What are the responsibilities and job description for the Social Worker IA&T Investigations - CPS After-Hours Unit position at Nash County?
CPS Investigations After-Hours Unit;
Work hours are every other week, 4:00 pm - 11:00 pm, Wednesday through Tuesday. Required rotation of on-call coverage until 8:00 am and some weekends.
Prefer current training status with Child Welfare in NC; Prefer experience working in Child Protective Services, court studies and testimonies; Requires exceptional verbal and writing skills.
A. Primary purpose of Organizational Unit
The primary purpose of the Child Protective Services After Hours unit is to receive and
investigate/assess referrals of child neglect, abuse and dependency including immediate
responses to crisis for at risk children in complex cases. Services to families in Nash County
will enhance the family’s ability to function independently and will prevent child neglect or
abuse from re-occurring. Services for maltreated children are aimed at strengthening family
life by supporting and improving parental/caretaker abilities, which, in turn, assure a safe and
nurturing home for children. Services are home-based and are preventive, rehabilitative and
non-punitive with efforts directed towards identifying, providing or arranging services as
needed. Social workers may provide group, family or individual treatment to clients of any age and any developmental, medical, mental, substance abuse, financial or family problem. Child Protective Services is an advanced professional level of casework. Casework is accomplished through parent/caretaker cooperation and consent or if the child’s safety is at imminent risk, through Court petition as the agency’s responsibility foremost to protect the child. The social worker will analyze situations and determine the course of action often under very stressful and at times dangerous situations. A second important purpose of the unit is to provide public education regarding risk of maltreatment, incidents of maltreatment reporting methods and procedures and the availability of preventive, protective and case management services.
B. Primary Purpose of the Position
The primary purpose of this position is to serve the Child Protective Services team as a full time after hours/on-call social worker. This worker will be directly supervised by a Child Protective Services Supervisor, but must have the ability to relate and communicate with other supervisors in Child Welfare, as well as Adult Protective Service matters, for crisis intervention matters and on-call consultation. This worker will be responsible for the intake process after hours which is comprised of receiving information alleging that an adult or child may be abused (physical, sexual, and/or emotional), neglected, exploited and/or dependent. The after-hours/on call worker will make diligent, thorough and systematic exploration and analysis of the information provided and discuss such information immediately with the on call supervisor in determining if a protective services report will be accepted by the agency. When necessary, the after-hours worker will discuss other appropriate agencies and community resources with the reporter and direct them towards those agencies. The after-hours worker will be responsible for completion of the intake referral and submitting that referral to the on-call consultant the following business day. In addition, the after-hours worker will be responsible for initiating reports that are accepted as an immediate, or need to be initiated during the time period of which they are on –call and developing appropriate safety plans to ensure the safety of the children. The afterhours
social worker may also be responsible for completion of reports that could not be initiated during the day, after hour visits, and Requests for Assistances from other Counties that can be completed during the time frame in which they are working.
C. Work Schedule
Employee serves “on-call duty” after work hours on weeknights. Coverage on
weekends and holidays is done on a rotational basis by the Child Protective Service
investigators. Employee will work the scheduled work week, from Monday through
Friday. Employee will report to work on Monday at 4pm and work regularly
scheduled hours from 4pm-11pm. After hours coverage begins at 4pm and lasts
until 8am the following day. Weekend on call coverage will be rotated by the
daytime CPS Investigation teams and will begin at 11pm on Friday and last until 8am
on Monday. Employee is expected to flex their weekly work time out, as to not
receive comp time, except in extraordinary conditions. This may require employee
to come in later than 4pm some days, if they worked late the previous night.
Holidays will be drawn from all CPS SW IA/T employees, to include this team.
Employee will not be required to cover Christmas and Thanksgiving the same year,
those holiday weeks will rotate each year.
The schedule will require the after-hours workers to be “on call back” during their
scheduled days for occasional court appearances, required meetings and special
assignments.
The after-hours/on call worker must have an extremely high level of autonomous
functioning; most client assessments, problem solving, service planning and record
keeping is performed independently with minimum consultation with the afterhours
supervisor.
D. Change in Responsibilities or Organizational Relationship
This new position will be monitored by Supervisors and Department Heads to ensure
the appropriateness of the position. If the After Hours/On-Call position does not
appear to be beneficial and helpful, the Department has the authority to return the job
responsibility to those of the other IA/T workers.Description of Responsibilities and Responsibilities
All responsibilities and duties described in II.A. are essential to the effective
performance of a SW IA&T.
1. Child Protective Services Intake, Assessment/Investigation, Crisis Intervention, Requests for Assistance - 80%
(a) Intake: The worker will receive referrals of suspicion of child/adult abuse, neglect
dependency, or exploitation and discuss with the on-call supervisor to determine the
need for a protective services investigation or crisis intervention, if the report meets the
NC legal definition for neglect, abuse or dependency.
(b) Investigation/Assessment: The worker will use the Multiple Response system and
will conduct a family or investigative assessment to determine if the family is in need of
further services to ensure the protection of children. The process involves reviewing
agency records to be aware of family history, interviewing the parents, children, and
collaterals to complete safety assessments to ensure the safety of the children from
present or future risk of harm. The work involves visits to the homes of clients, schools,
medical and mental facilities, Department of Correction facilities and other agencies.
The worker will involve law enforcement when investigating cases of physical and sexual
abuse, or at other times when deemed necessary. When safety concerns are
discovered, safety plans will be developed with the family to ensure safety of the
children. The worker will refer clients to community service agencies to address
identified needs. The worker will follow standards outlined in Volume I. Chapter VIII of
the Children’s Services Manual. The worker will maintain accurate documentation
according to county, state and federal policies and have the documentation available by
8am the following morning to be given to the assigned case worker. The on-call worker
may have to occasionally initiate cases for other workers who have made diligent efforts
to make contact with a client and have been unsuccessful, given the approval of the
supervisors.
(c) Crisis Intervention: Decisions are often made under stressful and sometimes
dangerous conditions. This requires a highly skilled worker who is very familiar with CPS
policy, state and federal laws and agency expectations. Court action is necessary when
a child is found to be at immediate risk of harm. The social worker will attempt to
convene a Child and Family Team meeting to address the immediate safety concerns
and help the family consider appropriate options for the children. Depending on the
emergent nature of the case, the worker will either work with legal staff to file a juvenile
petition or assume non-secure custody. Placement options will be explored with a focus
on the least restrictive environment. The worker will prepare the family and children for
the legal process and separation if necessary. The on-call worker will also be
responsible for testifying in Court as needed regarding information learned during their
initiation and involvement with the case. At other times, on-call workers may have to
connect families in crisis with appropriate resources to alleviate the crisis situation.
Resources may include magistrates, district court judges, juvenile court counselor, other
social workers, doctors, etc. This process involves making adequate assessments of
information received, providing feedback to the client, issuing county orders for
emergency food and medicines as well as making referrals to other agency’s where
appropriate. Responsible for emergencies in licensed foster homes may be needed as
well.
(d) Requests for Assistance: Completion of Request for Assistance for other Counties
that involve children, parents, or caregivers who are open in another county for an
investigation/assessment and completing requested paperwork, kinships, or safety
plans and returned to the county requesting the assistance.
2. Documentation – 10%
Maintaining case records in accordance with the state and local policy, including
case narratives, court summaries, safety assessments, correspondence, eligibility
information, statistical reports and all forms of documentation required by the Division of Social Services and the North Carolina general statutes. All
documentation specific to on call activities will be submitted to the agency by 8am
on the next work day, to include beginning the completion of the 5010.
3. Staff Development – 5%
Participating in supervisory conference, staffing, training and workshops.
4. Additional duties - 5%
• The social worker is occasionally required to speak at meetings as requested by
community agencies and organizations regarding signs of child maltreatment and of
mandatory reporting laws. The worker will also participate in agency efforts
regarding child abuse awareness.
• Obtain at least twenty-four hours training annually after initial training of seventy
two hours before assuming case responsibility.
