting foster / resource parents and other foster / resource caregivers to improve the scope, nature and quality of care provided.Completing thorough documentation of the above activities.Additional services under Child Placement Foster Care Services include the provision of the above services in conjunction with other counties or states. This would include requests for assistance in monitoring foster / resource placements for children located in Polk County. Child Placement Services - Adoption (10%)

Conducting a broad range of activities related to the preparation of a child (children) placed in the legal custody and responsibility of the agency and prospective adoptive parents.

The primary elements of Child Placement Adoption Services are defined by law and policy and include but are not limited to the following:

• Social casework and other diagnostic and treatment services to prepare the child and prospective parents for placement; c
• Casework services to the child and adoptive parents to support and maintain the supervision and reports to the court
• Casework counseling and court related services in independent placements and in adoptions by stepparents and relatives as required by statute
• Casework services to facilitate interstate and intercountry adoptions including those activities required to bring such interstate planning and placements into compliance with the interstate compact on the placement of children
• Provision of post-adoption services including, but not limited to, casework services designed to support the achievement of long-range adjustment between the child and members of the adoptive family and to assist the adoptee to gain understanding of his biological heritage to the extent allowed by law.

Recruitment, Assessment and Training activities to identify, assess and select adoptive families for children.Completing thorough documentation of the above activities.Additional services under Child Placement Adoption Services include the provision of the above services in conjunction with other counties or states. This would include requests for assistance in monitoring adoptive placements for children located in Polk County. Protective Services for Children - Intake (5%)

Receiving and documenting a strengths-based intake report, which alleges that, a child or children may be abused, neglected or dependent;

Making a thorough evaluation of the information provided by the reporter to determine whether a CPS Assessment or Investigation will be initiated;

Informing the person making the report of the agency's decision whether or not to conduct a CPS Assessment and their right to a review of this decision;

Directing the reporter to other agency or community resources, when indicated;

Making referrals to the district attorney and/or law enforcement, when indicated;

Completing thorough documentation of the above activities

Protective Services for Children - Assessments and Investigations (5%)

Conducting those activities necessary to determine whether or not allegations of abuse, neglect, or dependency are true, and to evaluate the safety of the child in the home.

The primary elements of CPS Assessments are defined by law and policy and include but are not limited to the following:

• Seeing the alleged victim child (children)
• Interviewing the parents / caretakers
• Interviewing the alleged perpetrator
• Visiting the place where the child resides
• Contacting appropriate collateral sources
• Notifying other persons / agencies as indicated
• Cooperation with and referral to law enforcement, medical / psychological providers and the juvenile court as indicated
• Arranging for medical, psychological and medical-legal diagnostic studies and evaluations where needed to assess the circumstances of abuse or neglect
• Tasks related to information gathering for the purpose of making a case decision including participating in Child and Family Team meetings
• The CPS Assessment encompasses the completion of the Structured Decision Making Tools including the Safety Assessment, Family Risk Assessment, Family Assessment of Strengths and Needs, and the Case Decision Summary/Initial Case Plan.
• Completing thorough documentation of the above activities

Additional services under Assessments include the provision of the above services in conjunction with other counties or states. This would include requests for assistance in interviewing adults or children located in Polk County or in conducting a complete investigation in situations in which there would be a conflict of interest for the home county. Protective Services for Children - In Home Services (5%)

Conducting activities after there has been a substantiation of child abuse, neglect, and/or dependency or a case decision of services needed and removal of the child is a reasonable possibility in the absence of such services

The primary elements of CPS In-Home Services are defined by law and policy and include but are not limited to the following:

• Continual assessment of risk to the child (children) and on-going determination of appropriateness of the need for out-of-home placement
• Monitoring, expanding and updating the In-Home Family Services Agreement to address identified areas of need
• Taking those actions needed to ensure that the child is protected, including use of the court when necessary
• Routine case supervisory activities
• Maintenance of contact with the family and others significant to the case
• Working with the child's family on the status of the case and case goals toward the solution and prevention of the problems causing the neglect, abuse or dependency
• Giving information, instruction, guidance and mentoring regarding parenting skills
• Arranging for the provision of and assisting families in utilizing appropriate services and community resources such as day care, health and mental health services, etc., as needed
• Participating in Child and Family Team meetings
• Completing thorough documentation of the above activities

