Senior Social Worker ( Adult Protective Services)

The Forsyth County Department of Social Services is seeking to hire a Sr. Social Worker for its Adult Protective Services program who will be responsible for investigating alleged neglect or abuse; in-depth assessment of family dynamics and needs; assessment and treatment of patients and/or families with acute to severe medical and/or emotional disorders and mental illnesses; and serving as an expert witness at court hearings. Applicants must possess a level of comfort with working with vulnerable adults and a sincere interest in their care and protection. Applicants must possess the ability to react quickly to incoming reports and be efficient in case management documentation and meeting state mandated case processing time frames.  Additionally, Individuals must possess keen assessment skills, professional judgment abilities and ethical standards, as well as,  strict adherence to statutes, policies and procedures.  An employee in this class performs professional level social work by providing intensive social work services in serious and complicated cases which require the flexible use of a wide range of social work skills. Work involves investigating alleged neglect or abuse; in-depth assessment of family dynamics and needs; assessment and treatment of patients and/or families with acute to severe medical and/or emotional disorders and mental illnesses; and serving as an expert witness at court hearings (Department of Social Services).  delivering advanced social work activities for complex case referrals involving a highly vulnerable client population with difficult psychosocial issues; and building community capacity to assist individual families and groups in preventing and alleviating social problems through social change. Work is distinguished from the Social Worker II classification by the greater involvement in sensitive and traumatic situations such as custody and removal of client from homes, catastrophic and terminal illness, and therapy/treatment of emotional disorders and/or family dysfunction. Work is performed under general supervision and is evaluated by observation, in discussions, and through review of reports and case records. Adult Protected Services (APS) is a mandated service (Article 6, Chapter 108A of the North Carolina General Statutes) which provides protection for vulnerable adults who may be abused, neglected or financially exploited.  Social workers also provide 20% intake for Adult Protective Services referrals.  from 8 – 5 PM Monday – Friday and staff may be required to cover after hours crises. Work is distinguished by the greater involvement in sensitive and traumatic situations such as custody and removal of client from homes, catastrophic and terminal illness, and therapy/treatment of emotional disorders and/or family dysfunction. Excellent written and verbal communication skills are also necessary. Primary work hours are Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. with some flexibility in scheduling  due to necessity ]as staff may be required to cover after hours crisis situations. Master's degree in social work from an accredited school of social work or; Bachelor's degree in social work from an accredited school of social work and completion of the Child Welfare Collaborative or; Bachelor's degree in social work from an accredited school of social work and one year directly related experience or; Master's degree in counseling in a human services field and one year of social work or counseling or; Bachelor's degree in a human services field from an accredited college or university and two years directly related experience or; Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and three years of directly related experience. Valid driver's license REQUIRED. Bilingual candidates (English/Spanish) PREFERRED. Essential duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to:  Thorough knowledge of basic social work principles, techniques, and practices and their application to complex casework, group work, and community problems. -  Excellent written and verbal skills -  Collaborating with the family to provide ongoing assessment of their needs; -  Reviewing and monitoring progress on established goals; -  Referring families to appropriate community resources; -  Completing required documentation and paperwork and; -  Working within the guidelines of state-mandated timeframes. -  Writing court reports and presenting the information in court. OVERALL PHYSICAL DEMANDS: Light - Lifting up to 20 lbs. occasionally 10 lbs freq or negligible amounts constantly, requires walking or standing to a significant degree. PRIMARY WORK LOCATION: Office Environment