Social Worker Iii - Child Placement

The Johnston County Department of Social Services has openings for Social Worker III- Child Placement positions, located at 714 North Street, Smithfield.

Located in the eastern half of North Carolina and part of the Research Triangle Region, Johnston County is part of the fastest growing region of the state. Johnston County is the fastest growing county in the state with a population of 216,000 residents.

Hiring salary range is commensurate with experience and excellent benefits package available.

Benefits include:

• Health
• Sick leave/ Vacation leave & more
• 401k
• Vision
• Retirement
• Dental
• Paid holidays

Internal applicants must to apply online to be considered.

Preference will be given to the applicants with prior Child Welfare experience and/or completion of mandatory Child Welfare training.

Please note: Final candidates subject to pre-employment drug screen and background check (includes criminal and motor vehicle records).

It is preferred that a copy of an unofficial transcript be attached to the application at time of submission for qualification purposes. Please note should a transcript not be attached, it may be requested.

The primary purpose of this position is to provide foster care services for children, ages 0-18 years of age. When a parent or caretaker can no longer provide basic needs for their children, it is the responsibility of the State to become involved with the family and provide necessary services to prevent removal of the children from the home. If these intervention strategies are not successful, placement outside of the family unit may be necessary to protect the child. This employee will provide foster care services as needed for the protection of identified children working towards reunification while at the same time establishing an alternative permanency plan with includes, but is not exclusive to, relative or non-relative placement or guardianship. This may involve court action to terminate parental rights of biological parents in order to place the child in a permanent adoptive home. The clients (defined as child and the family unit) that are served by this position are from all segments of the population, all races and socio-economic levels, and persons with mental and/or physical disorders, developmentally delayed, emotional problems, psychopathologies, etc.

This position serves a diverse a make-up of parental families, families who have drug or alcohol related problems and families who are having difficulty in coping with everyday stresses. The targeted population are children 0-18 years of age who are victims or abuse, neglect or dependency, but may serve children up to age 21 if they remain in school or are employed. The majority of clients have limited knowledge of child development, poor parenting skills, low self-esteem and, in some cases, no extended family network that can provide a support system. This position will be responsible for any and all court reviews, agency foster care reviews, risk assessments and family and/or individual case plans which occur while the social worker is the case manager of said case.

Thorough knowledge of social work principles, techniques, and practices, and their application to complex casework, group work and community problems. Considerable knowledge of a wide range of medical behavioral and psychosocial problems and their treatment. Considerable knowledge of family and group dynamics and a range of intervention techniques. Considerable knowledge of governmental and private organizations and resources in the community. Considerable knowledge of the laws, regulations, and policies which govern the program. General knowledge of medical terminology, diseases processes and their treatment as they relate to decisions regarding clinical interventions and appropriate therapies based on medical or psychological diagnosis. Skill in establishing rapport with a client and in applying techniques of assessing psychosocial, behavioral, and psychological aspects of client's problems. Ability to supervise, train, or instruct lower-level social workers, students, interns in the program. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with members of caseload and their families as well as civic, legal, medical, social, and religious organizations. Ability to express ideas clearly and concisely and to plan and execute work effectively.

Master's degree in social work from an accredited school of social work; Bachelor's degree in social work from an accredited school of social work and completion of the Child Welfare Collaborative (Child Welfare positions only); Bachelor's degree in social work from an accredited school of social work and one year directly related experience; Master's degree in a human services field and one year of directly related experience; Bachelor's degree in a human services field from an accredited college or university and two years directly related experience; Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and three years of directly related experience.

**Please document all work history relevant to the position for which you are applying. Determination of qualifying for the position and salary may be based on years of experience listed on the application itself, not in supplemental documents attached. Failure to document complete work history may affect qualification determination and salary. Electronic applications cannot be amended once submitted.**

Group Health Insurance

Johnston County provides full time and part time permanent employees working 20 plus hours per week with Health Insurance coverage with Aetna. Premiums will be pro-rated based on the number of hours worked. Aetna offers a Core Plan and Plus Plan with in-network and out-of-network benefits. The monthly premiums are as follows:

Core Plan

• Employee plus 1 child, $225
• Employee plus family coverage, $605
• Full time employee coverage for the Core Plan is paid at 100% by the County.
• Employee plus spouse, $540
• Employee plus 2+ children, $450

Plus Plan

Employees can elect to upgrade to the Plus Plan which also offers in-network and out-of-network benefits with lower deductibles and co-payments than the Core Plan.

• Employee coverage for the Plus Plan is $80 per month.
• Employee plus 2+ children, $585
• Employee plus family coverage, $800
• Employee plus spouse, $695
• Employee plus one child, $330

Health insurance becomes effective for employees the first day of the month following the 30th day of employment.

Group Dental Insurance

Johnston County provides full time and part time permanent employees working 20 plus hours per week the option to purchase Dental Insurance from MetLife. Two options are available to employees.

The first option, called the Low Plan, allows you to have dental services performed by a dentist of your choosing. Services performed under this plan are paid in accordance with usual, customary and reasonable rates at lower percentages than on the High Plan. The monthly premiums for this plan are as follows:

• Employee plus 1 child $55.85
• Employee only $31.25
• Employee plus 2+ children $75.01
• Family $87.12
• Employee plus spouse $55.85

The second option, or High Plan, also allows that your dental services be performed by a dentist of your choosing. Services performed under this plan are paid in accordance with usual, customary and reasonable rates at higher percentages than on the Low Plan. The monthly premiums are as follows:

• Employee plus 1 child $88.53
• Employee only $45.53
• Employee plus spouse $88.53
• Family $155.95
• Employee plus 2+ children $126.41

Dental Insurance becomes effective for employees the first day of the month following the 30th day of employment.

