About Job

Position Description

Catawba County Social Services is recruiting an experienced social worker to serve families after they have achieved permanency through foster care, custody, guardianship or adoption. This position carries a caseload to families post permanency residing in the following counties: Rutherford, Cleveland, Gaston, Lincoln, Iredell, Alexander, Catawba, Burke, McDowell, Wilkes, Caldwell, Avery, Watauga, Ashe and Alleghany Counties.

In this position, you will provide supportive services to families in their home, or community, assessments, crisis prevention and intervention, individualized skill building, service coordination, and case management based on individualized needs of the family. As a Success Coach, you will work in partnership with the family to develop goals to increase protective factors and decrease risk factors leading to enhanced caregiver competency/self-efficacy, placement stability, and overall child well-being. Success Coach Service is grant-funded, and the specific population served or assigned responsibilities may shift based on grant requirements or program needs. This position includes outreach, marketing, event planning, and presentations at time due to the grant and unit specific activities each year. As a Success Coach, you work with families, professionals, other agencies, and all stakeholders while maintaining integrity, respect, transparency, and professionalism, always striving for excellence and creating an environment for self-growth while keeping our values and mission in focus.

Responsibilities

Engagement, Assessment and Goal planning – Recruit families for the Success Coach Service, educate community and agency partners about service. Work in conjunction with the family to complete a comprehensive assessment and develop goal plans addressing placement stability, caregiver self-efficacy and child/family wellbeing.
Engage the family and provide in home services, crisis intervention, case management, and skill-building around problem-solving, self-advocacy, conflict resolution, and relapse planning. Reassess family needs/goal plans at least annually or as needed.
Skill Building/Reinforcement and Crisis Prevention/ Intervention – Provide individualized skill-reinforcement and coaching to model appropriate parenting/family behaviors during home visitation based on Strengthening Families Parenting Model and needs identified in the goal plan or as situations arise. Complete crisis prevention planning and skill building based on families’ individual needs.
Soliciting, collecting, sorting, and distributing school supplies to meet the needs of children served in agency programs.
Service Coordination – Advocate for the family’s needs through community collaboration and provide information and referral/linkages to family with appropriate community resources and informal supports to strengthen the family’s self-efficacy. Build and maintain relationships with various community resources, interagency networks and informal family supports.
Documentation – Complete appropriate and timely documentation for evaluation purposes, as well as other documentation, record-keeping and reports, as required by agency policy or project guidelines (documentation is to be complete within 7 days of interaction with family); maintain confidentiality as required by statute/policy.
Plan and coordinate events for families or other professionals throughout the year.
Assist with any replication and/or training, workshop, group/event, or presentations as needed by the unit.
Participate in individual and team staffing and meetings regularly.
Professional Development – Keep up to date on child welfare and post-care literature/best practice models and available community resources; attend relevant trainings to assist parents with skill-building and coaching.
Ability to react to change productively and handle other essential tasks or responsibilities as assigned by Supervisor and/or grant.

Qualifications

Master’s degree from an accredited school of social work; OR
Master's degree in counseling or human services field and 1 year of social work experience; OR
Bachelor's degree from an accredited school of social work and 1 year of social work experience; OR
Bachelor’s degree in a human services field and 2 years of social work experience; OR
Bachelor’s degree in a non-human services field and 3 years of social work experience

Additional Requirements:

Valid Driver’s License with a safe driving record
Thorough knowledge of social work practices, principles, and techniques and the ability and skill to implement same
Excellent administrative, organizational, and time management skills
Excellent written and oral communication
Excellent interpersonal skills; ability to communicate and work collaboratively with internal and external partners
Knowledge of community and educational resources
This position is considered light work; lifting up to 20 pounds.

