Child Welfare Intake Caseworker III5300

Child Welfare Intake Caseworker III

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

Hiring Range: $53,000-$57,000, annually DOE

Position Summary

Position provides a full range of intake and/or on-going Social Casework services for a variety of Title XX program areas such as child abuse and neglect cases and youth in conflict cases.

General Duties and Responsibilities

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Essential Functions

• Receives referrals from the Statewide Child Abuse Hotline or/and may screen reports of abuse and neglect of a child or an adult. Conducts background checks and prepares report for review in the RED team. Is familiar with TRAILS.
• Conducts investigations, including going into homes, of alleged physical abuse, neglect and parent-conflicts; determines if situation warrants placing children outside the home; supervises placement of children in foster care and coordinates parent/child visits; and determines when and if to recommend that children return to the home.
• Develops effective case plans and provides counseling and referral services to families regarding parenting skills, family problems, parent-child relationships and problems with the community. As part of the RED Team process, assesses any new child abuse or re-abuse complaints and provides crisis intervention in these situations.
• Provides intake assessment and evaluation, and case planning to a variety of other cases including adults unable to protect their own interests and family conflict and youth in conflict cases.
• Determines the need for recommending placement of clients into foster care. Locates placement appropriate to client’s needs. Monitors client’s progress in placement.
• Make home visits with clients, organizes services such as day care, financial assistance, health (physical and mental), legal and provides information on available services.
• May provide other ancillary social casework services such as recruiting new foster home parents. Monitors quality of care provided in foster homes.
• Testifies in court on a variety of ongoing cases, makes recommendations to the courts on abuse and neglect cases, placement of children, guardianship of adults, and on custody investigations.
• Develops and writes reports of appropriate documentation of case plans, recommendations, contacts, assessments, etc.; develops case file information; completes forms and writes correspondence.
• Required to be On Call on a rotating basis.
• Difficulty of Work:
  • Work is performed on a variety of cases which will have similar and dissimilar problems. Each case is substantially different and often involves complex family relationships. The Caseworker independently evaluates the case and develops ongoing case plans.
  • The Caseworker is expected to deal with unusual and/or difficult cases with appropriate supervisory assistance.
  • There are numerous guidelines and regulations covering the work, such as the Children’s Code, Volume VII of the Department of Human Services Rules and Regulations, which regulate procedures to be followed. There are a wide variety of recognized social casework techniques and the Caseworker must use judgment and situational evaluation to determine which are appropriate for each of the cases assigned.

Other Duties

Please note that this job description does not intend to cover or contain a full comprehensive list of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Supervisory Responsibilities

Instructions may be received from the supervisor when cases are assigned and during the progress of a case. The supervisor is available to provide instructions and to act as a consultant at the request of the Caseworker. Work is reviewed for compliance to policy and general conclusions through spot checks, staffing, supervisor conferences, and judicial involvement.

