10/30/1992

Job Title:  COUNTY CASEWORKER 3

Job Code:  L0625

Definition:  This is advanced professional social service work in a County Children and Youth, Mental Health/Intellectual Disability, or Human Services Agency.

Employees in this class are assigned a variety of social services duties and responsibilities which are distinguished from those assigned to lower level classes by their difficulty and complexity.  Work involves providing intensive case management and counseling to clients and their families; conducting difficult and complex investigations; reviewing and evaluating agency responsiveness to clients' needs and the case management policies and practices relative to the provision of social services; and providing consultation and education services to the community.  Work assignments may include serving as the court liaison/coordinator for the Juvenile or Orphans Courts; coordinating and reviewing documents prepared by case management staff to ensure that they meet legal and judicial requirements; scheduling court hearings, conferring with judges, attorneys, clients and their families and agency staff, and preparing and providing testimony in court.  Work may also involve functioning as a lead worker for professional staff.  Supervision may be exercised over paraprofessional and/or clerical staff.  Work is performed with considerable independence under the supervision of a professional or administrative supervisor and is reviewed through conferences, reports and results attained.

Examples of Work:  Obtains information from clients, members of their families, and others necessary for the identification of social, economic, emotional, health, or physical problems and for assisting clients in obtaining a wide variety of services on the basis of established policies, regulations, and statutes.

Provides intensive case management and counseling services to clients and their families.

Conducts difficult and complex investigations.

Develops client service plans which detail and prioritize specific actions to achieve goals within reasonable time frames.

Continuously assesses adequacy of client service plans and progress in meeting goals; revises plans as necessary; and provides written notification to supervisor of resource inadequacies which impede attainment of service goals.

Reviews and evaluates agency responsiveness to clients' needs and the case management practices relative to service provision.

Provides consultation and education services to the community; makes presentations to the community related to services provided by the children and youth, mental health/intellectual disability, or human services agencies, or generalized social welfare issues.

Informs clients of available community resources and ensures that appropriate linkages are established by accompanying clients to referral agencies and assisting with procedural intake requirements.

Advocates on behalf of clients to ensure satisfactory and continued service delivery.

Serves as the court liaison/coordinator for the Juvenile or Orphans Courts.

Coordinates and reviews documents and information prepared by case management staff to ensure that they meet legal and judicial requirements.

Prepares petitions, summaries, and other documents for court appearances, schedules and coordinates attendance of participants; prepares witnesses for court; prepares and provides testimony; and meets with judges, attorneys, clients and others as required.

Develops, coordinates, and presents public information and education programs for the purposes of recruiting foster or adoptive parents, delegates, or volunteers, or familiarizing the public, law enforcement agencies, and others, concerning agency problems and services.

Meets with program directors, supervisors, and workers to ensure effective communication regarding program development, policies, procedures, current developments, and treatments in the field of specialization.

Manages and supervises the assignment of court cases for the agency; coordinates scheduling with the court attorneys, clients and their families, agency staff and other interested parties.

May function as a lead worker for other professional social service staff.

May supervise student interns, paraprofessional and/or clerical staff.

Prepares studies, reports, legal documents, and correspondence.

Performs related work as required.

Required Knowledges, Skills, and Abilities:  Knowledge of the laws, rules, regulations, policies and procedures governing the administration of County Child Welfare or Mental Health/Intellectual Disability programs.

Knowledge of current social case management principles, techniques and methods.

Knowledge of current social, economic, and health problems and available resources.

Knowledge of human development and individual and group behavior and ways of working effectively with adults and children who have social, economic, emotional, or health problems.

Knowledge of the principles and methods applied in collecting, reviewing, analyzing and interpreting case management summaries, statistical data, and reports.

Knowledge of the organization and structure of the court, judicial, and legal systems as they relate to County Child Welfare or community Mental Health/Intellectual Disability programs.

Knowledge of court-related requirements for the preparation and presentation of legal documents and testimony for the courts.

Knowledge of the principles and practices of public education and consultation, and the development of resources and educational programs and materials.

Knowledge of basic principles and practices of supervision and administration.

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients and their families, the courts, judges, attorneys, police, representatives from other community agencies and agency staff.

Ability to facilitate and negotiate between the judicial, legal and the Child Welfare and Mental Health/Intellectual Disability systems.

Ability to analyze and evaluate program plans, operations, goals and objectives and make recommendations toward policy determination.

Ability to provide advice, technical assistance, and training to agency staff regarding the requirements, structures, and operations of the court and legal systems.

Ability to coordinate and schedule court appearances with clients, parents, attorneys, witnesses, and others to provide testimony.

Ability to function independently and decisively.

Ability to develop resources and educational materials and to speak before a variety of groups and organizations.

Ability to maintain confidentiality in high pressure situations.

Ability to plan and organize work, prepare adequate records and reports, and set priorities.

Ability to plan, organize, and direct the work of others.

Ability to interpret and apply relevant laws, regulations, and policies governing agency services.

Ability to express ideas orally and in writing.

Minimum Experience and Training:  Two years of experience as a County Caseworker 2;

or

A bachelor's degree in sociology, social welfare, psychology, gerontology, criminal justice, or other related social sciences and three years of professional social casework experience in a public or private social services agency;

or

Any equivalent combination of experience and training which includes 12 college credits in sociology, social welfare, psychology, gerontology, criminal justice, or other related social sciences.

Commonwealth Equivalent PSG ST07