Caseworker II - Prevention Specialist

Caseworker II - Prevention

Department: Human Services

Immediate Supervisor: Child & Adult Protection Program Manger

Supervises: N/A

Pay Grade: NE7- $20.63 - $28.89

Hiring Range: $20.63 - $24.76 - depending on experience

Status: Full-Time (40-hours per week)

Classification: Non-Exempt

Primary Place of Work: Gilpin County Human Services Building 15193 CO-119 Black Hawk, CO 80422

JOB DESCRIPTION:  Caseworker II - Prevention

Primary Responsibility: The Prevention Caseworker position provides social casework services for a variety of program areas including child abuse and neglect cases, youth-in-conflict cases, and adults unable to protect their own interests. The goal of the prevention caseworker is to work with families in the community to increase support surrounding protective factors, decrease the risk associated with the likelihood of child abuse and neglect, and decrease the likelihood of entry or reentry in to the child welfare system, as well as to provide support to other caseworkers as needed.

Duties:

The duties listed below are representative of, but do not necessarily include, all the duties and responsibilities that an individual in this position may be called upon to perform.

• Carries a caseload of prevention cases, attempting to engage families who have child welfare concerns but do not meet criteria for formal child protection assessment.
• Coordinates and completes home visits with clients to assess individual and family needs to identify potential resources and/or services.
• Provides information on available services. Organizes services such as life skills, child care, financial assistance, physical and mental health services and legal services.
• Transports clients to services as requested.
• Prepares and maintains case records, reports and documents which comply with state and federal standards.
• Maintains and cultivates partnerships with other community-based agencies through outreach.
• Participates in regular child welfare meetings, supervision and training.
• Prepares and participates in the RED team process to direct referrals.
• Conducts or assists other caseworker to complete assessments of alleged abuse, neglect and parent conflicts, determines if situation warrants placing children outside the home, supervises placement of children in foster care and coordinates parenting time, and determines when and if to recommend that children return to the home.
• Provides or assists other caseworkers in providing intake assessments and evaluations, ongoing services and case planning to a variety of other cases including adults unable to protect their own interests, family conflicts and youth in conflict cases.
• Develops or assists other caseworkers to develop effective case plans and provides services to families regarding parenting skills, family dynamics, parent-child relationships, and conflict with the community. Assesses any new child abuse allegations and provides crisis intervention in these situations.
• Answers hotline calls for child welfare and adult protection. Receives incoming calls of a possible crisis nature. Gathers all information needed utilizing screening questions and documents in the statewide databases.
• May be required to testify in court on a variety of cases; makes recommendations to the courts on abuse and neglect cases, placement of children and guardianship of adults. 

Additional Job Duties:

• Performs other appropriate duties as assigned and any duties needed to stabilize an emergency situation in the county.

 Hours:

• Must be available for on-call coverage; including nights and weekends.

Ability to:

• Learn regulations, laws and procedures and develop knowledge of casework techniques and methodologies.
• Maintain effective collaborative relationships with professionals and other members of the community to develop effective treatment plans for clients and to help clients solve problems and to educate the community about protections of clients and services available.
• Recognize, investigate and analyze a variety of complex problems and to make effective recommendations for solutions.
• Willingness to work as a generalist caseworker in a small county which includes all child welfare and adult program areas and functions.
• Considerable travel is required in order to complete home visits with families, foster parents and clients in placement.
• Work with clients who may be angry, verbally abusive and hostile.
• Obtain a valid Colorado Driver’s License without any restrictions due to driving record. Must also be able to drive a county vehicle.

Salary : $7 - $21