Caseworker Trainee

County of Lancaster • Lancaster, PA

11h

About The Position

Caseworker Trainee Position Summary : Lancaster County Children & Youth Social Service Agency is seeking professional individuals to join our Casework team in their Intake, Family Support and Permanency Departments. If you have a passion for working in an environment that serves to help others, apply today! The Lancaster County Children and Youth Social Service Agency is a public child welfare agency mandated to provide protection services to Lancaster County's children and their families. The Agency investigates all reports of child abuse and neglect and provides intervention services to address safety threats and risk factors and stabilize the family. The Agency's mission is to address the safety, permanency and well-being of children and youth at risk of abuse and neglect. Intake Division : This is an entry-level social service position within the Intake department of the Lancaster County Children & Youth Agency. Following the successful completion of a six-month probationary period that includes in-service training, orientation and close supervision, the employee is promoted to the Caseworker classification. Under close supervision, the caseworker in this unit conducts a thorough investigation of referrals of neglect and abuse following the PA Juvenile Act, the PA Child Protective Services Law, DPW regulations and agency policy. This caseworker provides emergency or short-term services required during the course of the investigation and makes recommendations for long-term service planning Family Support Division : This is an entry-level social service position within the Family Support department of the Lancaster County Children & Youth Agency. The Family Support unit provides casework services to families whose children are at risk of, or who have been exposed to, neglect, physical abuse and/or sexual abuse. The caseworker assists the families in following through with plans to address concerns regarding drug and alcohol abuse, mental health challenges, domestic violence, housing, and parenting skills in order to help caregivers improve their functioning and to prevent repeated abuse and neglect. The caseworker makes every effort to work with the families toward the goal of stabilizing and strengthening them so that they may remain a family unit and meet their children’s needs for safety and well-being. Most cases are successfully closed after the family has completed their Family Service Plan goals. The caseworker is responsible for providing services to 15 to 25 families. This is entry level professional social service work in our County Children and Youth Agency. Employees who successfully complete a six-month probation in this classification are promoted to the Caseworker classification. Permanency Division : This is a casework position with the Permanency department of the Lancaster County Children & Youth Agency. The caseworker supervises, coordinates, and provides services to families of children who are placed in kinship homes, resource homes, group homes and residential facilities. Many of the youth have had various acting out behaviors ranging from truancy, sexual abuse, and neglect to violence against other people. Many of the parents exhibit multiple challenges in functioning as parents or in managing their own lives. With the assistance of the supervisor, the caseworker is required to prioritize activities to fulfill the demands of the job and maintain quality services to all clients. For all cases, the caseworker is responsible for creating and implementing written, court-approved case plans for children and their families. The caseworker is responsible for making referrals for services to complete the tasks on the plans to achieve permanency. The caseworker supervises clients’ progress on their plans, develops written reviews of progress and presents those reviews to the Court.

Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree which includes or is supplemented by successful completion of 12 college credits in sociology, social welfare, psychology, gerontology, criminal justice, or other related social sciences; or An equivalent combination of experience and training which includes 12 college credits in sociology, social welfare, psychology, gerontology, criminal justice, or other related social sciences.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the PA Juvenile Act, the Child Protective Services Law, and DPW Regulations.
• Have an understanding of the corollaries of child abuse and neglect; ability to identify these factors in families and to interpret them for case disposition and planning.
• The ability to gather and analyze information in such a way that consequent judgments maximize the safety of children and minimize unwarranted intrusion into family privacy.
• Knowledge and ability to use crisis intervention modality to initiate and deliver short-term services.
• Thorough knowledge of child development and family dynamics.
• Ability to establish relationships that facilitate meaningful involvement, and the ability to relinquish the relationship at case transfer or closing.
• Ability to complete clear, concise written and verbal communication as related to record keeping, court testimony, service planning, dealing with community professionals, etc.
• Organization and time management skills to meet competing demands for client contacts, record keeping and related duties.
• Flexibility and energy to meet the unpredictable and emergency nature of caseload demands.
• Attitude of cooperation to enhance team functioning within the unit and to contribute to overall Agency goals.
• Must pass pre-employment drug screening test.
• Must have acceptable background check that includes FBI clearance, PA State Police Criminal history and ChildLine clearances.
• A valid driver’s license and acceptable driving history in accordance with County policy.

Responsibilities

• conducts a thorough investigation of referrals of neglect and abuse following the PA Juvenile Act, the PA Child Protective Services Law, DPW regulations and agency policy
• provides emergency or short-term services required during the course of the investigation and makes recommendations for long-term service planning
• assists the families in following through with plans to address concerns regarding drug and alcohol abuse, mental health challenges, domestic violence, housing, and parenting skills in order to help caregivers improve their functioning and to prevent repeated abuse and neglect
• making referrals for services to complete the tasks on the plans to achieve permanency
• supervises clients’ progress on their plans, develops written reviews of progress and presents those reviews to the Court
• supervises, coordinates, and provides services to families of children who are placed in kinship homes, resource homes, group homes and residential facilities
• creating and implementing written, court-approved case plans for children and their families

Benefits

• The County of Lancaster offers comprehensive benefits to our employees.
• Lancaster County Government provides Equal Employment Opportunity for all persons regardless of race, religion, age, sex, national origin, genetic information or disability. The County also observes all applicable laws regarding Veterans status.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Number of Employees: 101-250 employees