COUNTY SOCIAL WORKER 1 L0630

Definition: This is professional social work providing a full range of social services in a County Children and Youth, Mental Health/Intellectual Disability, or Human Services Agency.

An employee in this class provides casework and counseling services in a variety of settings or specialized categories and in situations of more than average complexity. Emphasis is placed upon understanding the relationships between the life experience of the client and his/her present behavior and emotional problems, consultation of treatment methodology and individual treatment, and the application of professional casework skills and techniques. Employees may be assigned responsibility for special projects and community work related to improving and expanding the agency program. Work also involves obtaining and updating information regarding demographics, social, medical and school history, financial status, current family functioning, and formulating a plan of action to aid the client in accomplishing social service goals. Supervision may be exercised over paraprofessional and/or clerical staff. Work is performed under the general direction of a professional or administrative supervisor and is reviewed through case records, reports, and conferences.

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 policy.

Provides casework and counseling services to selected clients and members of their family, utilizing an understanding of the dynamics of human behavior to effectuate maximum utilization of specialized agency program services.

Obtains and updates information regarding demographics, social, medical and school history, financial status, current family functioning, and formulates a plan of action to aid the client in accomplishing social service goals.

Serves as a member of a diagnostic and therapeutic inter-disciplinary team and carries out post diagnostic casework services to children, youth, families, people with intellectual disabilities, and people who are physically challenged.

Provides supportive casework services and clinical treatment based on psychological or psychiatric diagnoses and recommended treatment.

Provides emergency, protective, and supportive services for abused/neglected children and adults.

Teaches clients home and budget management, child/adult care and parenting skills; assists with housing, employment, recreation, and living arrangements, as required.

Provides crisis intervention and intensive short-term counseling to clients and their families.

Prepares documents and provides testimony in court according to agency procedure.

Identifies, refers, and links clients to appropriate community resources, and advocates on behalf of clients for resource service delivery; monitors service delivery to ensure ongoing help; and identifies gaps in resources.

Interprets the social service program policies and procedures to professional staff members, groups and agencies, and works with them in effecting the most efficient and integrated services.

Provides group, family, individual, and marital counseling and/or psychotherapy; organizes family support groups.

Assumes full responsibility for a specific area such as follow-up services to patients in the community, conducting group sessions for selected patients, and adoption and protective services.

Prepares case histories, correspondence and reports, and maintains records as required.

May supervise paraprofessionals and direct the activities of volunteer staff.

May serve as a lead worker for professional staff, interns and/or students from schools of social work.

Performs related work as required.

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

Knowledge of professional social work and case management principles, techniques, and methods.

Knowledge of laws, rules, regulations, policies, and procedures governing the administration of County Child Welfare, Mental Health/Intellectual Disability, or Human Service agencies.

Knowledge of current social, economic, and health problems and resources with emphasis upon factors relating to physical and mental health of all age groups.

Knowledge of the principles and methods of program interpretation and implementation.

Knowledge of the basic principles and practices of supervision, administration, and community organization.

Knowledge of the more common illnesses and their social, economic, and psychological implications.

Ability to use a variety of casework and group work modalities.

Ability to analyze and interpret case records and recommend sound courses of action based on logical, professional prospective.

Ability to conduct individual and family interviews and to use them to identify individual and family problems.

Ability to work effectively with people and aid them to grow in the constructive utilization of their capabilities and in adjusting to their specific problems.

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with those receiving program services as well as professional colleagues.

Ability to plan and organize work, prepare adequate records and reports, set priorities, and maintain a caseload in an effective and timely manner.

Ability to plan and organize the work of others.

Ability to interpret relevant laws, regulations, and policies.

Ability to express ideas both orally and in writing.

Minimum Experience and Training: Graduation from an approved graduate school with a master's degree in social work.

Date Established or Last Revised

Class Specification - October 1992

Evaluation Guide - December 1992

Commonwealth Equivalent PSG ST06