III (Nucla, CO)

Montrose County•Nucla, CO

12d•Hybrid

About The Position

Provides intake and/or ongoing social casework to adults, children and/or families. Assignments may fall under Child Protection, Adolescent Services, Adult Services, Foster Care/Retention, Adoption, and Life Skills. Develop case plans to address specific issues and make referrals to other agencies when appropriate. Caseworker III provides intake and/or ongoing, complex social casework, evaluates client needs, and may offer guidance, mentoring, and training to other caseworkers, potentially acting in a lead capacity. Caseworker I receives close supervision, while Caseworker II works under supervision with detailed instructions on new projects, and Caseworker III works under general supervision with little day-to-day instruction.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in Social Work or a Human Behavioral Science field, OR 5 years of relevant experience in Long Term Services and Supports can substitute for the Bachelor's Degree (Caseworker I/II).
Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in one of the human behavioral science fields (Caseworker III).
A Master’s degree from an accredited college or university in Social Work is preferred (Caseworker III).
A minimum of one (1) year of experience in human behavioral sciences field is preferred (Caseworker I).
A minimum of two (2) years full-time casework experience in adult protective, child protective or juvenile services or in a related field (Caseworker II).
A minimum of three (3) years Caseworker II experience (Caseworker III).
Scope and application of laws and regulations pertaining to physical abuse, sexual abuse, caregiver/self neglect, child/adult welfare, and elderly or disabled adult services.
Principles, practices, and objectives related to case management, risk assessment, crisis intervention, and counseling.
Ability to assess risk, develop treatment or service plans, and counsel family and clients on methods of problem resolution.
Ability to maintain sensitive and confidential information.
Knowledge of unit's functions, policies and procedures (Caseworker III).
Working knowledge of State regulations, principles, practices, and protocols (Caseworker III).
Working knowledge of mental illness issues, substance abuse, homelessness, and medical terminology (Caseworker III).
Ability to utilize a variety of state rules and regulations to ensure state compliance.
Ability to adhere to confidentiality rules and regulations.
Ability to express ideas clearly and concisely, orally and in a variety of written formats.
Ability to interpret, apply, explain and enforce all applicable laws, codes, regulations, policies and procedures to a wide range of audiences and levels of knowledge.
Ability to assemble, organize and present statistical, financial and technical information derived from a variety of sources.
Ability to read, analyze, and interpret complex and technical documents including contracts, court documents, complex management, and financial reports and respond to the most sensitive inquiries or complaints.
Ability to read, comprehend and translate information relayed in written or graphic format.
Ability to write policies, procedures, correspondences and other types of documents.
Ability to write speeches, articles and manuals and create presentations using original and innovative techniques and styles.
Ability to make effective and persuasive presentations on controversial or complex topics to top management, public groups and organizations and/or board of directors.
Ability to prepare industry-specific technical reports and budgeting information.
Ability to effectively communicate with the public, federal, state and county officials, employees, community agencies and the public.
Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with fellow employees, representatives of other agencies and organizations and members of the community.
Strong customer service orientation and ability to work collaboratively within a team environment.
Ability to interact professionally and diplomatically with County employees, other agencies and organizations and members of the community and manage difficult or emotional customer situations.
Skill to organize workflow and accomplish established objectives.
Ability to recognize when confidentiality is required and maintain strict confidentiality.
Ability to maintain appropriate professional boundaries in relationships with customer/clients and the general public.
Ability to work with the media to maintain a positive image of the County to the community (Caseworker III).
Ability to diffuse the most intense situation with diplomacy and professionalism (Caseworker III).
Acumen to navigate political waters of the County and other outside agencies and organizations (Caseworker III).
Demonstrate a commitment to the County’s mission, values and core beliefs (Caseworker III).
Provide leadership, guidance and feedback to ensure continual quality improvement and respect the experience, cultural and overall diversity of those you lead and interact with (Caseworker III).
Ability to work with basic mathematical concepts such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division and apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.
Ability to make rational decisions through sound logical and deductive processes and make sound judgments, decision making, problem solving, while planning directing and monitoring the work of the agency.
Ability to analyze problems, identify alternative solutions, project consequences of proposed actions, and recommend or implement best options in support of strategic goals and objectives.
Ability to consider concrete and abstract variables.
Ability to analyze, appraise and organize facts, evidence and precedents concerned in difficult and complex cases and present material in a clear and logical form, including oral and written presentations, briefs, opinions, orders or decisions.
Ability to successfully manage multiple projects and complete work under pressure pursuant to deadlines.
Ability to effectively use modern office technology and equipment, including computers, calculators, telephone, copiers with scanning and faxing capabilities.
Fundamental experience with word processing, database manipulation, spreadsheets, email, and the knowledge to save and retrieve documents from a variety of destinations and sources.
Ability to learn the software and programs related to the position and the County.
Must possess and maintain a valid Colorado Driver’s License and satisfactory driving record.
Willingness to work outside of traditional business hours to meet the needs of clients.
Willingness to travel overnight and long distances for trainings or the transportation of clients.
Must complete drug testing, fingerprint background check and Central Registry/TRAILs background check.
Successful completion of NIMS IS 100 and 700 within one (1) year of employment.
Work flexible hours, including holidays and weekends, when performing duties of positions.
Act as a credible witness when testifying in court.
In Child Welfare: Must successfully complete or have completed the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) provided New Caseworker Training, Fundamentals of Child Welfare within the first four months of hire.
In Adult Protection: Must successfully complete or have completed the CDHS provided Adult Protection Academy within 6 months of hire.
Expand knowledge base by successfully completing special training to manage cases (i.e., forensic interviews, CDHS provided Supervisor Academy) (Caseworker III).
For Child Welfare Case Workers: This position requires the employee to be part of an on-call rotation schedule. An on-call employee is required to remain near a telephone, cell phone or pager and to respond to a call or page as soon as reasonably practicable. The on-call employee is free to pursue personal pursuits while on-call, but is expected to be reasonably available and within a reasonable distance of their work site during the entire on-call period for the purpose of responding to an emergency. The employee must also be mentally and physically able to perform the required work (Caseworker III).

