Email Opening Title Caseworker III  Category Human Services   Description Primary Responsibility: Provides intake and ongoing social casework services to adults, children and families where abuse or neglect is present or suspected. Assignments include the provision of extensive assessment and situational evaluation, counseling, crisis intervention, resource mobilization and information and referral around all areas of child and adult protection. Work will involve each of these areas: Child Protection Intake: Assesses allegations of abuse/neglect and refers clients to appropriate services. Child Protection Ongoing: Carries ongoing caseload that specializes in child protection, family and adolescent crisis response, delinquency and parent/child conflict, emancipation planning and facilitating adoptions. Assessing for safety continues throughout the life of each case. Adult Protection: Actively participates in the intake process of taking referrals; the investigation and assessment of allegations of abuse, neglect and exploitation to those who are aged, vulnerable or disabled; crises intervention; assessment of client’s strengths and capabilities; case management; advocacy and referrals to other agencies to further support the client. When required, petitions to the courts for legal/judicial intervention if it is in the best interest of the client. This includes decision making on behalf of the adjudicated client for whom the county department is the legal guardian. Supervised by: Caseworker Supervisor Supervises: N/A FLSA status: Exempt Main Job Duties: Conducts investigations of alleged physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse and neglect; determines if situation warrants the recommendation of placing children outside the home; supervises placement of children and coordinates parent/child visits; works with treatment teams to determine when and if a child should be recommended to return to the home. Completes extensive case documentation as required at all levels in child and adult protection assessments and cases, which includes preparing court reports and social histories. Develops and writes reports that demonstrates appropriate, clear and professional documentation for court reports, case plans, recommendations, contacts, assessments, etc.; develops case file information; completes forms and writes correspondence. Makes evaluation and assessment of need for services; provides crisis intake and/or develops long-term case plans appropriate to the adult, child(ren) and family. Monitors progress of clients and modifies case plans and services as needed. May provide individual or family counseling on an ongoing or crisis basis to children and their parents who are experiencing severe problems in the parent-child relationships. Makes home visits with clients on a regular basis. Organizes services such as life skills, childcare, day treatment, therapy, parenting support, Medicare/Medicaid resources, assisted living or nursing facilities and in-home services. Provides information on available services. Works proactively and positively in collaboration with our community partners to include law enforcement, District Attorney’s Office, courts, hospitals, home care providers, service providers, schools, assessment centers and any other community partner pertinent to the assessment or case. Makes contacts with community resources such as law enforcement and medical personnel to obtain additional information, coordinate services or secure their assistance. Participates in staff meetings with school, mental health facilities, child protection review teams and other professionals involved with the family members. Recruits new foster home parents and conducts licensing studies and certifications. Monitors quality of care provided in foster homes. Testifies in court on a variety of ongoing cases; makes recommendations to the courts on abuse and neglect cases, placement of children, guardianship of adults and custody investigations; confers with lawyers, children, parents, witnesses and significant others in reference to their respective roles. Serves as an information and referral source to the public. Provides a variety of ancillary assignments as needed including preparing and maintaining client records, completing required forms and reports and entering computer information. Maintains and upgrades professional knowledge, skills, and development by attending seminars and training programs as appropriate. Additional Job Duties: Performs other duties as assigned by the Human Services Director and any duties needed to stabilize an emergency situation. May provide Adult Protective Services for the County that involves investigations of abuse, neglect and exploitation of vulnerable adults. Provides ongoing services as needed. Hours: Must be available for on-call coverage*. *On-Call Coverage consists of one week per month; this benefit may add $3,600 per year to annual salary listed.   