Social Work Assistant - START Family Mentor

Buncombe County•Asheville, NC

3d•Onsite

About The Position

Buncombe County is hiring for one Social Work Assistant - START Family Mentor position. This individual will report to a START Social Work Supervisor III. This START team has 3 START Dyads. 2 dyads work both Family In home and Permanency Planning cases and 1 dyad is focused on working primarily Permanency Planning cases. Each dyad consists of a START Social Worker III and a START Family Mentor. This particular dyad works primarily Permanency Planning cases in Child Welfare. The START Social Worker and Family Mentor co-work child welfare cases that have been identified to need mandated Child Protective Services. The START model is an intensive child welfare intervention model for parents who are experiencing Substance Use Disorder and child welfare involvement. The dyad work with the family to access recovery services, focus on family preservation, and help to engage with community partners. START aims to address system issues that result in barriers to families being able to access services in a timely manner. Specialized training or experience working with families with young children impacted by Substance Use Disorder is encouraged. The Family Mentor is someone who has lived experience with Substance Use Disorder and Child Protective Services involvement. This position will be in-person full time. The employee must relocate or reside within a 2-hour drive from 200 College St, Asheville, NC 28801 within 6 months of hire. Typical work schedule: M-F Business hours (8:00am to 5:00pm). After hours nights and weekends. Purpose of the position: The purpose of this position is to provide work with children and families that have HHS involvement when one of the parents has history of or is currently abusing substances. The goal of the program is to keep children safe while providing mandated services to the family; to develop a safe, nurturing, and stable living environment for the child as rapidly and responsibly as possible and to assist the parent(s) to overcome their substance use.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED (or equivalent);
one (1) year of experience working with the population(s) served;
a minimum of two (2) years of sustained recovery from substance use;
direct or indirect experience with the child welfare system related to substance use and family recovery.
Must be willing to complete training specific to the required components of the position within the first ninety (90) days of employment.
Valid driver’s license and automotive insurance.

Nice To Haves

Experience as a Parent Advocate or Family Mentor in any system;
certification in CPR, First Aid, NCI, and/or other role-related certifications;
certification as a Peer Support Specialist.

Responsibilities

Coordinate and provide supervised visitation services to children in the custody of BCHHS.
Co-work Child Welfare Permanency Planning cases with a paired Social Work staff partner to help families complete case goals and reunify children in substance use impacted cases.
Drawing on personal experience as a former client of the child welfare system as a person in recovery to provide emotional support to START clients, including phone calls and visits with the family in the home or office setting.
Advocate for START clients to obtain necessary services and support such as housing, benefits, substance use treatment services and other supports as needed.
Work with clients to provide hope, support and self-determination.
Assist the family with identifying and responding to identified precursors or triggers that result in functional impairments.
Maintain strict confidentiality of all information related to the client and their work with the agency.
Work in collaboration with the START team, including HHS and other partner agencies.
Participate in case conferences/reviews, service planning meetings, training sessions and other meetings as needed.
Accompany/transport parents to services, including but not limited to substance use treatment sessions, court, supervised visits with children, and other relevant treatment plan goals.
Maintain accurate case documentation and complete administrative tasks, including recording case activities, contributing to START team data collection, and preparing correspondence, records, and reports.
Perform other duties as required.