Child Welfare Caseworker 1-3 CARE House

Posting number: 06048

Department: JFS/CSD - JFS Children Services

Job classification: Child Welfare Caseworker 1-3

Posting type: Open

Categories: Social Services, Human Services

Summary

Under supervision and utilizing a team approach, provides direct casework services to children, birth families, kinship caregivers, foster families, and community providers in situations involving abuse, neglect, dependency, risk to harm, and/or families in need of services.   Positions in this classification will play an active role in investigations, assessing child risk and safety, and/or providing ongoing, direct casework services to ensure the well-being and permanency of children. Employees will exercise independent judgement within established policies, procedures, and legal guidelines. Work will include direct interactions and face-to-face contact with children, families, caregivers, and/or community partners, often in complex and high-risk situations. Caseworkers are responsible for developing and implementing service plans, coordinating resources, and monitoring progress towards safety and permanency goals.   Work is performed in a combination of office and field settings and is subject to strict, regulatory, legal, and documentation requirements.

Examples of duties

• Maintains accurate case records, documentation, reports, and data entry in SACWIS or other required systems.
• Attends court hearings, meetings, case conferences, trainings, and other required proceedings.
• Collaborates with internal staff, community partners, service providers, schools, courts, medical professionals, and other stakeholders.
• Assesses client, child, family, placement, or service needs and coordinates appropriate services or referrals.
• Communicates regularly with families, caregivers, providers, and agency personnel regarding case progress and needs.
• Supports child safety, permanency, placement stability, and well-being.
• Ensures compliance with agency policy, state regulations, and applicable procedures.

If assigned to Intake/Ongoing

• Provides direct casework services to families in which children may be dependent, neglected, or abused, and secures protection for children from potentially unsafe environments.
• Conducts home visits with parents, children, kinship caregivers, and foster families to ensure the safety and well-being of children.
• Assesses family functioning, risk factors, and available supports to develop service plans that reduce safety concerns and improve family stability.
• Assesses client needs and implements services that promote family preservation, placement stability, reunification, concurrent planning, and permanency.
• Collects relevant information for possible legal action and presents factual evidence in court proceedings.
• Develops and supports a team-based approach when working with birth families, kinship caregivers, and foster families.
• Ensures youth receive educational and independent living services.
• Assists families and children in accessing appropriate community resources.
• Develops and maintains professional relationships with agencies serving children and families.
• Maintains regular contact with treatment specialists, educational providers, medical providers, and other service team members.
• Provides support to foster families to maintain placements and facilitate timely reunification, while pursuing alternative permanency plans when necessary.
• Prepares written assessments, reports, and related documentation.
• Provides foster families with guidance regarding the placement process, roles, responsibilities, child needs, and reunification efforts.
• Advocates for both natural families and foster families.
• Participates in placement matching decisions and coordinates pre-placement and post-placement activities.
• Performs other related duties as required and assigned.

 If assigned to Intake – Rapid Response

• Conducts Specialized and Third-Party investigations.
• Completes Rules Violation investigations involving agency foster homes.
• Sends required notifications to licensing agents regarding Specialized Investigations and Rules Violations.
• Sends required notifications to licensing agents regarding specialized investigations and rule violations. 
• Investigates new referrals of abuse and neglect for open, ongoing, and 90-day cases. Facilitates conferences with all parties involved, including weekly Thursday morning meetings to review outcomes of specialized investigations
• Performs other related duties as required and assigned