Child Welfare Specialist II

Follow your calling, Find your career!!

Salary Range: $27.03 to $ $33.78 per hour. This is a non-exempt (hourly) position. Please note: Pay rates are based on education, skill, experience level and internal equity. Internal equity considerations include an assessment of the applicant’s salary history and qualifications in comparison to the market rate and requirements for the job.

At Mecklenburg County, you’ll have the chance to build a career as unique as you are with support, inclusive culture, and technology to become the best version of you. We’re counting on YOUR unique voice and perspective to help Mecklenburg County become even better, too. Join us and build an exceptional experience for yourself, and a better working world for all.

Youth and Family Services Division (YFS) of the DSS Department of Child, Family and Adult Services (CFAS) provides a variation of services to safeguard children by strengthening the protective capacities of families whose children’s health, safety and well-being are at risk. The mission of DSS is to strengthen families and communities through a safety-net of services, collaborations, and hope. The Department’s vision is to define and cultivate an organizational culture that is more compassionate and understanding toward each other and our clients. YFS firmly believes the people who do this work are our most important resource. As such, children and families deserve trained, skillful professionals to engage and effectively assist them. If you have a passion for social work and making a difference in your local community, come join our Youth and Family Services team!

Position Summary:

In Youth and Family Services, this position provides community-based services to individuals, groups, families, or communities regarding issues including child abuse, neglect, dependency, delinquency and adoption. Children and family needs include mental health, poverty, unemployment, substance abuse, rehabilitation, social adjustment, housing, child care, or medical care and other life domains. This position in Youth and Family Services, under general supervision, is responsible for providing evaluation, case management, counseling, formal and informal comprehensive assessments and referral services to assist in meeting the needs of the children and families.

• Please click on this link to view a Realistic Job Preview video. It is our hope that after you view this video, you will gain a better understanding of the different service areas within YFS. Additionally, identify the area you feel your skills and passions are best suited for, and learn about some of the challenges/rewards you may experience.

Please click on this link to view the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Child Welfare Specialist II Realistic Job Preview video.

Essential Functions:

• Assess needs of individuals and/or families; and provide counseling and services in both individual and group settings and discuss goals, expected outcomes and means with which to meet goals and expected outcomes to include the development of Family Service Agreement
• Assist clients in the completion of required paperwork for items that may determine program eligibility, referrals, or provide job assistance, such as job application
• Interview clients individually, in families, or in groups, assessing their situations, capabilities, and problems, to determine what services are required to meet their needs
• Refer clients to community resources for services such as job placement, debt counseling, legal aid, housing, medical treatment, or financial assistance, and provide concrete information, such as where to go and how to apply
• Provide, find, or arrange for support services, such as child care, homemaker service, prenatal care, substance abuse treatment, job training, counseling, or parenting classes, to prevent more serious problems from developing
• Determine clients’ eligibility for sponsored programs and financial assistance; and ensure timely benefits and referrals to other agencies, whether internal or community based
• Consult with parents, teachers, and other school personnel to determine causes of problems such as truancy and misbehavior, and to implement solutions
• Monitor residential facilities for compliance with licensure standards, provide technical assistance, investigate complaints against licensed facilities
• Arrange for medical, psychiatric, and other tests that may disclose causes of difficulties and indicate remedial measures.
• Collect supplementary information needed to assist client, such as employment records, medical records, or school reports
• Transport clients (adults and children) to appointments such as medical, job related or others, if appropriate
• Manage records and documentation of services provided and maintain history records
• Complete court reports and testify in juvenile and adult court hearings
• Develop and review service plans in consultation with clients, and perform follow-ups assessing the quantity and quality of services provided and ensure services were effective and situations have improved
• Serve as liaisons between students, homes, schools, family services, child guidance clinics, courts, protective services, medical and behavioral health providers, and other contacts, to help children and adults who face problems such as disabilities, abuse, inability to meet daily functional needs or poverty
• May be required to work varying shifts to include evening and weekends
• May be required to staff shelters in the event of a disaster

Minimum Qualifications:

Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in social work AND one of the following: two years of social work experience; qualifying internship; successful completion of the NC Child Welfare Collaborative program
• OR master’s in social work
• OR bachelor’s degree in related major AND two years of social work experience
• OR master’s degree in related major AND two years of social work experience.

