Social Worker III Licensing & Placements​/ In-home

An employee in this class is responsible for recruiting, training, licensing, and re‑licensing foster and adoptive homes for the Department of Social Services. Work involves highly sensitive and confidential information. The position includes providing ongoing supervision and support to licensed foster parents, acting as a liaison between foster parents and social workers, and seeking appropriate placements for children entering foster care.

The employee ensures all safety measures are in place for children and that foster parents are appropriately assessed according to licensing guidelines and adequately trained to meet the needs of children in the County’s custody. Work also involves assessing homes of parents and relatives residing in Alexander County who request placement of biological, relative, or adoptive children in their home, developing a recruitment plan and community relationships to support recruitment efforts, tracking data to evaluate recruitment plan effectiveness, and modifying the plan as needed.

The employee engages with the family through the Child & Family Team process to resolve safety issues and address well‑being needs, demonstrates high-level knowledge and good judgment in assessing whether a child can safely remain in the home, seeks supervisory or attorney consultation, and takes swift action to move a child to safety when necessary. The position requires after‑hours work as needed and on‑call backup coverage on a rotating basis.

Work is performed independently under the general supervision of a Social Work Supervisor III.

• Recruits, trains, licenses, and re‑licenses foster and adoptive homes.
• Conducts and teaches foster and adoptive parents their initial thirty hours of training prior to licensing.
• Supports and supervises licensed foster/adoptive families to strengthen abilities/skills and sustain placements.
• Manages compliance with NC Foster Home licensure policy.
• Provides annual MEPA training to all child welfare staff.
• Recruits, assesses, licenses, trains, selects, and matches foster/adoptive families with foster children.
• Prepares children and families for transition/placement.
• Prepares the county foster home recruitment plan.
• Monitors success of recruitment plan.
• Collaborates with community resources to implement the recruitment plan.
• Collaborates with private placement agencies to facilitate placement for children who cannot be placed in a County foster home.
• Facilitates team meetings while creating an environment of physical and emotional safety.
• Encourages effective communication and manages conflict or denial.
• Determines funding eligibility for children served with the various child welfare programs.
• Completes an array of activities including completing, documenting, and maintaining foster home records.
• Manages a caseload including reviewing history; and conducting home, school, and field visits.
• Contacts and sees all appropriate family members and collaterals, and develops a case plan with the family.
• Staffs all cases with the supervisor and child welfare team, and participates in team meetings.
• Counsels and encourages the family as well as connects the family with available resources.
• Attends all court hearings and prepares all necessary reports and documentation, including invoking court action when children cannot be safe in their home.
• Completes necessary documentation of narratives, assessments, meetings, documentation: and medical or educational documentation.
• In the event of an emergency, as determined by the County Manager or designee, participation in preparedness and response operations is expected. The employee is required to fill a temporary assignment in a role different from standard duties, work hours and/or work location in preparation for, during, and after the emergency. The employee is also required to participate in relevant exercises and regular preparedness training.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

• Work in a professional independent manner using educational and consultative supervision.
• Sound interviewing skills, communication skills, intervention skills, and writing skills are critical.
• Broad knowledge base is required,…