General Statement of Duties
The Forsyth County Department of Social Services is seeking a Sr. Social Worker to work in the Child Protective Services (CPS) After Hours Unit.
The Senior Social Worker is required by NC General Statute to receive and screen all reports of abuse, neglect, or dependency. The Social Worker will document information about the report of suspected abuse, neglect or dependency. The Social Worker in conjunction with their supervisor determine whether the facts alleged in the report are sufficient to warrant intervention on the basis of suspected abuse, neglect, or dependency; and subsequently, make the decision to accept a referral for investigation/assessment or to reject the initial referral, including justification for this decision.
For an overview of this position and child welfare work, you are encouraged to view this realistic job preview video:
https://fcrp.unc.edu/realistic-job-preview-north-carolina-child-welfare-work/
Distinguishing Features
The selected candidate must understand and utilize correctly all Federal, State, and local laws, policies, and procedures relevant to child abuse, neglect and dependency. In addition, this person must be mobile because most of the job takes place outside the DSS office (such as in clients' homes, courtrooms, schools, etc.) This person must be able to observe and report their observations, and must be able to communicate effectively with persons from a range of social and economic backgrounds and a variety of mental capacities and convey information obtained in a concise and accurate format.
The Senior Social Worker completes a thorough investigation/assessment of the situation, assessing the risk to the child(ren) and taking the appropriate action. This person also performs assessments and evaluations, reviews and monitors progress on set goals and completes required paperwork to ensure provision of services for families.
The individual must be able to use de-escalation techniques to maintain a calm environment and respond proactively to situations that may become disruptive while working with clients.
This position requires excellent customer service and interview skills in order to assess the needs of children and families.
The hours of work is on a rotating schedule Monday-Fridays 4:00 p.m.-12:00 a.m.; Monday-Friday 12:00 a.m.-8:00 a.m.; 12 hour shifts on weekends; as well as provide coverage during holidays.
This position is an After Hours position; therefore, the applicant would work during evenings/nights, weekends, and holidays.
Minimum Education and Experience
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 of directly related experience or;
Master's degree in counseling in a human services field and one year of social work or counseling (Department of Social Services) or;
Bachelor's degree in a human services field from an accredited college or university and two years of directly related experience or;
Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and three years of directly related experience (Department of Social Services).
Valid driver's license required.
If you do not meet the minimum "experience requirements" as listed above for the position, you may apply for consideration as a possible "Work Against" status. Consideration for "Work Against" applicants will be considered if recruitment for qualified Sr. Social Worker is unsuccessful.
THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR A BACHELOR'S DEGREE. YOU MUST SUBMIT COLLEGE TRANSCRIPT WITH APPLICATION.
Hiring Rate for Work Against is $47,359.96.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Essential duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to:
- Excellent communication and customer service skills;
- Assessing and evaluating the family's strengths and needs;
- Identifying safety factors and the appropriate safety response.
- Assessing the child's safety and developing safety response plans with the parent/caretaker to include identifying interventions;
- Initiating court intervention to ensure the child's safety, if needed;
- Providing ongoing assessment/evaluation of the family toward its goals;
maintaining required contacts with the child, parents, and other collateral contacts;
- Completing documentation in a timely manner based on county, state, and federal
requirements to ensure appropriate service provision to children and families;
- Documenting all interactions and maintaining this documentation in the case record;
- Completing and submitting documentation to supervisor at established timeframes;
- Collaborating and consulting with team members, community agencies, and service
providers as appropriate;
- Completing all documentation related to initial legal and court proceedings and;
- Attending at least 24 hours of ongoing professional development training each appraisal year.
