Social Worker – Therapeutic Care

WHO WE ARE:
The Wood County Human Services Department has great passion for helping the members of our community. As an employer, we strive to provide a work environment where diversity and differing opinions are valued, creativity is encouraged, continuous learning and improvement are fostered, teamwork and open/honest communication are encouraged, and meeting customer needs through quality services is a shared goal across all departments. If you have a background in Social Work and a passion to help the members of our community, please consider joining our team!

WHAT WE OFFER:
In addition to who we are, Wood County team members are offered competitive salaries, flexible schedules, and excellent benefits including:
*Health Insurance – we offer low premiums and low deductibles, with excellent coverage!
*Dental Insurance
*Vision Insurance
*Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) – This is one of the best-funded public pension plans in the U.S.!
*457 deferred compensation plan
*On-Site Training and Continuing Education Credits
*Vacation and Sick Time – Start accruing for both on your first day!
*Paid Holidays
*Call Time
*Flexible Spending Account to set aside pre-tax dollars for childcare and medical expenses
*Life Insurance
*Short and Long-Term Disability
*Wellness Incentive Plan
*Public Student Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program

CURRENT OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN OUR TEAM:
The Wood County Human Services Department has an opening for a full-time (.97 FTE) Social Worker – Therapeutic Care. The purpose of Social Work position provides intensive therapeutic support to youth and foster parents placed in Level 3 foster homes by Child Protective Services or Youth Justice. Goals include supporting foster parents caring for youth with significant emotional or behavioral needs, keeping youth in their own community, minimizing placement disruptions, and increasing utilization of county homes. The position will also focus on the recruitment and retention of foster homes, while providing ongoing and specialized training and support to the foster families. This position must work toward the efforts and support the supervisor and Family Services Division to ensure compliance with program objectives and applicable standards, mandates, rules, regulations, and statutory authority. Given the design and goals of this position, non-traditional work hours are necessary. Clinical supervision for an Advanced Practice Social Worker (APSW) working towards their Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) is provided. The work performed is under the immediate direction of a Family Services Supervisor with additional oversight.

​Wage: $57,105.10 to $65,245.70 / annually

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
These are not to be construed as exclusive or all-inclusive. Other duties may be required and assigned.
A. ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
1. Utilize a family-centered, trauma-informed, strength-based, culturally sensitive, and equity, diversity, and inclusion lens through which the needs of children, youth, families, and placement providers are assessed.
2. Develop the youth’s treatment team and serve as the team coordinator.
3. Develop, implement, and support treatment plans that address safety, stability, daily living, education, communication, permanency, skill development, conflict resolution, and crisis management.
4. Educate treatment team members on services and procedures for a child or youth’s specific needs.
5. Monitor and evaluate the progress of treatment plans and the continued appropriateness and effectiveness of services, supports, and placement of children and youth.
6. Use social work methods, principles, and interview techniques to establish rapport and build trusting relationships to obtain information adequate to determine the scope of the concerns and effectively work with the family.
7. Utilize strong communication and engagement skills to collaborate with the treatment team including community partners involved to obtain optimum benefit from the utilized services.
8. Incorporate specialized skills, training, and evidence-based practices into the daily, intensive work of youth who struggle with significant mental health and behavioral needs as well as complex trauma histories.
9. Provide coaching, mentoring, education, modeling, and crisis management to youth and families.
10. Provide 5-10 hours of therapy per week to the youth involved.
11. Utilize evidence-informed or evidence-based methods in providing intensive case management services to the youth and family with the goal of maintaining youth in their home environment and local community.
12. Develop aftercare plans for children and youth that ensures continuity in managing their needs after the placement ends.
13. Support foster parents by reviewing progress, setting short-term goals, resolving problems, and addressing concerns.
14. Provides crisis intervention services with an emphasis placed on responding to those crises that jeopardize placement or significantly impedes their treatment progress.
15. Assist with the ongoing training and licensing of foster parents.
16. Assist families to obtain services by making referrals, providing transportation, and accompanying them to appointments.
17. Utilize assessments and screening instruments to measure risk, needs, and protective factors.
18. Provides psychoeducation to empower the family system with the needed tools to strengthen and nourish informal and formal supports, enhance protective capacities, and reduce risk of maltreatment.
19. Maintain knowledge of pertinent departmental, state, and federal policies, rules and regulations including Department of Children and Families Administrative Code 56 (Foster Care Licensing).
20. Manage workload to assure adequate compliance with required paperwork and establish accountability procedures.
21. Provide on-call consultation and support to treatment level youth and foster parents on an as needed basis.
22. Supports and advocates for a consistently developing agency culture of hope and resilience.
23. Adapts to change in an ever-changing and fast-paced environment.
24. Functions as a team member with involved agency staff. Possesses ability to work across several work units and develop positive relationships.
25. Responsible to know and practice the Safety policies of the County. Perform all job tasks in a safe and prescribed manner.
26. Must be familiar with, and exemplify, the Wood County Core Values and serve with courtesy and respect in accordance with the Wood County Code of Conduct.

B. OTHER JOB DUTIES
1. Attend Department staff meetings, appropriate training and education, and supervisory conferences.
2. Demonstrate the ability to critically think by constructively utilize training and education provided along with administrative consultation.
3. Ability to utilize effective time management and workload management techniques.
4. Any other duties as may be assigned.
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EXPERIENCE, TRAINING, QUALIFICATIONS
Master’s Degree and at least 2 years experience in child welfare working directly with children, youth, and families is required. Possession of, or eligibility for, Social Work Certification in accordance with Wisconsin Chapter 457.08 and MPSW 3, 6, 11, 12, or 17. Wage will be dependent upon education, certification, and experience. Basic everyday living skills, the ability to understand and follow directions (agency manuals, etc.), and reading and writing (for reports) is necessary. Ability to communicate orally and in writing with individuals and groups. This position may require travel to and from off-campus sites. Individual may use personal vehicle or other means of reliable transportation.

Basic office equipment used: computer, printing equipment, dictation equipment, telephone, copy machine, FAX machine.

AA/EOE

https://careers.woodcountywi.gov/cyberrecruiter/

Deadline Note: Position will remain open until filled.