The Forsyth County Department of Social Services is seeking to hire a Sr. Social Worker for its Foster Care Program who will be responsible for assisting families in developing permanent plans for the children who have been placed in the custody of the Department of Social Services. Permanent plans include reuniting children with the parent or caretaker from whom they were removed, assisting with the process for an approved caretaker or relative to obtain custody, or adoption.
The Social Worker will be required to participate in staff meetings/trainings and coordinates with staff from other agencies involved in providing services to children. The Social Worker in this role works diligently with children around well-being needs including trauma symptoms, special needs, placement needs, educational advocacy, and court involvement. These efforts on behalf of children and families are vital in meeting federal and state mandates and achieving permanence in a timely manner
There will be regular court reviews on all cases and the Social Worker will be responsible for writing court reports and presenting the information in court. The Social Worker in this role works diligently with children around well-being needs including trauma symptoms, special needs, placement needs, educational advocacy, and court involvement.
These efforts on behalf of children and families are vital in meeting federal and state mandates and achieving permanence in a timely manner.
Distinguishing Features
Foster Care Sr. Social Workers must visit the children and families in their caseload in the child’s home setting routinely, attend school based meetings, potentially attend court hearings, attend community based meetings regularly, and respond to emergency situations quickly.
This position requires excellent assessment skills, sound judgment, and the ability to serve children and families from all socioeconomic backgrounds with a range of mental capacities without personal bias. Excellent written and verbal communication skills are also necessary.
The primary hours of work are from 8:00am until 5:00pm but flexibility in scheduling is needed to meet the needs of the families served and the mandated time frames. There may be times where the employee may have to work after 5 pm and the potential of some weekend work; due to meeting the unique needs of the individual families assigned to the worker.
Minimum Education and Experience
Master’s degree in social work from an accredited school of social work or;
Bachelor’s degree in social work from an accredited school of social work and completion of the Child Welfare Collaborative or;
Bachelor’s degree in social work from an accredited school of social work and one year directly related experience or;
Master’s degree in counseling in a human services field and one year of social work or counseling or;
Bachelor’s degree in a human services field from an accredited college or university and two years directly related experience or;
Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university and three years of directly related experience.
Valid driver’s license required.
Bilingual candidates (English/Spanish) preferred.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Essential duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to:
– Collaborating with the family to provide ongoing assessment of their needs;
– Reviewing and monitoring progress on established goals;
– Referring families to appropriate community resources;
– Completing required documentation and paperwork and;
– Working within the guidelines of state-mandated timeframes.
– Writing court reports and presenting the information in court.
