Senior Caseworker

Allegany County•Belmont, NY

About The Position

PROVISIONAL OPENING FOR SENIOR CASEWORKER There is a provisional opening in the Allegany County Department of Social Services for a full-time Senior Caseworker. This is a competitive class position, provisional candidate must pass the examination for this position and be ranked among the top three (3) candidates and receive an offer of employment for this position. Residency -Candidates must be residents of Allegany County or a contiguous county for at least one month prior to the date of exam. DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF THE CLASS : The work involves responsibility for providing professional social work services for individuals and families to assist them with their economic, emotional, social and/or environmental difficulties by providing direct services or making the necessary service referrals to address the problems identified throughout the life of a case. The position differs from Caseworker in that, through training and experience, the Senior Caseworker handles more complex problems and situations with less direct supervision in the area of Child Protective Services. The Senior Caseworker may provide direct assistance to Caseworkers. The work is performed under the general supervision of a Case Supervisor, Grade B. Does related work as required.

Requirements

Thorough knowledge of State and Federal laws and rules governing Social Service programs
Good knowledge of community service agencies and programs
Good knowledge of interviewing and investigative techniques and practices
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others
Ability to counsel individuals in the areas of economic, social, emotional and vocational problems
Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing
Ability to operate a personal computer and utilize common office software programs
Ability to develop and implement a service plan for individuals and/or families
Ability to direct the work of others
Ability to understand and empathize with the needs and concerns of others
Ability to analyze and organize data and prepare records and reports
Physical condition commensurate with the demands of the position
Possession of a Bachelor’s degree and one (1) year of experience in social casework
Possession of appropriate level driver’s license is required at time of appointment and must be maintained throughout the time of service in this classification
New hires will be required to submit to and pass a pre-employment Staff Exclusion List (SEL) check and a State Central Register (SCR) background check due to access and exposure to child abuse and maltreatment records

Responsibilities

Investigates reports of abuse or neglect of children or adults and assesses the safety of the environment and provides the necessary interventions, such as placement out of the home, or Court when warranted
Establishes a professional helping relationship with individuals and families and provides casework counseling to motivate them to increase their capacity and confidence in their ability to effectively problem solve and make good choices for themselves and/or family
Gathers information regarding families by interviewing neighbors, family members, school personnel, physicians and any others familiar with the family or case
Reviews existing case records and available information for use in formulating a plan of treatment
Makes the necessary community service referrals on behalf of the individuals and families assigned
Writes and/or monitors service plans with individuals and/or families by maintaining on-going contact with service providers and routinely updates supervisor of progress
Conducts service plan reviews with individuals, families, and service providers to update the service goals and report progress
Conducts evaluations of homes for court reports or certification and placement recommendations of prospective foster boarding homes, adoptive homes and/or relative homes or for custody/visitation
Petitions, testifies, and prepares reports and or attends and testifies in Family Court
Maintains positive working relationships with various community agencies to which individuals and families can be referred for services
Determines emergency needs and takes appropriate action
Provides casework counseling in a number of areas including disability benefits, medical benefits, available community services, financial management and parenting in an effort to guide them through the system
Conducts case history searches by retrieving data stored in a statewide computer system and/or local records
Prepares a variety of reports, case notes, service plans, correspondences and court summaries on paper and/or a personal computer
Transports individuals as the need arises
May report at night or on the weekend to emergencies of abuse or neglect of children or adults
May directly assist Caseworkers and related paraprofessional employees in formulating service plans, assessments of clients progress and eligibility to ensure proper procedures are being followed
May train and periodically coach new Senior Caseworkers or Caseworkers