Social Services Worker

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Are you looking for a career where your passion for helping others translates into meaningful change? The Wyoming Department of Family Services (DFS) is seeking a dedicated and compassionate Social Services professional to join our team in Douglas, Wyoming. Douglas is a beautiful, close-knit community where you can build lasting professional and personal relationships. As a social worker with DFS, you will be a vital part of a team dedicated to strengthening families and promoting well‑being throughout District 8, including Converse, Niobrara, Platte, and Goshen counties. Your work will involve engaging with individuals facing various challenges and connecting them with essential resources. Social work is both rewarding and demanding. While you will often navigate complex situations that require empathy, resilience, and the ability to manage bureaucratic processes, the impact you make on the community will be invaluable.

Working for the State of Wyoming offers more than a paycheck. Our total compensation package includes:

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance
• Paid vacation, sick leave, FMLA, and holidays
• Retirement - Pension and 457B plans that help you build a secure future
• Flexible schedules and work‑life balance options
• Meaningful work that makes a difference for Wyoming communities and MUCH MORE

Human Resource Contact: View email address on click.appcast.io or View phone number on click.appcast.io

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Determines client needs for basic social services for children and adults.
• Carries a caseload and keeps all case file documentation current.
• Works collaboratively with law enforcement, other professionals, and agencies.
• Works directly with the institution or facility to develop and monitor a comprehensive treatment plan for youth in the community (home) and/or placement, including foster care and residential.
• Monitors, assesses, and addresses community service and restitution needs and maintains a schedule of restitution responsibilities.
• Provides group educational sessions on cognitive skills to help develop pro‑social behaviors.
• Develops discharge plans with the facility, youth, and family prior to discharge from the facility.
• Prepares for and testifies in court, preliminary hearings, multi‑disciplinary team meetings, family partnership meetings, and court hearings.
• Appears and represents high‑risk juveniles during pre‑adjudication hearings, periodic reviews, status hearings, and revocation arraignments.
• Interview clients, periodically reassess client needs, and refer clients to community resources or other agency personnel.
• Prepares assessments, designs case plans, evaluates the progress of participants, and makes and monitors appropriate placements.

PREFERENCES

Preference may be given to applicants with a Bachelor's Degree in social work, sociology, psychology, criminal justice, or administration of justice. Preference may be given to applicants with ability to work a flexible schedule which may include evenings, nights, holidays, weekends, and on‑call hours.

KNOWLEDGE

• Knowledge of mental illnesses, medications, capacity, and competency.
• Knowledge of State and Federal laws pertaining to Social Work, including ICWA, ICPC, AFCARS, ASFA, and others.
• Knowledge of the court system, juvenile protection laws, and federal and state laws.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education: Bachelor's Degree (typically in Social Services)

Experience: 0-2 years of progressive work experience (typically in Social Services Programs) with acquired knowledge at the level of a Social Services Aide

OR

Education & Experience Substitution: 3-5 years of progressive work experience (typically in Social Services Programs) with acquired knowledge at the level of a Social Services Aide

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations: None

PHYSICAL WORKING CONDITIONS

• This position takes place in an average work environment.

NOTES

• FLSA: Non‑Exempt
• All positions within the Department of Family Services will require a background check, including the taking of fingerprints, which will be completed through the Wyoming Department of Criminal Investigation, the Department of Family Services, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, for every successful applicant.

The State of Wyoming is an Equal Opportunity Employer and actively supports the ADA and reasonably accommodates qualified applicants with disabilities.

Class Specifications are subject to change, please refer to the A & I HRD Website to ensure that you have the most recent version.