Adult & Family Services Caseworker

Job Title: Adult & Family Services Caseworker

Salary range: $45,760/YR, DOE

Location: 1001 S. Main Street. Lamar, CO. 81052

Department: Human Services

Hours: Full-Time, Non-Exempt

Job Description:

SUMMARY:

Under general supervision of the Adult & Family Services Manager or designee, assesses the safety and well-being of at-risk and vulnerable children and adults for Prowers County Department of Human Services; provides case management services, and assists clients in accessing community resources. Duties may vary according to specific job assignment. 

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS - GENERAL:

Essential fuctions, as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act, may include any of the following representative duties, knowledge, and skills. This is not a comprehensive listing of all functions and duties performed by incumbents of this class; employees may be assigned duties which are not listed below; reasonable accommodations will be made as required. This job described does not constitute an employee agreement and is subject to change at any time by the employer. Essential duties and responsibilities may include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Assesses vulnerable families, children, and adults referred to Prowers County Department of Human Services using a strength-based assessment models; evaluates clients' needs, resources, barriers, and finances; performs intake assessment and develops plans to achieve clients' safety and well-being. 
  • Responds within the state mandated timeframes to referrals that meet criteria for assessment response. 
  • Assists clients to develop treatment and other support plans and goals, using knowledge of human/social services theories, practices, state laws, assistance programs, and community services. 
  • Determines the urgency and severity of risk and makes recommendations regarding appropriate actions to be taken. 
  • Provides services to protect children, vulnerable youths, and vulnerable adults from abuse, neglect, and exploitation; manages crises and emergencies.
  • Determines clients' eligibility for community services, searches for community partners and service providers to assist clients, and refers clients to community agencies based on needs and problems identified in the assessment; coordinated multiple services as required.
  • Assists cleints in accessing private and public resources and serives; follows up on referrals made and actions to be taken by the client; maintains thorough case documentation for each client.
  • Provides life skills to clients; assists in the placement of children into out-of-home placements.
  • Documents all case assessment activites, communications, and assessments in the state computer tracking system; performs duties in compliance with County, state, and federal time constraints and submits all necessary documentation for supervisory review. 
  • Updates and maintains a variety of files, records, and other documents; gathers, compiles, and synthesizes data for reporting purposes; develops summary records and prepares reports, including court reports; prepares case files and assessments for review. 
  • Coordinates resolution of clients' needs and technical issues with community partners, services providers, legal system representatives, and law enforcement agencies. 
  • Support the relatioship between Prowers County government and the general public by demonstrating courteous and cooperative behavior when interacting with citizens, visitors, and performs other duties as required or assigned. 
  • Maintains regular and reliable attendance.
  • Makes appropriate inter-departmental client referrals for services (e.g. economic assistance, child support).
  • Enter Child Welfare and Adult Protection referrals into the appropriate data management systems and cross report to other mandatory reporters as directed by law and agency policy .
  • Attends scheduled meetings, trainings, and community events.
  • Responds to email and phone messages in a timely manner.
  • Exercises prudent judgement in decisions made with due regard to the impact on liability to Prowers County and the possible impact to department staff and clients.
  • Use department time keeping systems to accurately track work time in assigned program areas.
  • Provide honest and reliable testimony in court cases as needed.
  • Serve in an on-call capacity when assigned.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS - FOSTER CARE:

  • All responsibilities may not be performed by all incumbents. Provides home or office based counseling to clients on topics such as safety, appropriate discipline, decision making, de-escalation of agitated persons, and improving communications amoung family members; assists clients in developing a plan to practice skills between sessions.
  • Develops initial family assessments and evaluations for Supervisory review using state-mandated instruments to determine the characters and suitability of the applicant(s), appropriateness of the home, and child care practices. Reviews all home aassessments with the Home Study Review Team prior to certification of a family foster home. 
  • Completes within mandated timeframes all steps required by Prowers County and the Colorado Department of Human Services to certify a family foster home. 
  • Indentifies, recruits, and recommends for approval family foster homes that demonstrate a genuine interest in and knowledge of children and a concern for their proper care and well-being.
  • Assists with annual review of certified family foster homes, including review of the physician's plan, annual visit and inspection of the family foster home, completes individual provider contract for purchase of foster care services, evaluates the foster care homes' current and past compliance with the rules regulating foster homes, and ensures that all documentation is current and accurate.
  • Assists with providing foster parents with a clear understanding of their role, the roles of the social worker, agency, legal parents, and courts. Shows respect and consideration for the foster partent as one who is making an imporant contribution to the agency's goals. Supports the foster parents and helps them in their effort to provide care to a variety of children and achieve the agency's objectives. 
  • Assists with providing foster parents with guidance including on-going training and development opportunitues to learn and grow, encourages and teaches foster parents to use appropriate resources to meet the needs of the foster child and build support networks with other foster parents. Monitors the completion of required training hours prior to certification or recertificaiton of a family foster home. 
  • Assists with determination of the most appropriate placements for a foster home. Ensures that foster parents are given necessary information about a foster child's background that will help in working with the child and provide a safe environment for the foster family. 
  • Assists with providing on-going supervision of all licensed family foster homes, receiving homes, specialized group facilities, and adoption resources to ensure compliance with licensing regulations and recertificaion of license.
  • Maintains monthly face-to-face contact with foster parent(s) when children are in placement in home, maintains documentation contacts, answers quessitons that the foster parent(s) have about the program, discusses any county department concerns about the operation of the home, and observes child care.
  • Completes annual supervisory visits to the family foster home; drafts for Supervisory review and provides copies of the written report to the foster family; drafts written notice of noncompliance to foster parent(s) requiring compliance within specific time frames; and ensures that all documentation is current and accuate.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS - ADOPTION SERVICES

