Social Worker - Investigative/Assessment and Treatment

Job Title

This is advanced, professional level casework position providing protective, investigative, counseling and case management services for children who are at risk for neglect and/or abuse, and/or dependency.

Employee provides social work services including treatment and immediate response to crisis situations for at-risk children in the most complex cases. Work may involve any number of tasks associated with investigation and/or assessment of alleged abuse, neglect, or dependency and substantiation of the allegation as prescribed by federal and state guidelines, providing expert testimony in court hearings, and following-up with case management and preventive services for clients. Employee analyzes situations and determines appropriate courses of action immediately or in short time spans and often under very stressful conditions. CPS social workers are responsible for accessing, identifying, and documenting abuse and neglect cases and finding the appropriate services to enhance child welfare. CPS social workers must be able to identify immediate threats made to a child and provide arrangements that comply with state and federal laws and agency procedures. These duties may include, but are not limited to:

Receive referrals of clients with a variety of problems which require social work assessment and/or intervention and make initial contact. Investigations and/or assessments must be initiated within the timeframes defined by NC General Statutes and related CPS policy manuals and can be immediate depending on the nature of the allegation(s).

1. Petition the court for immediate custody of the child or children and arrange for placement in a licensed foster home or in an approved relative placement in situations where it is determined that the children are at immediate risk and the family is unable or unwilling to provide a safe, alternate plan.
2. Maintain the case, including making all required contacts and completes all required documentation, until case transfer to a foster care social worker is complete.

Conduct investigations/assessments using a standard of fact-finding through interview, home visits, collateral contacts and/or other investigations in accordance with NC General Statues and CPS policy. Timely face-to-face contact with the family is required throughout the investigation and/or assessment phase.

1. Prepare social histories and family assessments. Document facts within the parameters of legal definitions of abuse, neglect, or dependency and the level of child well-being, evaluate information against risk factors.
2. Determine (make a case decision) if abused, neglected, or dependent or if the family is in need of services and what level of intervention is necessary to assure safety.
3. Inform clients of available programs and services to meet their individual needs, and encourage participation in the most appropriate activities. In the course of providing child protective services, the CPS social worker should have a clear understanding of the legal basis for intervention on an involuntary basis and to accept the responsibility for offering services to involuntary clients.
4. Review results with supervisor and make recommendation concerning case disposition.
5. Complete CPS investigations and/or assessments as defined by statutes and policy within required timeframes. Activities to complete assessment/investigative cases in CPS can include transfer to foster care, transfer to in-home services, or case closure with no services required. The CPS social worker should minimize the intrusion into the family without increasing the risk of harm for children.

Maintain detailed case records and develop and prepare statistical reports as required. Documentation must be clear, concise, professional, and up-to-date. Contacts with children, parents, and collaterals must be thoroughly documented. Collateral contact may include, but are not limited to, extended family members, neighbors, school personnel, medical personnel, mental health professionals.

Use prescribed tools and/or forms as required by policy. These tools/forms may be part of a technology system such as an electronic case management system, electronic document storage system, or NC FAST and can be part of a web based interface or standalone software driven.

Employee performs on-call duties when assigned.

Employee provides court reports and/or expert testimony in court as required.

Employees engages in relationship building: Builds rapport up, down, and across the organization; Establishes collaborative relationships to achieve objectives; Seeks win-win solutions to conflict; Develops network of professional contacts; Displays empathy and tolerates diverse viewpoints.

Minimum Education and Experience

Master's degree from an accredited school of social work and one year of social work experience; or a Bachelor's degree from an accredited school of social work and two years of social work or counseling experience; or Master's degree in a counseling field and two years of social work or counseling experience; or a four-year degree in a human services field or related curriculum and three years of social work or counseling experience; or graduation from a four-year college or university and four years of experience in rehabilitation counseling, pastoral counseling or a related human service field providing experience in the techniques of casework, group work or community organization; or an equivalent combination of training and experience. One year of work experience can be credited for completion of the social work collaborative.

Special Comments

Transcripts must be attached to the application.