Position Requirements Qualifications: Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work or human behavioral science field required; Master’s Degree preferred; In order to meet the minimum educational requirements of a human behavioral science degree, the position shall require a Bachelor’s degree with an equivalent of thirty (30) semester or forty five (45) quarter hours in human behavioral sciences or health care related courses, such as social work, sociology, psychology, psychiatry, gerontology, nursing, special education, family intervention techniques, diagnostic measures, therapeutic techniques, guidance and counseling, or other human service or medical field related to the APS program and/or at risk adults. Must successfully complete the requirements of the Colorado Child Welfare Training Academy as a condition of their continued employment with the County. Must complete annual training to maintain child welfare and adult protection certifications. Must have family engagement skills to work with adults, children and families in mitigating risk and enhancing safety that will be used in the office, client homes and in the community. Must have the ability to advocate for the adult, child and/or families, testify in court and de-escalate potentially volatile situations. Ability to: Establish support with multi-problem, dysfunctional clients. Recognize, investigate, and analyze a variety of complex problems and propose effective solutions. Organize work, set priorities, meet critical deadlines and follow up on assignments with minimum direction. Ability to understand, interpret and communicate complicated policies, procedures and protocols. Accurately and effectively transmit and receive information that is necessary to the accomplishment of goals and objectives, including effective written and oral communications in English; ability to testify effectively in court hearings; and the ability to listen. Exercise independent judgment and critical thought. Maintain effective working relationships with medical, law enforcement, education, legal, and psychiatric professionals; members of the judicial system; clients; community organizations and resources; foster parents and other members of the agency for the purpose of developing effective treatment plans for clients, to help clients solve problems, and to educate the community about child abuse and neglect. Work efficiently and effectively as a team member within the department. Computer knowledge: Microsoft Office, including Word with the ability to learn new programs. Working knowledge of and skill in interviewing techniques, crisis intervention methods and relevant treatment modalities. Working knowledge of: Theories, principles and concepts of social casework practice related to child protection; Casework principles and methods of human needs and behavior pertaining to child development, parenting, attachment and separation; Social group work principles and methods; Medical symptoms related to injuries or failure to thrive in children; Battered child syndrome, and the laws dealing with child abuse, neglect and other dependency conditions; Community resources, agency rules, regulations and procedures related to child protection issues. Considerable travel is required in order to make home visits and to visit foster parents and children in placement. Must be able to work with clients who may be angry, verbally abusive and hostile. Must pass background check, including traffic and criminal. Certifications: Must possess a valid Colorado Driver’s license without any restriction due to driving record. Must also be able to drive a county vehicle. Must possess FEMA ICS 100 and 700 certifications within 6 months of employment. Work Environment/Physical Demands: Some work is performed in a standard office environment. Work also involves a considerable period of time away from a standard office environment, much of which consists of driving for home visits, collateral contacts and transporting children and clients. Work may occur in situations in which incumbent is threatened with physical harm by hostile, angry clients. Physical demands are described as mainly sedentary. Occasionally required to lift and carry infants and small children in the care and custody of the county, as well as the ability to carry large case files. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, talk or hear, walk and use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, or controls. The employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms, stand, climb or balance, stoop, kneel, and crouch. Experience: Two years of full-time professional social casework experience required with Master’s degree in Social Work or other human behavioral science field. Three years of experience required for Bachelor level candidates.   Full-Time/Part-Time Full-Time   Salary Information Hiring Salary: $46,200-$48,510 DOQ, plus on-call pay   Benefits Statement   Close Date 12/16/2020   Exempt/Non-Exempt Exempt   Open Date 12/11/2020   Location Justice Center   About the Organization Gilpin County is a rural community in Colorado's high country, neighboring the Continental Divide, yet less than an hour west of downtown Denver. Residents enjoy a quality of life enhanced by the vast recreational opportunities offered by Golden Gate State Park, the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests, the limited-stakes gaming in Black Hawk and Central City, an amazing recreation center and fairgrounds, low taxes and financially secure local government.   EOE Statement We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, genetic information or any other status protected by law or regulation. It is our intention that all qualified applicants be given equal opportunity and that selection decisions are based on job-related factors.   This position is currently not accepting applications. 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