What are the responsibilities and job description for the Social Worker position at Wellspring Lutheran Services?
Description
What if you could help a family stay together — and look back years later knowing you changed the course of their lives? That's the work of a Family Preservation Social Worker at Wellspring. Every skill you teach becomes part of a parent's toolkit for life. The outcomes are real, measurable and lasting.
The work
You'll carry a small caseload of families in Jackson County, or Branch and Hillsdale counties — visiting them in their homes, meeting them where they are, and walking alongside them through short, intensive periods of support. The goal of every engagement is the same: prevent out-of-home placement and equip families to thrive on their own.
That means some days you're teaching a parent communication strategies that reshape how their household functions. Other days you're connecting a family to housing resources or utility assistance that removes the pressure threatening to collapse everything. You'll provide brief counseling, de-escalate crises, and coordinate with schools, medical providers and referring workers — all with the same north star in mind: this family stays together and gets stronger.
The Families First model is strength-based by design. You'll never approach a family as a collection of deficits. You'll approach them as capable people facing hard circumstances — and your job is to tip the balance.
What Success Looks Like
A bachelor's degree in social work or a related human services field is required, along with a valid driver's license, registration and auto insurance. You'll travel throughout Jackson County, or Hillsdale and Branch counties, in your own vehicle (mileage reimbursed).
We're looking for someone with genuine compassion for families under pressure, the organizational skills to manage documentation and communication with referring workers, and the flexibility to be available when families need you most. Preference given to applicants who reside within the defined service area.
How We Support You
What if you could help a family stay together — and look back years later knowing you changed the course of their lives? That's the work of a Family Preservation Social Worker at Wellspring. Every skill you teach becomes part of a parent's toolkit for life. The outcomes are real, measurable and lasting.
The work
You'll carry a small caseload of families in Jackson County, or Branch and Hillsdale counties — visiting them in their homes, meeting them where they are, and walking alongside them through short, intensive periods of support. The goal of every engagement is the same: prevent out-of-home placement and equip families to thrive on their own.
That means some days you're teaching a parent communication strategies that reshape how their household functions. Other days you're connecting a family to housing resources or utility assistance that removes the pressure threatening to collapse everything. You'll provide brief counseling, de-escalate crises, and coordinate with schools, medical providers and referring workers — all with the same north star in mind: this family stays together and gets stronger.
The Families First model is strength-based by design. You'll never approach a family as a collection of deficits. You'll approach them as capable people facing hard circumstances — and your job is to tip the balance.
What Success Looks Like
- Families kept intact
- Children remain home and families avoid the trauma of unnecessary separation
- Skills that stick
- Parents leave the program with lasting tools in parenting, communication and self-sufficiency
- Stability restored
- Housing, utilities and basic needs stabilized so families can focus on growing
- Community connected
- Families linked to ongoing supports that sustain progress after the program ends
A bachelor's degree in social work or a related human services field is required, along with a valid driver's license, registration and auto insurance. You'll travel throughout Jackson County, or Hillsdale and Branch counties, in your own vehicle (mileage reimbursed).
We're looking for someone with genuine compassion for families under pressure, the organizational skills to manage documentation and communication with referring workers, and the flexibility to be available when families need you most. Preference given to applicants who reside within the defined service area.
How We Support You
- Health, dental & vision insurance
- 403(b) with employer match
- Flexible schedule
- Mileage reimbursement
- Clinical supervision & professional development
- DailyPay – access earned wages anytime
- SupportLinc employee assistance program
- Paid time off & paid holidays
- Weekly team meetings & collaborative support