Additional services under In-Home Services include the provision of the above services in conjunction with other counties or states. This would include requests for assistance in monitoring service plans for adults or children located in Polk County. Other Child Welfare Services (5%)

Conducting social work intervention services which, in addition to core services (i.e., those services defined above that are available as Child Welfare Services) protect and promote the welfare of children, including the strengthening of their own homes where possible. Activities include but are not limited to the following:

• Gathering information about and assessing the needs and problems of a child within the context of family interaction, environment and/or coping patterns
• Helping a child and his family gain insights into and understanding of their needs and problems, and assisting them to know about and use other services and resources available to them
• Collaborating on a case by case basis with individuals in other systems (e.g., judicial, health, education) to plan with and support a child and those involved through a crisis or an at-risk situation.

Completing thorough documentation of the above activitiesOther Duties As Assigned (5%)

Other duties will be assigned and may include but not be limited to participation in community outreach and educational efforts and as a member of various agency workgroups.

All Social and Economic Services team members may be called upon to perform work during emergency or disaster situations including but not limited to staffing shelters overnight. This service, if required, will take precedence over duties described in this position description.NOTE: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of the work performed by an employee assigned to this position. This is not an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. Polk County reserves the right to amend and change responsibilities to meet business and organizational needs as necessary.Other Position Characteristics:

Accuracy Required in Work: A high degree of accuracy is required in carrying out all duties assigned to this position. Interviewing, receiving, and interpreting information and communicating with children, families and professionals require the highest degree of accuracy and the worker must be able to produce and substantiate documentation for future reference as well as court evidence. Decisions affect children and their families and are often made under stressful and sometimes dangerous situations. Many decisions must be made immediately or with little time for consultation.

Consequence of Error: Assessments, interviews and service treatment decisions affect the safety and well-being of children in abuse and neglect situations. An error in assessing and evaluating risk or failure to follow-through on case management visits, remove a child from parent or caretaker or to monitor treatment outcomes could result in severe injury, neglect or child fatality. Errors in evaluation or intervention could result in clients provoked to anger resulting in risk to the worker and further stress to the family.

Instructions Provided to Employee: This worker will be provided opportunity and is required to attend training mandated and provided by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and other optional training opportunities.

The assigned supervisor is available to instruct as needed at any time. Decisions involving disruption of a family or the safety of a child are jointly made when possible. Regular unit meetings and supervisor / staff meetings provide instruction and case review.

Guides, Regulations, Policies and References Used by Employee: General Statutes and Service Program policy and guidelines provided by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services are the major source of policy guidelines used by the employee in carrying out duties and responsibilities. Agency and County policies also apply to the position. Media resource and reference materials are also available.

Supervision Received by Employee: This employee is supervised by one of the Social Work Services Supervisors. Supervision is provided through supervisory conferences and unit meetings. Supervision of employee performance in specific case decisions is on-going as needed. The Agency utilizes Performance Evaluations at intervals of two, four and six months for new employees to the agency or position and then yearly thereafter. As requested, the Agency also complies with County Evaluations. As appropriate, Work Development and / or Improvement Plans are implemented with the Supervisor.

Variety and Purpose of Personal Contacts: This employee maintains personal contacts with abused / neglected children, their parents, extended family members, resource parents, a variety of medical and psychological professionals, law enforcement, legal services and social and community agencies. The main purpose is to gather and share information, to determine the extent of abuse or neglect, to provide counseling, to arrange for services and to provide expert opinions to legal officials.

Physical Effort: Employee must be physically able to access families and children in various locations, and to visually and audibly complete tasks. Physical effort to do this job is minimal; however, it could require some lifting. Lifting suitcases or boxes containing personal belongings would be the most common type of physical effort. Workers must also be aware that transporting small children will require that they be able to safely carry small children or children transported in carriers. The worker must also be able to perform manual work exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally and/or up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects in setting up environment for training.

