Agency Social Worker - Child Protection

Job Description

Job Description

Agency Social Worker - Child Protection Human Services

Dept / Div : Human Services FLSA Status : Non Exempt

General Definition of Work

Performs intermediate professional work coordinating and delivering services to clients, evaluating and assessing the success of services being provided, recommending other services that may be useful, and related work as apparent or assigned. Work is performed under the limited supervision of the Human Services Supervisor.

Qualification Requirements

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and / or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable an individual with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The below listed statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and skills required of personnel so classified.

Essential Functions

• Assesses and evaluates the needs and strengths of family relationships including safety and risk evaluations.
• Provides, arranges, transports, encourages and coordinates direct service and advocacy for clients and families.
• Develops and implements all or part of a case plan, defines initial and ongoing measurable goals and objectives.
• Determines with the client, and in collaboration with agencies, the eligibility, need, risk of harm to self and others, and the level of services for identified clients, by conducting varied assessments.
• Facilitates, integrates and mobilizes community resources on behalf of the client; develops or recommends services where they do not exist.
• Provides immediate response to crisis situations; maintains safety for clients and the community; develops and implements safety plans for clients to maximize their safety and minimize community risk.
• Evaluates, documents and monitors progress toward goals and objectives.
• Evaluates, assesses and determines if individuals are a danger to themselves or others in regards to civilly committing them to the commissioner of human services.
• Prepares court documentation for legal proceedings.
• May be requested to testify in court.
• Researches, maintains and applies knowledge of relevant policies, procedures and statutes; provides training and education to others.
• Completes agency, state and federally required documentation related to client activity.
• Conducts the closure of case management activities with clients based on resolution to the established goals or successful integration to community resources; terminates activity with the client when they request closure or when involuntary closure is ordered.
• Attends all required department and unit staff meetings, and assures required training hours are met.
• Other related duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Comprehensive knowledge of the rules, regulations, policies, processes and procedures governing social work in a county setting; thorough knowledge of social, economic and health problems; thorough knowledge of institutions and the methods of the helping process; thorough knowledge of individual and group behavior; thorough knowledge of mental illnesses and ways to treat or recommend treatment to individuals or families dealing with mental illness; general knowledge of the laws pertaining to abuse, neglect and exploitation; general knowledge of the laws pertaining to social work and those dealing with clients with mental illnesses; comprehensive skill in crisis intervention; comprehensive skill creating and maintaining a database related to services and clients; comprehensive skill coordinating services for clients and evaluating where services may be lacking; comprehensive skill using standard accounting software; comprehensive skill creating and maintaining effective service plans and records of services provided; comprehensive skill composing general correspondence; thorough skill using standard office equipment and related hardware and software; ability to identify social problems and needs to assess the ability of individuals and families to utilize services in problem solving; ability to identify and clarify the acceptance of rights, responsibilities and differences of others; ability to make arithmetic computations using whole numbers, fractions and decimals; ability to deal with people who have various mental, socio-economic and risk levels; ability to deal with angry, hostile and sometimes unkempt persons in a calm and effective manner; ability to compute rates, ratios and percentages; ability to understand and apply governmental accounting practices in maintenance of financial records; ability to plan and organize work; ability to understand and interpret laws, policies and regulations; ability to solve problems within scope of responsibility; ability to prepare reports and maintain records; ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients, service providers, staff, law enforcement agencies, court officials, federal agency representatives, medical facilities, financial agencies and the general public.

Education and Experience

Bachelor's degree in social work, human services, sociology, psychology, or related field and minimal experience providing services to individuals with serious or persistent mental illnesses, working in community support, psychosocial rehabilitation or case management, working in a county social services department, or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Physical Requirements

This work requires the occasional exertion of up to 50 pounds of force; work regularly requires speaking or hearing and using hands to finger, handle or feel, frequently requires walking and sitting and occasionally requires standing, climbing or balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching or crawling, reaching with hands and arms, pushing or pulling, lifting and repetitive motions; work has standard vision requirements; vocal communication is required for expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word and conveying detailed or important instructions to others accurately, loudly or quickly; hearing is required to perceive information at normal spoken word levels and to receive detailed information through oral communications and / or to make fine distinctions in sound; work requires preparing and analyzing written or computer data, operating machines, operating motor vehicles or equipment and observing general surroundings and activities; work frequently requires exposure to outdoor weather conditions and occasionally requires wet, humid conditions (non-weather), exposure to fumes or airborne particles and exposure to bloodborne pathogens and may be required to wear specialized personal protective equipment; work is generally in a moderately noisy location (e.g. business office, light traffic).

Special Requirements

Applicable training to obtain and maintain certifications will be provided which may include travel.

Ability to maintain certifications through ongoing education.

Experience working in the specific social services field (Child Protection, Mental Health) is preferred.

Bilingual proficiency in English and Spanish is preferred.

Driver's license valid to drive in the State of Minnesota.

Other Requirements

The incumbent may encounter not public data in the course of these duties. Any access to not public data should be strictly limited to accessing the data that are necessary to fulfill the employment responsibility. While data are being accessed, incumbent should take reasonable measures to ensure the not public data are not accessed by individuals without a work reason. Once the work reason to access the data is reasonably finished, incumbent must properly store the not public data according to the provisions Ch. 13. If a new work assignment requires access to not public data, the incumbent is permitted to access not public data for the work assignment purposes only. Any access to not public data must be strictly limited to the data necessary to complete the work assignment and after the assignment is completed, the employee’s work assignment no longer requires access.

Minimum Qualifications

1. Bachelor's degree in social work, human services, sociology, psychology, or related field and minimal experience providing services to individuals with serious or persistent mental illnesses, working in community support, psychosocial rehabilitation or case management, working in a county social services department, or equivalent combination of education and experience.

2. Driver’s License valid in the State of MN.

Salary / Benefits : Starting wage is $33.36 per hour plus health insurance, life insurance, retirement plan, vacation / sick / holiday pay and many other voluntary benefits.

Salary Range : $33.36-$47.14.

Contact information :

Sarah Pint

Le Sueur County Human Resources

88 South Park Avenue

Le Center, MN 56057

Email : hr@co.le-sueur.mn.us

Tele : 507-357-8579 / Fax : 507-357-8607

Job open until filled. Applications will be reviewed on October 24, 2025.

Equal Opportunity Employer