Social Caseworker III - Assessment & Permanency

Adams County • Westminster, CO

6d • Hybrid

About The Position

Adams County values workplace flexibility, offering hybrid-remote working arrangements and flexible scheduling after an initial 90-day training period. This role involves both onsite and remote work, with employees typically scheduled onsite one to four days per week based on county needs. The guiding principles of Adams County Children and Family Services emphasize dignity, respect, collaboration, and the best interests of children and families. Social caseworkers may encounter situations such as domestic violence, negligence, physical abuse, and sexual abuse, and work with individuals from birth through age 21. Caseloads can vary based on community needs. This position can perform a combination of Assessment and Permanency duties.

Requirements

• Child welfare knowledge including healthy child development, understanding of the dynamics and effects of abuse and neglect, and the interface of culture and family systems.
• Experience working with children and youth ages 0-18.
• Ability to demonstrate empathy and a strength-based trauma-informed approach with families involved in the child welfare system.
• Ability to assess the safety of a child/youth and make decisions based on available information.
• Ability to utilize critical thinking skills to work difficult or complicated cases.
• Ability to build, maintain, collaborate, and foster positive and harmonious working professional relationships with varied backgrounds and disciplines.
• Ability to prioritize, manage time effectively, show initiative, and organize oneself.
• Ability to effectively partner with others to solve problems and concerns, including conflict resolution with upset clients and managing crises in a calm manner.
• Ability to type, utilize computers, and computer programs required for statewide client information system (TRAILS), referrals, and other computer-based systems.
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely.
• Ability to effectively review documents and synthesize into accurate, professionally written documents.
• Ability and willingness to accommodate clients' schedules by meeting outside of normal business hours at times.
• Ability to engage in scheduled supervision, team meetings, section meetings, and division meetings.
• Ability to obtain, maintain, and ensure continued access to State and County systems in strict compliance with all applicable county and state regulations, policies, and user agreements.
• Must pass a criminal background check.
• Possession of a valid driver's License and proof of automotive insurance.

Nice To Haves

• Bilingual applicants are preferred and may receive a Language Pay incentive based on usage.

Responsibilities

• Responds to allegations of abuse and neglect of children/youth.
• Assesses reports of abuse and neglect of children.
• Interviews and observes victims, offenders, witnesses, caregivers, and collateral agencies to ensure child safety and determine allegation validity.
• Recognizes and identifies risk factors and dynamics of child abuse, child neglect, and family functioning.
• Provides crisis intervention while evaluating and assessing family needs.
• Completes assessments within 60 days and determines if long-term support and services are necessary for child/youth safety and well-being.
• Prepares court reports, attends court hearings, testifies in court, and consults with attorneys and guardians-ad-litem.
• Provides case-specific documentation including family service plans, court documentation, TRAILS entries, assessment completion, placement paperwork, service referrals, and family time assessments.
• Reviews reports from service providers to ensure service effectiveness.
• Provides face-to-face contact with clients as required by regulatory standards and agency policy, potentially including in-state and/or out-of-state travel.
• Engages family/youth in finding permanent connections and participates in Family Engagement Meetings and Permanency Roundtables.
• Supervises parenting time for children and families on caseload.
• May facilitate goodbye sessions between parents and children when termination of parental rights is necessary.
• Meets all required state and agency trainings requirements on an annual basis.
• Participates in red teams, group supervision, and staffings.
• Demonstrates professionalism during court proceedings.
• Meets state and federal mandates and time frames.

Benefits

• Hybrid-remote working arrangements
• Flexible scheduling options after initial training period of 90 days

What This Job Offers

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