Childen & Family Social Worker

POSITION SUMMARY 

Provides a wide variety of social services under the direction of the Children and Family Manager and Supervisor. General responsibilities are specific to each of the different positions within the Children and Family Services Division:

• Initial Assessment Social Workers - Ensure that children are safe in their homes. Conduct thorough assessments through interviews, home visits and collateral investigations. Assess for safety of children with their parents or caregivers and determine any maltreatment that may have occurred.   Determine the range of services needed by individuals and their families for preventative, remedial or rehabilitative services. Assess whether continued services are needed through ongoing services or voluntary services. 
• Ongoing Social Workers - Ensure children are maintained in a safe environment, while working collaboratively with parents on their Court ordered conditions in an effort for reunification to occur. If reunification is not able to occur, an alternative safe and permanent resource for the children is identified, and permanency is achieved that in the child’s best interest.
• Youth Justice Social Workers - Ensure youth receive the necessary skill development, treatment needs, habilitation, and rehabilitation to deter the youth from entering the adult criminal justice system.  Secure public safety by collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to help the youth successfully reintegrate back into the community.
• Foster Care Coordinator: -Screen and assess Foster Parents and Kinship Providers for licensure while managing compliance of administrative code (Chapter 56 & 58) and other federal or local policies and laws. Initiate recruitment and retention efforts and provide support, consultation, and training for foster parents, Facilitate, manage and support placement until reunification can occur or another safe permanent resource can be found. Facilitate a community-based Caregiver Support group with child care. Manage and ensure compliance of Subsidized Guardianship agreement.  

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Provides services per federal law, Wisconsin Statutes, Wisconsin Department of Children & Families Administrative Code and Standards, and court policies 
• Accepts referrals for department services
• Explains the scope of the agency’s services and discusses the client’s rights and responsibilities in relation to the use of such services
• Maintains case records and completes necessary documentation, court reports, forms, and data collection in accordance with program requirements in a timely manner
• Participates in committees and task forces as assigned 
• Advocates for client needs
• Adheres to approved social work principles, methods and practices, including the National Association of Social Worker’s (NASW) code of ethics
• Assists and provides back up to other Social Workers as necessary or required

• Collaborates with families to assess and develop goal oriented, time limited, family-based service plans to address identified needs 
• Provides services and outreach to voluntary cases  
• Speaks to families who are involuntarily referred about the consequences of non-compliance with the court orders, monitors family utilization of services and informs the court of the family’s adherence to the court order
• Establishes and maintains effective working relationships with coworkers, the general public, community resources, county and governmental officials, and others
• Prepares for and testifies in court as necessary or required
• Coordinates families' access to services, monitors cases to ensure that services are provided in an appropriate and timely manner, reviews family progress, updates case plan, and terminates services when family reaches stated goals 
• Educates families about available community resources and how to independently gain access to needed services 
• Maintains skill and competency levels as policies and regulations change by attending and participating in staff meetings, supervision times and other regularly scheduled meetings; develops professional knowledge and skills by attending training events, conferences and workshops
• Maintains confidentiality of family-related information and maintains respectful treatment of the family
• Participates in the Children and Family On-Call Rotation
• Receives reports of child abuse and neglect, either in person or by phone 
• Works as an intake worker and takes children and juveniles into temporary physical custody when needed
• Transports children, juveniles, and family members in personal vehicle
• Assists with supervised visitations as necessary
• Participates in creating a crisis plan with the family when necessary
• Works with other departmental units to assist the family (Behavioral Health, Birth to Three, Public Health, Women, Infants and Children (WIC), Western Region for Economic Assistance (WREA), Child Support, etc.)
• Attends meetings pertaining to the children and family (Individual Education Plan (IEP)meetings, counseling appointments, etc.)
• Speaks to the community and other organizations to provide public education and community outreach
• Participates in developing and delivering group programs and services for families 
• Deescalates potentially dangerous situations regarding self and/or client
• Performs other related duties as assigned

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university with a major in Social Work, Sociology, Psychology, Criminal Justice or related field
• Minimum of one (1) year of experience working with children and families

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

• Must hold a valid Wisconsin Social Work Certification or a license from a state with a reciprocity agreement with the State of Wisconsin.If not certified at the time of application for employment, must have applied to the State of Wisconsin for a Temporary or Training Certificate and obtain regular certification within six months of hire
• Possess and maintain valid Wisconsin Driver's license and have access to transportation suitable to complete necessary work out of the office