SOCIAL WORK PROGRAM MANAGER

Social Work Program Manager Grade:

WAYNE COUNTY JOB DESCRIPTION for
HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT

GENERAL WORK FUNCTIONS

I. A. Primary Purpose of Organizational Unit:
The purpose of the unit is to make critical decisions as to whether the children are safe in their environment.
The unit provides protective service intake. Completes investigations, family assessments and after hours
emergency response. Completes home visits and other on-call services and works with the In Home services
team, permanency planning, foster care reunification and placement; Independent living skills and adoption
services and training for foster parents. This unit provides brief therapeutic intervention to each family by
visiting, assessing, and identifying each family member’s individual needs. This unit counsels and facilitates
the development of plans with the family to reduce abuse and/or neglect situations. This unit provides,
supervises, and monitors substitute care for children and expedites their return to the home once goals have
been met and risk of safety has been lowered; stabilizes the family and helps parents enhance their skills in
parenting and decision making; makes decisions to recommend to the court that a child can be reunified to a
once abusive or neglectful environment; works with customers and collaborates with other agencies in
stabilizing families that are at risk. This unit serves families of every socioeconomic background. The
population that is served include children from birth to 18 who are in imminent danger of abuse, neglect,
and/or dependency, as defined by North Carolina State and Federal laws; services customers with the
following characteristics: battered child syndrome, substance abuse, domestic abuse, sexual abuse,
delinquency, and individuals with physical and mental health needs.

B. Primary Purpose of Position:
The primary purpose of this position is to provide direct leadership to services supervisors who manage the
ongoing activities of Children’s Services Programs. This Manager Monitors employees’ hours worked and
approves leave.

This employee will learn and use programs Compass Pilot and Compass Appointments (Compass Co-Pilot,
if issued a DSS iPad) as required by position to do, but not limited to: request leave, schedule/receive
appropriate appointments, set up virtual files, scan/retrieve documents, receive/send tasks.

OTHER: Employee will be expected to work in emergency shelters and/or perform related disaster tasks
and perform other reasonable tasks as requested by the Director.

C. Work Schedule
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. This position requires a flexible work schedule in order to
provide support to staff after hours, weekends, and holiday.

D. CHANGE IN RESPONSIBILITIES OR ORGANIZATIONAL RELATIONSHIP
This is a new position, which will be one of three (3) new SW Program Managers.

SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

OPERATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Planning
Under supervision of the Deputy Director plans for implementing policy and procedures so that services
are delivered in a profession and timely manner. Consults with the Program Administrator on setting
team goals by assessing time required for certain tasks and establishing guidelines and time frames for
goal achievement. Establishes resources by maintaining contact with appropriate public and private

Social Work Program Manager Grade:

resource agencies related to their program areas and assisting supervisors in training staff in the
appropriate utilization of these resources.

Provides supervision to four Children’s Services Supervisors.

Participates in meetings with the Program Administrator and Regional Field Representatives to review
policy and program materials. Assist in the presentation and interpretation of new policy and manual
material. Assists in compiling reports and utilizes the reports as guides in planning and program
evaluation. Assists the Program Administrator in formulating and writing policy relative to operation of
service units. Reviews incoming mail to service teams and assigns supervisors for appropriate action
and/or response.

Conducts meetings with team supervisors and makes recommendations for policy and procedures for
implementing change and improving service delivery to the Deputy Director.

Evaluates effectiveness of assigned teams and implements change when problem areas are identified.
Works with Deputy Director to develop programs and advocate for new program implementation.
Provides supervision and guidance to service workers in the absence of their supervisor.

Makes program presentations to County Commissioners and Social Services Board. Make
recommendations to Deputy Director concerning funding for special projects. Functions as a resource
person for public information, program interpretation, and mediating complaints from clientele and the
public in general. Promotes coordination and cooperation with other agencies and local officials, as well
as interested individuals and groups in the community.

Prepares reports and gathers and assesses information for the Deputy Director Advises the Deputy
Director of management decisions affecting agency policies, procedures and programs.

Financial Management
Consults with Deputy Director concerning agency budgetary matters (salaries, services programs,
equipment needs)

Review
Reviews correspondence and reports prepared by staff to ensure accuracy, objectivity, compliance with
policy and inclusion of significant information. Confers with supervisors in service units at weekly
scheduled conference, and more often when necessary, to review progress on certain cases and to
monitor overall status of caseload in meeting unit goals.

PERSONNEL RESPONSIBILITIES

Training
Plans in-service staff training; reviews training announcements and makes recommendations to the
Director Administrator as to number of staff who can attend. This supervisor monitors employees’ hours
worked and approves leave.

Counseling/Discipline
Discusses job-related difficulties employees are experiencing and advises how they might manage their
responsibilities more efficiently; mediates staff disputes; consults with supervisors on personnel issues
involving their staffs and advises on disciplinary action.

Selection/Appraisal of Employees
Interviews applicants for supervisory positions with the Deputy Director; assists supervisors in services
in interviewing and recommending to the Deputy Director persons to be hired; evaluates services
supervisors annually and reviews performance evaluations for line staff.

