SOCIAL CASE WORKER II

• To perform casework duties and responsibilities of a specialized nature; and/or to be assigned to a special area of service in child and family services and family preservation, family support and/or family reintegration; such assignments can be considered unique for various reasons such as geographical location, or irregular hours of work, and the nature of the work which could include: to appear and present material at Court hearings and trials; to exercise basic computer skills; to maintain and improve skill level through ongoing relevant training and education.
• To provide social services to a culturally diverse population of children and their families; to be responsible for family and children services, requiring a high degree of social work skill in the identification and analysis of social problems and treatment of individuals and families towards the goals of self-help, rehabilitation and preserving family life, the protection of children and the development of substitute care including permanency of children.
• To be responsible for providing culturally sensitive specialized child welfare and family preservation services which may include intensive services to children and families in their own home, foster care placement, to the physically, behaviorally, and/or emotionally challenged, and protective services, or other related services such as adoption and transportation of clients.
• To participate in special projects which are developed by the agency for the purpose of studying and evaluating special problem areas and/or agency practice and policy in order to improve agency service.
• To secure relevant information accurately and completely through the social study process in order to form a psycho-social history and case plan so that the client is helped to become engaged in an examination and solution of his/her problems, or to determine the appropriate and culturally sensitive plan for care and treatment for the child and the family.
• To make creative use of available resources and enlist the cooperation and understanding of other social agencies for the meeting of unusual, unique and/or special needs or individual care.
• To exercise a wide degree of independent judgment, decision, and action on an ongoing, regular basis.
• To re-evaluate the level of safety, the needs of and services being provided to clients in order to ensure their effectiveness and cultural sensitivity.
• To institute and revise assistance or services plans promptly as needed, or to change treatment plan(s) and goals for children and their families.
• To maintain case records and documentation according to Department standards and policies.
• To do related work as required.

KNOWLEDGES, SKILLS AND CAPACITIES: A thorough knowledge of social casework principles, practices, and techniques and the ability to apply these effectively; a thorough knowledge of individual physical emotional and behavior patterns as well as the social, cultural, ethnic, and economic factors that contribute to personal maladjustment and dependency and the forces that effect interpersonal and interfamilial relationships and impair parental functions; a thorough knowledge of the wide variety of the diverse population (i.e.: cultural, ethnic, socio-economic, and alternative lifestyles) serviced by state agencies and departments and the ability to apply this knowledge effectively; a working knowledge of the provisions of federal and state laws relating to the performance of caseworker duties and responsibilities of an extraordinary nature; and/or to be assigned to children and family preservation services; knowledge of resources in the community offering specialized services to children and their families, particularly the voluntary services; the ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with individuals and groups within and outside the agency; basic computer skills including keyboarding, use of a mouse device, and word processing; and related capacities and abilities.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

Education: Such as may have been gained through: possession of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education in sociology, or psychology, social work, child development, or a related field; and
Experience: Such as may have been gained through: two years experience in the field of family and children services. Special requirement: maintain a valid drivers license.

• Conduct informal qualitative assessments with participants of their life domains to inform the person centered plan 
•  Facilitate planning meetings and follow up meetings with participants and their support team. 
• Participate in community and relationship mapping activities with participants to gain an understanding of the persons whole life. 
• Document and follow-up on needed services and supports or any interventions needed to remove barriers or to resolve issues. 
•  Liaison with individuals, families and natural supports, providers, and DD division staff regarding case records, assessments, ISPs, and      service authorizations as needed 
• Utilize electronic system to document and maintain case records 
• Respond to and attend court as requested 
• Complete other related duties as assigned
  

Salary : $61,460 - $71,507