Social Worker III Foster Care & Adoptions

We are committed to building an inclusive workforce that is representative of our diverse community. If you are interested in this position but are not certain if you meet the exact qualification requirements we encourage you to apply. Buncombe County uses a substantial equivalency standard to determine if applicants are qualified.

Buncombe Countys Foster Care and Adoptions Division is seeking a dedicated Social Worker III to join our team.

Our Foster Care Program helps provide safe temporary care for children who have been removed from their homes for safety reasons by the court system. Our mission is to make this transitional period a steppingstone toward reunification or a permanent loving home. As a Social Worker III you will play a critical role in supporting foster families and children during this journey ensuring stability security and every opportunity for these kids to thrive.

Youll work directly alongside a collaborative team of 3 other Social Worker IIIs under the guidance of a Social Worker Supervisor III working within a division of approximately 40 professionals dedicated to child safety and well-being. If you are passionate about advocating for children and partnering with families to create safe futures we invite you to apply.

Please Note:

• Candidates are required to submit transcripts with their application.

• Social workers are required to work in the office (no teleworking) or their first 6 months of employment to ensure they receive the appropriate level of support and training.

• The selected candidate for this position will be required to submit to a drug test. Please note that CBD or Delta-9 Hemp products may cause a positive drug test.

• After successfully completing the training period this role offers flexibility in scheduling to best meet the needs of our customers and the demands of the business. Any flexible work arrangements must be reviewed and approved by the direct supervisor and the program manager to ensure that service levels and operational priorities are maintained.

Purpose of the position:

The purpose of this position is to provide permanency planning services to children and resource families to ensure a safe and permanent placement of children in agency custody.

Minimum Education Training and/or Experience (required at time of hire): Masters degree in Social Work; or a Bachelors degree in Social Work and one (1) year of directly related experience; or a Bachelors degree in Criminal Justice Sociology Psychology or Human Services and two (2) years directly related experience; or Bachelors degree in another field and three (3) years of directly related experience; or an equivalent combination of training and experience. *BSW and Social Work Collaborative Students preferred.

Additional Training and Experience: English/Spanish bi-lingual speakers preferred. Certificate of completion of the NCDHHS Pre-Service Training: Child Welfare in North Carolina is preferred.

License or Certification Required by Statute or Regulation: A current valid North Carolina drivers license.

Essential Functions of the position:

• Ensure children who cannot safely return to their birth families achieve a safe and legally secure placement via adoption or guardianship.

• Provide services through which a plan for temporary substitute care appropriate to a childs needs is evaluated arranged maintained and supervised in Court sanctioned placement or a licensed facility when the childs own family is unable to care for him/her adequately due to safety/risk factors.
• Provide direct services to children and their pre-adoptive caregivers to ensure the protection safety and permanency of the children.
• Assess prepare place and monitor children cleared for adoption.
• Provide state mandated case management services for children in DSS Legal Custody.
• Develop and monitor service plans with families and provide or refer services as needed.
• Make recommendations to the court including services needed progress and barriers to permanent plan.
• Establish rapport with children families and appropriate professionals/non-professionals in the community to provide a strengths-based family centered approach in working with families throughout child welfare involvement.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Knowledge Skills Abilities:

• Ability to prioritize identify and assess risks problems and needs often in stressful situations with clients who are hostile emotionally confused and resistant; Ability to effectively de-escalate individuals.
• Knowledge of medical behavioral and socio-economic problems and their treatment.
• Knowledge of numerous funding sources and how to utilize them.
• Knowledge of basic criminal justice procedures elements of medical and mental disorders personality theory family systems dynamics interpersonal relations and cultural differences values and lifestyles.
• Skills in establishing constructive relationships with resistant clients and utilizing family-centered SW practice.
• Skills and counseling in interviewing and the ability to express ideas clearly and concisely and to plan and execute work effectively; and skills in creating resources when none are readily available.
• Thorough Knowledge of social work principles techniques and practices and their application to specific casework and community problems.
• Thorough knowledge of agency procedures and resources community systems and resources manual material state and federal regulations permanency planning philosophy and laws governing protective services for children.

Buncombe County Government realizes the importance of a diverse professional workforce and the need to foster a responsive and innovative organizational culture one that fully engages all of our employees honoring and building on each employees unique experiences opinions and perspective.

It is the policy of Buncombe County to provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all persons regardless of race natural hair or hairstyles ethnicity creed color sex sexual orientation gender identity or expression national origin or ancestry marital or familial status pregnancy veteran status religious belief or non-belief age or disability or any other legally protected class under federal or NC State law. EEO practices and employment decisions regarding recruitment hiring assignment promotion and compensation shall not be based on any of these protected addition the County expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment or discrimination.