Caseworker-Senior 37.5 FT

County of Lancaster • Lancaster, PA

5d

About The Position

Employees in this class perform social services duties of greater difficulty and complexity than those assigned to lower-level classes. This position supports the IDD unit and serves individuals with legal system involvement or who are at risk of legal system involvement, including individuals with co-occurring mental health and intellectual disability/autism needs. The role provides intensive case management to clients and their families, conducts complex investigations, and provides consultation and education to new hires. Work may include coordinating and reviewing case-management documents for compliance with Office of Developmental Programs and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services requirements. The position may also serve as a lead worker for support coordinator staff and train new hires and other agency staff.

Support coordination involves locating, coordinating, and monitoring supports. The caseworker participates in needs assessments; identifies supports and helps clients access them; develops and maintains Individual Support Plans; coordinates paid and natural supports; and monitors plan implementation, health, and safety through required face-to-face contact. The role modifies service delivery as client needs change and responds to emergencies and incidents. The special-offenders caseload is capped at 45 individuals.

The employee works with considerable independence. Work is supervised by an Assistant Chief Caseworker and reviewed through conferences, records, reports, and results. The position collaborates with Support Coordination directors, Administrative Entity staff, other county units, contracted service providers, and community organizations. It requires travel to client homes, meetings, outreach visits, and other job-related appointments, using the employee's own transportation. Occasional flex time may be requested to meet client, family, or provider needs. The work takes place in a busy, open environment and may involve potential exposure to Hepatitis B; training and voluntary vaccination are available.

Requirements

• Two years of experience as a Lancaster County case worker; or a bachelor's degree in sociology, social welfare, psychology, gerontology, criminal justice, or another related social science and three years of professional social casework experience in a public or private social services agency; or an equivalent combination of experience and training that includes 12 college credits in a related social science.
• Advanced knowledge of intellectual disability, including eligibility requirements and clinical definitions, and related areas such as Medicaid Waiver, mental health, person-centered planning, self-determination, and available services.
• Knowledge of the legal system and how interaction with it affects the individuals served.
• Ability to communicate verbally and in writing clearly and concisely, give and receive feedback, present to groups, and facilitate meetings.
• Interpersonal skills, including respect for and awareness of others, sound judgment in conflict, and flexibility in response to workplace changes.
• Accountability, task-deadline management, customer focus, independent judgment, problem solving, project management, and the ability to anticipate and prevent problems.
• Ability to provide peer training, develop others, and lead collaboratively by drawing on colleagues’ expertise and ideas.
• Pennsylvania Childline Child Abuse History Clearance, acceptable Pennsylvania State Police Criminal Record Clearance, acceptable FBI fingerprint clearance, and acceptable drug screening, all required before active employment. Clearances no more than one year old at employment will be accepted.
• Pennsylvania driver’s license and acceptable driving history.
• Ability to routinely provide personal transportation to clients’ homes, meetings, outreach visits, and other job-related appointments, and to access those locations with reasonable accommodations.
• Ability to work in a busy, open environment and perform the position’s essential functions, with reasonable accommodations where applicable.

Responsibilities

• Support individuals in the IDD unit who have legal system involvement or are at risk of legal system involvement.
• Conduct needs assessments, including travel to client locations; locate supports; inform clients and providers of needs; request funding for paid supports; help clients with fair-hearing rights regarding supports; and help clients access non-IDD supports.
• Develop Individual Support Plans with clients and their teams, enter information into HCSIS, and distribute information to the team.
• Coordinate paid and natural supports with clients, families, and providers.
• Monitor implementation of Individual Support Plans and client health and safety through face-to-face contact in accordance with ODP requirements.
• Modify service delivery and Individual Support Plans to reflect changing needs.
• Respond to and assess emergency situations and incidents, and report incidents as needed.
• Mentor and train new support coordinators through structured one-to-one support, accompanied appointments, observation, and feedback.
• Review new support coordinators’ written documentation for accuracy, clarity, and timeliness, and provide progress feedback to the Assistant Chief Caseworker.
• Direct new support coordinators to the Assistant Chief Caseworker or other appropriate staff when questions exceed the scope of the role.
• Serve as a resource for staff on routine policies, procedures, and paperwork; brainstorm solutions to unusual client situations; and provide initial crisis and complex-case consultation when appropriate.
• Handle urgent or emergency situations when the Assistant Chief Caseworker is absent and assist with planning and scheduling relevant meetings.
• Lead cases involving individuals with legal involvement or identified risk of legal involvement; advise other support coordinators on legal issues; and liaise with behavioral health/disability services and law enforcement agencies.
• Participate in community groups or outreach as identified.
• Collaborate with Support Coordination directors and Administrative Entity staff to promote cooperative work across Support Coordination units, MH/IDD components, service providers, and the community.
• Perform other duties as specified by the supervisor, directors, and Administrative Entity staff.

Benefits

• The employer states that it offers comprehensive benefits; specific benefit details are not provided.
• Training and voluntary Hepatitis B vaccination are available.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior