Social Worker III (Foster Care)

Salary : See Position Description

Location : Gaston County Department of Social Services, NC

Job Type : Full-Time

Job Number : 1326

Department : SOCIAL SERVICES

Opening Date : 09 / 22 / 2025

Closing Date : Continuous

FLSA : Non-Exempt

Joining the team at Gaston County Government means being part of a community that is dedicated to improving the lives of its citizens. We are a dynamic organization that values innovation, collaboration, and commitment to service.

As an employee of Gaston County, you will have the opportunity to make a difference in your community every day. Whether you are working in public safety, social services, or administration, your contributions will help improve the lives of our residents and build a better future for our county.

Description

Gaston Social Services : Protecting, caring for and empowering children and adults who are temporarily or permanently unable to care for themselves through the administrating of federal, state and county programs focused on improving the well-being of our citizens.

An hourly salary range of $27.45 to $31.91 is anticipated for this position.

Examples of Duties

The duties listed below are not all of the duties that may be assigned but are those that are considered as essential for an employee to perform.

• Providing case management services for children in custody of the Department of Health & Human Services and aggressively seeking permanence for them, including (1) seeing each child, (2) attending all court hearings and preparing all necessary reports and documentation, (3) contacting and seeing all appropriate family members and collaterals, (4) coordinating and facilitating visits between child and family, (5) advocating for and obtaining all services the child needs (medical, emotional, education, as well as placement), (6) making home visits (announced and unannounced) to removal home and foster home / group facility - all of such as is required by NCDHHS-Division of Social Services Policy, North Carolina Juvenile Statue, and through local court direction.
• Creating a case file that captures and specifically documents a child's life while in foster care and away from family / caretakers. Social worker prepares pictures, correspondence, medical records, educational records, running narratives that document all DHHS activities, copies of all court paperwork and order, Permanency Planning Team paperwork case plans developed with caretakers, risk assessments, strengths and needs assessments, visitation plans, referrals for child of parent, release of information forms, any mental health records, visitation plans, eligibility for funding forums, all identifying information (such as birth certificates and social security numbers), social histories, home studies, parental information - assessments, criminal histories, past CPS involvements, referred programs progress notes (i.e., DV Groups, Substance Abuse, therapists, parenting groups, etc.).
• Transporting and accompaniment of child (and sometimes caretakers) to appointments that help to achieve the well-being or permanency goals, visitation between child and caretaker, drug screenings of caretakers, and court.
• Participating and preparatory work for Permanency Planning Team Meetings, Child & Family Team Meetings, Treatment Team meetings for children and mental health needs, and Care Review Meetings for oversight of treatment level and appropriate placements.
• Participating in weekly unit / team staffing, individual staffing (as needed), local trainings, professional development trainings, and state-mandated trainings.
• Preparing monthly reports capturing statistical data.
• Must be available to work mandatory emergency shelters & other duties / tasks as needed or assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

A copy of a transcript must be included with the application. FAILURE TO ATTACH YOUR TRANSCRIPTS WILL RESULT IN YOUR APPLICATION BEING REJECTED.

Additional Information

The applicant selected must undergo a criminal background check and pass a drug screening test prior to employment.

In compliance with G.S. 160A-164.2(b), if the position being filled requires an applicant for employment to work with children in any capacity, the County must require the applicant, if offered the position, to be subject to a criminal history record check conducted by the SBI. These checks must be performed in accordance with G.S.143B-1209.26, which authorizes the SBI to provide fingerprint-based state and national criminal record checks to cities and counties.

At Gaston County, we are committed to providing equal opportunity to all employees, job applicants, and members of the community we serve. We value diversity, equity, and inclusion, and we strive to create a welcoming and inclusive environment where everyone is treated with respect and dignity.

We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable laws.

Gaston County will not sponsor applicants for work visas.

Full-Time employees are eligible for the total compensation package which includes :

Pension

Part-Time employees are eligible for certain benefits as a part of employment with Gaston County such as :

Half-Time employees are not eligible for benefits.

To learn more details about the many benefits we provide view our

Overall, if you are looking for a challenging and rewarding career with competitive compensation and a comprehensive benefits package, Gaston County is the place for you.

01

Which statement below best describes the highest level of education you have completed?

02

How many years of related work experience do you have?

03

Have you attached a copy of your college transcripts as required?Failure to do so will result in your application being rejected.

04

Do you possess a BSW from an accredited university?

05

Do you possess a MSW from an accredited university?

06

If you do not have a BSW or MSW, please select the type of major that you possess from the following list :

07

If your major was not listed, please list the major you possess :

08

Do you have valid driver's license?

Required Question