Social Worker III

$ $38.09

Starting salary based on qualifications and experience.

General Statement of Duties
Performs responsible technical work to achieve permanence for children in the custody of Davidson County Department of Social Services through reunification with parents, adoption or placement with a relative, including maintenance of adoptive or kinship placements.
Distinguishing Features of the Class
An employee in this class is responsible for providing case management focused on task-centered work towards establishing a permanent plan for the children. The employee also ensures that the child's educational, medical and psychological needs are being met, works with biological families, performs administrative work, assesses the needs of children to share with potential adoptive families the children's profile and working directly with foster children, foster families and potential adoptive families. Work is performed under the regular supervision of the SW Supervisor III.
Illustrative Examples of Work

• Provides direct services as well as collaboration with other professionals.
• Client contact, e.g. arranging and supervising contact with child and parents, siblings, children and relatives and children and other significant others.
• Monthly visits with the child (ren) and foster parents/caregiver/adoptive parent in the child's current home, sometimes throughout the state of North Carolina and even out of the state, to ensure the safety of children and ensure all of the child's needs are met.
• Develop a relationship with children on their caseload, by consistent and meaningful contact to ensure the children are safe and involved in the planning for their future.
• Locate and maintain contact with all parents or custodians of children
• Attempts at least monthly contact/case management with birth parents for foster care reunification cases.
• Create timely and accurate court reports.
• Presents thorough and accurate case progress via court reports and verified court testimony.
• Work with attorney and child and family in preparing for and carrying out TPR court proceedings. Testify in TPR court hearing.
• Reviews case records, completes documentation daily, performs on going communication vis telephone calls and emails to/from collateral and families and documents these in a timely manner
• Maintains day sheets and timesheets on a daily basis.
• Prepares various requested written documents such as home studies, adoption profiles, social histories, applications for group homes and application and referrals for mental health services.
• Maintains and organizes case record.
• Assesses the strengths and needs of the family and child to arrange, provide and facilitate appropriate services.
• Gathers information from collaterals, including contacts with Mental Health providers, educational providers, medical providers for information on children in the agency' and ensure all health, therapeutic and educational needs are met for the children in the Agency's custody, and assess relationship needs regrading parents and family to use in case planning.
• Participate and sometimes lead treatment team meetings or family meetings to plan for the future of children and clients and to ultimately provide for safe permanence and healthy relationships.
• Transports children to/from appointments.
• Completes legal forms for relinquishments; compiles all legal adoption forms for both children in custody of DSS as-well-as step parents, relatives and independent adoptions.
• Assesses the needs of adoptive parents and refers them to appropriate services.
• Assesses children for eligibility of adoption assistance.
• Assesses the needs of children on caseload as well as those children on other caseloads with the potential to be free for adoption to prepare and write profiles of children to share with potential adoptive families.
• Requests needed medical, therapeutic and educational information to compile children's profiles.
• Assesses and writes comprehensive profiles of families licensed by DSS and private agencies including ensuring fingerprinting and background criteria are met.
• Registers children with all available State and County adoption agencies and web listings.
• Recruits for children needing adoptive placements on caseload.
• Presents information to children/families about family/child.
• Initiates and supervises initial visit and any subsequent visits between a child and the potential family.
• Assesses parents/families for step parent, relative and independent adoptions.
• Presents interested families and participates in adoption committee to advocate for appropriate adoptive homes for children.
• Assesses/Monitors child/parent relationship prior to completing an adoption.
• Assesses ICPC requests for adoptive placements.
• Meets with supervisor for routine conferences of progress of duties/assignments and any concerns that arise.
• Adheres to the county and state rules, policies and regulations.
• Performs other duties as assigned, such as shelter duty or supporting the work of other teams or workers.

Recruitment and Selection Guidelines
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Thorough knowledge about local, state and federal laws related to child welfare.
• Thorough knowledge of psychological problems.
• Thorough knowledge of group and individual therapy, child development, community resources, family dynamics and effects of abuse and neglect on children and the impact this has on parenting these children.
• Thorough knowledge of Juvenile court language juvenile court laws.
• Ability to perform casework and ability to interview, speak and write clearly.
• Ability to respond supportively and calmly in diverse situations of crisis.
• Ability to assess and monitor client's physical, mental and emotional status.
• Ability to identify and access appropriate resources and helps for clients and children.
• Ability to assess family functioning to ensure safety of children.
• Ability to document work performed.
• Ability to write professional documents such as court reports.
• Ability to present professionally in the community, office and court setting.
• Ability to prioritize time and use time wisely to meet the needs of numerous clients at one time.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule including evenings, weekends and occasional on call.

Physical Requirements

• Must be able to physically perform the basic life operational support functions of climbing, stooping, kneeling, reaching, standing, walking, lifting, fingering, grasping, talking, hearing, repetitive motions and driving long distances.
• Worker performs light work exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects.
• Worker is required to have close visual acuity to work on a computer terminal and perform extensive reading.
• The worker is subject to both environmental conditions: Activities occur inside and outside.
• The worker is in contact with potentially infectious bodily fluids during the performance of his/her duties.

Education and Experience

• Master's degree in social work from an accredited school of social work; Bachelo's degree in social work from an accredited school of social work and completion of the Child Welfare Collaborative (Child Welfare positions only); Bachelo's degree in social work from an accredited school of social work and one year directly related experience; Maste's degree in a human services field and one year of directly related experience; Bachelo's degree in a human services field from an accredited college or university and two years directly related experience; Bachelo's degree from an accredited college or university and three years of directly related experience
• Some experience in finding permanence for children in the child welfare system by working with the children and families.

Licenses and Certifications

• Valid North Carolina Driver License.