Social Work Assistant - START Family Mentor

Buncombe County Government•Asheville, NC

6d•$23 - $27•Onsite

About The Position

Buncombe County is hiring for one Social Work Assistant - START Family Mentor position within the Social Services - Child Welfare Department. This individual will report to a START Social Work Supervisor III and will be part of a dyad focused on working primarily Permanency Planning cases in Child Welfare. The START model is an intensive child welfare intervention model for parents experiencing Substance Use Disorder and child welfare involvement. The dyad works with families to access recovery services, focus on family preservation, and engage with community partners. START aims to address system issues that create barriers to families accessing 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 and requires the employee to relocate or reside within a 2-hour drive from Asheville, NC within 6 months of hire. The purpose of this position is to provide work with children and families that have HHS involvement when one of the parents has a history of or is currently abusing substances. The goal is to keep children safe while providing mandated services, develop a safe, nurturing, and stable living environment for the child, and 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
Specialized training or experience working with families with young children impacted by Substance Use Disorder

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.