Foster Care/Adoption Worker

**Foster Care/Adoption Worker (Family Services Specialist II)** ***Department of Social Services*** 12 Months, Full-Time Non-exempt, Pay Grade 33 VRS-Eligible, Benefits-Eligible **\*\*\*PLEASE READ BEFORE APPLYING: THE LISTING ON THE ALBEMARLE COUNTY WEBSITE/ADP IS FOR ADVERTISING PURPOSES ONLY. APPLICATIONS FOR THIS POSITION MUST BE SUBMITTED THROUGH THE VA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES WEBSITE FOUND HERE:** https://evqk.fa.us8.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_2001/job/6185 **\*\*$3,000 SIGN-ON BONUS (for this position ONLY)** **Job Summary/Objective:** Performs responsible, equitable, and professional casework in an inclusive team environment in accordance with established social work/counseling principles. Uses an asset-based approach to engage with the client system in developing and implementing individualized service plans involving the application of casework methods and applicable program policies. Supports and assists clients with safety, personal, family, social, health, and economic needs. Empowers the client/family to attain their highest level of self-sufficiency. As an organization, ACDSS is committed to building a diverse team of contributors who believe and work from the foundation of our core values of equity and inclusion, hope, respect, opportunity, and self-determination. Starting offer is based on applicable education, experience and internal equity. **Essential Functions:** - Interprets laws, policies and regulations as applied to specific area of responsibility. - Assesses cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functioning of children and their families, and develops and implements sophisticated psychosocial case plans which integrate psychodynamic, systemic, medical, and social-ecological treatment approaches, and incorporates concurrent planning. - Provides direct counseling, applying family-systems treatment models to complex, family situations, in such a way as to strengthen families and prevent family dissolution. - Serves in a leadership role as case manager in planning, organizing, and coordinating service delivery by professionals representing a variety of disciplines. - Works collaboratively with mental health, education, legal, medical, and other human services professionals in a team approach to service delivery, with responsibility for assuring coordination and effectiveness of comprehensive services to families. - Functions as legal guardian for agency foster children (e.g., responsible for child's well-being, consents for medical treatment, etc.). - Performs crisis intervention. - Makes placements of children and adolescents into alternative care, including foster homes, group homes, and residential treatment facilities. - Plans, oversees and participates directly in court intervention to protect children and to achieve goals of permanency for children. - Provides supportive services to promote self-sufficiency and to prevent child abuse/neglect and placement of children out of their homes. - Writes comprehensive psychosocial assessments and service plans. - Provides coverage after hours and on weekends, on an on-call basis, for emergencies involving abuse or neglect of children and adolescents, and for situations requiring immediate attention regarding children in the legal custody of the Department of Social Services. - Completes necessary federal, state and local planning and reporting requirements. - Assesses, secures, and monitors financial resources for which the child is eligible (e.g. social security, child support, etc.). - Follows the requirements for funding authorization and service payments for services and maintenance costs for foster children. - Performs related duties as assigned. **Competency: Knowledge/ Skills/Abilities:** - Working knowledge of: social work principles and practices; current social, economic and health problems; institutions and the methods of the helping process; individual and group behavior; - Skill in using personal computer with as…