Child Welfare Caseworker

OREGON DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES

MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF OREGONIANS by joining the Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS), the statewide health and human services agency.  We help Oregonians be independent, healthy, and safe.  DHS strategies aimed at accomplishing these goals include: helping low-income families achieve self-sufficiency; protecting vulnerable Oregonians from abuse and neglect; helping low-income Oregonians obtain needed health care; helping seniors and people with disabilities live as independently as possible; and protecting public health.

 

We are absolutely committed to ongoing innovation in the delivery of services, and we are committed to recruiting, developing, and retaining a diverse workforce.  Come join our team in the following role:

 

Social Services Specialist 1

Child Welfare Caseworker

Salary: $2,790 - $3,875/month

Announcement #LEHS5557

Location: Bend, Redmond, Prineville, Madras & Dallas, Oregon

Position is Open Until Further Notice

 

These employment opportunities are with Children, Adults and Families, (CAF), which is part of the Department of Human Services (DHS). These positions are represented by a union.  There are continuous openings in various locations throughout the state for both full-time and part-time positions.

 

Depending on field office size and organizational structure, employees in these positions may perform all or some combination of the duties listed below.

 

FOSTER CARE CERTIFICATION

o  Evaluate foster home applicants; interview family and references, observe home conditions, and assess an applicant's ability to deal with multi-problem children and understand child abuse and neglect

o  Prepare home study narratives and recommend for or against certification, plan and conduct foster home recruitment activities, and provide orientation and training for foster parents

o  Handle complaints and concerns of foster parents regarding children in their care and re-certify homes annually

ADOPTION SERVICES

o  Conduct community meetings and prepare media materials to recruit applicants, evaluate adoptive parent applicants

o  Conduct pre-adoption training sessions and individual and family interviews, observe home conditions, interview appropriate sources to gain necessary information, and collect financial data

o  Assess applicants' ability to deal with multi-problem children and complicated parent-child relationships

o  Summarize data and present information to State Adoption Committee, consult with staff on suitable adoptive homes for each child, counsel child and selected family to prepare for the placement, visit home to monitor the child's progress, and provide counseling and support to both child and family as necessary

o  Counsel both child and parent in disruptive placements and supervise permanent planning for the child if the adoption is unsuccessful, provide information regarding child and adoptive family at administrative and court review, and make recommendations regarding finalization of adoption process

SUBSTITUTE CARE AND PERMANENT PLANNING

o  Gather information to assess the family situation and determine appropriate substitute care for child, obtain psychological, school, medical, behavioral, and other pertinent information to develop initial service plan, including justification for out-of-home placement

o  Present case to substitute care review committee, file petitions, and present information and recommendations at court hearings

o  Arrange placement of the child in substitute care and attend screening and pre-placement visits, develop service plans, identifying specific needs of individual family members, the activities to occur, and time frames for each and refer to agency staff or community agencies for needed services

o  Counsel individual and family to assist with reconciling relationship, supervise visits between parents and children and monitor the child's progress in substitute care

o  Prepare written administrative review on each child in out-of-home care, authorize payments to providers, prepare case narrative and court reports

o  Observe home conditions and assess problems and needs of families where children have been removed from their home by DHS and the court

o  Develop permanent placement plans for children in substitute care, prepare service agreements outlining conduct and involvement expected of parents for children to return home, provide direct counseling, refer parents to professionals or arrange services with other agencies or community resources, make regular home visits to assess client progress and adherence to service plans, decide whether to replace the child in home or pursue other permanent placements, and refer cases to terminate parental rights when warranted

o  Record client activities and prepare court reports and summaries for termination of parental rights

PROTECTIVE SERVICES

o  Work with law enforcement to investigate reports alleging child abuse or neglect

o  Interview children and parents to collect evidence of abuse or neglect, conduct risk assessments to determine validity of the report and decide on appropriate action to ensure safety of children, obtain medical treatment, and initiate court action or arrange for substitute care placement for children when necessary

o  Identify specific needs of family, refer to appropriate resources, and provide individual and family counseling to rehabilitate the family

o  Assemble case narrative and reports and testify on abuse/neglect cases in court hearings

INTAKE/SCREENING

o  Screen and assess the client for appropriate community referral or eligibility for services, which involves taking complete referral information

o  Assess whether the referral involves child abuse, neglect or endangerment and determine the urgency and risk level of the referral

o  Determine the eligibility and appropriateness for DHS service program, which includes protective services, preventive/restorative services, and substitute care services

o  Provide information or referral for the family to community resources, if the family is not appropriate or eligible for DHS services

 

Qualifications:

o  Bachelor's or higher degree in Social Work/Human Services, or related field or

o  Bachelor's degree in a field not closely related and 1 year of human services related experience (i.e., work providing assistance to individuals and groups with issues such as economically disadvantaged, employment, abuse and neglect, substance abuse, aging, disabilities, health, cultural competencies, inadequate housing)

o  Ability to maintain cooperative working relationships both internally with co-workers and supervisors and externally with multiple community partners and other state agencies

o  Effectively maintain control in intense, hostile or controversial situations

o  Clearly communicate in an articulate manner both verbally and in writing

o  Effectively carry out multi-tasks and meet deadlines

o  Work respectfully and effectively with clients and others regardless of culture, gender, age, belief, disability, and/or economic status

o  Strength-based care thinking perspective

o  Receive feedback from a variety of sources in a non-defensive manner

o  Adapt quickly to changes in work demands, processes, and priorities (be flexible)

o  Establish clear direction and boundaries with clients

o  Work within highly complex and structured requirements while maintaining a creative and flexible problem-solving approach with clients

o  Use a personal computer to enter and track casework

 

Some positions may require verbal and written bilingual language skills.  Please indicate your language skills in the Specialized Skill and Knowledge section of the State of Oregon application form (PD100).  You will be asked to verify your language skills at the time of interview.

 

To obtain a detailed job announcement and application materials: visit the DHS website: www.oregon.gov/dhs/jobs; call the DHS job line at (503) 945-5742; TTY (503) 945-6214; or contact any local Oregon Employment office.  Information is available by referencing the announcement number(s).