COUNTY SOCIAL WORKER 2 L0631

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

Employees in this class are assigned the most difficult, complex and specialized social services functions in a County Children and Youth, Mental Health/Intellectual Disability, or Human Services Agency. Work involves providing intensive case management, counseling and therapy services for clients and their families; conducting difficult and complex investigations; reviewing and evaluating agency responsiveness to client needs and case management policies and practices relative to the provision of social services, and providing consultation and education services to the community. Work also involves serving as the liaison or coordinator for the Juvenile or Orphans Courts; coordinating and reviewing documents and information from 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 providing testimony in court. Work may also involve acting as a lead worker for professional staff. Supervision may be exercised over para-professional 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: Provides intensive case management, counseling and therapy services for clients and their families.

Provides protective services for children, youth, adults, and their families.

Conducts difficult and complex investigations.

Reviews and evaluates agency responsiveness to client needs and case management practices relative to the provision of social services.

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 Agency, or on generalized social welfare issues.

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.

Serves as the liaison or 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 and summaries for court appearances; schedules and coordinates attendance of participants; prepares witnesses for court; 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 with 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, interns, and/or students from schools of social work.

May supervise paraprofessional and/or clerical staff.

Prepares studies, reports, legal documents, and correspondence.

Performs related work as required.

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

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

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

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

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 judicial/legal, child welfare, and/or 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 and 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 plan and organize work, prepare adequate records and reports and set priorities.

Ability to plan and organize the work of others.

Ability to interpret relevant laws, regulations, and policies.

Ability to express ideas orally and in writing.

Minimum Experience and Training: Two years of experience as a County Social Worker 1;

or

Two years of professional social work experience in a public or private social services agency and graduation from an approved graduate school of social work.

Date Established or Last Revised

Class Specification - October 1992

Evaluation Guide - December 1992

Commonwealth Equivalent PSG ST07