County Children and Youth Service Caseworker

Overall Descriptions of the Position:

This is professional social service work with Mercer County Children and Youth Services. Caseworkers provide a full range of social and casework/management services to children, youth and families to assist them in attaining a more satisfactory social, economic, emotional, or physical adjustment. 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 which 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.

Position Requirements: (Below listed requirements will determine if a new hire begins employment as a CWI or CWII. Training period for a CWI is approx. 6 months, prior to transitioning to a CWII.

Caseworker I

• Required Minimum Experience and Training: A bachelor’s degree which includes or is supplemented by successful completion of 12 college credits in sociology, social welfare, psychology, gerontology, criminal justice, or other related social sciences.

Caseworker II

· Required Minimum Experience and Training: Six months of experience as a County Caseworker 1; OR Successful completion of the Child Welfare Education for Baccalaureates (CWEB) program or County Social Casework Intern program; OR A bachelor's degree with a social welfare major; OR A bachelor's degree which includes or is supplemented by 12 college credits in sociology, social welfare, psychology, gerontology, criminal justice, or other related social sciences and one year of professional social casework experience in a public or private social services agency.

AND

· Child Welfare Direct Service Worker Certification

Additional Position Requirements:

· Standard hours of Work are M-F 8:30AM to 4:30PM with a ½ hour lunch (37.5 hrs./week).

· Additional time at work may be required and flexibility of work times may be required to accommodate clients.

· Must have the ability to fulfill on-call client services on nights and weekends on a rotation basis.

· Once training is complete, remote work from home is an available option in order to provide flexibility.

· All Required Child Abuse Clearances

· Valid Driver’s License

· Demonstrates the ability to professionally express ideas.

· Demonstrates the ability to complete written documentation that is not only grammatically correct, but also professionally prepared. Possesses the ability to articulate and communicate the roles and responsibilities for the Agency.

· 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 clients who are in situations detrimental to their well-being or that of the community, or who are undergoing treatment or hospitalization.

· Possesses a clear understand of the Child Protective Service Law, the Juvenile Act, and all regulations governing child welfare practices, as well as Agency policies and procedures. Possess clear understanding of child welfare principles, philosophy and mission.

· Demonstrates knowledge of current social, economic and health problems and resources and the ability to understand and accept the needs and rights of others.

· Possesses the ability to engage clients and works with a light level of resistance.

· Possesses the ability to engage clients and works with a high level of resistance.

· Possesses excellent crisis management skills to de-escalate hostile, angry situations.

· Ability to complete thorough initial and ongoing risk and safety assessments, child and family assessment. Ensure that children are provided a safe, stable environment and will take emergency measures if child appears to be at risk.

· Possesses the ability to conduct individual and family interviews to identify problems and formulate plans for intervention. Basic knowledge of family system theory; genograms; and casual factors associated with abuse and neglect of children.

· Possesses the knowledge of the steps of child development and ways to work effectively with parents of children with developmental delays.

· Teaches clients home and budget management, child/adult care, and parenting skills; and assists with housing, employment, recreation and living arrangements, as required.

Position Duties and Responsibilities:

• Ability to complete thorough initial and ongoing risk and safety assessments, child and family assessments. Ensure that children are provided a safe, stable environment and can take emergency measures if child appears to be at risk.
• Conduct and complete investigations of referrals of abuse and neglect as defined by law, regulation and agency policy.
• Provide supportive and protective services to children of abuse and neglect.
• Develop family service plans and assess the goals on an ongoing basis to determine the adequacy of the plan and make revisions as required, prepare petitions, court summaries and documents as well as testify in court, schedule meetings with other agencies, dictation and documentation of case activities through correspondence, reports, case histories and other records.
• Attend individual supervisory meetings, unit meeting and staff meetings to assist in developing performance and case management skills and to continue to become familiar with current methods and techniques as well as changes in laws, regulations, and Agency policies.
• Conduct phone intakes to collect appropriate information and to screen incoming referrals and make collateral contacts as necessary.
• Obtains information from clients, members of their families, and others, necessary for the identification of social, economic, emotional, health or physical problems and assists clients in obtaining a wide variety of services on the basis of established policy, regulations and statutes.
• Participates in team meetings for the purpose of developing service plans to address the needs of clients and their families.
• Identifies appropriate community resources for clients, refers and links them to those resources, and advocates on behalf of client for resource service delivery.
• Continually assesses the adequacy of client service plans and revises, when necessary, to achieve goals and objectives.
• Possesses the ability to work effectively with people and develops and maintains working relationships with clients, their families, other staff and outside agencies as well as the general public.
• Works collaboratively with social agencies, hospitals, clinics, courts, and other community resources.
• Participates and when necessary, conducts team meetings such as MDITs, Team Meetings, etc. to develop appropriate strategies for effective intervention and work collaboratively with other resource agencies.
• Demonstrates the ability to plan and organize their work, prepares adequate records and reports, and sets proprieties and maintains a caseload in an effective and timely manner. Possesses excellent time management skills.
• Possesses knowledge of agency’s internal resources.
• Possesses the ability to be a team player, asks for feedback and accepts supervision, is flexible and non-judgmental.
• Possesses the ability to be physically mobile over rough terrain in community while making home visits; verbally engages in conversation, utilizes phone, and observes and identifies physical indicators of abuse and neglect.
• The ability to lift 15 to 20 pounds and physically supervise young children.
• Complete all requirements for certification and attend trainings.
• Interpret Agency policies, laws, regulations and procedures as well as programs to individuals, groups, and other agencies.
• Participate in Emergency on-call duties and/or other non-traditional hours as required to meet client needs.
• Provide proper use of equipment such as computers, printers, personal vehicles, copy machines, telephones, fax machines, video and camera equipment and cell phones.
• Engage in placement planning including a determination of appropriate placement home or facility, sharing information regarding the child’s treatment, education and medical needs and preparation of the child and families for placement.
• Develop and modify Family Services Plans to address the needs for families and children in the home and prepare Child Permanency Plans for children who are placed out of the home. Perform all duties regarding placement as defined by regulations and policy.
• Prepare court packets and memos, attend court hearings, and provide testimony in a clear and concise manner.
• Provide for visitation for children in placement, including scheduling visits, providing transportation and/or supervision when appropriate.
• Engage in permanency planning for children in placement by identifying a permanent home for the children. Provide proper documentation and testimony for termination of parental rights. Complete appropriate adoption assessments and court materials. Identify and prepare the adoptive home and prepare the child and family for adoption.
• Provide or arrange transportation services on behalf of clients when necessary and appropriate.
• Performs all other work-related duties as required.

Physical and Mental Requirements:

· Must possess the ability to record, convey and present information, explain procedures and follow instructions.

· Must be able to sit for long periods throughout the workday, with intermittent periods of standing, walking, bending, twisting and reaching, as necessary to carry out job duties.

· Dexterity requirements range from simple to coordinated movements of fingers/hands, feet/legs; torso necessary to carry out duties of job.

· Sedentary work that may incur occasional lifting/carrying objects with a maximum weight of thirty pounds.

· Must be able to cope with the physical and mental stress of the position.

· Must be able to react quickly physically and mentally in the event of a disturbance or physical outbreak.

• After providing your resume, please visit www.mercercountypa.gov and complete the required Standard County Application for Employment. In addition to submission of your resume via indeed, the County application is required in order to be considered for the opening(s)

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $20.05 - $27.14 per hour

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Flexible schedule
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Mercer, PA 16137