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Social Work or related major
• Combination of relevant education and relevant experience accepted?: Yes

Licenses and Certifications:

• Requires a valid North Carolina or South Carolina Driver’s License
• Requires County Driving Privileges
• Annual Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) check required

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree preferred
• Bilingual applicants with (Spanish and English) proficiency preferred. Will be required to pass the County’s Bilingual Assessment in order to receive a paid Bilingual Premium.

We recently changed our degree requirement and now accept a larger variety of Human Services degrees such as: Clinical Social Work, Counseling, Criminology/ Criminal Justice, Gerontology, Human Development Learning, Human Services, Psychology, Social Science, Sociology, Substance Abuse Rehabilitation.

We arecurrently recruitingfor3crucialareas:

Investigations

In this role, you would investigate and assess the needs of children involved in reports ofalleged abuse, neglect and/or dependency. You would also be responsible for engaging thefamily to formulate a plan to alleviate any identified risk factors. This position may require afterhours(after5pm)andweekend workas needed.

Permanency Planning

In this role, you would provide a safe and nurturing home to children who have been placed intothe custody of the Department of Social Services.A permanency Planning worker assesses,evaluates, identifies risks to children and develops a plan for service allowing children to havepermanency within one year. This position may require after hours (after 5pm) and weekendworkasneeded.

Family-in-Home

In this role, you would provide in home intervention to families where abuse, neglect, and/ordependency was substantiated, or the family was determined to need services to preventchildren from being taken into custody, reduce risk, and alleviate wellbeing concerns. Thispositionmayrequire after hours(after5pm)andweekend workas needed.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Knowledge of

• Intermediate knowledge of social services procedures, practices and methods
• Knowledge of work principles and available resources
• Social services procedures, practices and methods
• Social services related federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations relating to provision of public assistance, and social welfare
• Case management methods and techniques
• Services offered by the county and other local public and private community based service agencies

Skills:

• Evaluating records to ensure accreditation standards are met.
• Exercising judgment and discretion
• Maintaining various confidential records
• Managing and executing multiple tasks
• Possessing strong communication skills
• Prioritizing work

Abilities:

• Adaptability: Maintaining effectiveness when experiencing major changes in work responsibilities or environment; adjusting effectively to work within new work structures, processes, requirements, or cultures
• Building Customer Loyalty: Effectively meeting customer needs; building productive customer relationships; taking responsibility for customer satisfaction and loyalty
• Building Partnerships: Identifying opportunities and taking action to build strategic relationships between one’s area and other areas, teams, departments, units, or organizations to help achieve business goals.
• Building Trust: Interacting with others in a way that instills confidence in one’s intentions and those of the organization
• Care Management: Having the knowledge and skills to secure relevant patient care data and identify key issues and relationships in the management of patient care; understanding the relationships among assessments, interventions, and patient responses; skilled in documentation of assessments and adjusting physical and cognitive prescriptions as needed
• Communication: Clearly conveying information and ideas through a variety of media to individuals or groups in a manner that engages the audience and helps them understand and retain the information provided
• Customer Focus: Ensuring that the customer perspective is a driving force behind business decisions and activities; crafting and implementing service practices that meet customers’ and own organization’s needs.
• Decision Making: Identifying and understanding issues, problems, and opportunities; comparing data from different sources to draw conclusions; using effective approaches for choosing a course of action or developing appropriate solutions; taking action that is consistent with available facts, constraints, and probable consequences
• Inspiring Others: Using interpersonal styles and methods to inspire and guide individuals toward higher levels of performance
• Managing Conflict: Dealing effectively with others in an antagonistic situation; using appropriate interpersonal styles and methods to reduce tension or conflict between two or more people
• Work Standards: Setting high standards of performance for self and others; assuming responsibility and accountability for successfully completing assignments or tasks; self-imposing standards of excellence rather than having standards imposed

Computer Skills:

• Intermediate in various computer applications including Microsoft Office Suite

Reasonable Accommodations Statement:

To accomplish this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform, with or without reasonable accommodation, each essential function satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to help enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Disclaimer Statement:

This is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of job-related responsibilities, duties, skills, requirements or working conditions. Other duties may be assigned based on business need and the supervisor’s request. Mecklenburg County reserves the right to revise the job description at any time. Designated positions may be required to assist in emergency and/or disaster situations.

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