Child Access Assessor, Mental Health Professional; Grant

Position: Child Access Assessor, Mental Health Professional (Grant/ FT/ Benefits/At Will)
Job Description

Summary:

A Child Access Assessor for Harford County Circuit Court conducts impartial psychosocial assessments in child custody and parenting time matters. The assessor gathers information through interviews, observations, and review of relevant records to evaluate family dynamics and the best interest of the child. Findings and recommendations are provided to the Court to assist magistrates and judges in making informed decisions regarding custody and parenting time arrangements.

The applicant must have excellent verbal and written skills and be able to effectively interact with judges, magistrates, Court staff, attorneys, and litigants.

All applicants must have a Master's degree and be licensed in a mental health field with a minimum of two years clinical experience.

Job Description:

Salary: $73,500.00 - $90,000.00

Nature of Work:

This is a professional position facilitating discussion, negotiation, and settlement in family law cases by providing a psychosocial assessment of the family that identifies the needs of the child(ren); the strengths and limitations of each parent; the capacity for co-parenting. The Child Access Assessment does not include a diagnostic assessment. Instead, the assessment, used as an ADR tool, provides direction and encouragement to the parties, their advocates, and the Court.

The Assessor uses a collaborative approach that seeks creative ways to reach a mutual solution that meets the needs of children. Specific duties vary but include interviewing parents and children; reviewing collateral documents and information; preparing court reports that facilitate solution-oriented discussion; providing testimony when indicated; implementing legislative enactments and Court rules relating to a case; and keeping abreast of current research, Court rules, and legislation.

Employees in this classification receive managerial supervision from the Director of Family Court Services.

Essential Duties:

Employees in this class may perform any or all of the below-listed duties. These should be interpreted as examples of the work and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Conducting psychosocial family assessments which identify the child(ren)'s needs and each parent's strengths and limitations in meeting those needs as directed by an Order of referral from the Court. In conducting Child Access Assessments, the Mental Health Assessor provides:

• Multiple interviews with the family members.
• Information from relevant collateral contacts (including child(ren)'s school, daycare, DSS, etc.)
• Written report filed with the Court
• Recommendations to the Court
• Referrals for community services if appropriate
• A Parenting Plan document for review by counsel if parties exercise their option to use the information generated by the assessment to settle their dispute

Years of

Experience:



Must have a minimum of two (2) years of clinical experience working with children and families. An interest in Forensic practice is preferred.

Education:

Must have a Master's Degree in a mental health field.

Certifications, Licensures, and Examinations:

Must have one of the following licenses:

• Licensed Clinical Social Worker - Certified (LCSW-C)
• Licensed Master of Social Work (LMSW)
• Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC)
• Licensed Graduate Professional Counselor (LGPC)

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

The role of the Mental Health professional when conducting a Child Access Assessment is to provide the Court with a psychosocial assessment of the family which identifies children's needs and parenting strengths and weaknesses. The Child Access Assessment model as practiced in Harford County is a 4-interview session model.

The Assessor is expected to systemically conceptualize family dynamics; co-parenting; identify children's developmental needs (intellectually, psychologically, socially, and physically); assess parenting strengths and liabilities, including need to proceed to rule out underlying psychopathology that may compromise parenting. However, when conducting Child Access Assessments, the Assessor is not required to provide a formal DSM-5-TR diagnosis. Additionally, in the role of conducting a Child Access Assessment, the…