Social Worker III - Foster Home Licensing & Placement

Are you passionate about supporting families and making a meaningful difference in your community? We’re seeking a compassionate, dedicated professional to join our team in a vital role focused on the recruitment, training, and support of kinship, foster, and adoptive families. In this role, you’ll collaborate closely with a team of committed professionals and behavioral health partners to ensure children in foster care are placed in safe, nurturing homes. We offer excellent benefits , a strong emphasis on work-life balance , and opportunities for ongoing professional development in a supportive, trauma-informed environment. If you’re looking for a career that values teamwork, personal growth, and the chance to truly impact lives, we encourage you to apply. The primary functions of this position are the recruitment, training, and licensure of new kinship, foster, and adoptive families using trauma-informed practices. This position provides ongoing support and education to kinship and licensed foster families with children placed in their homes. This position works collaboratively with others on the team and behavioral health partners to identify appropriate placements for children in foster care. The position is required to competently and accurately complete home visits and the relicensing process with families within the required time frame. This position prepares foster families for placement and the court process. This position provides ongoing counseling to support the parenting of children who have experienced trauma. Participate in the planning of and attend activities and events for the recruitment of new foster and adoptive families; Provide training for kinship and foster families using approved and trauma-informed practices such as TIPS-MAPP, Deciding Together, Caring for Our Own, and Resource Parent Curriculum (RPC); Provide ongoing support, education, and training to kinship families with children placed in their homes; Conduct all required background checks, produce well‑written and accurate pre‑placement assessments and home studies, and assess the parenting capabilities of potential foster and adoptive parents to ensure the safety of children who may be placed in the home; Conduct initial licensure and re‑licensure processes within required NC DHHS policy and timeframes; Conduct all required quarterly home visits, address issues or concerns, ensure all safety and licensure requirements continue to be met, and provide ongoing support to families with children placed in their homes; Collaborate with other team members, foster care social workers, and behavioral health professionals to identify appropriate placements for children and youth in care; Assist with the facilitation of shared parenting with placement providers, and family time between children, parents, and siblings; Work collaboratively with a wide array of partners including the kinship and foster parents, foster care social workers, Guardian ad Litem program, and treatment providers to ensure the safety, health, and well‑being of children placed in foster care; Provide ongoing emotional support and education to help placement providers effectively prepare for and parent children who have experienced considerable trauma, to understand child welfare policy and practice, the juvenile court process and timeframes, and to prepare for separation of children from their care; Attend Child and Family team meetings, Shared Parenting, Permanency Planning reviews, court hearings, and other required meetings as needed as a support to placement providers; Thorough and timely documentation of case information per policy; Participate in the rotation for on‑call for children’s services; Participate in shelter operations or other weather‑related incidents as needed; Performs other duties as assigned. Master's degree in social work from an accredited school of social work; Bachelor's degree in social work from an accredited school of social work and completion of the Child Welfare Collaborative (Child Welfare positions only); Bachelor's degree in social work from an accredited school of social work and one year directly related experience; Master's degree in a human services field and one year of directly related experience; Bachelor's degree in a human services field from an accredited college or university and two years directly related experience; Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and three years of directly related experience, or an equivalent combination of training and experience. Certification in TIPS‑MAPP and/or other approved licensure curricula is preferred but not required. Considerable knowledge of child welfare practice and policy including abuse, neglect, and dependency; 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, resources in the community, and laws, regulations, and policies that govern the program; Ability to prepare documentation such as pre‑placement assessments, home studies, and other licensure documents; Considerable knowledge of the effects of trauma on children; Familiarity and understanding of the behavioral health system, the various levels of care needed for children and youth in foster care, and how to identify appropriate placements for children and youth in foster care; Ability to deal tactfully with others and to exercise good judgment in appraising situations and making decisions; Ability to effectively facilitate and train in 1:1, small, and large group settings; Ability to be flexible with scheduling to provide training during daytime and evening hours (occasional weekend work required); Ability to communicate effectively with individuals from varying cultures and backgrounds via phone and through personal contact and provide equitable treatment to all; Ability to skillfully manage conflict, remain neutral and fair, engage people and build trust, and promote collaboration and consensus toward positive outcomes; Strong ability to multi‑task; Ability to prioritize work assignments and to be flexible with scheduling as needed; Ability to work independently and manage day‑to‑day tasks; Ability to plan and coordinate with both internal and external parties; Ability to deal tactfully with others and to exercise good judgment in appraising situations and making decisions; Ability to be flexible and to work as a team player; Ability to demonstrate strong verbal and written communication skills and excellent listening skills; Ability to demonstrate good public relations and customer service skills; Skill in operating standard office equipment such as computers, phones, fax machines, and scanners; Ability to perform work using local and state technology systems including NCFAST, CWIS, Northwoods, iiReception, Microsoft Office, internet browsers, virtual meeting platforms such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom, and other commonly used electronic programs; Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with county officials, department heads, peers, associates, and the general public. Physical Requirements This work requires the occasional exertion of up to 10 pounds of force with the occasional exertion of up to 50 pounds of force; work regularly requires sitting, speaking, hearing and repetitive motions, frequently requires touching or feeling and occasionally requires standing, walking, climbing, balancing, reaching, pushing, pulling and lifting; work has standard vision requirements; work requires vocal communication to express or exchange ideas orally; work requires hearing to perceive information at normal spoken levels; work requires preparing and analyzing written or computer data; work is generally performed in a moderately noisy location (e.g. business office, light traffic.) Must be able to operate a vehicle and perform fieldwork. Work settings include the Department of Social Services, referral/resource agencies, and the homes of individuals. Home visits are made to often crowded, unsanitary dwellings, which lack proper lighting, handicap access, and other amenities. In addition, homes may be sub‑standard and infested with pests. The worker is exposed to regular traffic hazards and adverse weather conditions. Special Requirements Must be fingerprinted and successfully pass a Criminal History Record Check with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations (NCSBI). Must possess a valid North Carolina driver's license. Must complete all applicable required training including Confidentiality, Civil Rights, FEMA and Red Cross Shelter Training, Bloodborne Pathogens, applicable child welfare training, new employee orientation, and Chatham County Department of Social Services Policy and Procedures. #J-18808-Ljbffr Chatham, County of (NC)