Child Welfare Specialist II

County of Mecklenburg, NC•Charlotte, NC

6d•$28 - $34

About The Position

At Mecklenburg County, you’ll have the chance to build a career as unique as you are with support, inclusive culture, and technology to become the best version of you. We’re counting on YOUR unique voice and perspective to help Mecklenburg County become even better, too. Join us and build an exceptional experience for yourself, and a better working world for all. Youth and Family Services Division (YFS) of the DSS Department of Child, Family and Adult Services (CFAS) provides a variation of services to safeguard children by strengthening the protective capacities of families whose children’s health, safety and well-being are at risk. The mission of DSS is to strengthen families and communities through a safety-net of services, collaborations, and hope. The Department’s vision is to define and cultivate an organizational culture that is more compassionate and understanding toward each other and our clients. YFS firmly believes the people who do this work are our most important resource. As such, children and families deserve trained, skillful professionals to engage and effectively assist them. If you have a passion for social work and making a difference in your local community, come join our Youth and Family Services team! In Youth and Family Services, this position provides community-based services to individuals, groups, families, or communities regarding issues including child abuse, neglect, dependency, delinquency and adoption. Children and family needs include mental health, poverty, unemployment, substance abuse, rehabilitation, social adjustment, housing, child care, or medical care and other life domains. This position in Youth and Family Services, under general supervision, is responsible for providing evaluation, case management, counseling, formal and informal comprehensive assessments and referral services to assist in meeting the needs of the children and families. In this role, you would investigate and assess the needs of children involved in reports of alleged abuse, neglect and/or dependency. You would also be responsible for engaging the family to formulate a plan to alleviate any identified risk factors. This position may require afterhours (after 5pm)and weekend work as needed. In this role, you would provide in home intervention to families where abuse, neglect, and/or dependency was substantiated, or the family was determined to need services to prevent children from being taken into custody, reduce risk, and alleviate wellbeing concerns. This position may require after hours (after 5pm) and weekend work as needed. In this role, you would provide a safe and nurturing home to children who have been placed into the custody of the Department of Social Services. A permanency Planning worker assesses, evaluates, identifies risks to children and develops a plan for service allowing children to have permanency within one year. This position may require after-hours (after 5pm) and weekend work as needed.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in social work AND one of the following: two years of social work experience; qualifying internship; successful completion of the NC Child Welfare Collaborative program
OR master’s in social work
OR bachelor’s degree in related major AND two years of social work experience
OR master’s degree in related major AND two years of social work experience.
Bachelor's degree in Social Work or related major
Requires a valid North Carolina or South Carolina Driver's License
Requires County Driving Privileges
Annual Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) check required
Intermediate knowledge of social services procedures, practices and methods
Knowledge of work principles and available resources
Social services procedures, practices and methods
Social services related federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations relating to provision of public assistance, and social welfare
Case management methods and techniques
Services offered by the county and other local public and private community based service agencies
Evaluating records to ensure accreditation standards are met.
Exercising judgment and discretion
Maintaining various confidential records
Managing and executing multiple tasks
Possessing strong communication skills
Prioritizing work
Adaptability: Maintaining effectiveness when experiencing major changes in work responsibilities or environment; adjusting effectively to work within new work structures, processes, requirements, or cultures
Building Customer Loyalty: Effectively meeting customer needs; building productive customer relationships; taking responsibility for customer satisfaction and loyalty
Building Partnerships: Identifying opportunities and taking action to build strategic relationships between one’s area and other areas, teams, departments, units, or organizations to help achieve business goals.
Building Trust: Interacting with others in a way that instills confidence in one’s intentions and those of the organization
Care Management: Having the knowledge and skills to secure relevant patient care data and identify key issues and relationships in the management of patient care; understanding the relationships among assessments, interventions, and patient responses; skilled in documentation of assessments and adjusting physical and cognitive prescriptions as needed
Communication: Clearly conveying information and ideas through a variety of media to individuals or groups in a manner that engages the audience and helps them understand and retain the information provided
Customer Focus: Ensuring that the customer perspective is a driving force behind business decisions and activities; crafting and implementing service practices that meet customers’ and own organization’s needs.
Decision Making: Identifying and understanding issues, problems, and opportunities; comparing data from different sources to draw conclusions; using effective approaches for choosing a course of action or developing appropriate solutions; taking action that is consistent with available facts, constraints, and probable consequences
Inspiring Others: Using interpersonal styles and methods to inspire and guide individuals toward higher levels of performance
Managing Conflict: Dealing effectively with others in an antagonistic situation; using appropriate interpersonal styles and methods to reduce tension or conflict between two or more people
Work Standards: Setting high standards of performance for self and others; assuming responsibility and accountability for successfully completing assignments or tasks; self-imposing standards of excellence rather than having standards imposed
Intermediate in various computer applications including Microsoft Office Suite

Nice To Haves

Master's degree preferred
Bilingual applicants with (Spanish and English) proficiency preferred. Will be required to pass the County’s Bilingual Assessment in order to receive a paid Bilingual Premium.
We recently changed our degree requirement and now accept a larger variety of Human Services degrees such as: Clinical Social Work, Counseling, Criminology/ Criminal Justice, Gerontology, Human Development Learning, Human Services, Psychology, Social Science, Sociology, Substance Abuse Rehabilitation.

Responsibilities

Assess needs of individuals and/or families; and provide counseling and services in both individual and group settings and discuss goals, expected outcomes and means with which to meet goals and expected outcomes to include the development of Family Service Agreement
Assist clients in the completion of required paperwork for items that may determine program eligibility, referrals, or provide job assistance, such as job application
Interview clients individually, in families, or in groups, assessing their situations, capabilities, and problems, to determine what services are required to meet their needs
Refer clients to community resources for services such as job placement, debt counseling, legal aid, housing, medical treatment, or financial assistance, and provide concrete information, such as where to go and how to apply
Provide, find, or arrange for support services, such as child care, homemaker service, prenatal care, substance abuse treatment, job training, counseling, or parenting classes, to prevent more serious problems from developing
Determine clients' eligibility for sponsored programs and financial assistance; and ensure timely benefits and referrals to other agencies, whether internal or community based
Consult with parents, teachers, and other school personnel to determine causes of problems such as truancy and misbehavior, and to implement solutions
Monitor residential facilities for compliance with licensure standards, provide technical assistance, investigate complaints against licensed facilities
Arrange for medical, psychiatric, and other tests that may disclose causes of difficulties and indicate remedial measures.
Collect supplementary information needed to assist client, such as employment records, medical records, or school reports
Transport clients (adults and children) to appointments such as medical, job related or others, if appropriate
Manage records and documentation of services provided and maintain history records
Complete court reports and testify in juvenile and adult court hearings
Develop and review service plans in consultation with clients, and perform follow-ups assessing the quantity and quality of services provided and ensure services were effective and situations have improved
Serve as liaisons between students, homes, schools, family services, child guidance clinics, courts, protective services, medical and behavioral health providers, and other contacts, to help children and adults who face problems such as disabilities, abuse, inability to meet daily functional needs or poverty
May be required to work varying shifts to include evening and weekends
May be required to staff shelters in the event of a disaster