• Serve as Information and Referral Source for all areas of agency and refers call-in
clients to appropriate resources within and without the agency, providing hours of
operation. Worker may also make arrangements for emergency food, or medicine
in emergency situations that cannot wait until the office is open.
• Employee will participate in disaster related programs as needed.
• Other duties as required. Employee will be expected to work in emergency shelters
and/or perform related disaster tasks and perform other reasonable tasks requested
by their immediate supervisor.
In all duties outlined above, work is completed in the field or at the Nash County Department of Social Services. This includes all forms of documentation required by the North Carolina Division of Social Services, North Carolina General Statutes, and Nash County Department of Social Services.
II. B. Other Position Characteristics
1. Accuracy Required in Work
Great precision is required in this work. The worker must correctly gather information to
determine whether or not referrals meet the neglect/abuse laws; investigate each case
according to standards to determine if neglect/abuse exists; correctly assess a child’s safety
needs; and continually assess a family during intervention to assist in alleviating problems which led to neglect/abuse. The worker analyzes situation san determines appropriate coursed of action immediately or in short time spans and often under very stressful conditions. These stressful conditions sometimes include confrontation with batterers of domestic violence, known felons, drug addicts and those with mental illness. The worker must be able to meet state standards and assure compliance with CPS policy. Documentation, time reports, day sheets, and other state and county forms must be completed accurately and timely.
2. Consequence of Error
Initial assessments, investigations, and case management decisions directly affect the
safety of children including possible severe injury, neglect or child fatality. Incomplete
or inaccurate documentation or reports may affect agency funding negatively and may
lead to sanctions against the agency.
3. Instructions Provided to Employee
Instructions are provided in written and oral form by the supervisor through scheduled
conferences, at agency staff meetings, and in workshops and professional training
sessions attended by the employee. In addition, an on-call consultant is always
available to assist as a second party decision-maker during all phases of CPS intake and
initiation, in all child placement responsibility decisions, and in all other situations when
a second party is needed.
4. Guides, Regulations, Policies, and References Used by Employee
Volume I, Children’s Service Manual with a concentration on Chapter VIII: Child
Protective Services
a. Service Information System Manual
b. North Carolina General Statutes applicable to Child Protective Services and
Foster Care
c. Social Work Code of Ethics
d. County and Agency Personnel Handbooks
e. Instructions from Director, Assistant Director, Program Administrator, and
Supervisor and On-Call consultants
5. Supervision Received by the Employee
Employee receives review through scheduled conferences, meetings, informal
interaction, reports, and an annual performance appraisal. Review for timeliness,
quality, and accuracy is also received through periodic random case reviews by the
supervisor, Children’s Program Representatives and the Child and Family Services
Review conducted by State staff.
6. Variety and Purpose of Personal Contacts
Employee has contact with Unit staff, other units within the agency, clients, Health
Department, other social services departments, Guardian Ad Litem Program, Mental
Health, medical personnel, crisis organizations, churches, civic organizations, judicial
system, law enforcement, Emergency Services personnel, and the general public.
Contacts are often used as a means to assist in planning and/or meeting the needs of
clients as a part of the human delivery system and to aid in assessing client’s current
situation.
7. Physical Efforts
Employee must be able to move within and without the agency, climb stairs, and use
office equipment described in #9 below on a frequent basis. Employee occasionally lifts
small children, camera, suitcases, toys, car seats, etc. in performance of duties.
Employee must travel to meetings within the county as well as workshops and meetings
out of the county. Overnights stays are sometimes necessary.
8. Work Environment and Conditions
The on-call worker fulfills duties in a variety of settings including client’s homes,
educational institutions, medical facilities, the county social services agency and other
community resources. Employee encounters hostile clients, some of whom are
dangerous. Clients include mental patients, alcoholics, and substance abusers who are
sometimes verbally abusive and threatening. All staff are aware of precautions to take
when such events occur. All staff are also trained in the use of fire extinguishers. Field
contacts are sometimes in adverse weather conditions such as snow, sleet, extreme
heat and natural disasters. Employee is exposed to infectious diseases and all staff are
aware of precautions to take when exposure occurs.
