Youth Assistance Caseworker I

Oakland County•Birmingham, MI

7d•Onsite

About The Position

Oakland County is seeking a passionate Youth Assistance Caseworker to help children and families navigate challenges and build a positive path forward. This on-site position involves connecting youth with services and community support that address their individual needs. You will gather background information, conduct assessments, provide crisis intervention, manage cases, and coordinate referrals to community programs. The role also involves consulting with service providers, explaining program services, and supporting volunteers. Depending on the assignment, you may advise on delinquency prevention programming and participate in recreational activities or outings with youth. The position requires an adjusted schedule that may include early mornings, evenings, and weekends, with the ability to respond to emergencies during off-duty hours. You will utilize County and department software for documentation.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university, with a major in psychology, social work, guidance and counseling, public relations or closely related area.
One (1) year full-time casework experience, involving establishing, coordinating and facilitating community based programs.
Possess a valid motor vehicle operator's or chauffeur's license.
Pass the complete examination, including the employment physical established for this class.
Successfully complete the six-month probationary period.
Maintain a valid motor vehicle operator's or chauffeur's license.

Nice To Haves

Reasonable knowledge of social work practices, procedures and resources, including casework, group work and community organization methods.
Reasonable ability to prepare and present technical written and oral reports, using standard computer software and keyboard, if available.
Reasonable ability to communicate under adverse conditions with distressed people.
Knowledge of, and skill in investigating, interviewing and counseling practices, procedures and techniques.
Reasonable ability to present programs and reports to organized groups.
Reasonable ability to develop and maintain effective relationships with people.
Reasonable ability to cope with difficult situations requiring immediate decisions, in accordance with state licensing and County facility policies and objectives.
Reasonable ability to establish rapport with clients in order that treatment goals can be achieved.
Reasonable ability to communicate and establish a working relationship with various sources directly involved with the client to ensure a continuous exchange of information.
Reasonable ability to maintain client confidentiality.
Reasonable ability to assess client treatment needs, and develop written treatment plans addressing those needs.
Reasonable ability to motivate and maintain volunteer participation.
Reasonable ability to successfully match children to appropriate volunteers, based on compiled written and interview information.
Reasonable ability to utilize current word processing, spreadsheet, database, e-mail and Internet software.
Ability to use networked personal computers in the performance of job duties.
Employees of this classification may be required to provide their own vehicle for personal transportation.
Volunteer organizational experience may be substituted for the casework experience specified above.

Responsibilities

Gather background information from schools, police, and other agencies to identify behavioral and emotional concerns.
Conduct assessment interviews with children and families to understand their needs and recommend appropriate treatment alternatives.
Provide crisis intervention and follow-up support to children and parents.
Manage cases, prepare reports and progress summaries, and coordinate referrals to community programs.
Consult with community service providers and explain available program services and procedures to families.
Help recruit, train, and support volunteers.
Advise community partners on delinquency prevention programming and participate in recreational activities, extracurricular outings, or work details with youth.
Work an adjusted schedule that may include early mornings, evenings, and weekends, and respond to emergencies during off-duty hours.
Use County and department software to document services and complete assignments.
Interview and communicate with parents, children, complainants, police, neighbors, teachers, clergymen, and other concerned parties to determine the economic, home, social, and other background conditions affecting the child involved and to monitor case progress.
Communicate with children, parents, schools, police, and other agencies, as needed, to determine background information and client/parent needs for counseling.
Conduct initial and ongoing interviews with referred clients to gather and subsequently analyze information and social history to resolve delinquency, neglect, or abuse problems.
Recommend treatment alternatives to address the particular needs of each client after thorough review of clients’ social history, including referring client to other treatment sources.
Provide crisis intervention, follow-up and casework services to clients and their families.
Consult with and educate assigned communities in areas of delinquency, abuse, and neglect prevention programming, including explaining programs to volunteer and community groups, and consulting with schools, police, and others about program.
Arrange parent education programs in assigned communities and initiate other community efforts to eliminate conditions which cause delinquency, abuse, and neglect.
Prepare reports for Youth Assistance files concerning the dynamics of each case and a description of the services provided, including regular progress reports.
Provide statistical and other reports established as procedure.
Serve as a consultant, on both a requested and routine basis, to volunteer Youth Assistance boards, programs, and community organizations offering delinquency prevention services to the community.
Encourage effective program operation, providing guidance in such areas as participant organization, project focus, schedule, budget, expectations, and results identification.
Perform a variety of public relations functions within each community to ensure the continuation or expansion of existing community-funded delinquency prevention programs, including preparing reports on program activities, speaking before local officials, media and community groups, and preparing news releases.
Coordinate the activities of volunteer Youth Assistance boards, including organizing meetings, reports preparation, election of officers, and preparation of annual budgets for presentation to local governments to ensure successful operations and program progress.
Acquire and coordinate office and clerical support for the Youth Assistance Program for the community served to meet administrative needs.
Utilize current county-wide and/or department specific software to complete assignments.
Recruit volunteers by speaking before local civic groups and contacting community volunteer organizations to work with juveniles under the supervision of the Circuit Court.
Orient and train volunteers selected from interviews in order to provide casework clients with a positive and personal influence in their lives to avoid future social problems.
Match clients with the most appropriate volunteers, based upon interviews with volunteers and clients, consultations with other Youth & Family Caseworkers and/or Youth Assistance Caseworkers and a review of the clients’ files.
Assist with supervision of client/volunteer relationship on a regular basis to ensure that positive influence is being exhibited by volunteers and client progress is being made.
Coordinate, in conjunction with volunteers countywide, events for volunteers and their matches.
Coordinate county-wide volunteer recognition event.
Recruit volunteers for the Guardianship Unit and other units within the Probate Court.