Social Worker IAandT-In Home (10561)

Primary Purpose This position is located in the Child and Family Services Division. It is a staff position and reports to their supervisor on a Children's Services team. The primary purpose of this position is to provide family based social work services designed to strengthen and empower families while ensuring the safety of children in cases in which abuse, neglect and/or dependency have been alleged or found. This is accomplished by conducting a child protective services assessment and/or in-home services. This position also conducts assessments and participates routinely in the back-up on call rotation. This position assesses relatives and other kinship type persons, as possible caretakers in the event the child cannot remain safely in the home. ## Essential Functions Comprehensive an d On-Going Safety and Risk Assessments to include: - Reviews all clinical assessments, agency documents and other evaluations that may provide insight into family dynamics and underlying mental health, social or physical needs that must be addressed to ensure childrens safety and well-being. - As required by policy at each home visit either formally or informally assess for safety and well-being needs of the children with specific policy guidelines concerning substance affected infants, safe sleep for children under the age of 1, and domestic violence. - Complete DSS 5226 Family Risk Reassessments at the time of Family Service agreement development and updates, whenever significant change occurs in the family, prior to any new court action and within 30 days prior to case closure. - Assess family strengths and needs informally throughout the life of the case and formally using the DSS-5229 prior to completing a Family Services Agreement and 30 days prior to case closure in an In Home Services Case. For families with children living out-of-the home the Strength and Needs should be performed within the same time frames of Permanency Planning Meetings. - Conduct trauma screenings and refer for appropriate trauma assessment and treatment services at initiation of services and every 6 months thereafter. - Perform comprehensive Kinship assessments when assisting families with temporary safety placements or prior to asking the court to sanction a relative placement. - Initiates and completes CPS assessments re: reports of abuse, neglect and/or dependency by assessing the risk of harm to children involved in the report, gathering information from the family collateral, and staffing with unit members to determine if the family is in need of mandated services according to N.C. General Statutes. Development of the Family Services Agreement (In Home Case Planning) - Must be completed within 30 days of initiating In Home Services and in partnership with the family based on information discussed at the Child and Family Team (CFT) Meeting. Both parents, other primary caregivers, and any other persons who are involved in and critical for the successful completion of the agreement. Children should be included if cognitively and emotionally able to participate. - Must address the maltreatment and issues that brought the children into mandatory services and include objectives and activities that are measurable, time-limited, and describe specific desired outcomes, and identify necessary behavior changes. - Must include specific services, strategies and supports needed to achieve safety, permanence and well-being needs of the children. - Develops a therapeutic relationship with the clients. - Develops jointly a safety plan and/or an in home services agreement which includes concurrent planning with the family which identifies the goal of the agency intervention, describes specific desired outcomes, identifies the necessary behavior changes, gives time-oriented steps to reach the objectives, and states whom is responsible for the requisite actions and tasks and ensure safety of all children and address s concerns or abuse neglect or dependency. - Utilize the state mandated tools for on going assessment and services provision. {=html} - Provides on-going risk assessments to determine risk to children in order to guide the case planning process. - Includes documentation of all actions/contacts to show the involvement of the family in the development of the agreement with clear time-specific objectives and activities that relate to the strengths and needs of the parents. Noncustodial parents must be contacted and included in the development of the plan. Case management and implementation of direct treatment and supportive services related to the case plan - Arranges for and provides direct services to help the family change the maltreating behavior. This includes giving information, instruction, guidance and mentoring regarding parenting skills, child development and the importance of developing a nurturing and permanent home for children. - Coordinates with involved professionals such as therapists, doctors, school personnel, attorneys, judges, speech therapists, etc. Requests evaluation, reports and other documents. Reviews professional evaluations and includes recommendations in the case plan. Ensure that recommendations of medical providers are followed as written. - Referral or monitoring of services needed to address maltreatment issues as appropriate, including referrals to DSS-provided clinical treatment such as TF-CBT. - Arrange/participate in Child and Family Team meetings and Shared Parenting process. Reviews the case plan as warranted by the familys progress. - As required by policy conduct face to face visits with all children and interview each child regarding safety and well-being issues. - Prepare children, biological parents and temporary safety providers for any changes in residence a child may experience while services are being provided. Assist families in understanding psychological safety and the difficulties children may experience when they experience moves and changes in their life. - Prepare children and their families for court when in home services are not successful and court action is sought. Participate in prehearing conferences and prepare court reports by due dates so attorneys receive reports prior to the court date. - Provide reasonable efforts to ensure children can remain safely in the custody of their parents or legal guardians. Fiscal Management - Submit all vouchers, pay agreements, time sheets, mileage forms within policy guidelines. - Assist in maintaining the financial security of the agency by completing daysheets accurately and timely, reflecting all daily work activities. - Assist families in identifying service providers that are within their financial means and/or accept their insurance when available. Administrative Functions Attend case staffing, unit meetings and Division Meeting. Complete all mandatory preservice training and 24 hours of additional training per year of service. This position also assists in disaster relief efforts that include but is not limited to shelter duty. Assignment to emerg