Nice To Haves

A Master’s degree from an accredited college or university in Social Work is preferred (Caseworker III).
A minimum of one (1) year of experience in human behavioral sciences field is preferred (Caseworker I).

Responsibilities

Assesses allegations and safety risks of referral cases, including receiving referrals, completing intake and assessment forms, and assessing home safety or need for out-of-home placement.
Provides crisis intervention and ongoing counseling to assist families with decision-making and problem resolution, acting as a client advocate.
Coordinates client services and safety with other County departments, professionals, and outside collateral agencies (e.g., law enforcement, medical personnel, school staff, foster care services).
Designs treatment or service plans based on risk and needs assessments, establishing goals and objectives.
Prepares and presents case information and documentation to courts, state review proceedings, and for communications with attorneys and other professionals.
Refers clients to outside state and community resources.
Monitors compliance or non-compliance and determines appropriate courses of action.
Handles emotionally charged people and situations, and deals with various types of human suffering.
Develops and writes documentation, completes necessary forms, and writes correspondence relevant to each case.
Performs data entry and ongoing case updates in the system, meeting accurate timelines for data system entry and reports.
Interprets and applies rules and statutes governing the responsibilities of the position.
Provides education for clients and the community on assigned topics.
Participates in various committees and boards related to program activities and responsibilities.
Initiates and follows through on community education and communications.
Trains, mentors, and assists in the professional development of assigned caseworkers and staff (Caseworker III).
Provides case consultation and advice to assigned caseworkers and staff (Caseworker III).
Acts as a backup to the Caseworker Supervisor and on-call caseworker as needed (Caseworker III).
Guides and mentors caseworkers on more complex or specialized caseloads (Caseworker III).
Assigned cases with the most severe allegations and complicating factors, such as severely mentally ill, sexual abuse allegations, human trafficking, and child fatality cases (Caseworker III).