Protective Services Worker

Job Description

Job Description

Description:

Aging Services of North Central Massachusetts provides comprehensive information and quality services so that older people, individuals with disabilities, and their families are empowered to make personalized choices to ensure a life of dignity, safety, and respect.

The values of ASNCM have been determined by its employees and are the foundation of our culture.

Collaboration – we communicate and coordinate with others, internally and externally, to make a positive difference for our consumers and their families.

Compassion – we work with “heart” to be kind, caring and willing to help our consumers in their journey.

Consumer-Centric - we are committed and persistent in ensuring that our services and experiences are of high quality, resulting in positive consumer impacts.

Empowerment - we strive to make our consumers stronger and more confident to control their lives with personalized choices and claim their rights to a life of safety, dignity, and respect.

Integrity – we adhere to the highest standards of professionalism, ethics and personal responsibility, worthy of the trust our consumers place in us.

General Description:

A protective service worker here at ASNCM is responsible for investigating and addressing abuse, neglect, and exploitation of older adults. They develop and implement service plans involving medical, legal, housing, and in-home care services, maintain accurate case records, and provide consultations to staff and community agencies. The role requires a relevant degree, experience in protective or crisis intervention services, bilingual proficiency in Spanish and English, and strong communication and interpersonal skills. The position involves both office work and travel, including home visits, with a commitment to ensuring the dignity, safety, and respect of the elderly.

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Conducts investigations of abuse, neglect, and exploitation of older adults. and provide on-going case work to protective services clients. This includes but is not limited to home visits with elders, collateral interviews, interviews with alleged perpetrators, and all corresponding paperwork.
• Development and implementation of a Service Plan that could include services such as medical, legal, housing, and in-home
  care services.
• Maintain up-to-date and accurate case records in compliance with the regulations.
• Provide consultation to staff and community agencies regarding Protective Services cases.
• Serve on after hours on-call team to respond to consumer needs.
• Performs other related duties and responsibilities as required.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

• A master's or higher degree from an accredited school in social work, psychology, counseling, human development, nursing, sociology, criminal justice, public health, public policy, or gerontology, and at least one year of experience in counseling, casework, case management, preferably in a Protective Services or crisis intervention role; or
• A Bachelors' degree from an accredited school in social work, psychology, counseling, human development, nursing, sociology, criminal justice, public health, public policy, or gerontology, and at least two years of experience in counseling, casework or case management providing protective or crisis intervention services.
• Two years of experience in counseling, casework, or case management providing protective or crisis intervention services.
• Must be able to make mature judgements, possess good communication skills and maintain effective interpersonal relationships.
• Knowledge of basic medical, mental health, social service delivery systems, as well as acceptable record keeping practices is essential.

A valid driver's license and a legally insured and registered motor vehicle are required.

PHYSICAL:

Visual, speaking, auditory and mobile capacity necessary:

Capacity to see computer screen, read written material, and drive a car.

Capacity to hear and speak on the telephone.

Capacity to communicate verbally with consumers, caregivers, supervisors, and managers.

Capacity for fine manipulation in the frequent use of office equipment such as computers, copy machines, fax machines, telephones, calculators, etc.

Capacity to drive in all-weather to visit consumers in their homes

Capacity to navigate uneven terrain in all-weather to visit consumers in their homes

Capacity to climb stairs

Ability to sit or stand for extended periods of time.

Occasional reaching and grabbing objects with both hands, twisting of hand and wrist, and pushing and pulling of objects.

Occasional bending, squatting, and twisting to perform work functions.

Occasional capacity to lift up to 25 pounds.

MENTAL:

Ability to understand and/or interpret complicated program instructions and laws.

Capacity to learn complicated computer software

Capacity to deal rationally and calmly with varying personalities

Capacity to work well in fast paced, rapidly changing environment.

ENVIRONMENTAL:

Work is split between indoor office work and traveling outdoors to meetings, trainings and consumers’ homes.

Must be able to tolerate odors and pollutants including but not limited to smoke, air fresheners, pet dander, personal odors, etc. from a variety of in-home conditions.

This position requires an onsite presence

Must be able to tolerate by-products of office machine operation.

Must be able to tolerate heat and cold of seasonal changes and indoor temperatures.