Entry Level Social Worker/Direct Care Services Staff

SOCIAL WORKER
15-20% Job Role

Work in this class involves providing professional social work services to clients in a variety of settings including local. human service agencies, correctional facilities, teaching hospitals, medical schools, psychiatric hospitals and mental retardation centers. Work involves evaluating the client's situation and his/her ability to deal with it, developing a social history, psycho-social assessment, service plan and/or treatment plan and follow-up. Services may include placement in a residential facility; basic counseling, support, and reinforcement in areas such as death and dying, employment, vocational, medical, health, or behavioral issues. Employees address such problems as adjustment to illness or disability, placement into an institution, rest home or nursing facility; financial concerns; socialization issues of the socially handicapped or those debilitated by age or illness. They may provide information to and confer with schools, natural parents and foster parents on habilitation plans, behavior management, and other problem areas or needs.

Employees may be involved in recruitment, evaluation, and training of foster parents and other care providers. Employees may develop community or service resources and/or develop volunteer programs. In certain treatment settings workers participate on habilitation/treatment teams and provide the social work perspective. Positions at this level combine difficult services performed under supervisory guidance with relatively conventional services performed under more relaxed supervision. Work is differentiated from Social Worker I by the range of cases, the difficulty of personal contacts. and the theoretical knowledge required to perform the work. Employees report to a higher level professional or program manager.

I. DIFFICULTY OF WORK:

Variety and Scope_ - Employees Independently perform assessments to identify needs and establish an appropriate service/treatment plan and may provide supportive/ directive counseling to clients and families In addressing needs. In some settings behavioral approaches are used to maximize client involvement. Employees may serve as inter/multi-disciplinary team member. Employees may refer clients and families to a variety of services to meet financial, psychological, emergency care, emotional, or other needs. Employees may assume a case manager role to follow the client through agency and external services.

Intricacy - Clients present employees with a broad range of service needs. Employees, regardless of the setting, must be able to make accurate assessments/ evaluations and use analysis and judgment to develop an appropriate service/treatment plan. Employees utilize knowledge of a range of services and of supportive level counseling and other counseling techniques to provide services to clients.

Subject Matter Complexity - Work requires an understanding of social work practices and theories. an understanding of the availability and Interactions of a variety of community services and agencies and of a range of service providers. Some settings require a knowledge of medical terminology and disease processes and/or mental retardation/ developmental programs and behavior management techniques.

Guidelines - Employees utilize agency guidelines, specific federal or state standards, and principles of a variety of supportive counseling techniques to provide services to clients.

II. RESPONSIBILITY:

Nature of Instructions - Employees are aware of program aims and objectives and address these with clients independently. Employees usually receive new program requirements/regulations and on-the-job training from social work supervisors.

Nature of Review - Direct client interactions, services development, and referrals are documented in accordance with agency requirements. Work is reviewed through quality control, technical and administrative review provided by the supervisor and/or specific regulatory body.

Scope of Decisions - Decisions regarding assessments and services impact on clients and their families; employees may provide direction or instruction to lower level staff, volunteers or care providers.

Consequence of Decisions - Service/treatment decisions affect the client, family, and facility operations and impact on the social psychological emotional, or physical health of the client.

III. INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATIONS:

Scope of Contacts - Contacts vary depending upon the agency and/or service area and usually include the client. service providers* community agencies and groups. Contacts may also include volunteers, foster/natural parents, court officials’ schools nursing homes interns and residents.

Nature and Purpose - Employees work with clients, families, habilitation/ treatment teams in the development and implementation of treatment plans. Contact with other professionals are required in the coordination of services, provision of program orientation and consultation to community.

IV. OTHER WORK DEMANDS:

Work Conditions - Employees work in a variety of service settings which range from modern public service buildings to correctional facilities, community residential facilities, home environments, or institutions where odors and noise may be present.

Hazards - Employees may experience emotional stress due to the nature of interactions with clients or service providers. Behavioral problems such as aggression of clients could cause bodily injury for employees in some settings.

V. RECRUITMENT STANDARDS:

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities - Considerable knowledge of social work principles, techniques, and practices and their application to individual casework group work and community problems. Knowledge of the psycho-social, socioeconomic and behavioral problems and their treatment. Knowledge of governmental and private organizations and community resources. Knowledge of laws, regulations and policies which govern the program. General knowledge of medical terminology, disease processes and their treatment is required In certain programs or settings. Skill in establishing rapport with a client and applying techniques of assessing psycho-social. behavioral, and psychological aspects of client's problem. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with administrative superiors members of case load and their families, and with civics medical, social and religious organizations. Ability to train or instruct lower-Level Social workers, students, or interns. Ability to express Ideas clearly and concisely and to plan and execute work.

