Social Caseworker

Internship Opportunity At Adams County Human Services Department

Adams County Human Services Department Division of Children and Family Services serves a broad geographic and culturally diverse community, located to the north and east of the Denver metropolitan area. The mission of the agency is partnering with families to build protective capacities, providing quality services to promote stability/opportunity, building communities of support to promote well-being and finding safe, permanent homes if children/youth cannot safely be with family. Our vision here at Adams County is to protect children and youth by providing effective services of the highest quality through family engagement and community. We are committed to safety, permanence, culturally responsive, family preservation, fostering a supportive workplace, quality staff, family engagement and community collaboration. The internship program at ACHSD is designed to provide a unique, educational, and real-world human services experience. The primary goal of our program is to prepare you for a career in child protection. Adams County strives to place interns in their area of interest, while also providing an opportunity to learn about child welfare as a whole, so that you can get a well-rounded experience. Observing assessments, going to court, and going on home visits are just some of the opportunities to observe and participate in. Interns will meet as a group from all schools and areas of practice in Child Welfare as needed and as decided by the group for support groups, educational trainings, and group supervision. Internships with Adams County Children and Family Services includes exceptional individuals on the following teams:

1. Assessment Response Section
2. Permanency

Guiding Principles:

1. We believe in treating everyone with dignity and respect, valuing their input, and striving to do no harm.
2. Honoring all people's unique expertise and perspectives includes collaboration, shared decision making, and providing a safe environment.
3. The best interest of children, families, and our community will always inform our approach, perspectives, and decisions.
4. Children and youth belong in families and have a right to sibling, family, and community connections.
5. Families have the inherent capacity to safely care for their children.
6. We hold ourselves and our system accountable to each other, our families, and our community.

Examples of Duties for Success:

• All Casework Interns support a team responsible for:
• Extensive case documentation, which includes preparing court reports and social histories, and utilizing family engagement skills to mitigate risk and enhance safety that will be used in the office, client homes, and in the community.
• Assessing safety of a child/youth/at-risk adults and making decisions based on information available, which could include removing a child from their home.
• Advocating for families and children, testifying in court, and de-escalating potentially volatile situations.
• Daily travel around the Denver Metro area and periodic travel throughout Colorado.
• Will discuss in detail and work with families who are dealing with substance abuse, mental health, domestic violence, multi-generational poverty, child abuse, child neglect and sexual abuse.
In Addition to the above, specialized casework teams involve the following:
• The Assessment Casework Intern supports a team responsible for:
• Assessment Response Section has a statutory responsibility to respond to reports of child abuse and requests for assistance. This section addresses safety issues, determines the level of risk to the child, and makes decisions about what should be done to address safety and reduce risk.
• The Permanency Caseworker Intern supports a team responsible for:
• Permanency Section has a mission to address primary abuse and neglect issues that compromise child safety and precipitate a need for social services involvement. These caseworkers use a network of supportive services to assist parents to develop skills and resources, to create a safe home environment and increase parental protective capacities, to ensure that children can be safe in the home and achieve permanency for children within two to twelve months – with parents, kin or an alternate permanent family setting.

Qualifications for Success:

• Computer skills and the ability to research the internet to obtain specific information.
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Models positive, professional behaviors for others; confronts behaviors in a non-judgmental, effective manner.
• Ability to establish, maintain, and foster positive and harmonious working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
• Performs related duties and responsibilities as required

More Qualifications for Success:

Experience/Education & Training: Candidates must be enrolled in an accredited social work program in Colorado and completing an internship required by your program. License & Certificate: Must have a valid Colorado Driver's License, or the ability to obtain within 30 days and have regular vehicle access. Background Check: Must pass a criminal background check. Other: Must utilize a personal vehicle to get to many appointments in the local community and surrounding areas within Colorado. Ability to obtain, maintain, and ensure continued access to State and County systems in strict compliance with all applicable county and state regulations, policies, and user agreements.