Additional Information

Preferences:

Understanding of the impact and effects of childhood trauma
Understanding of the child welfare continuum, to include child maltreatment, foster care, and adoption
Understanding of adoption related dynamics and challenges

Catawba County Benefits
As of 7/1/2024:
You will find that Catawba County has one of the best benefits packages around. Our Human Resources staff are dedicated to keeping in touch with trends in benefits on both a local and national level, listening to employees' suggestions regarding benefits, and continually reviewing to ensure our benefits package is of good quality and meets the needs of both our employees and our organization. Available benefits include:

Health Care

Health: For a small bi-weekly premium, employees may choose between a traditional (co-pay) health plan and a high deductible health plan coupled with a Health Savings Account (HSA). Coverage may also be purchased for spouse, child(ren), or family.
Dental Insurance: At no cost to full-time employees, the County covers preventive, routine, and non-routine care. Coverage for the same benefits may also be purchased for spouse, child(ren) and family. In addition, a $2,000 benefit toward orthodontia coverage is provided for children up to age 19.
Vision Care: Coverage is available, at group rates, for employee and dependents, with 2 plan options to choose from.
Supplemental critical care and accident insurance plans: These optional coverage plans are available at a nominal cost.
Flexible Spending Accounts: Pre-tax accounts which can be used to pay for qualified out-of-pocket medical, dental, vision expenses.

Employee Wellness

Employee Health Clinic (EHC): An employee medical clinic, available to all County employees, which operates 40 hours a week. Services provided include acute care, first aid, evaluation and care for workers' compensation injuries, pre-employment screenings, health education, and behavioral health referrals. Services offered both in person and through telehealth. Acute care available to employee’s children ages 5-17 regardless of health insurance coverage and for employee’s adult children (ages 18-26) or employee’s spouse if covered on the county’s health insurance.
Wellness: The County recognizes the importance of our health and well-being. We maintain a very proactive and effective Wellness Program, including reimbursement and discounts for gym membership, incentives for physical activity, on-site nutrition counseling, free exercise opportunities, wellness education and more.
Employee Assistance Program: Counseling services are available to all County employees and immediate family members in the home. Services are provided in a private and confidential setting (in-person or virtually). The County provides coverage for the first six visits.

Work Life Balance

Annual Leave: Full-time employees earn from 10-21 days annually based on years of service. Service credit from other NC and Local Governments in the retirement system may be transferred to the County.
Sick Leave: Full-time employees earn one day (8 hours) of sick leave per month. Sick leave from other NC and Local Governments in the retirement system may be transferred to the County.
Holiday Leave: Throughout the year, 11 days of paid leave are provided in recognition of holidays.
Flexible work schedules.
Time off for activities that support our local schools.
Continuing educational assistance.
Discount tickets to recreational venues.
Employee appreciation days/activities.
Tax-free flexible spending account to pay for dependent care.

Financial Security

Local Governmental Employees Retirement System: For employees assigned to work 20 hours per week or more in a benefitted position, participation in this program is automatic. Employees contribute 6% of their salary, which is tax deferred. After (5) years of creditable service, you become fully vested in the retirement system. Employees may also take advantage of individual and group retirement counseling through the Human Resources department.
401K: The County provides a 2% contribution plus an additional 1% match (up to 3% total contribution by the County). Our sworn law enforcement officers receive a flat 5% contribution to their 401k.
Other Tax Deferred Programs: Other tax-sheltering programs are available through IRS Code 125 (Cafeteria Plan), and a 457 supplemental retirement plan (Deferred Compensation).
Longevity Pay: After 5 years of creditable service, employees receive an annual longevity payment that is paid every year thereafter. This lump sum payment rewards employees for their length of service to Catawba County. The amount is based on years of service.
Life Insurance: Death benefit equal to one times employee’s annual salary with a minimum coverage amount of $25,000. Optional supplemental life insurance coverage is also available for both employee and dependents through payroll deduction at group rates.
Short Term Disability: Available at no cost to employees, benefits are available after a 55-day waiting period.
Long Term Disability: Available through payroll deduction at group rates.
Eligibility for membership and financial services at State Employees Credit Union (SECU)/Local Government Federal Credit Union (LGFCU).