Social Worker

POSITION SUMMARY:

Professional social services work in the Children and Youth Agency.   Provides full range of social and case management services to children, youth and families.  An important aspect of this work is the employment of casework skills in obtaining essential information, counseling clients and members of their families and helping them to utilize all available resources.  Work also involves the application of problem-solving techniques; providing counseling to maximize service delivery and to achieve service plan goals; monitoring client behavior; and interacting with agencies that make up the service network.  Work is performed in accordance with established regulations, policies and procedures, but employees are expected to exercise initiative and judgment in discharging their duties.  Work is reviewed by a professional social service or administrative supervisor through regularly scheduled individual and group conferences and the review of records and reports.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Obtains information from clients, members of their families and others who are necessary for the identification of social, economic, emotional, health or physical problems and for assisting clients in obtaining a wide variety of services on the basis of established policy, regulations and statutes.
• Provides casework and counseling services to clients and members of their families to aid them in achieving a more satisfactory adjustment to their specific problems or situations.
• Provides protective and supportive services for abused or neglected children.
• Prepares documents and provides testimony in court according to agency procedure.
• Provides protective and supportive services for clients who are in situations detrimental to their well-being.
• Participates in team meetings for the purpose of developing service plans to address the needs of clients and their families.
• Continually assesses the adequacy of client service plans and when necessary, revises to achieve goals and objectives.
• Identifies appropriate community resources for clients, refers and links them to those resources and advocates on behalf of clients for resource service delivery.
• Works collaboratively with social agencies, hospitals, clinics, courts and other community resources.
• Teaches clients home and budget management, childcare and parenting skills; and assists with housing, recreation and living arrangements as needed.
• Interprets agency programs, policies and procedures to individuals, groups and other agencies.
• Attends staff meetings, individual and group supervisory conferences and training programs designed to develop performance and case management skills and that will continuously familiarize staff with current methods and techniques in the field of social services.
• Documents case activity through records, social studies, case histories, correspondence and reports according to applicable policies and procedures.
• Provides emergency and after hours service to active clients.
• Engages in public speaking when requested and disseminates Agency literature to enhance community use and understanding of programs and services.
• Participates on special committees and task groups when requested.
• Provides field instruction and training to undergraduate students as contracted with the Agency by local schools.
• May serve as a lead worker for professional staff and student interns.
• Performs related work as required.

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.   The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

MINIMUM EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING:

• Graduation from an approved graduate school with a Master’s Degree in Social Work.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGES, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Knowledge of current social case management principles, techniques and methods.
• Knowledge of current social, economic and health problems and resources and the recognition of their impact on the growth and development of people.
• Knowledge of individual and group development and behavior and ways of working effectively with adults and children who have social, economic, emotion or health problems.
• Knowledge of the basic principles and methods of program interpretation and community organization.
• Knowledge of social welfare policy and law as they related to agency function and purpose and societal structures.
• Ability to work effectively with people and aid them to grow in the constructive use of their potential in adjusting to their specific problems.
• Ability to understand and accept the needs and rights of others and to work with adults and children, who are physically challenged, emotionally troubled or economically disadvantaged.
• Ability to conduct individual and family interviews and to use them to identify individual and family problems.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients, their families, other staff, outside agencies and institutions and the general public.
• Ability to plan and organize work, prepare adequate records and reports, set priorities and maintain a caseload in an effective and timely manner.
• Ability to plan, organize and direct the work of others.
• Ability to interpret and apply relevant laws, regulations and policies governing agency services.
• Ability to adequately express ideas orally and in writing.
• Must possess and maintain a valid driver’s license
• Must comply with current auto insurance requirements