Social Worker -CPS

Job Description

JOB TITLE: Social Worker-(CPS Investigator)
DEPARTMENT: Social Services
STATUS: Full time; 37.5 hrs/wk; Generally, Monday through Friday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm.

STARTING SALARY: The starting salary for this position is $63,277.50 annually. ($32.45/hr), receive anniversary step increases for earning potential of $81,256.50 annually. ($41.67/hr). In addition, receive annual cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) per the current Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Benefits- We also offer no-cost/low-cost health insurance plan options. Douglas County contributes to a Health Savings Account and a (PERA) pension plan. Become vested in as little as 3 years of employment for lifetime benefits upon retirement! Douglas County is also a qualified Employer for the Public Sector Loan Forgiveness Program.

Life Insurance– as a County employee you will be covered by $40,000 of life insurance at no expense. Supplemental coverage is available for you, your spouse, and your dependents.

The official holidays for this Douglas County postion are: *New Year’s Day *Martin Luther King Jr Day *Presidents’ Day *Memorial Day *Fourth of July *Veterans’ Day *Thanksgiving Day *Day after Thanksgiving (in place of Columbus Day) *When Christmas Eve falls on a work day, the County offices will close at noon *Christmas Day *Juneteenth *Labor Day *Personal Holiday.

Sick Leave/Earned Safe and Sick Time: An employee shall be credited with 1 day of sick leave for each month of service accumulative to 90 days. The first 48 hours (or up to 80 hours if any eligible time was carried over) will be counted as ESST.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: The duties listed are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of those specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment to the position.

Interviews clients at intake, assess needs, provides services, or refers for services as may be appropriate.
Conducts complex case evaluations for the purpose of assessing problems, risk, and safety.
Develop individualized safety plans with families to address immediate safety concerns.
Prepare and maintain case records that meet federal, state, and local statutes/rules.
Identifies client situations, which require intensified service and brings to the attention of supervisor for help or referral.
Provides child protection services.
Provides and assists in providing services to other cases involving difficult or complex social and financial problems.
Interprets policies and regulations to clients.
Interprets programs to clients, refers clients to appropriate community services.
Interprets social and emotional factors to others involved in treatment to clients.
Supervises foster home placements.
Provides casework services for rehabilitation and care of children.
Participates in in-service training and other staff development activities to increase knowledge of social work processes and skills in application to individual cases.
Seek court intervention when needed to protect the health/safety of vulnerable children; prepare reports needed for court; testify in court as may be necessary.
Implement court orders; communicate verbally and in writing with the families, service providers, other professionals, as well as the court system.
Complies with all rules and policies in order to maintain a safe work environment.
Reliable, predictable attendance and punctuality.
Other duties as assigned or apparent.

Access to Not Public Data
The incumbent may encounter not public data in the course of these duties. Any access to not public data should be strictly limited to accessing the data that are necessary to fulfill the employment responsibility. While data are being accessed, incumbent should take reasonable measures to ensure the not public data are not accessed by individuals without a work reason. Once the work reason to access the data is reasonably finished, incumbent must properly store the not public data according to the provisions Ch. 13.

If a new work assignment requires access to not public data, the incumbent is permitted to access not public data for the work assignment purposes only. Any access to not public data must be strictly limited to the data necessary to complete the work assignment and after the assignment is completed, the employee’s work assignment no longer requires access.

REQUIRED MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AT HIRE:
Education and Experience
A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university with a major in social work, psychology, sociology, or closely related field.

OR

A bachelor's degree from an accredited four-year college or university with a major in any field and one (1) year of experience as a social worker in a public or private social services agency.

You may apply before graduating, but no more than 60 days prior to receiving your Bachelor's Degree.

You will be asked to verify your degree with office transcripts upon hire.

Licenses and Other Requirements
Must possess a valid Class D Minnesota Drivers License at all times.

REQUIRED MINIMUM KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES, & QUALITIES AT HIRE:

• Knowledge of the principles and techniques of interviewing and recording in social work and the ability to apply them.
• Knowledge of individual and group behavior.
• Knowledge of social casework objectives, principles, and methods.
• Knowledge of social-economic factors, which promote stable family life, and understanding of the elements, which affect family security.
• Knowledge of the principles of community organization.
• Knowledge of physical and mental illnesses, intellectual disabilities, and substance use disorders.
• Knowledge of social welfare research methods.
• Knowledge of family systems and dynamics.
• Ability to effectively apply casework knowledge and skills.
• Working ability to work constructively within an agency in the community setting and effectively utilizing appropriate resources and services.
• Ability to work constructively in the development and coordination of community resources to meet special needs.
• Ability to manage time productively.
• Ability to prioritize caseloads.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.

