What are the responsibilities and job description for the Social Worker III- Permanency Planning (Foster Care) position at Buncombe County Government?
Job Title: Social Worker III- Permanency Planning (Foster Care)
Department: Social Services - Child Welfare
External Hiring Range: $29.51 - $34.45
Compensation Grade: 2009
Pay Range: $29.51 - $41.31
Posted Internally and Externally
We are committed to building an inclusive workforce that is representative of our diverse community. If you are interested in this position but are not certain if you meet the exact qualification requirements, we encourage you to apply. Buncombe County uses a substantial equivalency standard to determine if applicants are qualified.
Buncombe County's Social Work Division is hiring for a Social Worker III. We are looking for someone who are ready and willing to grow with us! This posting is for ongoing recruitment in the Foster Care & Adoptions.
This position will be hired as a fully-qualified Social Worker or Social Worker Trainee depending on candidate qualifications. The pay rate for Social Worker Trainee is $26.77/hour and Social Worker is $28.65/hour to $33.45/hour depending on education and experience above minimum qualifications.
As Social Worker Trainee, candidates will be hired with the expectation that to continue employment the selected candidate will successfully advance to a Social Worker position once the employee is fully qualified. At that time the selected candidate will be promoted and compensated as such.
As Social Worker Trainee, candidates will be hired with the expectation that to continue employment the selected candidate will successfully advance to a Social Worker position once the employee is fully qualified. At that time the selected candidate will be promoted and compensated as such.
We are committed to building an inclusive workforce that is representative of our diverse community. If you are interested in this position but are not certain if you meet the exact qualification requirements, we encourage you to apply. Buncombe County uses a substantial equivalency standard to determine if applicants are qualified.
Purpose of the position:
The purpose of this position is to provide permanency planning services to children and resource families to ensure a safe and permanent placement of children in agency custody.
Minimum Education, Training and/or Experience (required at time of hire): Master's degree in Social Work; or a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work and one (1) year of directly related experience; or a Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice, Sociology, Psychology, or Human Services and two (2) years directly related experience; or Bachelor’s degree in another field and three (3) years of directly related experience; or an equivalent combination of training and experience. *BSW and Social Work Collaborative Students preferred.
Essential Functions of the position:
- Ensure children who cannot safely return to their birth families achieve a safe and legally secure placement via adoption or guardianship.
- Provide services through which a plan for temporary substitute care appropriate to a child’s needs is evaluated, arranged, maintained, and supervised in Court sanctioned placement or a licensed facility when the child’s own family is unable to care for him/her adequately due to safety/risk factors.
- Provide direct services to children and their pre-adoptive caregivers to ensure the protection, safety, and permanency of the children.
- Assess, prepare, place and monitor children cleared for adoption.
- Provide state mandated case management services for children in DSS Legal Custody.
- Develop and monitor service plans with families and provide or refer services as needed.
- Make recommendations to the court, including services needed, progress and barriers to permanent plan.
- Establish rapport with children, families, and appropriate professionals/non-professionals in the community to provide a strengths-based, family centered approach in working with families throughout child welfare involvement.
- Performs other related duties as assigned.
Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:
- Ability to prioritize, identify, and assess risks, problems and needs often in stressful situations with clients who are hostile, emotionally confused, and resistant; Ability to effectively de-escalate individuals.
- Knowledge of medical, behavioral, and socio-economic problems and their treatment.
- Knowledge of numerous funding sources and how to utilize them.
- Knowledge of basic criminal justice procedures, elements of medical and mental disorders, personality theory, family systems dynamics, interpersonal relations, and cultural differences, values, and lifestyles.
- Skills in establishing constructive relationships with resistant clients and utilizing family-centered SW practice.
- Skills and counseling in interviewing and the ability to express ideas clearly and concisely and to plan and execute work effectively; and skills in creating resources when none are readily available.
- Thorough Knowledge of social work principles, techniques and practices and their application to specific casework and community problems.
- Thorough knowledge of agency procedures and resources, community systems and resources, manual material, state and federal regulations, permanency planning philosophy, and laws governing protective services for children.
In order to uphold internal pay parity and equity, salaries are non-negotiable for new and current Buncombe County employees. All new employees are paid according to their years of relevant education and experience above minimum requirements for the position and employees have the opportunity to obtain pay increases via cost of living increases and promotions.
Buncombe County Government realizes the importance of a diverse professional workforce and the need to foster a responsive and innovative organizational culture, one that fully engages all of our employees, honoring and building on each employee's unique experiences, opinions, and perspective.
It is the policy of Buncombe County to provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all persons regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, physical or mental disability, age, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other legally protected class under federal or NC State law. In addition, Buncombe County expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment or discrimination.
Applicants for employment are invited to participate in the affirmative action program by reporting their status as a protected veteran or other minority. In extending this invitation, we advise you that: (a) workers (applicants) are under no obligation to respond but may do so in the future if they choose; (b) responses will remain confidential within the human resource department; and (c) responses will be used only for the necessary information to include in our affirmative action program. We are a company that values diversity. We actively encourage women, minorities, veterans and disabled employees to apply. Refusal to provide this information will have no bearing on your application and will not subject you to any adverse treatment.
Salary : $30 - $41