9. Machines, Tools, Instruments, Equipment, and Materials Used
Employee uses agency computer, printer, copy machine, calculator, camera,
automobile, land and cell telephones, car seat, paper shredder, and VCR in order to
perform duties. When conducting investigations, employee sometimes finds it
necessary to use anatomically correct dolls.
10. Visual Attention, Mental Concentration, and Manipulation Skills
Close visual attention is required when operating a motor vehicle. Intake,
investigations, and case management duties all require visual attention and mental
concentration. Body language, eye contact, and behavior of family members assist the
social worker in assessing the family situation and must be viewed carefully.
Preparation of court reports, development of protection plans, and completion of risk
assessments require very intense mental concentration as does reviewing placement
options for children. The social worker must carefully document times, dates, and other
factual information so that accurate assessments and recommendations are made.
Employee must have physical dexterity required to successfully and efficiently operate
machinery and tools outlined in #9 above.
11. Safety for Others
Employee makes decisions daily that affect the lives of clients. Employee devises Safety
Plans, completes Strengths and Needs Assessments and Risk Assessments in
investigations. Employee also makes recommendations regarding the removal of
children when homes are not safe and the return of children when homes are safe.
Employee must carefully evaluate the needs of children in placement responsibility and
their caregivers to determine the best plans for children. Worker abides by
confidentiality guidelines to protect clients and uses caution when operating a motor
vehicle when transporting clients. See #8 above for issues confronting the employee and
for precautions.
12. Dynamics of Work
Child Protective Services is periodically affected by changes in methodology, guidelines,
legislation, and shifting program emphasis.1. Thorough knowledge of social work principles, techniques, and practices and
their application to complex casework and community problems in order to
effectively work with the wide cross section of clients and their presenting
problems including medical, mental and substance abuse issues.
2. Considerable knowledge of family and group dynamics and a range of
intervention techniques.
3. Considerable knowledge of developmental stages and tasks, human behavior,
and socioeconomic problems and their treatment as the worker is responsible
for identifying children who are abused, neglected, or dependent, assessing the
contributory factors and making recommendations for solutions to the
identified problems.
4. Considerable knowledge of governmental and private organizations and other
resources within the community.
5. Considerable knowledge of laws, regulations, and policies which govern Child
Protective Services.
6. General knowledge of methods and principles of casework supervision and
training.
7. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients,
associates, administrative superiors, social medical, legal, civic and religious
organizations.
8. Ability to supervise, train or orient lower-level employees, students, or interns.
9. Ability to express ideas clearly and concisely—orally and in writing.
10. Ability to plan and execute work effectively.
11. Ability to operate an automobile.
12. Ability to use a personal computer and access the State Network.
13. Ability to intervene in crisis situations and to effectively function under stress
and to deal with conflict situations and hostile personalities.
14. Ability to function with a high level of autonomy.
15. Ability to function cooperatively with members of a team.
16. Ability to accept constructive criticism.
17. Ability to refrain from causing or contributing to disruptions or hostility in the
workplace.
18. Ability to make thorough assessments through intense observation skills,
interview and social work practice and be able to accurately communicate orally
and in writing.1. Required Minimum Training
Master’s degree from an accredited School of Social Work and one year of
social work experience; or a bachelor’s degree from an accredited school of
social work and two years of social work or counseling experience; or Master’s
degree in a counseling field and two years of social work or counseling
experience; or a four-year degree in a human services field or related curriculum
and three years of social work or counseling experience; or graduation from a
four-year college or university and four years of experience in rehabilitation
counseling, pastoral counseling or a related human service field providing
experience in the techniques of casework, group work, or community
organization; or an equivalent combination of training and experience.
One year of work experience can be credited for the completion of the social
work collaborative.
2. Additional Training/Experience
None
3. Equivalent Training and Experience
None
IV. License or Certification Required by Statute or Regulation
None
The following are required by the agency:
l. Minimum North Carolina automobile liability insurance.
