Foster Care Caseworker

Foster Care Caseworker

Manages the care, safety, and permanency planning for children in the foster care system, working with birth parents, foster families, and the court system.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Acts as a representative for child welfare services in the community.
• Participates in community and professional coalition efforts to advocate child welfare services.
• Mandated Reporter: reports any suspected unsafe living conditions for children.
• Informs Child Welfare Director or designee of any clients and/or families who are experiencing child abuse, neglect, and suicidal or homicidal symptoms.
• Assists in coordination of foster care placements.
• Ensures children receive comprehensive care for children, including health, social wellbeing, and psychological/behavioral needs. This may require providing transportation for court-mandated appointments. Attends all court hearings and meetings associated with assigned cases.
• Testifies in court on progress and services rendered to children and families.
• Prepares legal documents, petitions and forms.   
• Presents assessment and service plans at pre-dispositional and dispositional hearings.
• Must write accurate and timely case service plans: Initial Service Plan and quarterly Updated Service Plans.
• Ensures all case documentation is entered into agency and state-required systems in a comprehensive, accurate, and timely manner, fulfilling all required documentation for every case.
• Develops plans and find resources to address clients’ and families’ problems in housing, counseling, and other areas and monitors services provided.
• Required to visit foster child monthly.
• Required to visit biological parents quarterly.
• Facilitate parenting time of child and parent.
• Ensures foster parents and biological parents are providing appropriate care to children.
• Attends and completes annual in-service trainings as required.
• Participates in rotational child welfare staff on-call. 
• Review all cases and prepares them for audit.
• Organizes daily work and outlines priorities based on department needs and deadlines.
• Participates in creating and documenting workflows and processes.
• Receives cross-training on various child welfare job assignments and substitutes for other child welfare employees as required.
• Attends staff meetings and training sessions as required.
• Performs job related duties as required for department/program operations. 

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, & ABILITIES

• Strong computer and typing skills, working with Microsoft Office with proficiency in Excel, Word and Outlook, and ability to learn new software, including MiSACWIS.
• Ability to prepare and manage clients’ records; collect and evaluate client data.
• Ability to work with community organizations and use community resources to meet client needs.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective professional relationships with employees, courts, MDHHS, and other agencies.
• Ability to organize and facilitate meetings.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality in accordance with laws, regulations, policies and procedures.
• Knowledge of types of discrimination and mistreatment to which clients may be subjected.
• Knowledge of community resources providing assistance to children and families.
• Ability to observe and assess client conditions and environments.
• Ability to maintain professional, favorable public relationships.
• Ability to meet all mandated timeframes.
• Ability to relate to diverse populations and cultures while communicating with clients and the public in a courteous and effective manner. Ability to work independently and as a team and exercise good judgment.
• Ability to handle multiple tasks and prioritize using good organizational and time management skills
• Ability to use search engines and multiple websites.
• Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing and to understand and carry out oral and written instructions.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective and professional relationships with employees and other agencies.
• Ability to deal with sensitivity to the service population’s cultural and socioeconomic characteristics.
• Ability to thoroughly follow through on assignments and meet deadlines.
• Ability and willingness to work in an ever-changing environment.