Social Worker III

The primary purpose of this position is to provide aged and disabled clients (18 and over or emancipated minors) an opportunity to obtain and maintain self-sufficiency in a safe environment appropriate to their needs.  The outcome of this task is often affected by the urgency of crisis situations resulting from catastrophic injury or illness, which requires that some individuals be placed in alternative living situations immediately.  When self-sufficiency is threatened either by the adult’s infirmity, environmental conditions, or unsuitable actions on the part of a caretaker, this worker will explore options which could include protective services, placement in a residential facility, organizing family support, and in-home aide services.  Essential to the process of providing services is the availability of those services, and this worker is an essential participant in seeking resource
 
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to complete the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodations.  Reasonable accommodations may be requested by contacting Pender County Human Resources.

• Worker understands the legal and statutory requirement for protective services and applies the regulations and policies as mandated by the general statues withing the Adult Protective Services Manual and the Family Services Manual.  
• Worker is responsible for receiving on going cases of alleged abuse, neglect, and exploitation of disabled adults or lawfully emancipated minors when the need for protective services has been substantiated.  Such appropriate services include arranging for the provision of and assisting individuals and their relatives or caretakers in utilizing appropriate services and community resources; guardianship, conducting quarterly reviews if the case remains open for services; and documenting in the client record the services provided.  It also includes time involved in transferring the case for other agency services or additional community services prior to termination.  It may include the services of lawyers to represent the agency where court action is necessary.  The worker makes visit to the client and visits/contacts with caretakers, collaterals or others involved to complete a service plan covering social functioning, environment, mental/emotional health, physical health, ADL/IADL functioning and economic status.  
• The worker may also be responsible for conducting interviews and assessments, collecting data and analyzing information to determine actual facts, making logical and reasonable decisions during the assessment and service initiation stages.  The worker will complete the assessment to determine whether the client is in need of protective services
• The worker is responsible for assessing adult’s need for Guardianship services, filing petitions and testifying during the guardianship hearing. 
• Worker performs case management services for adults and/or lawfully emancipated minors that have been legally adjudicated incompetent due to their inability to make important decisions regarding their personal welfare and/or finances; and their vulnerability to abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
• Worker is responsible for making contact relevant to the ward and visiting wards quarterly to confirm that his/her needs are being met adequately and arranging for any services or medical needs necessary to ensure the ward’s safety and well-being.  
• The worker is responsible for completing status reports and arranging meetings with the Director, Social Work Program Manager, and Adult Services Supervisor to advise of the ward’s status quarterly or more often as the need arises.  
• The worker is responsible for noting any sudden changes in the ward’s status and noting areas of concerns.
• Social Worker will serve as back up for other services as deemed necessary within the Adult Services Unit and/or agency.  These services include, but not limited to shelter duty.

Master’s Degree from an accredited school of social work and one year of counseling experience; or a Bachelor’s Degree in social work from an accredited school of social work and two years of social work or counseling experience; or a Master’s Degree in a counseling field and two years of social work or counseling; or four year degree in a human services field or related curriculum including at least 15 semester hours in courses related to social work or counseling and three years of experience in a related human services field; or an equivalent combination or training and experience.
 
Valid driver's license in the State of North Carolina.
 
This position is a safety sensitive position and subject to random substance abuse testing in accordance with the Pender County Personnel Policy and Risk Policy. This work is sedentary and requires little to no exertion of force; work regularly requires sitting and speaking or hearing and occasionally requires standing, walking, using hands to finger, handle or feel and reaching with hands and arms; work has standard vision requirements; vocal communication is required for expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word and conveying detailed or important instructions to others accurately, loudly or quickly; hearing is required to perceive information at normal spoken word levels and to receive detailed information through oral communications and/or to make fine distinctions in sound; work requires preparing and analyzing written or computer data, operating motor vehicles or equipment and observing general surroundings and activities; work occasionally requires exposure to outdoor weather conditions; work is generally in a moderately noisy location (e.g. business office, light traffic).

Salary : $54,678 - $68,005