2. Valid North Carolina driver’s license.
3. Access to a vehicle.
Work hours are every other week, 4:00 pm - 11:00 pm, Wednesday through Tuesday. Required rotation of on-call coverage until 8:00 am and some weekends.
Prefer current training status with Child Welfare in NC; Prefer experience working in Child Protective Services, court studies and testimonies; Requires exceptional verbal and writing skills.
A. Primary purpose of Organizational Unit
The primary purpose of the Child Protective Services After Hours unit is to receive and
investigate/assess referrals of child neglect, abuse and dependency including immediate
responses to crisis for at risk children in complex cases. Services to families in Nash County
will enhance the family’s ability to function independently and will prevent child neglect or
abuse from re-occurring. Services for maltreated children are aimed at strengthening family
life by supporting and improving parental/caretaker abilities, which, in turn, assure a safe and
nurturing home for children. Services are home-based and are preventive, rehabilitative and
non-punitive with efforts directed towards identifying, providing or arranging services as
needed. Social workers may provide group, family or individual treatment to clients of any age and any developmental, medical, mental, substance abuse, financial or family problem. Child Protective Services is an advanced professional level of casework. Casework is accomplished through parent/caretaker cooperation and consent or if the child’s safety is at imminent risk, through Court petition as the agency’s responsibility foremost to protect the child. The social worker will analyze situations and determine the course of action often under very stressful and at times dangerous situations. A second important purpose of the unit is to provide public education regarding risk of maltreatment, incidents of maltreatment reporting methods and procedures and the availability of preventive, protective and case management services.
B. Primary Purpose of the Position
The primary purpose of this position is to serve the Child Protective Services team as a full time after hours/on-call social worker. This worker will be directly supervised by a Child Protective Services Supervisor, but must have the ability to relate and communicate with other supervisors in Child Welfare, as well as Adult Protective Service matters, for crisis intervention matters and on-call consultation. This worker will be responsible for the intake process after hours which is comprised of receiving information alleging that an adult or child may be abused (physical, sexual, and/or emotional), neglected, exploited and/or dependent. The after-hours/on call worker will make diligent, thorough and systematic exploration and analysis of the information provided and discuss such information immediately with the on call supervisor in determining if a protective services report will be accepted by the agency. When necessary, the after-hours worker will discuss other appropriate agencies and community resources with the reporter and direct them towards those agencies. The after-hours worker will be responsible for completion of the intake referral and submitting that referral to the on-call consultant the following business day. In addition, the after-hours worker will be responsible for initiating reports that are accepted as an immediate, or need to be initiated during the time period of which they are on –call and developing appropriate safety plans to ensure the safety of the children. The afterhours
social worker may also be responsible for completion of reports that could not be initiated during the day, after hour visits, and Requests for Assistances from other Counties that can be completed during the time frame in which they are working.
C. Work Schedule
Employee serves “on-call duty” after work hours on weeknights. Coverage on
weekends and holidays is done on a rotational basis by the Child Protective Service
investigators. Employee will work the scheduled work week, from Monday through
Friday. Employee will report to work on Monday at 4pm and work regularly
scheduled hours from 4pm-11pm. After hours coverage begins at 4pm and lasts
until 8am the following day. Weekend on call coverage will be rotated by the
daytime CPS Investigation teams and will begin at 11pm on Friday and last until 8am
on Monday. Employee is expected to flex their weekly work time out, as to not
receive comp time, except in extraordinary conditions. This may require employee
to come in later than 4pm some days, if they worked late the previous night.
Holidays will be drawn from all CPS SW IA/T employees, to include this team.
Employee will not be required to cover Christmas and Thanksgiving the same year,
those holiday weeks will rotate each year.
The schedule will require the after-hours workers to be “on call back” during their
scheduled days for occasional court appearances, required meetings and special
assignments.
The after-hours/on call worker must have an extremely high level of autonomous
functioning; most client assessments, problem solving, service planning and record
keeping is performed independently with minimum consultation with the afterhours
supervisor.