Requirements

• Knowledge of:
  • Theories, principles, and concepts of social casework practice (assessment and treatment oriented) related to all of the assigned program areas.
  • Medical symptoms related to injuries or failure to thrive in children.
  • The laws dealing with child abuse, neglect and other dependency conditions.
  • Skill in interviewing techniques, crisis intervention methods and relevant treatment modalities.
  • Community resources, of agency rules, regulations and procedures related to assigned program areas.
• Ability to:
  • Establish rapport with clients.
  • Independently analyze complex situations, formulate plans and make quick decisions as needed.
  • Clearly and concisely express oneself both verbally and in written format.
  • Establish and maintain harmonious professional relationships with other employees, outside agencies, and the public. 
  • Testify effectively in court hearings.
  • Travel in order to make home visits and to visit foster parents and children in placement.
• Experience and Training Guidelines:
  • A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with a major in a human behavior science field, or a degree with 30 semester hours, or 45 quarter hours, of course work in development of human behavior, child development, family intervention techniques, diagnostic measures or therapeutic techniques such as social work, psychology, sociology, guidance and counseling, and/or child development; and,
  • Two (2) years of professional caseworker, case management, or human services experience in a public or private human services agency; OR,
  • A bachelor’s of social work degree and successful completion of an approved field placement in a county department of human services; or,
  • A master’s degree in social work or a human behavioral science.
• Training: Initial Certification Requirements
  1. Complete the pre-service training for new social caseworkers;
  2. Complete all required transfer of learning exercises with the assistance of a supervisor, or supervisor’s designee; and,
  3. Demonstrate competence through pre- and post-tests, trainer observation, and verification by the county department as outlined in the request for certification.
  4. Upon initial certification as a social caseworker, the staff person receives dual certification as a hotline worker.
  5. If a newly hired social caseworker has been certified as a social caseworker in the state of Colorado within the previous four (4) years, pre-service training for new social caseworkers is not required.                             
• Equipment Utilized: Standard office equipment and vehicle for considerable travel.
• Contact with Others: Work requires contact with legal, medical, psychiatric professional; members of the judicial system, clients; community organizations and resources; foster parents and other members of the agency for the purpose of developing effective treatment plans for clients and to help clients solve problems; and to educate the community about protection of clients and services available.
• Supervisory Requirements: Instructions may be received from the supervisor when cases are assigned and during the progress of a case. The supervisor is available to provide instructions and to act as a consultant at the request of the Caseworker. Work is reviewed for compliance to policy and general conclusions through spot checks, staffing, supervisor conferences, and judicial involvement.
• Hazards: In making client visitations incumbent may encounter angry, hostile clients, verbal abuse and unsafe conditions in homes.
• Preferred bilingual in English and Spanish.

Hazard Notice

In making client visitations incumbent may encounter angry, hostile clients, verbal abuse and unsafe conditions in homes.

Lake County Benefits - Full-Time Employees

As a reflection of the value we place on the contributions of our employees, the County offers a competitive benefits package for full-time employees. Please review the 2024 Benefits Guide for full details. The Guide provides information on Lake County Government's benefit offerings, including:

• Employer-Sponsored Medical and Dental Insurance Plans
• 100% Employer Paid Vision Plan
• Flexible Spending Account
• Health Reimbursement Account
• Employer-Sponsored Short-Term Disability Insurance
• 100% Employer Paid Long-Term Disability Insurance
• 100% Employer Paid Term Life Insurance
• Supplemental Life Insurance Plans
• 401(a) and 457(b) Employer Matched Retirement Plans
• Paid Vacation, Sick Leave, Personal Days and Holidays
• Employee Assistance Program
• Public Health Emergency Leave
• Discounts on concerts, major sporting events, electronics, travel, cars and more!

Lake County Benefits - Part-Time Employees

Lake County is also proud to offer paid sick time off and flexible work schedules for our part-time employees.

EOE Statement

Lake County is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE). Qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to age, race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, or veteran status. Assistance or accommodation during the application process due to a disability is available upon request.

Notice of Work Authorization Requirement

Applicants must be authorized to lawfully work for any employer in the United States. Lake County is unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa.

Notice of Emergency/Disaster Responsibilities

All Lake County Employees may be required to work as a Disaster Service Worker when a local declaration of emergency or disaster is declared by the Board of County Commissioners. To be prepared for this role, all employees and emergency service function (ESF) leads will attend emergency management trainings and exercises as requested by the Director of Emergency Management. With advanced notification from OEM, employees will make reasonable efforts to attend training events in coordination with other employees and supervisors.

Other Duties

Please note that this job description does not intend to cover or contain a full comprehensive list of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Expected Duration of the Application Process

Due to the nature of the application and selection process for Lake County full-time positions, applicants can reasonably expect the application process to take a significant amount of time to complete before a decision is made to hire or not to hire. Typically, it takes approximately four (4) to six (6) weeks from the date of application to complete the entire selection process. The length of time it takes to complete the process can vary depending on a variety of factors. Please note that this is an estimated duration of the selection process.