Social Worker, Mental Health

Variety and Scope – Employees manage a caseload of clients in the most difficult and complex cases. Work may involve providing treatment in group, family or individual therapy to clients of any age and/or with any developmental, mental, medical, financial, substance abuse or family problem including abused, neglected or homeless children. Work includes clinical and social investigation, assessment of individuals and family dynamics, crisis intervention, referrals for treatment and placement in foster care or residential facilities.

Employees provide expert testimony.

Intricacy – Employees exercise considerable judgment in determining whether abuse or neglect has occurred, to what extent and how it occurred. The selection of appropriate treatment for the family and clients requires significant understanding of their personalities based on assessments and interviews. Employees must understand social work theory, techniques and practices, individual and group behavior, social problems, medical and mental illness, family dynamics, coping behavior, crisis intervention, and treatment of various medical and mental diseases and social issues.

Guidelines - Guidelines include state and federal laws, program rules, directives, policies and regulations, professional ethics and quality assurance standards.

Nature of Instructions – Work is jointly planned with members of multidisciplinary teams or protective services and supervisors. Legal precedents are used in some settings.

Nature of Review – Work is reviewed by unit supervisors, program managers or higher-level administrators, usually on a routine basis.

Scope of Decisions – Decisions affect children and their families and are often made under stressful and sometimes dangerous situations. Many decisions must be made immediately or with little time for consultation.

Consequence of Decisions – Assessments, interviews and service treatment decisions affect the safety and well being of children in abuse and neglect situations. Failure to follow-through on case management visits, remove a child from parent or foster custody or monitor treatment outcomes can lead to severe injury, neglect or child fatality.

Scope of Contacts – Contacts include clients and their families, foster families, a variety of medical and psychological professionals, law enforcement, legal services and social and community agencies.

Nature and Purpose – The purpose is to gather and share information, to determine the extent of abuse or neglect, to provide counseling, to arrange for services and to provide expert opinions to legal officials.

Work Conditions – Employees work in offices, but work involves visiting homes, schools, health and mental health facilities, and other service agencies.

Hazards – Hazards may include contact with irate clients and/or family members who may be hostile, resistant or violent. Some homes may be poorly maintained and have unsafe living conditions. Some may be in unsafe areas where the threat of violence is real or in isolated areas where access to emergency services may be difficult.

Knowledges,

Skills and Abilities

– Thorough knowledge of social work principles, techniques and practices and their applications to complex casework, treatment, and investigation of abuse or neglect of children; thorough knowledge of policies and procedures as evidenced by the ability to cite the authority of federal and state law; thorough knowledge of individual and group behavior, family dynamics, and medical, behavioral and/or psychosocial problems and their treatment theory.

Considerable knowledge of governmental and private organizations and resources in the community. Ability to interact and motivate a resistant involuntary client population and the public who may not agree with the laws, rules or policies of the process or the programs; ability to prepare documentation such as written investigative reports for the court, case records and treatment plans; ability to testify as an expert witness;

ability to employ advanced case management interview techniques to establish a supportive relationship and involve families in the initial assessment for the need of services; ability…