Social Worker III (Licensing/Placement)

Gaston County Government • Gaston County Department of Social Services, NC

23d • Onsite

About The Position

Joining the team at Gaston County Government means being part of a community that is dedicated to improving the lives of its citizens. We are a dynamic organization that values innovation, collaboration, and commitment to service. As an employee of Gaston County, you will have the opportunity to make a difference in your community every day. Whether you are working in public safety, social services, or administration, your contributions will help improve the lives of our residents and build a better future for our county. Description Gaston Social Services: Protecting, caring for and empowering children and adults who are temporarily or permanently unable to care for themselves through the administrating of federal, state and county programs focused on improving the well-being of our citizens.

Requirements

• MSW from an accredited school of social work
• Masters degree in counseling from an accredited college/university in a human services field and one year of directly related experience.
• BSW from an accredited school of social work and completion of the Child Welfare Collaborative(Child Welfare positions only)
• BSW from an accredited school of social work and one year of directly related experience.
• Bachelor's degree in a human services field from an accredited college/university and two years of directly related experience
• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college/university and three years of directly related experience
• Valid Driver's License.
• The applicant selected must undergo a criminal background check and pass a drug screening test prior to employment.
• These checks must be performed in accordance with G.S.143B-1209.26, which authorizes the SBI to provide fingerprint-based state and national criminal record checks to cities and counties.

Nice To Haves

• good communication skills in working children & adolescents
• appropriate child development knowledge
• Knowledge of separation and loss impact for children being removed from their family and home environment would be especially helpful.

Responsibilities

• Providing case management services for children in custody of the Department of Health & Human Services and aggressively seeking permanence for them, including seeing each child, attending all court hearings and preparing all necessary reports and documentation, contacting and seeing all appropriate family members and collaterals, coordinating and facilitating visits between child and family, advocating for and obtaining all services the child needs (medical, emotional, education, as well as placement), making home visits (announced and unannounced) to removal home and foster home/group facility – all of such as is required by NCDHHS-Division of Social Services Policy, North Carolina Juvenile Statue, and through local court direction.
• Creating a case file that captures and specifically documents a child’s life while in foster care and away from family/caretakers.
• Transporting and accompaniment of child (and sometimes caretakers) to appointments that help to achieve the well-being or permanency goals, visitation between child and caretaker, drug screenings of caretakers, and court.
• Participating and preparatory work for Permanency Planning Team Meetings, Child & Family Team Meetings, Treatment Team meetings for children and mental health needs, and Care Review Meetings for oversight of treatment level and appropriate placements.
• Participating in weekly unit/team staffing, individual staffing (as needed), local trainings, professional development trainings, and state-mandated trainings.
• Preparing monthly reports capturing statistical data.
• Must be available to work mandatory emergency shelters & other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• equal opportunity to all employees, job applicants, and members of the community we serve
• value diversity, equity, and inclusion
• create a welcoming and inclusive environment where everyone is treated with respect and dignity
• do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable laws.

What This Job Offers

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