Social Worker III - Adult Services and Guardianship

MINIMUM EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

Master’s degree from an accredited school of social work; or a Master's degree in counseling or human services field and one year of directly-related experience; or a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited school of social work; or a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited school of social work and one year of directly-related experience; or a Bachelor’s degree in a human services field from an accredited college/university and two years of directly-related experience; or a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college/university and three years of directly-related experience.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

Thorough knowledge of social work principles, techniques, and practices, and their application to complex casework, group work, and community problems. Considerable knowledge of a wide range of medical, behavioral, and/or psychosocial problems and their treatment theory. Considerable knowledge of family and group dynamics and a range of intervention techniques, governmental and private organizations, and resources in the community, laws, regulations, and policies which govern the program. General knowledge of the methods and principles of casework supervision and training. In certain settings, considerable knowledge of medical terminology, disease processes and their treatment as they relate to decisions regarding clinical interventions and appropriate therapies based on medical or psychological diagnosis. Skill in establishing rapport with a client and in applying techniques or assessing psychosocial, behavioral, and psychological aspects of client’s problems. Ability to supervise, train, or instruct lower-level social workers, students, or interns in the program. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with members of case load and their families, as well as civic, legal, medical, social, and religious organizations. Ability to express ideas clearly and concisely and to plan and execute work effectively. Ability to perform manual work exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally and/or up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects. DESCRIPTION OF WORK AND

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES PERFORMED:

The primary purpose of this position is to provide protection to the adult residents of Bertie County ages 18 years and older. The major programs of this position are: Protective Services for Adults, Guardianship, Case Management, Intake for Adults, Individual and Family Adjustment, Health Support Services and Protective Services after hours on-call for Adults. Many of these problems are related to appropriate home care, medical care, adult daily living activities, mental health and money management. Protective Services for Adults is a multi-faceted service based on an awareness of the vulnerability of disabled adults due to abuse, neglect, and/or exploitation. Adults in need of this protection are persons 18 years old or older facing disabilities / challenges due to advanced age, mental, physical, or socioeconomic impairments, who are unable to take care of themselves and who have no one able or willing to assist them with the care they need. Many of these problems are related to appropriate home care, medical care, adult daily living activities, mental health, and money management. Protective Services reports are accepted by phone, mail, or in person from sources that include, but not limited to medical professionals, relatives, friends, neighbors, law enforcement, mental health workers, home health agencies, etc. This position provides Guardianship services to individuals, who are alleged to be incompetent and/or to individuals who have been adjudicated as incompetent by the court and are in-need of a guardian. The employee is responsible for assessing an individual’s need for guardianship; locating the appropriate person(s) to serve as guardian(s); and, when necessary, petitioning to court or assisting the individual’s family to petition for the adjudication of incompetence and the appointment of a guardian. Also, the employee provides ongoing case management when the DSS Director has been appointed as public guardian. Employee will work in an office; however, a lot of out of office work is required in visiting homes, health and mental health facilities, and other service agencies. Employee serves ON CALL DUTY after hours, nights, weekends and holidays as scheduled, for referrals for protective services for adults after regular working hours. The employee is required to adhere to the laws of Confidentiality. Responsible for any other duties assigned by the supervisor or director. EXAMPLES OF DUTIES PERFORMED: Receive/screen protective services reports via telephone, letters or in person Make decisions based on the information being provided Conduct activities as necessary to determine if an adult is disabled and has been abused, neglected, or exploited For those who are unable to remain in their current living conditions, based on their level of care, assess the need for services that will prevent further mistreatment Work with lawyers, law enforcement, etc. Provide expert testimony during court hearings Record and document information gathered during an investigation Guardian to those adults for whom the agency has been appointed as legal guardian Adult Placement Services Recruitment and evaluation of Foster Care Services, which include family care homes and group care facilities Case management to plan and direct the provision of services within the constraints of policies and procedures to an individual who is receiving Adult Protective Services Counseling to encourage the setting and working towards goals Monitors on-going progress and appropriateness of the service plan Accurate completion of documents required by the rules and regulations of specific programs

PREFERENCES:

Computer knowledge and experience with personal computers and various computer software programs, such as MS Word, MS Excel, Web-based programs, etc. Organizational skills Ability to prioritize Ability to make decisions General knowledge of office practices and procedures Ability to type quickly and accurately Ability to communicate effectively in person and by telephone A Criminal Background Check will be required before any offer of employment Employee may be called upon in case of disaster, either natural or man-made, to serve the citizens of Bertie County. This service, if required will take precedence over duties described in this position vacancy announcement. #J-18808-Ljbffr Bertie County Department of Social Services