Employees supervised:
4 – SWS III Children’s Services

Social Work Program Manager Grade:

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES
Thorough knowledge of methods and principles of casework supervision and training. Thorough
knowledge of social work principles, techniques, and practices and applications to casework and
community problems. Considerable knowledge of social and economic factors in the community, and
local agencies and resources. Considerable knowledge of the laws, regulations, and policies, which
govern the programs. Considerable knowledge of the principles and techniques of public administration,
including personnel administration, budgeting, and office management. Skill in directing a staff of
social workers and supervisors and related professionals and students engaged in a variety of services.

Considerable knowledge of governmental and private organizations and resources in the Community.
Considerable knowledge of behavioral and socio-economic problems and their treatment. Ability to
supervise, train, or orient lower-level social workers, students, interns or casework aides in the program.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with administrative superiors,
associates, individuals served by the program, and with social, medical, legal, civic, and religious
organizations. Skill in interpreting or communication social needs to funding sources, the public or
legislators. Advanced knowledge of skills and abilities required of Social Workers. Considerable
knowledge of racial, ethnic, and other cultural groups in society, their values and life styles and the
resultant issues in contemporary life.

Considerable knowledge of advocacy theory and techniques. Ability to express ideas clearly and
concisely and to plan and execute work effectively. Ability to read and interpret manual material,
policies, program information, etc. Ability to record data.

ADDITIONAL JOB FUNCTIONS

1. Accuracy Required in Work
Precision, exactness and accuracy are required with day sheets, leave records and statistical reports.

2. Consequence of Error
Errors would result in harm to individuals and/or families and/or financial penalties to the agency and

county.

3. Instructions Provided to Employee
Instructions are provided by the Deputy Director through weekly conferences.

4. Guides, Regulations, Policies and References Used by Employee
Employee uses state, federal and county policies in the performance of duties. Various manuals and
policies are used on a daily basis.

5. Supervision Received by Employee
Employee is supervised by the Deputy Director.

6. Variety and Purpose of Personal Contact
Employee has frequent contact with the Program Administrator, subordinates, customers and other
professionals in the community and on the state level.

7. Physical Effort
Minimal physical effort is required in this position.

8. Work Environment and Conditions
Work is performed in a private office.

9. Machines, Tools, Instruments, Equipment and Materials Used
Equipment used consists of a telephone, copier, calculator, personal computer, and fax
machine

Social Work Program Manager Grade:

10. Visual Attention, Mental Concentration and Manipulative Skills
Monitoring records for quality assurance.

11. Safety for Others
Assessing the need for law enforcement intervention.

12. Dynamics of Work
Work is frequently affected by changes in policies, procedures, rules, regulations and laws.
Modifications in service techniques occur more frequently.

MINIMUM TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE
1. Master's degree from an accredited school of social work and three years of social work or counseling

experience, two of which was in a supervisory capacity; or a bachelor's degree from an accredited
school of social work and four years of social work or counseling experience, two of which were in a
supervisory capacity; or a master's degree in a counseling field and four years of social work or
counseling experience, two of which were in a supervisory capacity; or a 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 five years of social work or counseling experience, two of which were in a
supervisory capacity; or graduation from a four-year college or university and six years of experience in
rehabilitation counseling, pastoral counseling, or a related human services field providing experience in
techniques of casework, group work, or community organization, two of which were in a supervisory
capacity; or an equivalent combination of training and experience.

2. Additional Training/Experience
Experience as a social work administrator, preferably in a North Carolina Department of Social Services
would be essential. Prefer experience at all levels.

3. Equivalent Training and Experience
None. See B.1.

This employee must possess a valid driver’s license, have access to a vehicle.

This employee may be assigned additional duties which are not included in this job description but which are
required of this agency to carry out its responsibilities.

MINIMUM STANDARDS REQUIRED
TO PERFORM ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

Physical Requirements: Must be physically able to operate a variety of office machines, tools and equipment, such as a
computer, printer, copy machine, fax machine, charge card machine, calculator, or telephone. Tasks require the ability to
exert light physical effort in sedentary to light work, but which may involve some lifting, carrying, pushing and/or pulling
of objects and materials of light weight (5-10 pounds). Tasks may involve extended periods of time at a keyboard or work
station.
Language Ability: Requires the ability to read a variety of informational and technical documentation, directions,
instructions, and methods and procedures. Requires the ability to write reports with proper format, punctuation, spelling
and grammar, using all parts of speech. Requires the ability to speak with and before others with poise, voice control, and
confidence using correct English and well-modulated voice.
Verbal Aptitude: Requires the ability to utilize a wide variety of reference, descriptive, and/or advisory data and
information.
Physical Communication: Requires the ability to talk and/or hear (talking - expressing or exchanging ideas by means of
spoken words; hearing - perceiving nature of sounds by ear).

Social Work Program Manager Grade:

I have read and understand the nature of this position and the required duties
described. I understand this is not an exhaustive list of duties that may be asked of
me in this position. I am capable and willing to perform these duties.

• This position is designated safety-sensitive and is subject to random drug

Employee’s Signature: ____________________________________________

Date: __________________________