D. Change in Responsibilities or Organizational Relationship
This new position will be monitored by Supervisors and Department Heads to ensure
the appropriateness of the position. If the After Hours/On-Call position does not
appear to be beneficial and helpful, the Department has the authority to return the job
responsibility to those of the other IA/T workers.Description of Responsibilities and Responsibilities
All responsibilities and duties described in II.A. are essential to the effective
performance of a SW IA&T.
1. Child Protective Services Intake, Assessment/Investigation, Crisis Intervention, Requests for Assistance - 80%
(a) Intake: The worker will receive referrals of suspicion of child/adult abuse, neglect
dependency, or exploitation and discuss with the on-call supervisor to determine the
need for a protective services investigation or crisis intervention, if the report meets the
NC legal definition for neglect, abuse or dependency.
(b) Investigation/Assessment: The worker will use the Multiple Response system and
will conduct a family or investigative assessment to determine if the family is in need of
further services to ensure the protection of children. The process involves reviewing
agency records to be aware of family history, interviewing the parents, children, and
collaterals to complete safety assessments to ensure the safety of the children from
present or future risk of harm. The work involves visits to the homes of clients, schools,
medical and mental facilities, Department of Correction facilities and other agencies.
The worker will involve law enforcement when investigating cases of physical and sexual
abuse, or at other times when deemed necessary. When safety concerns are
discovered, safety plans will be developed with the family to ensure safety of the
children. The worker will refer clients to community service agencies to address
identified needs. The worker will follow standards outlined in Volume I. Chapter VIII of
the Children’s Services Manual. The worker will maintain accurate documentation
according to county, state and federal policies and have the documentation available by
8am the following morning to be given to the assigned case worker. The on-call worker
may have to occasionally initiate cases for other workers who have made diligent efforts
to make contact with a client and have been unsuccessful, given the approval of the
supervisors.
(c) Crisis Intervention: Decisions are often made under stressful and sometimes
dangerous conditions. This requires a highly skilled worker who is very familiar with CPS
policy, state and federal laws and agency expectations. Court action is necessary when
a child is found to be at immediate risk of harm. The social worker will attempt to
convene a Child and Family Team meeting to address the immediate safety concerns
and help the family consider appropriate options for the children. Depending on the
emergent nature of the case, the worker will either work with legal staff to file a juvenile
petition or assume non-secure custody. Placement options will be explored with a focus
on the least restrictive environment. The worker will prepare the family and children for
the legal process and separation if necessary. The on-call worker will also be
responsible for testifying in Court as needed regarding information learned during their
initiation and involvement with the case. At other times, on-call workers may have to
connect families in crisis with appropriate resources to alleviate the crisis situation.
Resources may include magistrates, district court judges, juvenile court counselor, other
social workers, doctors, etc. This process involves making adequate assessments of
information received, providing feedback to the client, issuing county orders for
emergency food and medicines as well as making referrals to other agency’s where
appropriate. Responsible for emergencies in licensed foster homes may be needed as
well.
(d) Requests for Assistance: Completion of Request for Assistance for other Counties
that involve children, parents, or caregivers who are open in another county for an
investigation/assessment and completing requested paperwork, kinships, or safety
plans and returned to the county requesting the assistance.
2. Documentation – 10%
Maintaining case records in accordance with the state and local policy, including
case narratives, court summaries, safety assessments, correspondence, eligibility
information, statistical reports and all forms of documentation required by the Division of Social Services and the North Carolina general statutes. All
documentation specific to on call activities will be submitted to the agency by 8am
on the next work day, to include beginning the completion of the 5010.
3. Staff Development – 5%
Participating in supervisory conference, staffing, training and workshops.
4. Additional duties - 5%
• The social worker is occasionally required to speak at meetings as requested by
community agencies and organizations regarding signs of child maltreatment and of
mandatory reporting laws. The worker will also participate in agency efforts
regarding child abuse awareness.
• Obtain at least twenty-four hours training annually after initial training of seventy
two hours before assuming case responsibility.
