Social Worker - Kin Care (PT)

The primary purpose of this advanced, professional level casework position is to deliver comprehensive services to Kin-Care Providers and the children placed in their care. The worker ensures that kinship providers receive the same level of support, training, and access to resources as licensed foster parents. This includes active participation in permanency planning, collaboration with the court system, and the provision of trauma-informed, family-centered interventions that promote stable placements and reduce the risk of disruption or undesired placement changes. Case Management and Permanency Planning Provide direct social work services to Kin Care Providers and the children in their care due to substantiated abuse, neglect, dependency, or juvenile court involvement. Analyze safety and risk factors following removal and identify appropriate kin placements. Develop a comprehensive evaluation of the kinship provider’s capacity to meet the child’s needs, including strengths and support needs. Facilitate the delivery of services to stabilize placements and support the kin caregiver's ability to provide safe, nurturing care. Engage in concurrent planning and coordinate with legal teams to support the child’s permanency goals (e.g., reunification, guardianship, adoption). Assist in the preparation for termination of parental rights (TPR) proceedings when adoption is the primary plan. Court Involvement Prepare written reports and provide testimony in court regarding the child’s placement, well-being, and progress toward permanency. Ensure compliance with state and federal mandates related to permanency timelines, court reviews, and legal custody requirements. Collaborate with the agency attorney, GAL’s office, and other legal stakeholders to ensure that permanent efforts are clearly documented and timely. Documentation and Policy Compliance Maintain accurate and timely documentation of all contacts, visits, services, and decisions in accordance with child welfare policy. Complete all required tools and assessments, including risk reassessments, strengths and needs assessments, monthly contact logs, out-of-home case plans, and well-being assessments. Compile and submit statistical and case data as required by agency policy. Service Coordination and Support Assist Kin-Care Providers in accessing support services such as financial assistance, mental health treatment, parenting classes, respite care, and peer support. Conduct home visits to monitor caregiver capacity, safety, and well-being of the child. Support Kin-Care Providers through the approval/licensing process, if applicable, and ensure training needs are met. Multidisciplinary Collaboration Serve as a member of the Permanency Planning Action Team (PPAT) and contribute to case planning and decision-making. Coordinate with community partners, service providers, schools, and medical/mental health professionals to ensure a comprehensive network of care. Placement Assessment and Monitoring When requested, complete home studies for Kin-Care Providers, including background checks, reference checks, and assessments. Monitor placement when approved and provide ongoing support and documentation. Provide testimony as needed for placement-related hearings. Professional Practice Apply appropriate social work theories and practices to assess family dynamics and child safety. Exercise sound judgment when selecting interventions and services. Maintain professionalism in all interactions and uphold ethical standards of the profession. This is a non-exempt, part-time position. Standard agency hours are 20 hours per week; with agreed-upon varying days to be determined. This position requires the worker’s schedule to be flexible to meet with families outside of scheduled hours if needed. Emergency situations may require work on any day of the week or hour of the day. The worker is required to flex time within the same work week to avoid overtime, when possible. Supervisory approval is required for non-emergency overtime. The accumulation of compensatory time is discouraged and should be used promptly. 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 counseling in a human services field and one year of social work or counseling; 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. Directly related experience is defined as human services experience in the areas of case management, assessment and referral, supportive counseling, intervention, psycho-social therapy and treatment planning. Transcripts need to be included with application #J-18808-Ljbffr