Social Service Aide 2 - Children, Youth & Families

Northampton County • Bethlehem, PA

23h

About The Position

The Social Service Aide 2 – Children, Youth & Families position assists caseworkers in providing services to clients, including transportation and supervision of family visitation. The position is performed under the close supervision of a Caseworker Supervisor and does not supervise other employees.

The role includes transporting and accompanying clients to appointments, service organizations, placement, educational and training facilities, court hearings, and visits between placed children and their parents. It also involves supervising family visits and childcare, documenting client contacts and observations, reporting information to caseworkers, delivering correspondence, and performing routine office and clerical duties. Employees assigned to this title perform a majority, but not necessarily all, of the duties listed.

Applicants must meet one of the listed education and experience pathways. The employee must possess and maintain a valid, current motor vehicle operator’s license and have an acceptable driving record. A post-offer motor vehicle record investigation is required; failure to pass may result in the offer being rescinded. This posting is for current County of Northampton employees. The position is career service, non-exempt, and eligible for overtime.

Requirements

• High school completion or general equivalency diploma and at least two years of full-time professional public-contact work experience in a human services agency, including at least one year of interviewing and obtaining information; or an associate’s degree in Sociology, Social Welfare, Psychology, Gerontology, Criminal Justice, or another related social science.
• Possess and maintain a valid and current motor vehicle operator’s license.
• Have an acceptable driving record and successfully pass the post-offer motor vehicle driving record investigation.
• Knowledge of community resources and services; infant development, childcare, and/or care of people with mental disabilities; home management concepts; clothing and household equipment care; personal health, sanitation, and grooming; applicable government and County rules and procedures; and office practices.
• Ability to recognize family problems and convey information to a professional social services worker or supervisor; instruct individuals in activities of daily living and/or care of infants and children; and move and correctly install child passenger restraints.
• Ability to use an Outlook calendar to manage a daily schedule; evaluate and analyze information from interviews, observation, reports, and records; establish and maintain positive working relationships; and communicate effectively verbally and in writing.
• Ability to drive for extended periods, generally up to two to three hours at a time, and occasionally lift or move up to 25 pounds.

Responsibilities

• Provide transportation and accompany clients to medical appointments, social service organizations, placement, educational and training facilities, court hearings, and visits between placed children and their parents.
• Supervise family visitation between parents and children in placement, including exchanges involving resource or foster parents, biological parents, and relatives.
• Document and report client contact, observations, behavior, and activities for case records.
• Provide information and reports to assigned caseworkers.
• Provide childcare for small groups of children while parents attend parenting classes, appointments at other agencies, or court; provide crisis childcare as needed.
• Ensure the basic safety and cleanliness of visitation rooms after visits and as needed.
• Deliver correspondence from caseworkers to clients and other professionals.
• Perform routine office and clerical duties, including oversight and care of child restraint seats, maintaining file systems, operating office equipment such as shredders, answering telephones, and taking messages.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED