FAMILY SUPPORT SPECIALIST SOCIAL WORKER - WORK FIRST & CRISIS

Applicants are encouraged to apply early. The application review process will take place immediately and continue until the position is filled. This recruitment may close any time after the first review or when a sufficient number of qualified applications have been received.

Hiring range for this position is $49,316.80 - $58,968.00. Initial placement for new employees is customarily at entry level through 35% percentile. Pay grade for this position is 18.

This recruitment is hiring for positions in the Work First and Crisis Department.

EXCITING NEWS! CABARRUS COUNTY HAS RECENTLY UPDATED OUR DEGREE REQUIREMENTS! We now accept the following Human Services degrees to include but are not limited to: Clinical Social Work, Counseling, Criminology/ Criminal Justice, Gerontology, Human Development Learning, Human Services, Psychology, Social Science, Sociology, Substance Abuse Rehabilitation.

General Definition of Work:

Performs intermediate professional social work in employment services providing case management services and difficult paraprofessional work involving the determination or redetermination of the eligibility of applicants or recipients requesting financial assistance through the Department of Human Services. Work is performed and reviewed under the regular supervision of a Family Support Specialist Supervisor.

Examples of Duties

Essential Functions:

Intermediate professional social work: Interviewing clients to determine the scope of the problem and client's ability to deal with the problem; performing assessments to identify needs; developing services plans and monitoring service delivery for clients and/or families to address issues of employment, vocational, health or behavioral issues; providing support/directive counseling to address problems. Preparing case summaries and reports; maintaining records, files and confidentiality.

Difficult paraprofessional work: Interviewing, taking applications, gathering information, assessing situations, determining eligibility, and processing applications, changes, and recertification for Work First Family Assistance (WFFA) and Energy programs; entering and maintaining case data in the appropriate county and state systems; maintaining a caseload or participating in maintaining case bank and reviewing all cases at designated review periods to determine a family's or individual's continuing eligibility; maintaining records, files, and confidentiality.

(These are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work performed. The omission of specific duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.)

Typical Tasks:

• Reassess clients every three months utilizing the Family Strength and Needs assessment tool.
• Conducts intensive complex case management assessments of cases involving multiple problems with clients to assure clients are in compliance with Federal and State Work First Regulations in relation to participation rates and other State and Federal goals.
• Coordinates needed support services and make referrals to community resources.
• Performs daily monitoring of program; maintains monthly reports; enters data accurately into computer system for all case records.
• Develops, coordinates, monitors all services required to assist participants to reach goals; establishes and maintains working relationships with community agencies, and participates in group meetings and outreach activities.
• Gathers and reviews household income, financial resources, and residency data resulting in authorizing amounts of assistance for programs.
• Reviews declaration forms and other application forms; verifies this information through telephone calls and correspondence with employers, neighbors and other similar contacts.
• Explains program requirements and options, informs client of rights and responsibilities as prescribed by program policies.
• Responds to inquiries from clients and citizens regarding benefits, application process, and/or program eligibility.
• Maintains electronic records, enters and retrieves data from the appropriate state and county systems and produces monthly financial reports.
• Performs related tasks as required to potentially include but not limited to emergency shelter operations.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Considerable knowledge of economic and social conditions of the population served; general knowledge of the barriers to employment from the individuals' and employers' viewpoints; general knowledge of various service programs, including their purposes, service availability, and basic eligibility requirements; general knowledge of acceptable employment practices, interviewing procedures and relational-supportive counseling; skill in appraising basic needs and/or interests that affect employment and exercising good judgment in deciding on placement in timely fashion; and skill in establishing rapport with a cross-section of the business community and client population served. Considerable knowledge of the program/areas of assignment. Knowledge of and ability to read, analyze, interpret, and apply federal, state, and county program rules, regulations and procedures. Working knowledge of standard office procedures, practices, and equipment. Ability to understand and follow oral and written directions; to establish and follow detailed work procedures; to perform case functions within structured time frames; to prioritize work; to perform mathematical reasoning and computations with speed and accuracy; to prepare and maintain accurate records and reports; to communicate effectively orally and in writing wither person of varied social, economic, cultural and educational backgrounds and maintain effective working relationship with associates and general public.

Minimum Education / Experience requirements

Education and Experience:

• Requires bachelor's degree in social work;
• Or a bachelor's degree in a human services field from a college or university and one year directly related experience;
• Or a bachelor's degree from a college or university and two years directly related experience.
• Degree must be from an appropriately accredited college or university.
• Directly related experience is defined as human services experience in the areas of case management, income maintenance casework, assessment and referral, support counseling, interviewing, determination and review.
• An equivalent combination of education and experience may be accepted.

Special Requirements:

Possession of an appropriate driver's license valid in the State of North Carolina. Position is a safety-sensitive position as defined by Cabarrus County's Drug Free Workplace Policy. Position may occasionally require working before/after normal hours to meet the needs of families/clients.

Physical Requirements:

Light work requiring the exertion of up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects; some work may require the exertion of 50 pounds of force occasionally, up to 20 pounds of force frequently, and up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects; work requires climbing stairs during home visits, kneeling, standing and/or walking while interviewing various parties, reaching, fingering, grasping, and repetitive motions; 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 make fine distinctions in sound; visual acuity is required for preparing and analyzing written or computer data, operation of office machines, determining accuracy, neatness, and thoroughness of work, and observing general surroundings and activities; the worker is subject to contact with irate clients and/or family members who may be hostile, resistant, or violent, homes that may be poorly maintained, which may be unclean and unsafe, travel in unsafe areas where the threat of violence is a reality or in isolated areas where access to emergency services may be limited and untimely. The worker may be exposed to bloodborne pathogens and may be required to wear specialized personal protective equipment.