Work Environment and Conditions: Employees work in the standard office environment within the CHSA agency, but work often involves visiting homes, schools, health and mental health facilities and other service agencies including but not limited to jails, schools, day care centers and any other environment where a child suspected of being abused, neglected, or dependent is found. Worker must be prepared to travel to any location in all seasons and weather conditions. Hazards may include contact with irate clients and / or family members who may be hostile, resistant or violent. Some homes may be poorly maintained and have unsafe living conditions. Some may be in unsafe areas where the threat of violence is real or in isolated areas where access to emergency services may be difficult.

Machines, Tools, Instruments, Equipment, and Materials Used: Standard office equipment including telephone, computer, calculator, and copier; and manual material, administrative letters and memoranda, state and federal directives and forms as necessary for carrying out duties. Employee must have a valid driver's license and the use of a vehicle for situations when an agency vehicle is unavailable.

Visual Attention, Mental Concentration, and Manipulative Skills: Must be able to observe children for any signs of abuse / neglect; homes for appropriate safety conditions and adequate provisions for child's well-being, and for studying, preparation and maintenance of cases.

Mental concentration is imperative to obtain facts necessary to evaluate a child's safety in various situations. The worker must maintain extreme concentration and focus on the current situation, as well as previously gathered information, and draw upon the worker's own knowledge of family dynamics. The interviewing process requires a multi-level awareness which is particularly difficult. This includes planning the interview and questions in a manner that will produce needed information without revealing confidential sources, remaining sensitive to the client's needs and moods, and simultaneously reviewing responses for clues and indicators of family dynamics, inconsistent information and factors of psychosocial dysfunctions.

Safety for Others: This employee's primary responsibility is for the physical and emotional safety of children. The emotional health and integrity of families involved need safe-guarding in order to enhance, rather than to destroy, what may be fragile. The social worker is bound by a code of confidentiality to safeguard the rights of other persons. The worker has the responsibility to exercise care for their own physical safety as well of that of others within the agency. The worker must be especially observant of conditions within the agency that could potentially affect the safety and welfare of children, elderly and disabled adults and co-workers.

Dynamics of Work: This position is challenging, demanding and rewarding. Policy, law and standards regularly change to improve service delivery and the protection of children. These changes must be incorporated into employee's work processes.

Supplemental InformationKSA's and Minimum RequirementsKnowledge, Skills and AbilitiesMust have:

• Good work ethic
• High level of initiative to learn job responsibilities
• Flexibility within established schedules
• Ability to function in highly stressful circumstances
• Ability to maintain a high level of professionalism and to conduct business in an ethical manner at all times
• Basic workable understanding of social work theory, techniques and practices, individual and group behavior, social problems, medical and mental illness, family dynamics, coping behavior, crisis intervention, and treatment of various medical and mental diseases and social issues.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with administrative superiors, co-workers, and with community, social and religious organizations by utilizing the Six Principles of Partnership:

1) everyone desires respect2) everyone needs to be heard3) everyone has strengths4) judgments can wait5) partners share power, and6) partnership is a process Typical QualificationsMinimum Requirements and Experience

Master's degree from an accredited school of social work and one year of social work or counseling experience; or

Bachelor's Degree from an accredited school of social work and two years of social work or counseling experience; or

Master's Degree in a counseling field and two years of social work or counseling or;

Bachelor's Degree in a human services field or related curriculum including at least 15 semester hours in courses related to social work or counseling and three years of social work or counseling experience; or

Bachelor's Degree, four year's experience in rehabilitation counseling, pastoral counseling, or human services field providing experience in the techniques of casework, group work, or community organization; or an equivalent combination of training and experience.

Successful pre-employment drug screen.

Successful criminal background check.

Physical Activities and RequirementsPhysical Demands:The ability to perform all duties associated with the position including, but not limited to lifting, prolonged standing, driving, sitting, bending, stooping, and operating or performing work with associated tools and machines.We offer a complete benefits package to Full-time regular (FTR) employees including health care, dental, vision, retirement, deferred compensation plans, flexible spending accounts, life insurance, long-term disability, employee assistance plan, referral program, holidays, vacation, and sick leave.Part-time regular (PTR) employees who work an average of 20 hours per week over the course of a year, receive benefits on a pro-rated basis.