WORK ENVIRONMENT
Working with the public both in the office and out in the community.

HOURS
Generally, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS CAN INVOLVE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:
Amount Lifted:
Amount Lifted Up to 10 lbs.: Frequent: = Range: 2 hrs., 40 min to 5 hrs.,17 min
Amount Lifted 11 to 40 lbs.: Rare: = Range: 5 min to 48 min
Amount Lifted 41 to 101 lbs.: Not Present
Amount Pushed or Pulled:
Amount Pushed or Pulled 10 to 101lbs .: Not Present
Vision:
Near Vision: Constant: = Range: 5 hrs., 18 min to 8 hours
Far Vision: Frequent: = Range: 2 hrs., 40 min to 5 hrs., 17 min
Depth: Frequent: = Range: 2 hrs., 40 min to 5 hrs., 17 min
Field of Vision: Rare: = Range: 5 min to 48 min
Color: Frequent: = Range: 2 hrs., 40 min to 5 hrs., 17 min
Contact With Others:
Works Alone: Occasional: = Range: 49 min to 2 hrs., 39 min
Works with Others: Frequent: = Range: 2 hrs., 40 min to 5 hrs., 17 min
Works around Others: Constant: = Range: 5 hrs., 18 min to 8 hours
Customer/Public Contact: Frequent: = Range: 2 hrs., 40 min to 5 hrs., 17 min
Clients with Behavior Challenges: Occasional: = Range: 49 min to 2 hrs., 39 min
Communications:
Talking/Reading: Constant: = Range: 5 hrs., 18 min to 8 hours
Hearing: Occasional: = Range: 49 min to 2 hrs., 39 min
Basic Body Positions:
Sitting: Frequent: = Range: 2 hrs., 40 min to 5 hrs., 17 min
Standing: Occasional: = Range: 49 min to 2 hrs., 39 min Walking/Moving About: Frequent: = Range: 2 hrs., 40 min to 5 hrs., 17 min
Balancing/Crawling: Not Present
Crouching/Kneeling/Climbing: Rare: = Range: 5 min to 48 min
Motor Skills:
Handling: Frequent: = Range: 2 hrs., 40 min to 5 hrs., 17 min
Grasping/Using Fingers: Occasional: = Range: 49 min to 2 hrs., 39 min
Reaching: Occasional: = Range: 49 min to 2 hrs., 39 min
Feeling: Rare: = Range: 5 min to 48 min
Driving: Frequent: = Range: 2 hrs., 40 min to 5 hrs., 17 min
Exposures To:
Mechanical/Pressurized/Electrical/Burning Equipment: Not Present
Explosive/ Radiant Energy: Not Present
Moving Equipment: Occasional: = Range: 49 min to 2 hrs, 39 min
Heights: Not Present
Fumes/Odors: Rare: = Range: 5 min to 48 min
Dirt/Dust: Occasional: = Range: 49 min to 2 hrs., 39 min
Gases: Rare: = Range: 5 min to 48 min

See also Physical and Environmental Factors Form.

EXAMPLES OF EQUIPMENT USED
Personal Computer, fax machine, iPad, laptop, on-call cell phone, copy machine, tape recorder/digital recorder, GPS, Kronos kiosks, infant/child car seats (installation and use), and county vehicles. The software includes Compass/Compass CoPilot, SSIS, Microsoft Office products, Word, Kronos, Outlook, Tyler Host, MGA, and MMIS/MAXIS. All these items are essential to the completion of social work job duties depending on caseload type.

OTHER
All listed above are essential functions of the job.

Supervision Received: Supervised by Social Services Supervisor.
Supervision Exercised:
Labor Group: Union -AFSCME
FLSA Status: Non-Exempt
Grade: 10
EEO Job Category: Professionals
Work Comp Code: 8742

This job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the employer and employee, and is subject to change by the employer as the needs of the employer and the requirements of the job change.

Revised: 2024; 1/2025.