Social Worker Advanced - Family and Children's Services

County of Mendocino • Ukiah, CA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

This combined classification is used for recruitment purposes only. The Social Worker Advanced – Family and Children's Services (FCS) provides advanced social work, including investigations, assessments, and case management of the most complex child welfare cases. Incumbents provide specialized services to children, youth, families, and caregivers in situations involving abuse, neglect, exploitation, abandonment, and severe family dysfunction. This classification requires on-call and call-back capability. Social Workers in Family & Children’s Services handle everything from emergency response and investigations to writing court reports with recommendations and participating in court hearings. They work independently to support families through assessment, service linkage, ongoing case management, and reunification efforts. Employees may qualify for educational assistance through Title IV-E funding.

Requirements

• A master’s degree in, or a master’s degree from a counseling program in social welfare/social work, human services sociology, other social or behavioral science, or related field; and two (2) years of case management experience.
• Valid Driver License
• Valid Associate registration issued by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences as listed above.
• Valid license issued by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences as listed above.
• Knowledge of current principles, practices, and techniques of social work.
• Knowledge of advanced casework methods and techniques with reference to problems of child neglect, abandonment, and abuse.
• Knowledge of current philosophy and practices in the field of Family and Child Social Services.
• Knowledge of psychopathology, the different types of mental illness diagnoses, how mental illness affects human behavior and mental health services and treatments utilized by clients.
• Knowledge of impact of chronic trauma, multigenerational abuse, substance use disorders, and co-occurring mental health conditions on families.
• Knowledge of signs, stages, and dynamics of abuse, and the effects of abuse on child/adult development and behavior.
• Knowledge of signs and symptoms of alcohol and drug use/abuse in adults and children and the effects on families.
• Knowledge of standards for maintaining children safely in the home and the best practices keeping families together.
• Knowledge of options for placement; effects of removing clients from unsafe situations.
• Knowledge of principles and methodologies of research, analysis, problem solving, and decision making.
• Knowledge of laws, rules, and regulations governing the operation of public social services agencies and the role and responsibilities of a social worker.
• Knowledge of medical, legal, economic, and social management needs of individuals and families.
• Knowledge of strategies and protocols surrounding crisis intervention techniques and other de-escalation methods.
• Knowledge of general principles of public assistance policies and programs.
• Knowledge of resources available in the community for referral or utilization in employment or social service programs.
• Ability to utilize various strategies to address the cumulative impact of a high stress environment.
• Ability to use social work methods and evaluation techniques to determine appropriate treatment in difficult, emotional, confrontational, and crisis situations while maintaining a professional demeanor.
• Ability to develop therapeutic relationships to conduct crisis intervention and therapeutic social work counseling.
• Ability to de-escalate dangerous or emotionally charged situations using trauma-informed techniques.
• Ability to employ effective stress management techniques and methods of self-care.
• Ability to exercise tact, objectivity, sensitivity, sound judgment, and cultural awareness.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment in making diagnostic risk assessments and decisions regarding placement of children.
• Ability to interpret, explain, and apply complex laws, rules, regulations, policies, and procedures.
• Ability to provide guidance and consultation to other staff; collaborate with team and tribes at times to collaborate and make team decisions about cases.
• Ability to coordinate multi-disciplinary and interagency interventions for clients with complex needs.
• Ability to learn and use various computer applications, databases, and specialized software programs.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing; write clear, descriptive, and detailed reports under time constraints.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality in accordance with legal standards and/or county regulations.
• Ability to keep and prepare accurate and timely records.
• Ability to respect cultural differences.
• Ability to analyze and solve problems.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective professional working relationships with agency staff, clients and others.
• Ability to organize work, set priorities, meet critical deadlines and follow up on assignments with a minimal direction.
• Ability to recognize the relevance and significance of obtained facts.
• Ability to work with difficult or complex cases/clients including clients with dual diagnosis, potentially dangerous clients or legally complex cases.
• Ability to work on-call and extended hours.
• Ability to work effectively in emotionally charged or stressful setting/emergencies.
• Ability to accept and use consultative supervision and constructive criticism.
• Ability to learn, understand and apply the agency program, policy and procedures.
• Ability to use a computer to accurately and rapidly enter and retrieve data and information.
• Ability to effectively speak and make presentations before public groups and respond to questions.
• Ability to effectively handle problems involving several variables in non-standardized situations.
• Regularly required to use sound and odor perception and discernment.
• Regularly required to walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects; reach with hands and arms; speak and hear; and push, pull, move, or lift above and below the neck objects weighing up to 40 pounds.
• Incumbents may, in the course of their work, be required to occasionally lift and/or carry children, including children in car seats or infant carriers weighing up to 40 pounds.

