Social Worker III – Foster Care

Work Type
Family and Children’s Services

Position Number
2021-122

Salary
$44,351

Closing Date
September 23, 2021
Posted September 10, 2021


Agency Name
Carteret County Department of Social Services

Work County
Carteret

Job Contact
Teresa Baker HR Generalist Carteret County Government teresa.baker@carteretcountync.gov

Job Location
210 Craven Street
Beaufort
North Carolina
28516
Job Description

Social Worker III - Foster Care (2 vacancies) Hiring range is $44,351.55 - $48,786.71 Posting expires 9/23/2021. General Statement of Duties Performs intermediate advanced human support work identifying and achieving a permanent plan for children in foster care, continuously monitoring placement, assessing the well-being and needs of children to ensure that those needs are met while in foster care, providing counseling to the child and family, developing service plans, making referrals to service providers, collaborating with community service providers to meet the needs of clients, preparing and maintaining files and records, and preparing reports. Distinguishing Features of the Class An employee in this class coordinates and develops a permanent placement plan for children in foster care, through counseling with the child and family, analyzing family issues and needs, defining attainable goals towards reunification, custody, guardianship, adoption, or other permanent planned living arrangement. Work involves assessing the child’s needs and securing a placement based on those needs, counseling with the child and family, and monitoring the placement of the child. Work also involves making referrals and coordinating with outside community agencies for the provision of services. Work is performed under the general direction of the Social Worker Supervisor III – Foster Care and is evaluated by a review of records, reports, discussions, client feedback, and by observation. Duties and Responsibilities Essential Duties and Tasks • Develops permanent placement plans for children in foster care; identifies and analyzes family issues and needs; defines and establishes attainable goals towards obtaining a permanent planned living arrangement; coordinates and mobilizes essential services; reassesses and updates service plan as needed based on family progress. • Coordinates foster care placement by assessing the child’s needs and securing a placement based upon those needs; keeps the family informed; conducts counseling with the child and family; monitors placement of the child. • Conducts regular in-person meetings with the child to ensure the child’s well-being and to ensure that their needs are being met; supervises and provides transportation for visits with the child’s family. • Attends and participates in permanency planning meetings; arranges and participates in child/family team meetings. • Makes referrals to other community services or agency services. • Prepares reports and other types of correspondence; maintains case logs; prepares and maintains files and records. • Enters a variety of data into computer system. • Testifies in court as needed. • Performs general administrative duties as required. Additional Job Duties • Performs related duties as required. Recruitment and Selection Guidelines Knowledge, Skills and Abilities • Thorough knowledge of County and department policies and procedures. • Thorough knowledge of applicable local, Federal, and State laws, rules, and regulations. • Thorough knowledge of the techniques and means of interviewing, counseling, and investigating. • Thorough knowledge of community resources for social services. • Thorough knowledge in operating standard office equipment and associated software (e.g. Compass, etc.). • Thorough knowledge in preparing reports and other types of correspondence. • Ability to perform, organize, and prioritize work independently. • Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing. • Ability to analyze facts and to exercise sound judgment in arriving at conclusions. • Ability to make arithmetic computations using whole numbers, fractions, and decimals. • Ability to compute rates, ratios, and percentages. • Ability to perform multiple tasks simultaneously with a high degree of accuracy. • Ability to articulate program policies accurately and professionally even in adverse situations. • Ability to work professionally with difficult people, unpleasant subject matters, and with high conflict situations. • Ability to establish and maintain working relationships with clients, service providers, court, law enforcement, attorneys, government officials, vendors, physicians, civic organizations, charitable organizations, associates, and the general public. Physical Requirements • Work requires the occasional exertion of up to 50 pounds of force to move objects. • Work regularly requires sitting, standing, walking, using hands to finger, handle, or feel, speaking or hearing, and repetitive motions, occasionally requires climbing or balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching or crawling, reaching with hands and arms, tasting or smelling, pushing or pulling, and lifting. • Work has standard vision requirements. • Vocal communication is required for expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word. • Hearing is required to perceive information at normal spoken word levels. • Work requires preparing and analyzing written or computer data, operating machines, operating motor vehicles or equipment, and observing general surroundings and activities. • Work requires interacting with clients who have mental health issues. • Work is generally in a moderately noisy location (e.g. business office, light traffic). Desirable Education and Experience Graduation from a college or university with a degree in human services, social work, or related field and moderate experience in human services and counseling; or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Special Requirements Complete NC Child Welfare Pre-Service Curriculum, Legal Aspects of Child Welfare, Medical Aspects of Child Welfare, Effects of Separation and Loss, Cultural Competency, Introduction to Child and Family Teams, Child Development and Effects of Trauma, and Placement in Child Welfare training within one year of hire. Valid North Carolina driver’s license.
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