Therapeutic Foster Care Qualified Professional

Work in this class involves providing professional social work services to clients in a variety of settings including local. human service agencies, correctional facilities, teaching hospitals, medical schools, psychiatric hospitals and mental retardation centers. Work involves evaluating the client's situation and his / her ability to deal with it, developing a social history, psychosocial assessment, service plan and / or treatment plan and follow-up. Services may include placement In a residential facility; basic counseling, support, and reinforcement in areas such as death and dying, employment, vocational, medical, health, or behavioral issues. Employees address such problems as adjustment to illness or disability, placement into an institution, rest home or nursing facility; financial concerns; socialization issues of the socially handicapped or those debilitated by age or illness. They may provide information to and confer with schools, natural parents and foster parents on habilitation plans, behavior management, and other problem areas or needs.

Employees may be involved in recruitment, evaluation, and training of foster parents and other care providers. Employees may develop community or service resources and / or develop volunteer programs. In certain treatment settings workers participate on habilitation / treatment teams and provide the social work perspective. Positions at this level combine difficult services performed under supervisory guidance with relatively conventional services performed under more relaxed supervision. Work is differentiated from Social Worker I by the range of cases, the difficulty of personal contacts. and the theoretical knowledge required to perform the work. Employees report to a higher level professional or program manager.

I. DIFFICULTY OF WORK :

• Variety and Scope : Employees Independently perform assessments to identify needs and establish an appropriate service / treatment plan and may provide supportive / directive counseling to clients and families In addressing needs. In some settings behavioral approaches are used to maximize client involvement. Employees may serve as inter / multi-disciplinary team member. Employees may refer clients and families to a variety of services to meet financial, psychological, emergency care, emotional, or other needs. Employees may assume a case manager role to follow the client through agency and external services.
• Intricacy : Clients present employees with a broad range of service needs. Employees, regardless of the setting, must be able to make accurate assessments / evaluations and use analysis and judgment to develop an appropriate service / treatment plan. Employees utilize knowledge of a range of services and of supportive level counseling and other counseling techniques to provide services to clients.
• Subject Matter Complexity : Work requires an understanding of social work practices and theories. an understanding of the availability and Interactions of a variety of community services and agencies and of a range of service providers. Some settings require a knowledge of medical terminology and disease processes and / or mental retardation / developmental programs and behavior management techniques.
• Guidelines : Employees utilize agency guidelines, specific federal or state standards, and principles of a variety of supportive counseling techniques to provide services to clients.

II. RESPONSIBILITY :

Nature of Instructions : Employees are aware of program aims and objectives and address these with clients independently. Employees usually receive new program requirements / regulations and on-the-job training from social work supervisors.

NC 04012

30001867

OSP Rev. 02 / 12

Nature of Review : Direct client interactions, services development, and referrals are documented in accordance with agency requirements. Work is reviewed through quality control, technical and administrative review provided by the supervisor and / or specific regulatory body.

Scope of Decisions : Decisions regarding assessments and services impact on clients and their families; employees may provide direction or instruction to lower level staff, volunteers or care providers.

Consequence of Decisions : Service / treatment decisions affect the client, family, and facility operations and impact on the social psychological emotional, or physical health of the client.

III. INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATIONS :

Scope of Contacts : Contacts vary depending upon the agency and / or service area and usually include the client. service providers

Nature and Purpose : Employees work with clients, families, habilitation / treatment teams in the development and implementation of treatment plans. Contact with other professionals are-required in the coordination of services, provision of program orientation and consultation to community.

IV. OTHER WORK DEMANDS :

Work Conditions : Employees work in a variety of service settings which range from modern public service buildings to correctional facilities, community residential facilities, home environments, or institutions where odors and noise may be present.

Hazards : Employees may experience emotional stress due to the nature of interactions with clients or service providers. Behavioral problems such as aggression of clients could cause bodily injury for employees in some settings.

V. RECRUITMENT STANDARDS :

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities : Considerable knowledge of social work principles, techniques, and practices and their application to individual casework group work and community problems. Knowledge of the psychosocial, socioeconomic and behavioral problems and their treatment. Knowledge of governmental and private organizations and community resources. Knowledge of laws, regulations and policies which govern the program. General knowledge of medical terminology, disease processes and their treatment is required In certain programs or settings. Skill in establishing rapport with a client and applying techniques of assessing psychosocial. behavioral, and psychological aspects of client's problem. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with administrative superiors members of case load and their families, and with civics medical, social and religious organizations. Ability to train or instruct lower-level social workers, students, or interns. Ability to express Ideas clearly and concisely and to plan and execute work.

Minimum Training and Experiment Requirements :

Special Note : This is a generalized representation of positions in this class and is not intended to identify essential functions per ADA. Examples of work are primarily essential functions of the majority of positions in this class, but may not be applicable to all positions.

Salary : $22 - $25