Social Service Worker 3-Adoption Caseworker

Salary : $26.63 Hourly

Location : Lancaster 43130, OH

Job Type : Full-Time

Job Number : 00735

Department : JOB & FAMILY SERVICES

Division : Protective Services

Opening Date : 02 / 12 / 2025

Closing Date : 3 / 12 / 2025 11 : 59 PM Eastern

Description

The primary purpose of the Social Service Worker 3 position is to assess readiness of child for adoption in collaboration with other agency staff and providers. Screen home assessments received as possible "match" for child to be adopted. Participate in matching conferences to seek to identify an appropriate "match" for abused, neglected and / or maltreated children entering adoptive placement. Face to face meetings with children freed for adoption. Identify individuals of importance for children on caseload. Initiate contacts with parties interested in waiting children or with potential permanency connections. Participate in case reviews and semi-annual reviews for children on assigned caseload.

Duties

35% : Responsible for providing pre-finalization, finalization and post-finalization adoption services to children and families. Responsible for pre-adoptive staffing, matching, disclosure, and finalization materials documenting work with adoptees and their caregivers. Complete Child Studies and Child Study Updates as required. Seek and maintain Ohio Assessor qualifications. Conduct family finding and recruitment for adoptive families among related and non-related kin and other parties. Conduct foster-adopt home assessments, comprised of home visits, interviews & extensive consultations with all family members; observe family interactions and assess overall level of functioning; recommend certification / approval or denial of certification / approval based upon home study findings.

30% : Plan, implement & evaluate child specific recruitment activities (e.g., identify needs, respond to and / or investigate inquiries, conduct home visits. Increase public awareness (e.g., develop and evaluate recruitment materials, advertisements, fliers, inquiry packets and public presentations).

25% : Maintain case records & supporting documentation (e.g., child studies and updates, social medical history, Lifebook materials, pre-adoptive staffing, matching, disclosure, subsidy paperwork, pre-finalization paperwork for probate court, case reviews, semi-annual reviews, activity logs, police reports, references, safety audits & home study reports) in the State Automated Child Welfare Information System (SACWIS) and the Electronic Data Management System (EDMS) for supervisory approvals and agency record retention. Utilize technology in daily work activities. Participate in on-going training, supervisory / staff meetings, staff consultations and other related management support tasks.

10% : Implement planning for foster care adoption programs & develop recommendations on policy or procedural changes to improve quality of services. Establish and implement measurable system to evaluate services. Participate in ongoing training, supervisory / staff meetings, staff consultations and other related management support tasks. Participates in weekend and night coverage on rotating basis. Assist with overflow case assignments by assessing the validity of complaints accepted according to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) rules and agency policy of abuse, neglect, and dependency by conducting interviews of adults and children at various locations, completing assessments in the Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System (SACWIS), gathering evidence, and working with community partners and / or collateral sources. Provides interventions to alleviate crises and reduce risks to children by engaging the family, community partners and referring for service linkage. Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Per Section 5153.112 of the Ohio Revised Code, applicants of a Public Children Services unit must have one of the following :

1. A bachelor's degree in human services-related studies, or

2. A bachelor's degree in any field and have been employed for at least two years in a human services occupation, or

3. An associate's degree in human services-related studies, or

4. Been employed for at least five years in a human service-related occupation.

For employment to continue, a person described in Option 2, 3, or 4 above must obtain a job-related bachelor's degree not later than five years after the date employment with the agency commences.

Per Section 5153.122 of the Ohio Revised Code, each caseworker shall complete at least ninety hours of in-service training during the first year of the caseworker's continuous employment, consisting of courses in recognizing and preventing child abuse and neglect, assessing risks, interviewing persons, investigating cases, intervening, providing services to children and their families, and other topics relevant to child abuse and neglect. After the first year of continuous employment, each caseworker annually shall complete thirty-six hours of training in areas relevant to the caseworker's assigned duties. In addition, applicant must have a valid driver's license.

Salary : $27