Permanency Services - Social Worker - Tiered

What You'll Be Doing

Wake County Child Welfare serves over 500 children in foster care. We are seeking a dedicated, skilled Permanency Services Social Worker to support youth and families during critical transitions. This role blends direct engagement, critical decision‑making, complex case coordination, and advocacy, all within a policy‑driven, professional environment.

As a Permanency Services Social Worker, you will guide youth in foster care toward safety, stability, and long‑term success. You’ll partner closely with caregivers, community providers, schools, and courts to ensure each youth has the support, skills, and resources they need. The position requires strong documentation, critical thinking, family engagement, and the ability to collaborate with multiple stakeholders.

Adolescents in foster care are navigating schooling, identity, relationships, and the path toward adulthood while coping within instability or trauma. The right Social Worker can dramatically influence their long‑term outcomes by offering safety, stability, encouragement, advocacy, and lifelong connections.

If you’re passionate about empowering youth, strengthening families, and ensuring every adolescent has a chance to thrive, we want to hear from you.

• Conduct initial and ongoing assessments to determine youth and family strengths, needs, safety considerations, and permanency options
• Develop individualized case plans jointly with youth and their families, incorporating their input, strengths, and goals
• Facilitate Child and Family Team meetings, Permanency Services Reviews, and introductory meetings between parents and foster parents
• Maintain ongoing communication with youth, parents, foster caregivers, service providers, schools, and community support to ensure safety, well-being, and case plan progress
• Conduct regular home visits with children, parents, and caregivers; supervise family visitation as required
• Coordinate referrals and ensure delivery of needed medical, dental, mental health, academic, and developmental services
• Participate in concurrent planning to support timely permanency, including reunification, guardianship, adoption, or placement with relatives/fictive kin
• Prepare documentation in accordance with state and county policy, including daysheets, assessments, court reports, time sheets, mileage logs, and other required records
• Testify at adjudications, permanency services hearings, and termination of parental rights proceedings, providing clear and accurate information to the court
• Educate social workers and community partners on the needs of older youth in foster care and advocate for appropriate services

Primarily Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM–5:15 PM, with flexibility required for court hearings, family meetings, evening visits, and travel. This role often requires working outside of standard hours; this expectation is stated upfront to ensure transparency.

Travel throughout the state and occasional out-of‑state travel is required.

This position is designated as an Emergency Service Worker and may be required to report during emergencies.

• Bachelor's degree in Social Work or related field
• Three years of job‑related experience
• Completion of the NC Child Welfare Education Collaborative (CWEC) traineeship can be substituted for 1 year of experience
• Valid Driver's License and safe driving record
• Equivalent education and experience are accepted

• Direct Permanency Services, Foster Care, or Child Protective Services experience
• Experience facilitating multidisciplinary or family meetings
• Experience with adolescents, independent living skills, or LINKS programming
• Experience preparing formal reports or testifying in court
• Bilingual ability (English/Spanish) preferred, but not required

• Knowledge of child development, trauma, family systems, and NC Child Welfare policy
• Ability to plan and organize work, manage multiple tasks, and maintain timely documentation
• Strong written and verbal…