Social Worker - Protect Services (Adult)

GUILFORD COUNTY GOVERNMENT

Empower Successful People to thrive in a Strong Community supported by Quality Government

Description

GENERAL STATEMENT OF DUTIES

The Guilford County Department of Social Services is seeking to hire Adult or 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.
  
  

Adult Protective Services

Employees may be assigned to one of the following areas: Intake, Assessments, Guardianship etc.

• Responsible for in-depth assessment of family dynamics and needs; assessment and treatment of patients and/or families with acute to severe medical and/or emotional disorders and mental illnesses; and providing information to the court.
• Responsible for working with vulnerable adults.
• Ability to react quickly to incoming reports and be efficient in case documentation and meeting state mandated processing time frames.
• Responsible for keen assessment skills, professional judgement abilities and ethical standards.
• 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

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• MSW
• BSW – Child Welfare Collaborative
• BSW from an accredited school of social work and one year of directly related experience
• Masters degree in counseling from an accredited college/university in a human services field and one year directly related experience
• Bachelors degree in a human service field from an accredited college/university and two years directly related experience
• Bachelors 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
  
  

Supplemental Information

Residency Requirement.

Candidate must reside within a two-hour driving radius of Guilford County to be considered for employment.

Transcripts Are Required.

Copy of transcript must be submitted with application for consideration. Official college transcripts required at time of hire.

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 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.

Guilford County is committed to providing Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) to employees and applicants for employment regardless of color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation or political affiliation. The County is committed to complying with all applicable federal, state and local laws that pertain to employment, and to providing a work environment that is free from discrimination of any kind. If you need an auxiliary aide, make the request forty-eight (48) hours in advance of the time the accommodation is needed by calling 336-641-3324.

We are excited about the opportunity of having you as a prospective new employee!

You probably already know our county is a wonderful county to live in, but did you know it is also a wonderful place to work?

Below are a few of the reasons why we love working for Guilford County.

We offer Health Insurance (UnitedHealthCare) to all benefitted employees working a minimum of 20 hours per week. The shared cost of the premium is based on scheduled/budgeted hours. If you are a full-time employee working 40 hours a week you can expect to pay less than $35 a month for medical coverage, dental coverage for $4 a month and vision coverage for $5 a month. That's less than $45 a month for medical, dental & vision coverage; that's unheard of.

Telehealth UHC Virtual Visits are available to you with no copay or out of pocket expense.

We are excited to inform you Guilford County has an Employee Wellness Center (24/7 access) with strength training equipment, cardio machines and a group exercise room with virtual or in person coaching from our Wellness Specialist!

Employee Assistance Program, 100% funded by the county. A superb benefit for you and your family absolutely free. Confidential help with personal or work-related issues.

13 paid holidays, 12 sick days, and 12 vacation days a year. That's 37 paid days a year, totaling almost 2 months of paid time off.

Employer contributes 5% into your 401(k) - no match required.

Enrollment in the State Retirement Plan by contributing 6%.

Longevity pay beginning at five years of service.

We provide a $10,000 Life and AD&D benefit to eligible employees.

Flexible spending accounts (FSA) allow you to set aside tax-free dollars for health care and dependent care.

Voluntary Life, AD&D, Short-Term and Long-Term Disability.

01

Please select the highest level of education you have completed All education and certifications must be listed in the Education section of the employment application. Transcripts may be required to verify educational qualifications.

• No formal education
• Some High School, No Diploma/GED
• High School Diploma or GED
• Associate's Degree (AA, AS)
• Bachelor’s Degree (BA, BS)
• Master’s Degree (MA, MS, MBA, etc.)
• Professional degree (JD, MD, DVM, etc.)
• Doctoral Degree (PhD, EdD, etc.)
  
  

02

Do you have a Masters Degree or higher in Social Work? For evaluation purposes, all education, including degrees and certifications, must be documented in the Education section of the application. Education referenced only on a résumé will not meet this requirement. Official transcripts will be required to verify educational credentials.

• Yes
• No
  
  

03

Do you have a Masters Degree or higher in Counseling or other Human Services field(i.e. Psychology, Criminal Justice)? For evaluation purposes, all education, including degrees and certifications, must be documented in the Education section of the application. Education referenced only on a résumé will not meet this requirement. Official transcripts will be required to verify educational credentials.

• Yes
• No
  
  

04

Do you have a Bachelor’s Degree or higher in Social Work? For evaluation purposes, all education, including degrees and certifications, must be documented in the Education section of the application. Education referenced only on a résumé will not meet this requirement. Official transcripts will be required to verify educational credentials.

• Yes
• No
  
  

05

Do you have a Bachelor’s Degree or higher in a Human Services field (ie Counseling, Psychology, Criminal Justice)? For evaluation purposes, all education, including degrees and certifications, must be documented in the Education section of the application. Education referenced only on a résumé will not meet this requirement. Official transcripts will be required to verify educational credentials.

• Yes
• No
  
  

06

How many years of professional experience do you have working in Social Work or a Human Services related field (Psychology, Sociology, Counseling, etc)? All experience must be documented in the Work History section of the application. Failure to do so may result in the application being considered incomplete.

• N/A or no experience
• Less than 1 year of experience
• 1 year but less than 2 years of experience
• 2 years but less than 3 years of experience
• 3 years but less than 4 years of experience
• 4 years but less than 7 years of experience
• 7 years but less than 10 years of experience
• 10 years or more of experience
  
  

07

Please clearly describe your professional experience working in a Social Work or a Human Services related field (Psychology, Sociology, Counseling, etc). Your response must include the agency name(s), job title(s), dates of employment, and a brief summary of your primary duties and level of responsibility. Experience referenced only on a résumé will not be considered. All experience must be documented in the Work History section of the application. Failure to do so may result in the application being considered incomplete.

08

Guilford County requires employees to reside within a two-hour driving radius of Guilford County. Do you currently meet this residency requirement, or are you willing and able to relocate to meet it if selected? Important: Failure to meet or agree to meet the residency requirement may result in disqualification from further consideration.

• I currently reside within a two-hour driving radius of Guilford County
• I am willing and able to relocate to meet the two-hour residency requirement
• No
  
  

09

I understand that all Required Competencies, Work history and Credentials and Education must appear on the application in the Education and Work Experience sections of the application form to receive consideration during the selection process. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of completing the application, "See Attached Resume or an Embedded Text Resume" will be considered incomplete and will not be processed.

• Yes
• No
  
  

10

This position requires verification of education through official transcripts. Are you able to provide transcripts upon request?

• Yes
• No
  
  

11

Are you currently fostering any children in your home?

• Yes
• No
  
  

12

Are you currently licensed as a foster parent through Guilford County DHHS or any other private or public agency?

• Yes
• No
• Required Question