Social Worker IA&T-In Home

Craven County•New Bern, NC

About The Position

This staff position is located in the Child and Family Services Division and reports to a supervisor on a Children’s Services team. The Social Worker provides family-based social work services to strengthen and empower families while ensuring children’s safety in cases involving alleged or substantiated abuse, neglect, or dependency. The position conducts child protective services assessments and provides in-home services, assesses relatives and other potential kinship caregivers, and participates routinely in a backup on-call rotation. The role involves comprehensive and ongoing assessment of child safety, family risk, strengths, needs, and trauma. The Social Worker develops family service agreements and safety plans in partnership with families, provides or coordinates direct treatment and support services, monitors progress, and maintains documentation. The position also prepares families and children for possible changes in placement or court proceedings, submits required fiscal records, attends meetings and training, and assists with disaster-relief duties, including emergency shelter duty when directed. Other duties may be assigned by designated agency leadership.

Requirements

Qualifying education and experience through one of the following: a master’s degree from an accredited school of social work and one year of social work experience; a bachelor’s degree from an accredited school of social work and two years of social work or counseling experience; a master’s degree in a counseling field and two years of social work or counseling experience; a four-year degree in a human services field or related curriculum and three years of social work or counseling experience; graduation from a four-year college or university and four years of experience in rehabilitation counseling, pastoral counseling, or a related human service field involving casework, group work, or community organization; or an equivalent combination of training and experience.
One year of work experience may be credited for completion of the social work collaborative.
Directly related experience is defined as human services experience in case management, assessment and referral, supportive counseling, intervention, psychosocial therapy, and treatment planning.
Must possess a valid North Carolina driver’s license; restrictions must not prevent performance of the essential functions.
Subject to an SBI criminal history record check before hire.
Must complete mandatory preservice training and 24 hours of additional training per year of service.
Must fulfill emergency shelter duty when instructed during potentially dangerous or manmade disasters.

Nice To Haves

MSW or BSW degree preferred.
Other appropriate combinations of education and experience may be considered for trainee/work-against status.

Responsibilities

Review clinical assessments, agency documents, and other evaluations to understand family dynamics and needs affecting children’s safety and well-being.
Assess children’s safety and well-being during home visits, including concerns related to substance-affected infants, safe sleep for children under age one, and domestic violence.
Complete family risk reassessments and formal strengths-and-needs assessments at required points in the case, including before case closure.
Conduct trauma screenings and refer families for appropriate trauma assessment and treatment services at the initiation of services and every six months thereafter.
Conduct comprehensive kinship assessments when considering temporary safety placements or relative placements proposed to the court.
Initiate and complete child protective services assessments of alleged abuse, neglect, or dependency; assess risk, gather information from families and collateral sources, and staff cases to determine whether mandated services are needed.
Develop a Family Services Agreement within 30 days of initiating in-home services, in partnership with the family and based on information discussed at a Child and Family Team meeting.
Develop therapeutic relationships with clients and jointly create safety plans and in-home service agreements with specific, measurable, time-oriented objectives, actions, responsibilities, and outcomes.
Use state-mandated tools for ongoing assessment and service provision, and conduct ongoing risk assessments to guide case planning.
Document case actions and contacts, including family involvement in plan development and time-specific objectives and activities related to family strengths and needs.
Contact and include noncustodial parents in development of the service plan.
Arrange and provide direct services to address maltreating behavior, including information, instruction, guidance, and mentoring on parenting, child development, and providing a nurturing, permanent home.
Coordinate with involved professionals, request and review evaluations and reports, incorporate recommendations into case plans, and ensure medical-provider recommendations are followed.
Refer families to or monitor services addressing maltreatment issues, including DSS-provided clinical treatment such as TF-CBT.
Arrange and participate in Child and Family Team meetings and the Shared Parenting process; review case plans as warranted by family progress.
Conduct face-to-face visits with children and interview each child about safety and well-being as required by policy.
Prepare children, biological parents, and temporary safety providers for changes in a child’s residence, and help families understand psychological safety and the effects of moves and changes.
Prepare children and families for court when in-home services are unsuccessful and court action is sought; participate in prehearing conferences and prepare court reports by required deadlines.
Make reasonable efforts to help children remain safely in the custody of their parents or legal guardians.
Submit vouchers, pay agreements, time sheets, and mileage forms within policy guidelines; complete accurate and timely daysheets.
Help families identify service providers they can afford or that accept their insurance when available.
Attend case staffing, unit meetings, and Division meetings; complete mandatory preservice training and 24 hours of additional training per year of service.
Assist with disaster-relief efforts, including shelter duty, and fulfill emergency shelter assignments during potentially dangerous or manmade disasters when instructed.
Perform other duties as assigned by the listed agency supervisors and leadership.