• Serve as Information and Referral Source for all areas of agency and refers call-in
clients to appropriate resources within and without the agency, providing hours of
operation. Worker may also make arrangements for emergency food, or medicine
in emergency situations that cannot wait until the office is open.
• Employee will participate in disaster related programs as needed.
• Other duties as required. Employee will be expected to work in emergency shelters
and/or perform related disaster tasks and perform other reasonable tasks requested
by their immediate supervisor.
In all duties outlined above, work is completed in the field or at the Nash County Department of Social Services. This includes all forms of documentation required by the North Carolina Division of Social Services, North Carolina General Statutes, and Nash County Department of Social Services.
II. B. Other Position Characteristics
1. Accuracy Required in Work
Great precision is required in this work. The worker must correctly gather information to
determine whether or not referrals meet the neglect/abuse laws; investigate each case
according to standards to determine if neglect/abuse exists; correctly assess a child’s safety
needs; and continually assess a family during intervention to assist in alleviating problems which led to neglect/abuse. The worker analyzes situation san determines appropriate coursed of action immediately or in short time spans and often under very stressful conditions. These stressful conditions sometimes include confrontation with batterers of domestic violence, known felons, drug addicts and those with mental illness. The worker must be able to meet state standards and assure compliance with CPS policy. Documentation, time reports, day sheets, and other state and county forms must be completed accurately and timely.
2. Consequence of Error
Initial assessments, investigations, and case management decisions directly affect the
safety of children including possible severe injury, neglect or child fatality. Incomplete
or inaccurate documentation or reports may affect agency funding negatively and may
lead to sanctions against the agency.
3. Instructions Provided to Employee
Instructions are provided in written and oral form by the supervisor through scheduled
conferences, at agency staff meetings, and in workshops and professional training
sessions attended by the employee. In addition, an on-call consultant is always
available to assist as a second party decision-maker during all phases of CPS intake and
initiation, in all child placement responsibility decisions, and in all other situations when
a second party is needed.
4. Guides, Regulations, Policies, and References Used by Employee
Volume I, Children’s Service Manual with a concentration on Chapter VIII: Child
Protective Services
a. Service Information System Manual
b. North Carolina General Statutes applicable to Child Protective Services and
Foster Care
c. Social Work Code of Ethics
d. County and Agency Personnel Handbooks
e. Instructions from Director, Assistant Director, Program Administrator, and
Supervisor and On-Call consultants
5. Supervision Received by the Employee
Employee receives review through scheduled conferences, meetings, informal
interaction, reports, and an annual performance appraisal. Review for timeliness,
quality, and accuracy is also received through periodic random case reviews by the
supervisor, Children’s Program Representatives and the Child and Family Services
Review conducted by State staff.
6. Variety and Purpose of Personal Contacts
Employee has contact with Unit staff, other units within the agency, clients, Health
Department, other social services departments, Guardian Ad Litem Program, Mental
Health, medical personnel, crisis organizations, churches, civic organizations, judicial
system, law enforcement, Emergency Services personnel, and the general public.
Contacts are often used as a means to assist in planning and/or meeting the needs of
clients as a part of the human delivery system and to aid in assessing client’s current
situation.
7. Physical Efforts
Employee must be able to move within and without the agency, climb stairs, and use
office equipment described in #9 below on a frequent basis. Employee occasionally lifts
small children, camera, suitcases, toys, car seats, etc. in performance of duties.
Employee must travel to meetings within the county as well as workshops and meetings
out of the county. Overnights stays are sometimes necessary.
8. Work Environment and Conditions
The on-call worker fulfills duties in a variety of settings including client’s homes,
educational institutions, medical facilities, the county social services agency and other
community resources. Employee encounters hostile clients, some of whom are
dangerous. Clients include mental patients, alcoholics, and substance abusers who are
sometimes verbally abusive and threatening. All staff are aware of precautions to take
when such events occur. All staff are also trained in the use of fire extinguishers. Field
contacts are sometimes in adverse weather conditions such as snow, sleet, extreme
heat and natural disasters. Employee is exposed to infectious diseases and all staff are
aware of precautions to take when exposure occurs.
