The primary purpose of this position is to coordinate and deliver services to children for whom the agency has legal responsibility. The Foster Care social worker works to achieve timely permanence for each child in the legal custody of the agency. In order to do this, services must be delivered to families in an effort to reunite the family or seek other alternative permanent arrangements. The permanent plan must be in the best interest of the child and based upon the parents' adherence to the case plan developed to alleviate the safety issues.

View our quick video on why you should work with Alamance County DSS: 

https://youtu.be/nwrVAxhMRkM

• Responsible for analyzing child(ren) and family needs based off of ongoing assessments by developing, implementing and monitoring a treatment/service plan for each child during the life of the case. 
• Responsible for educating the family about the purpose and process of a Child and Family team meeting and ensuring that an effective and obtainable case plan is developed by the team.
• Provides assistance to the family in identifying supportive relationships that can assist them throughout the foster care process.
• Responds to a myriad of requests from all areas of child welfare including: follow-up home visits for assessments, in-home services and foster care cases.
• Transports clients safely and responsibly.
• Prepares investigative reports for the court, case record, narratives for all contacts made during the investigation and treatment plans effectively and efficiently.
• Provides goal-directed services for each child and family. These interventions are to include skills of applied behavioral analysis (ABA) and planning; and use of empathy, true listening, reframing, de-escalation, modeling therapeutic interventions and negotiation skills.
• Responsible for court preparation and testimony as an expert witness for court cases and hearings.
• Works with a population of the public who at times may not agree with the laws, rules or policies of the process or the program and must motivate and interact for the safety of all involved.

 • Accountability - Ability to accept responsibility and account for his/her actions.
 • Accuracy - Ability to perform work accurately and thoroughly.
 • Autonomy – Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
 • Communication, Oral - Ability to communicate effectively with others using the spoken word.
 • Communication, Written - Ability to communicate in writing clearly and concisely.
 • Customer Oriented - Ability to take care of the customers' needs while following company procedures.
 • Decisive - Ability to decide thoughtfully and quickly given the information available.
 • Ethical - Ability to demonstrate conduct conforming to a set of values and accepted standards.
 • Honesty / Integrity - Ability to be truthful, maintain high level of confidentiality and be seen as credible in the workplace.
 • Influence - Ability to gain support and buy-in by way of persuading, convincing or influencing to others to overcome barriers allowing them to support a particular vision.
 • Judgment – Ability to use good judgment and discretion as it relates to interpreting policies and procedures.
 • Multitasking – Ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment.
 • Problem Solving - Ability to find a solution for or to deal proactively with work-related problems.
 • Relationship Building - Ability to effectively build relationships with customers and co-workers.
 • Safety-Minded – Creating a safe work environment; managing risks; reducing exposure liabilities.
 • Time Management - Ability to utilize the available time to organize and complete work within given deadlines.

Education & Experience: - Master's degree from an accredited school of social work; a bachelor's degree from an accredited school of social work plus one year directly related experience in case management, assessment & referral, supportive counseling a, intervention, psycho-social therapy and treatment planning; or a four-year degree in a human service field and two years of directly related experience in case management, assessment & referral, supportive counseling, intervention, psychosocial therapy and treatment planning; or graduation from a four year college or university and three years of directly related experience in case management, assessment & referral, supportive counseling, intervention, psychosocial therapy and treatment planning, or an equivalent combination of training and experience.
 
 A copy of a certified college transcript and a letter of reference must be provided upon request.
 
 Computer Skills: Proficient in MS Office (Excel, Word and PowerPoint Experience).
 
 License/Credentials: Possession of a valid N.C. driver's license is required for this position and maintaining a driving record in accordance with Alamance County policy.
 
 Work Schedule: General working hours for this position are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday-Friday. However, the position is required to work flexible hours each week as pre-determined by the supervising manager to ensure accommodation to families served.
 
 Other Position Information: This position is subject to reallocation contingent upon funding, agency needs and client population and are subject to perform work during emergency or disaster situations as required and may be required to staff shelter overnight.
 
 PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
 
 N (Not Applicable) Activity is not applicable to this position.
 O (Occasionally) Position requires this activity up to 33% of the time (0 - 2.5 hrs/day)
 F (Frequently) Position requires this activity from 33% - 66% of the time (2.5 - 5.5 hrs/day)
 C (Constantly) Position requires this activity more than 66% of the time (5.5 hrs/day)
 Physical Demands
 Stand F
 Walk F
 Sit F
 Manually Manipulate O
 Reach Outward O
 Reach Above Shoulder O
 Climb O
 Crawl O
 Squat or Kneel O
 Bend O
 
 Lift/Carry
 10 lbs. or less O
 11-20 lbs. O
 21-50 lbs. O
 51-100 lbs. O
 Over 100 lbs. O
 
 Push/Pull
 12 lbs. or less O
 13-25 lbs. O
 26-40 lbs. O
 41-100 lbs. O
 Other Physical Requirements
 •Vision (Near, Distance, Peripheral)

 WORK ENVIRONMENT 
 
 Standard office environment