Social Worker III – Foster Care

The duties listed below are not all of the duties that may be assigned but are those that are considered as essential for an employee to perform

– Provides case management services for children in custody of the Department of Health and 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 childs life while in foster care and away from family/caretakers. Social worker prepares pictures, correspondence, medical records, educational records, running narratives that document all DHHS activities, copies of all court paperwork and order, Permanency Planning Team paperwork case plans developed with caretakers, risk assessments, strengths and needs assessments, visitation plans, referrals for child of parent, release of information forms, any mental health records, visitation plans, eligibility for funding forums, all identifying information (such as birth certificates and social security numbers), social histories, home studies, parental information – assessments, criminal histories, past CPS involvements, referred programs progress notes (i.e., DV Groups, Substance Abuse, therapists, parenting groups, etc.)
– 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 and 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.

Minimum Qualifications

A. Masters Degree in social work from an accredited graduate school.
B. Bachelors Degree in social work from an accredited school of Social Work with a ChildWelfare Collaborative (CPS positions only)
C. Bachelors Degree in social work and one year of experience in the areas of case management, assessment and referral, supportive counseling, intervention, psycho-social therapy or treatment planning;
D. A four year degree in human services field with at least 25 semester hours of approvedcoursework and two years of experience in a related area
E. A four year degree and three years of related experience.

A valid drivers license is required.The ideal candidate will have good communication skills in working children and adolescents, and appropriate child development knowledge. Knowledge of separation and loss impact for children being removed from their family and home environment would be especially helpful.

A copy of transcripts must be included with the application. Failure to attach your college transcripts will result in an automatic rejection of your application.

Additional Information

Minimally qualified applicants will start at 25% of the salary range

The applicant selected must undergo and pass a drug screening test prior to employment.