9. Machines, Tools, Instruments, Equipment, and Materials Used
Employee uses agency computer, printer, copy machine, calculator, camera,
automobile, land and cell telephones, car seat, paper shredder, and VCR in order to
perform duties. When conducting investigations, employee sometimes finds it
necessary to use anatomically correct dolls.
10. Visual Attention, Mental Concentration, and Manipulation Skills
Close visual attention is required when operating a motor vehicle. Intake,
investigations, and case management duties all require visual attention and mental
concentration. Body language, eye contact, and behavior of family members assist the
social worker in assessing the family situation and must be viewed carefully.
Preparation of court reports, development of protection plans, and completion of risk
assessments require very intense mental concentration as does reviewing placement
options for children. The social worker must carefully document times, dates, and other
factual information so that accurate assessments and recommendations are made.
Employee must have physical dexterity required to successfully and efficiently operate
machinery and tools outlined in #9 above.
11. Safety for Others
Employee makes decisions daily that affect the lives of clients. Employee devises Safety
Plans, completes Strengths and Needs Assessments and Risk Assessments in
investigations. Employee also makes recommendations regarding the removal of
children when homes are not safe and the return of children when homes are safe.
Employee must carefully evaluate the needs of children in placement responsibility and
their caregivers to determine the best plans for children. Worker abides by
confidentiality guidelines to protect clients and uses caution when operating a motor
vehicle when transporting clients. See #8 above for issues confronting the employee and
for precautions.
12. Dynamics of Work
Child Protective Services is periodically affected by changes in methodology, guidelines,
legislation, and shifting program emphasis.1. Thorough knowledge of social work principles, techniques, and practices and
their application to complex casework and community problems in order to
effectively work with the wide cross section of clients and their presenting
problems including medical, mental and substance abuse issues.
2. Considerable knowledge of family and group dynamics and a range of
intervention techniques.
3. Considerable knowledge of developmental stages and tasks, human behavior,
and socioeconomic problems and their treatment as the worker is responsible
for identifying children who are abused, neglected, or dependent, assessing the
contributory factors and making recommendations for solutions to the
identified problems.
4. Considerable knowledge of governmental and private organizations and other
resources within the community.
5. Considerable knowledge of laws, regulations, and policies which govern Child
Protective Services.
6. General knowledge of methods and principles of casework supervision and
training.
7. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients,
associates, administrative superiors, social medical, legal, civic and religious
organizations.
8. Ability to supervise, train or orient lower-level employees, students, or interns.
9. Ability to express ideas clearly and concisely—orally and in writing.
10. Ability to plan and execute work effectively.
11. Ability to operate an automobile.
12. Ability to use a personal computer and access the State Network.
13. Ability to intervene in crisis situations and to effectively function under stress
and to deal with conflict situations and hostile personalities.
14. Ability to function with a high level of autonomy.
15. Ability to function cooperatively with members of a team.
16. Ability to accept constructive criticism.
17. Ability to refrain from causing or contributing to disruptions or hostility in the
workplace.
18. Ability to make thorough assessments through intense observation skills,
interview and social work practice and be able to accurately communicate orally
and in writing.1. Required Minimum Training
Master’s degree from an accredited School of Social Work and one year of
social work experience; or a bachelor’s degree from an accredited school of
social work and two years of social work or counseling experience; or Master’s
degree in a counseling field and two years of social work or counseling
experience; or a four-year degree in a human services field or related curriculum
and three years of social work or counseling experience; or graduation from a
four-year college or university and four years of experience in rehabilitation
counseling, pastoral counseling or a related human service field providing
experience in the techniques of casework, group work, or community
organization; or an equivalent combination of training and experience.
One year of work experience can be credited for the completion of the social
work collaborative.
2. Additional Training/Experience
None
3. Equivalent Training and Experience
None
IV. License or Certification Required by Statute or Regulation
None
The following are required by the agency:
l. Minimum North Carolina automobile liability insurance.
2. Valid North Carolina driver’s license.
3. Access to a vehicle.
Salary : $60,609