Group Life Insurance

Johnston County provides term Life Insurance through Reliance Standard Life for full time and part time permanent employees working 20 or more hours per week. Life insurance is paid for you by Johnston County and pays your beneficiary one time your annual salary not to exceed $200,000 in the event of your death. Accidental death and dismemberment coverage is also provided. You can purchase optional dependent coverage at a rate of $0.70 cents per month for coverage on an unlimited eligible number of dependents. Optional dependent coverage provides $2,500 to you in the event of the death of a spouse or child 6 months to age 19 or age 25 if a full time student. Life Insurance becomes effective the first day of the month following 30 days of employment. Voluntary supplemental term life insurance coverage for you, your spouse or your dependent children is also available through Reliance Standard Life - please see the Human Resources Department for more details.

Short Term Disability Insurance

Johnston County provides active full time permanent employees working 30 plus hours per week the option to purchase Short Term Disability Insurance through UNUM. Short Term Disability Insurance covers 60% of employee's weekly salary with a maximum of $600 per week in the event of a non-work related injury or illness for up to 52 weeks. Benefit begins after 30 days. If elected during initial enrollment, pre-existing conditions are waived. If you choose to enroll at a time other than initial enrollment, then you must complete an Evidence of Insurability in which pre-existing conditions are no longer excluded. Short Term Disability is available at a monthly cost of $0.79 per $10.00 of weekly benefit.

125 Flexible Benefit Plan

Pre-tax deductions for Medical, Dental and Dependent Care costs. Employees are eligible to participate in Dependent Day Care and Health/Dental Reimbursement accounts effective the first day of the month following the 30th day of employment.

401(k) and 457(b)

Johnston County provides full time and part time permanent employees working 20 plus hours per week with a 401(k) Supplemental Retirement Income Plan through Prudential Retirement Services. The county will match up to 5% of the employee's annual salary to the 401(k), following a one-year waiting period for non-sworn employees hired on July 1, 2007 or later. Vesting is immediate. Employees can make monthly voluntary pre-tax and/or after-tax contributions to the 401(k) immediately upon hire with no waiting period.

In addition, Johnston County provides full time and part time permanent employees working 20 plus hours per week with a voluntary 457(b) Deferred Compensation Plan through Prudential Retirement Services. With this plan, you can defer part of your income for retirement by contributing pre-tax and/or after-tax dollars.

The maximum annual contribution for both plans is $19,500 ($26,000 with age 50 or older) for calendar year 2020. Both plans offer a choice of investment options ranging from conservative to aggressive, loan provisions and unmatched personal service.

NC Local Governmental Employee's Retirement System

As a local government employee, you are required to participate in the North Carolina State Government Retirement System which acts much like a 401(k). You will be automatically enrolled at date of hire and will contribute a mandatory pre-tax 6% of your monthly income into the plan. The employer shares in the cost of retirement benefits. The benefits received at retirement are based on your salary, age and years of service. You are vested after 5 years of creditable service.

The Retirement System also includes a Life Insurance Plan or Death Benefit which is paid by the county. Your named beneficiary receives a single lump sum payment equal to highest 12 months salary in a row during 24 months prior to death and can be no less than $25,000 but no more than $50,000. Your named beneficiary is only eligible for the Death Benefit if you completed one year of employment and were a contributing member to the system for one year.

Holidays

The policy of the county is to follow the holiday schedule as published by the State of North Carolina each year. The following holidays are observed: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving Day and the day after and three (3) days at Christmas.

Vacation

Each full and part-time permanent employee of the County shall earn vacation at the following schedule, prorated by the regular number of hours in the workweek:

Service with other governmental units under the NC Retirement Systems may be applied only if the service is continuous from the immediately preceding unit of government. Employees shall be allowed to take accumulated vacation leave after six (6) months of service. Vacation leave may be accumulated without any applicable maximum until December 31 of each year. Effective the last payroll in the calendar year, any employee with more than 30 days of accumulated leave shall have the excess accumulation transferred to sick leave so that only 30 days are carried forward to January 1 of the next calendar year.

Sick Leave

Sick leave shall accrue at a rate of one day per month of service or twelve days per year. Sick leave for full and part-time permanent employees working other than the basic work schedule shall be prorated by the regular number of hours in the workweek. Sick leave will be cumulative for an indefinite period of time and may be converted upon retirement for service credit. New employees with continuous employment from another unit of government under the NC Retirement System may transfer sick leave after successfully completing their probationary period.

Tuition Assistance Program

Full-time permanent employees who have completed initial probation may apply for tuition reimbursement for courses taken on their own time, which will improve their skills for their current job or prepare them for promotional opportunities within the County service. Tuition, registration, and fees are eligible expenses. Employees may be reimbursed up to $500 per fiscal year upon satisfactory course completion. Requests must be approved and are subject to availability of funds.

Miscellaneous

Mileage reimbursement, membership in the State Employee's Credit Union, and various sick & accident insurance policies through Colonial and American Family Life are also available.