Minimum Training and Experiment Requirements: Bachelor's degree in social work from an accredited school of social work; Bachelor's degree in a human services field from an accredited college or university and one year directly related experience; Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and two years directly related experience.

*Directly related experience is defined as human services experience in the areas of case management, assessment and referral, supportive counseling, intervention, psycho-social therapy and treatment planning.

Degrees must be received from appropriately accredited institutions.

DIRECT CARE SERVICES STAFF ROLE
80-85% Job Role

DIRECT CARE STAFF

1. To cultivate a meaningful relationship with each client in residence. a. To understand what attitudes and conduct on the worker's part will be most conducive to healthy emotional development of the clients. b. To model a respectful, caring, calm demeanor in all interactions with clients. c. To understand and respect unique cultural, religious, or situational influences which may impact individual clients’ “frame of reference”.

2. To participate as part of an interdisciplinary team in the formulation and design of each client's individual care plan. a. To provide written input concerning each client's progress as requested. b. To provide verbal input regarding the implementation of each client's care plan at team meeting. c. To be responsible for implementation of each client's care plan and short-term needs.

3. To assume Prime Worker responsibilities. a. To oversee completion of orientation checklist. b. To complete monthly treatment plans reviews in a timely and objective manner. c. To complete progress reports in a well written, objective and in a timely manner. d. To complete Coalition Data Collection Form within 72 hours of discharge and forward to Program Supervisor.

4. To help the clients cultivate appropriate social, behavioral, and interpersonal skills and attitudes necessary to community living and adjustment. a. To set and enforce behavioral limits for the clients. b. To guide and instruct the clients in the development of problem-solving skills. c. To understand and implement agency guidelines regarding modification techniques.

5. To communicate and document pertinent information regarding each client and all significant events impacting the program during each shift. a. To complete the daily log, individual logs, significant events sheet, medication records, cash accounts, and other forms of documentation according to individual program policy and procedures. b. To verbally communicate to other staff during each shift all information necessary to the functioning of the program.

6. To implement the therapeutic Recreation and Activities program. a. To provide the Recreation and Activities Coordinator with input regarding the development of the therapeutic Recreation Program. b. To actively promote and encourage the therapeutic Recreation and Activities program through participation and instruction. c. To supervise, assist, and instruct the clients in the constructive use of leisure time.

7. To stimulate and encourage attainment of each client's education goals. a. To actively assist the clients with homework or school assignments. b. To ensure that sufficient time is structured into each day for the completion of homework or school assignments.

8. To ensure that the health care needs of each child are met. a. To dispense medication as assigned and trained. b. To schedule and keep accurate records of all medical appointments and procedures. c. To accompany the clients to medical and dental appointments, providing support and explaining procedures in understandable terms. d. To contact pharmacy of medication needs and identifying medication.

9. To accept responsibility for the physical care of the clients. a. To supervise, assist, and instruct the clients in their personal hygiene. b. To encourage and instruct the clients in the development of healthy nutritional habits. c. To offer information and education on health related issues. d. To perform routine maintenance tasks including minor housekeeping in a timely manner.

10. To maintain and promote a teamwork relationship with co-workers, supervisors, agency administrators, and other professionals. a. To respect the ideas of others. b. To maintain program consistency. c. To respect and follow established lines of authority. d. To support consensus decisions, and contribute to their formulation.

11. To attend all staff orientation, in-service training, conferences, workshops, and other educational opportunities as assigned. a. To attend all scheduled training. b. To complete all necessary documentation relating to attendance, certification, and evaluation. c. To present program content to other agency staff as assigned.

12. To accept responsibility for the cleanliness and upkeep of the facility. a. To supervise the clients on daily room care and completion of house duties. b. To encourage clients to take pride in the upkeep of the facility through role modeling. c. To report all domain and maintenance tasks in the facility to Program Supervisor and Maintenance. d. To perform routine maintenance tasks including, minor housekeeping in a timely manner.

13. To provide transportation for the clients according to program needs. a. To operate agency or personal vehicles in a safe manner consistent with agency policies and procedures. b. To be aware of and obey all state and local laws and regulations pertaining to the operation of a motor vehicle. c. To maintain agency vehicles according to standards.

14. To assume other duties as assigned by the Program Supervisor or Assistant Supervisor. a. To assume primary responsibility for the inventory, distribution, purchase, and repair of client's clothing, including all necessary record keeping and documentation. b. To assume primary responsibility for the ordering and proper administration of client's medications including all necessary record keeping and documentation. c. To assume primary responsibility for routine maintenance and cleaning of agency vehicles assigned to the program including all necessary record keeping and documentation. d. To assume primary responsibility for the requisition and distribution of household supplies including all necessary record keeping and documentation. e. To assume primary responsibility for monthly fire and severe weather reports, including all necessary record keeping and documentation.