Social Worker-Protective Services – Children's Services (Full/Work Against)

GENERAL STATEMENT OF DUTIES

The Guilford County Department of Social Services is seeking to hire Child Protective Services Social Workers to provide social work services to individuals who have been identified as victims or potential victims of abuse, neglect, exploitation and/or dependency as defined by North Carolina General Statutes. This individual shall provide services to families while making a thorough assessment of strengths and needs, safety and family support systems. Work is supervised by a Social Work Supervisor who reports to the Social Work Program Manager.

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF THE CLASS

This is advanced level social work involving the provision of direct and indirect casework to adults or children requiring protective services. Cases in these areas require an immediate response to a crisis for the client. Consequently, the social worker must be able to analyze the situation and determine an appropriate course of action in a short time span. There are, additionally, legally mandated time spans in which action must be taken in protective services investigation cases. There may be occasions with the Social Worker will have to work after 5:00pm to meet the needs of the families.

Examples of Duties

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Essential duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Child Protective Services

Employees may be assigned to one of the following areas: Intake, Assessments, Placements, In-Home Services, Foster Home Licensing, etc.

• Responsible for ensuring safe, permanent, and nurturing families for children who are in DSS custody.
• Responsible for providing services to strengthen, preserve and/or reunite families by helping them to improve the conditions that caused Agency intervention.
• Responsible for ensuring appropriate temporary living arrangements for children in DSS custody and achieving an alternative safe, permanent home for children that cannot return home.
• Responsible for providing information to service providers, community partners and the court as deemed appropriate.
• Responsible for working collaboratively with parents, service providers, law enforcement, medical personnel, mental health professionals, court partners, etc.
• Responsible for helping children, whose parents are incapable of assuring continuing parental responsibilities, to become a part of a new family by finding an appropriate home for them.
• Responsible for recruiting of potential adoptive families and providing on-going services (supervision) to adoptive children and adoptive parents that will provide for their needs and protect the interests of all parties to an adoption.
• Responsible for providing intervention services to children determined to be in need of protection, with the goal of preventing out of home placement or if out of home placement cannot be prevented, provide the necessary services to affect an appropriate placement.
• Responsible for making prompt and thorough assessments when a report of abuse, neglect, or dependency is received by the department.
• Responsible for ascertaining the facts of the case, the extent of the abuse or neglect, and the risk of harm to juvenile/adult, in order to determine whether protective services should be provided, or the complaint filed as a petition.
• Responsible for following the procedures and guidelines as provided by the State of NC and the legal system.
• Responsible for the recruitment, training and retention of families interested in providing foster or adoptive homes for Guilford County children /adults needing temporary or permanent homes. Primary responsibilities include community education, training families in the foster and adoptive processes, licensing homes, and development of recruitment strategies.
• Other duties as assigned.

RECRUITMENT STANDARDS

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Through knowledge of policy and procedure by citing the governing authority.
• Ability to deal with families and the public who may not agree with the law, rules or policy of the process.
• Ability to use advanced case management interview techniques to establish a supportive casework relationship and to involve families in a joint assessment of the initial need for services.
• Ability to quickly assess environment during daytime hours, after dark and in high crime neighborhoods.
• Ability to provide written documentation in case records.
• Ability to provide expert resolution skills in negotiation of most complex cases.
• Ability to analyze child developmental safety issues in relationship to risk factors.
• Ability to analyze situations as to whether or not court action is necessary, especially in intense situations with limited direct information and also in situations with limited consultative resources.

Typical Qualifications Specific assignments vary within Child Welfare Services. Applicants may be considered for any available vacancy. All positions subject to after hours on call duty. Assignments may include: Foster Care, Adoptions, Treatment, Investigations, Family Recruitment Trainer, Placements, Facilitator, Intensive Residential Youth Services, and Intake.

Minimum Qualifications (Full Level)

• MSW
• Bachelor’s degree in Social Work-Child Welfare Collaborative
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited school of social work and one year of directly related experience
• Master’s degree in counseling from an accredited college/university in a human services field and one year directly related experience
• Bachelor’s degree in a human service field from an accredited college/university and two years directly related experience
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college/university and three years directly related experience.
• Must have possession of an appropriate driver's license issued by the State of North Carolina.
• A motor vehicle record (MVR), background check, and drug screening will be conducted on candidates considered for positions.

Minimum Qualifications (Work Against)

• BSW from an accredited school of social work;
• Master's degree in counseling from an accredited college/university
• Four year degree in a human services field from an accredited college/university and one year related experience
• Four year degree from an accredited college/university and two years related experience
• Must have possession of an appropriate driver's license issued by the State of North Carolina.
• A motor vehicle record (MVR), background check, and drug screening will be conducted on candidates considered for positions.

Supplemental Information

TRANSCRIPTS ARE REQUIRED. Copy of transcript must be submitted with application. Official college transcripts required at time of hire. Please send transcripts to: Guilford County DHHS/HR, c/o Yolanda Ewing, Maple St., Greensboro, NC or attach a copy to your online application.

Physical Demands and Work Conditions

Work requires contact with clients, family members and other professional disciplines and service agencies. To determine the extent of neglect, abuse, physical illness the employees may experience emotional stress due to the nature of interactions with clients or service providers and behavioral problems such as; aggression of clients and/or family members that cause bodily injury for employees.

Employees work in settings that range from modern public service buildings, residential facilities, institutions or home environments.

Must possess the visual acuity to prepare and analyze data, operate a computer, and do extensive reading.

Must be able to physically perform the basic life operational functions of climbing, balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, reaching, standing, walking, pushing, pulling, lifting, fingering, grasping, feeling, talking, hearing, and repetitive motion.

Must be able to perform medium work exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally and/or up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects.

Driving is Essential
Driving is an essential requirement of this position whether driving a County owned or personal vehicle to conduct county business. Motor Vehicle Reports may be verified for valid driver's license and that the driving record is compatible with the county's driving criteria.
If a personal vehicle is operated for county business proper insurance is maintained as per Guilford County's vehicle use policy.

Special Note: This generic class description gives an overview of the job class, its essential job functions, and recommended job requirements. However, for each individual position assigned to this class, there is available a completed job questionnaire with a physical abilities checklist which can give further details about that one specific position. Those documents should be reviewed before initiating a selection process. They can provide additional detailed information on which to base various personnel actions and can assist management in making legal and defensible personnel decisions.