  • All responsibilities may not be performed by all incumbents. Develops initial family assessments and evaluations for Supervisory review using state-mandated instruments to determine the character and suitability of the applicant(s), appropriateness of the home, and child care practices. Reviews all home assessments with the Home Study Review Team prior to certification of a home.
  • Completes within the mandated timeframes all steps required by Prowers County and the Colorado Department of Human Services to certify a family foster/adoptive home.
  • Identifies and recommends for approval family foster/adoptive homes that demonstrate a genuine interest in and knowledge of children and a concern for their proper care and well-being.
  • Assists with providing adoptive parents with a clear understanding of their role, the roles of the social worker, agency, legal parents, and courts. Shows respect and consideration for the adoptive parent as one who is making an important contribution to the agency’s goals. Supports adoptive parents and helps them in their efforts to provide care to a variety of children and achieve the agency’s objectives.
  • Assists with providing adoptive parents with guidance including on-going training and development opportunities to learn and grow, encourages and teaches adoptive parents to use appropriate resources to meet the needs of the child and build support networks with other adoptive parents.  
  • Assists with determination of the most appropriate placements for an adoptive home. Ensures that adoptive parents are given necessary information about a child’s background that will help in working with the child and provide a safe environment for the adoptive family.
  • Assists with providing pre and post adoption services; assesses viability of and offers services/referrals to adoptive homes; facilitates preparation and filing of paperwork related to adoption process; makes recommendations about finalization of adoption; and provides necessary services or referrals after finalization to preserve the intact family.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS - ADULT PROTECTIONS:

  • All responsibilities may not be performed by all incumbents. Performs the initial assessment and evaluation of adult abuse or neglect issues; recommends need for medical exam and whether adult must be temporarily removed from the immediate circumstances; coordinates arrangements for alternative living situations if necessary; coordinates contact with the appropriate reporting channel if abuse or neglect is suspected.
  • Coordinates adult abuse or neglect investigations with law enforcement personnel; determines proper jurisdiction; assists in conducting forensic interviews and shares relevant information with pertinent parties related to the reported incident; drafts for Supervisory review required documentation/reports regarding investigations; and attends/participates in court proceedings as required.
  • Provides home or office based counseling to clients and/or their family members and caregivers on topics such as safety, decision making, de-escalation of agitated persons, and improving communication among family members; assists clients in developing a plan to practice skills between sessions.
  • Drafts for Supervisor review assessments of clients; drafts strength-based treatment plans, which include goal statements, standards of performance, areas of service provision/responsibilities, and measures of success; assists with the review and revision of treatment plans as needed.
  • Coordinates and assists with delivery of intensive casework services for clients facing loss of benefits through program sanctions.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Education and Experience

  • An Undergraduate Degree in Social Work, Counseling, Human Services, or related field from an accredited University is required
  • One year of relevant work experience is highly desired
  • Caseworker II classification  must meet minimum education requirements plus two years of social services case work experience; OR an equivalent combination of education, training and experience
  • Bi-lingual skills will be considered

Requirements in the Workplace:

  • Must have and maintain a valid Colorado driver's license with acceptable driving history 
  • Must be 21 years of age or older
  • Use county vehicle for necessary travel
  • Assist with county fair activities once a year
  • ICS Training within first year of employment (ICS 100)
    • ICS 200 and 700 preferred
  • Must sign department confidentiality agreement on an annual basis
  • Basic knowledge of computer systems and software
  • May share office space with other employees
  • Attend CHDS training and obtain case workers cerification within one year of employment
  • Attend 40 hours of continuing education annually
  • Ability to type a minimum of 40 words per minute
  • Within 6 month of caseworker certification - be familiar with essential functions and be able to operate independently with occasional supervision and support
  • Be able to communicate and perform essential functions under stressful circumstances when needed
  • Work in generally confined to standard office environment but in emergency situations may be adapted to Emergency Operations Center (EOC) protocols
  • Field contacts may be conducted in homes that are under assessment for cleanliness and/or other child neglect conerns
  • Subject to random drug/alcohol testing per county polices

PRE-EMPLOYMENT ASSESSMENTS

  • Structured interview and written assessment
  • Drug and alcohol testing is required
  • Must pass a background check to include but not limited to:
    • CBI/FBI fingerprint check
    • Driving record check
    • Employment verification
    • Education verification
    • TRAILS/APS Check

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The following are some of the physical demands commonly associated with the position.

  • Vision - Individual must be able to read handwritten or printed material.
  • Hearing - Individual must possess average hearing ability. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
  • Lifting - Must be able to lift, carry, push or pull a minimum of 45 pounds.
  • Mobility - Spends 40% of the time sitting, 40% standing, and 20% walking while at work, although this may vary. Occasionally stoops, kneels, balances, reaches, crawls, and crouches while performing manual duties.
  • Dexterity - Frequent use of eye, hand, and finger coordination enabling the use of automated machinery.
  • Communication - Individual must be able to clearly understand the English language and be understood while speaking the English language.
  • Driving - Individual must be able to operate a motor vehicle.

BENEFITS

Full time employees will receive a full benefit package as provided by the Prowers County Board of Commissioners. Part-time, temporary or seasonal employees do not receive benefits.

PROBATIONARY PERIOD AND ASSESSMENT

Employees in this job classification will serve a probationary period from the date of hire until six months after initial caseworker certification by the State of Colorado. If an employee is a currently certified caseworker in the State of Colorado, the probation period is six months from date of hire. Employees will receive a job performance assessment at the end of the probationary period, followed by annual assessments thereafter.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

Prowers County is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All persons receiving compensation from Prowers County through payroll are considered employees of Prowers County and are expected to adhere to Prowers County’s Employment Policies.