Social Worker Iii - Adoption & Recruitment

Social Worker Position

Applicants are encouraged to apply early. The application review process will take place immediately and continue until the position is filled. This recruitment may close any time after the first review or when a sufficient number of qualified applications have been received.

Hiring range for this position is $52,332.80 - $62,545.60. Initial placement for new employees is customarily at entry level through 35% percentile. Pay grade for this position is 19.

General definition of work:
Performs intermediate professional social work providing case management services in a variety of programs including but not limited to permanency planning following established patterns of service and program requirements in the Department of Human Services. Work is performed and reviewed under the regular supervision of a Social Work Supervisor.

Essential functions / Typical tasks:
Interviewing clients and relatives to determine the scope of the challenges and the client's ability to manage or meet those challenges; performing assessments to identify needs; obtaining medical, financial and social history; developing service and/or treatment plans and monitoring service delivery for clients and/or families to address issues of medical, health, or behavioral issues; providing supportive/directive counseling to address problems such as adjustment to illness or disability, adult placement issues, financial concerns, and socialization;

establishing eligibility for specific programs or services; preparing case summaries and reports; maintaining records, files and confidentiality.

• Conducts the required number of contacts and/or home visits each month according to specific program requirements to assess the current situation and assure that services are being provided.
• Explores alternative community resources and makes referrals to other programs, services and agencies.
• Completes necessary documentation for reviews.
• Provides supportive and/or budget counseling and education to clients, care givers, and families.
• Provides a wide variety of services to alleviate crisis situations, enable families to be self-sufficient, and enable adults to remain in their homes.
• Builds resource networks with community and state agencies.
• Performs related tasks as required to potentially include but not limited to emergency shelter operations.

Position specific functions:
Adoptions:

• Assess, prepare, and place children for adoption using adoption-competent and trauma-informed practices; develop transition plans; and participate in adoption selection, treatment team, and permanency planning meetings to support timely permanency outcomes.
• Prepare, assess, train, coach, and provide ongoing supervision to foster, adoptive, and kinship families through regular visits and consultation, ensuring families are equipped to meet children's needs before, during, and after placement.
• Facilitate legal and financial adoption processes, including court reports, adoption assistance documentation, case plans, permanency planning reviews, and required court documentation for children in DSS legal custody, while maintaining accurate and timely records.
• Provide post-placement and post-adoption support by connecting families to community and clinical services; collaborate with Permanency Planning and Adoption staff to identify and explore relative and kinship connections; and participate in on-call and office coverage rotations as assigned.

Knowledge, skills and abilities:

Considerable knowledge of social work principles, techniques and practices and their applications to specific casework, group work, and community problems; of federal and state laws, policies and procedures, program rules and quality assurance standards; of behavioral and socioeconomic problems and their treatment; and of organizations and resources in the community. Knowledge of medical terminology and disease processes and/or intellectual or developmental disability / programs and behavior management techniques.

Working knowledge of office equipment and computers and applicable software applications. Ability to write clear, concise, and grammatically correct…