Social Worker III

Salary: $58,007.60 - $68,886.00 Annually
Location : 805 S. Walker Street, Burgaw
Job Type: Full-Time Permanent
Job Number: 2026--00189
Department: SOCIAL SERVICES
Opening Date: 06/19/2026
Closing Date: 7/3/2026 11:59 PM Eastern


General Definition of Work

Consists of providing aged and disabled clients an opportunity to obtain and maintain self-sufficiency in a safe environment appropriate to their needs. The outcome of this task is often affected by the urgency of crisis situations resulting from catastrophic injury or illness, which requires that some individuals be placed in alternative living situations immediately. When self-sufficiency is threatened either by the client's infirmity, environmental conditions, or unsuitable actions on the part of a caretaker, this worker will explore options which could include protective services, placement in a residential facility, organizing family support, and in-home aide service.In Some cases,the worker may also seek legal recourse through guardianship proceedings. Essential to the process of providing services is the availability of those services, and this worker is an essential participant in seeking resources. Assist with other duties as needed or assigned.
Toperform thisjobsuccessfully. anindividualmustbeabletocomplete theessentialfunctions of the position with or without reasonable accommodations.Reasonable accommodations may be requested by contacting Pender County Human Resources.

Essential Functions

1. Receive complaints of alleged abuse, neglect, and exploitation of disabled adults or lawfully emancipated minors.
2. Visit clients, caretakers, collaterals, or others involved to complete a full evaluation.
3. Conducting interviews and assessments, collecting data and analyzing information to determine facts, making logical and reasonable decisions during the assessment and service initiation stages.
4. Assessing clients for Guardianship services andfilingpetitionsforthe guardianship hearing.
5. Helps individuals to utilize community resources by planning and directing clients to agencies, such as mental health, medical facilities, food banks,counseling centers, vocational and drug rehabilitation among others.
6. Serve as a backup for other services offered within the unit as needed.
7. Individual and Family Adjustment Services & Payee Case Management.
8. The social worker acts as the agency's agent in serving as the client's representative payee if this component the services is needed.This service will ensure that the client's basic needs of food, housing, utilities, and clothing are met; and to avoid conditions which may warrant protective service intervention. May provide Special Assistance In-Home Services. The social worker will conduct face-to-face visit to determine the eligibility for clients once a referral is received from the Medicaid caseworker as well as to complete a financial budget form to assist in determining the financial need. Worker will assign the eligible client to a slot and will monitor the continued need for the service through a monthly home visit.

As Adult Home Specialist, the social worker is responsible for licensing and routine monitoring of adult care homes in that the standards are met. Worker will monitor areas of food service, housekeeping, medication management, the activities program, management of the residents, and fire safety. Worker receives and investigates, complaints in violation of the licensing standards and reports of injury to residents in accordance to the adult protective law, the residents' bill of rights, and civil rights and makes referrals to the NC Division of Health Services for facility violations and the Department of Social Worker is responsible for promoting and assisting with the development of domiciliary home as well as evaluating the homes annually for overall operation, promoting and assisting the facilities in their upgrading of care and services, works closely with other agencies to ensure that licensing standards are met.

Other duties: Social Worker will serve as backup for other services deemed necessary within the Adult Services Unit and/or agency. The services include, but not limited to shelter duty.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education & Experience
Broad understanding of Social Work Policy and Procedures. Considerable knowledge of behavioral and socio-economic problems and their treatment, considerable knowledge of laws,regulations, and policies that govern Social Work programs. Considerable knowledge of racial,ethnic,or other cultural groups in society, their values and lifestyles, considerable knowledge of techniques and methods of conducting formal and informal training programs for adult learners. Considerable knowledge of the agency's programs, functions, services, protocols, and procedures. Good time management skills.
Master's Degree from an accredited school of social work and one year of counseling experience; or a Bachelor's Degree in social work from an accredited school of social work and two years of social work or counseling experience; or a Master's Degree in a counseling field and two years of social work or counseling; or four year degree in a human services field or related curriculum including at least 15 semester hours in courses related to social work or counseling and three years of experience in a related human services field; or an equivalent combination or training and experience.
Valid driver's license in the State of North Carolina.

This position is a safety sensitive position and subject to random substance abuse testing accordance withthe Pender County Personnel Policy and Risk Policy.

Physical Requirements
This work is sedentary and requires little to no exertion of force; work regularly requires sitting and speaking or hearing and occasionally requires standing, walking, using hands to finger, handle orfeeland reaching with hands and arms; work has standard vision requirements; vocal communication is required for expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word and conveying detailed or important instructions to others accurately, loudly or quickly; hearing is required to perceive information at normal spoken word levels and to receive detailed information through oral communications and/or to make fine distinctions in sound; work requires preparing and analyzing written or computer data, operating motor vehicles or equipment and observing general surroundings and activities; work occasionally requires exposure to outdoor weather conditions; work is generally in a moderately noisy location (e.g. business office, light traffic).
There are a wide variety of benefits available to eligible Pender County employees. These benefits include: health, dental, vision, life insurance, optional life and disability insurance plans, flexible spending account, retirement program, 401(k) program, deferred compensation program, credit union membership and an employee assistance program.

Pender County Benefits Overview can be viewed