Social Worker - Family and Children's Services; FCS

Under general direction the Social Worker – Family and Children’s Services (FCS) provides direct social work services of a moderate nature working with complex child, youth, and family problems; performs intensive assessment, case management and/or casework services directed toward providing the most stable home environment for children and youth who have been, or are in danger of being abused, neglected or abandoned.

Social Workers in Family & Children’s Services handle everything from emergency response and investigations to writing court reports with recommendations and participating in court hearings. They work independently to support families through assessment, service linkage, ongoing case management, and reunification efforts.

Duties may include but are not limited to the following:

• Receives reports of child abuse; investigates allegations by conducting interviews with victims and others; may conduct forensic interviews with children, collaborates with an investigative team, or report information to law enforcement or district attorneys; may testify in court and provide support for witnesses and victims who must testify in court.
• Must participate in on‑call and call‑back responding to after‑hours emergencies, high‑risk crises, and immediate safety threats to support critical program operations.
• Assesses living situations to determine safety; may submit applications for protective custody warrants to the court to remove children from unsafe situations; recommends, implements, and monitors alternate placement; assesses prospective foster and adoptive families; assesses children's placement needs and matches them with appropriate placement settings; coordinates and directly monitors family visits.
• Manages a caseload of clients and conducts assessments to evaluate the effects of physical, cognitive and emotional impairment on function and determines client needs and eligibility through interviews, video platforms, phone calls, home visits, record reviews or consultation with appropriate agencies and individuals.
• Communicates policies, rules, and regulations of the program to clients and others within the scope of responsibility.
• Coordinates, arranges, and transports clients for the purpose of visitation or mandatory services as needed.
• Develops intensive long or short‑term treatment and safety plans; provides intervention and support for children, youth, parents, grandparents, foster and adoptive families, and other caregivers.
• Provides services and refers clients to other staff members or to community resources for direct and intensive services and specialized counseling.
• Initiates, facilitates, and participates in child and family team meetings as a member of a multi‑disciplinary team and administers validated measurement instruments and assessments to assist with making decisions about the risk and safety of children, safety plans, and placements; acts as a subject matter resource to junior staff and staff members without professional training.
• Analyzes, interprets, develops appropriate responses, and explains rules, regulations, laws, policies, and procedures to clients; communicates decisions, recommendations, timelines, safety plans, and case plans to clients, families, and service providers in person, in writing, and over the telephone.
• Ensures all services are delivered within the guidelines of the department in a respectful, culturally sensitive and appropriate manner; follows policies and procedures for specific unique populations; may perform case reviews and present content analysis findings with resulting recommendations to agency staff.
• Maintains detailed documentation and timely electronic records; assists with peer review of activities.
• Develops and prepares court reports, case plans, case narratives, and safety plans in automated electronic records systems; maintains casework records and handles relevant correspondence.
• Supports the relationship between the County of Mendocino and the constituent population by demonstrating courteous and cooperative…