Nice To Haves

• Social Worker Advanced – Family and Children's Services (Registered) hourly salary range - $38.47 - $46.76
• Social Worker Advanced – Family and Children's Services (FCS) (Licensed) hourly salary range - $40.34 - $49.03
• The license must be obtained within six (6) years following registration as an associate with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.
• Associate Clinical Social Worker (ACSW)
• Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT)
• Associate Professional Clinical Counselor (APCC)
• Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
• Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)
• Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC)

Responsibilities

• Receives reports of child abuse; investigates allegations by conducting interviews with victims and others; conducts forensic interviews with children, collaborates with an investigative team, or reports information to law enforcement or district attorneys; may testify in court and provide support for witnesses and victims who must testify in court.
• Must participate in on-call and call-back responding to after-hours emergencies, high-risk crises, and immediate safety threats to support critical program operations.
• Performs advanced safety and risk assessments, determines child removal or protective custody needs, prepares protective custody warrant applications, and recommends emergency placements or intensive in-home interventions.
• Manages a complex caseload involving high-risk families, severe developmental or mental health needs, co-occurring disorders, multi-case family structures, or court mandates.
• Communicate policies, rules, and regulations of the program to clients and others within the scope of responsibility.
• Coordinates, arranges, and transports clients for the purpose of visitation or mandatory services as needed.
• Develops comprehensive treatment, case, and safety plans involving multiple service providers, specialty mental health services, and intensive family interventions.
• Provides services and refers clients to other staff members or to community resources for direct and intensive services and specialized counseling.
• Initiate, facilitate and participate in child and family team meetings as a member of a multi-disciplinary team and administer validated measurement instruments and assessments to assist with making decisions about the risk and safety of children, safety plans, and placements, acts as a subject matter resource to junior staff and staff members without professional training.
• Analyzes, interprets, develops appropriate responses, and explains rules, regulations, laws, policies, and procedures to clients; communicates decisions, recommendations, timelines, safety plans, and case plans to clients, families, and service providers in person, in writing, and over the telephone.
• Ensures all services are delivered within the guidelines of the department in a respectful, culturally sensitive and appropriate manner; follows policies and procedures for specific unique populations; may perform case reviews and present content analysis findings with resulting recommendations to agency staff.
• Maintains detailed documentation and timely electronic records; assists with peer review of activities.
• Supports the relationship between the County of Mendocino and the constituent population by demonstrating courteous and cooperative behavior when interacting with clients, visitors, and other employees.
• Supports, understands and follows the Tribal Consultation policy, ICWA rules, regulations and best practices, and supports the relationship between the Department of Social Services and the Tribes.
• Maintains confidential information in accordance with legal standards and County regulations; performs all duties in conformance with the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics.
• Advocates on client's behalf for appropriate services.
• Assist clients to utilize available resources, including assisting in completing paperwork and accompanying clients to appointments.
• Provides self-help information, education, and services; works with clients and caregivers to develop and improve caregiving and independent living skills.
• Assess and evaluate home and family situations to determine if crisis intervention or a safety plan is needed.
• Utilize community resources to best serve clients' needs.
• Makes home visits in connection with casework assignments.
• Participates in training, mentoring programs, or field-based coaching for new social workers.
• Utilizes crisis intervention techniques to moderate escalating family conflict, develop safety plans to mitigate safety concerns that can be addressed by temporary interventions, and develop placement stabilization plans.
• Clinicians working toward licensure: Participate in supervision, maintain documentation of supervised hours, and provide services under supervision.
• Fully licensed clinicians: Provide clinical consultation, mentorship, and support to staff and supervisees as appropriate.
• Performs related duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Earn your AA, BSW, or MSW with Title IV-E funding—MCDSS employees may qualify for educational assistance.
• Ten percent (10%) premium for Social Worker Assistants, Social Workers and Social Worker Supervisors whose regular full-time assignment is Family and Children’s Services in the Social Services Department.
• Five percent (5%) assignment premium for employees regularly assigned to the coastal region or in Covelo.

What This Job Offers

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