SOCIAL COUNSELOR 2* - 12242024-64220

Job Information

LOCATION OF (1) POSITION(S) TO BE FILLED: DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, LOCAL HEALTH DIVISION, GREENE COUNTY

Qualifications

Education and Experience: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelors degree AND one year of professional experience in one or a combination of the following: health care for children, adolescent, or geriatric populations; social work; or social or psychological counseling, including, but not limited to, mental health, correctional, or behavioral rehabilitation counseling; or one year of experience in early intervention and/or service coordination with individuals with disabilities in an educational, social services or medical setting; or one year of teaching early childhood education or assessing individuals with disabilities.

Substitution of Graduate Course Work for Experience: Additional qualifying graduate course work from an accredited college or university in a related field may be substituted for the experience, on a year-for-year basis, to a maximum of one year.

Necessary Special Qualifications: Applicants for this class may be required to:

1. Possess a valid driver's license if driving is an essential function of the position;
2. Complete a criminal history disclosure form in a manner approved by the appointing authority;
3. Agree to release all records involving their criminal history to the appointing authority;
4. Supply a fingerprint sample prescribed by the TBI based criminal history records check;
5. Submit to a review of their status on the Department of Healths vulnerable persons registry.

Examination Method: Education and Experience, 100%, for Preferred Service positions.

Overview

Summary: Under general supervision, is responsible for professional social counseling work and/or service coordination of average difficulty; and performs related work as required by department.

Distinguishing Features: This is the working class in the professional Social Counselor sub series. An employee in this class interviews and provides social counseling for clients in programs such as adult protective services and maternal and child health counseling, as well as individuals with disabilities in an educational, social service, or medical setting. This class is flexibly staffed with and differs from that of the Social Counselor 1 in that an incumbent of the latter learns the proper principles, practices, and procedures for social counseling work in various programs. This class differs from higher level social counseling classes in that incumbents of the latter are responsible for supervisory social counseling work.

Responsibilities

Getting Information:

1. Investigates and/or reports abuse, neglect, or exploitation of adults and/or children who are mentally or physically impaired, or incapable of self-care due to disability or age to determine if there is a need for protective services.
2. Conducts pre-assessment/developmental screening to determine needs, strengths, and/or level of risk for client.
3. Asks client, family members, neighbors, alleged perpetrators, or other involved parties questions that relate to the allegations in order to gather case information and determine causes of current situation as appropriate for specific agency functions.
4. Asks clients/caregivers open-ended questions about client's health, living arrangements, financial stability, family involvement, needs, strengths and other risk factors.
5. Interviews individual making initial referral and/or interviewing family with concerns regarding their child.
6. Requests relevant documentation such as educational, medical, psychiatric, criminal, and financial records, as needed, to assess needs and risks of clients.

Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings:

1. Identifies potential risk factors such as unsanitary living conditions, lack of utilities, any form of abuse, neglect, exploitation or self-neglect in the client's home environment, as appropriate, for specific agency functions.
2. Conducts regular home visits/targeted case management to monitor progress of the service plan/client status.
3. Identifies each form of maltreatment or needs of the client alleged in the referral as appropriate for specific agency functions.
4. Identifies developmental risk factors that would inhibit a child from future educational growth, as appropriate, for specific agency functions.
5. Reviews relevant documentation such as educational, medical, psychiatric, criminal, and financial records, as needed, to assess needs and risks of clients.

Communicating with Persons Outside the Organization:

1. Refers and/or coordinates services for clients which may reduce client risk, increase autonomy and/or demonstrate educational progress.
2. Responds to clients, collaterals, stakeholders, or caregivers according to department policy.
3. Responds to professional or public casework inquiries through telephone calls, e-mails, letters, and face-to-face visits.
4. Testifies or provides necessary documents in legal proceedings.
5. Gives presentations for public awareness and/or child find activities, as appropriate, for agency functions.

Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards:

1. Evaluates case information according to agency guidelines.
2. Ensures client confidentiality is maintained according to agency policy.
3. Determines the validity of referral based on analysis of all collected information, as appropriate, for specific agency function.
4. Completes entrance and exit assessment according to agency standards.
5. Compares information from referral source with agency guidelines to determine if other agencies should be contacted or if the referral meets criteria for further assessment.

Documenting/Recording Information:

1. Records in client files and computer databases the services implemented, observations made during home visits, changes that occurred related to progress noted or reduced risk, and the level of function/protection achieved for each client.
2. Records information regarding client-oriented contacts including the date, method, purpose and outcome of the contact, and the level of client progress in meeting the goals or objectives in the service plan.
3. Maintains a copy of all relevant records and service plans for clients.

Analyzing Data or Information:

1. Analyzes and reviews all information gathered about the client situation to prioritize risk and implement appropriate plan per agency standards.
2. Collects and analyzes data from standardized evaluation tools to determine if client meets agency eligibility guidelines.

Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others:

1. Implements a service plan that identifies goals for addressing needs or concerns of the clients.
2. Coordinates delivery of services for individual needs of clients.

Making Decisions and Solving Problems:

1. Prioritizes needs or concerns of the client/ family (i.e. electricity, food, medical, educational, etc.).
2. Coordinates and conducts meetings with appropriate personnel to develop a safety and/or transition plan for clients as appropriate for agency standards.

Developing Objectives and Strategies:

1. Develops a service plan to address the needs of the clients who are victims of abuse, neglect, self-neglect, or exploitation and/or children with special needs.

Scheduling Work and Activities:

1. Schedules all necessary activities within agency timelines to meet policy objectives.

Developing and Building Teams:

1. Brainstorms solutions for concerns and/or priorities as related to the client by participating as a member of a multi-disciplinary team.

Provide Consultation and Advice to Others:

1. Discusses situations with the client, family members, caregivers, collaterals and/or stakeholders to decide what resources or actions are needed to reduce risk, facilitate change and/or demonstrate educational progress.

Controlling Machines and Processes:

1. Uses appropriate audio-visual equipment, as needed, to assess and/or implement client services.

Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment:

1. Drives vehicle to conduct agency business.

Training and Teaching Others:

1. Educates government departments, local regional agencies, law enforcement, nursing home staff, and the general public about agency programs.

Competencies (KSA's)

Competencies:

1. Ethics and Values
2. Integrity and Trust
3. Time Management
4. Problem Solving
5. Written Communication
6. Decision Quality
7. Perspective
8. Drive for Results
9. Building Effective Teams
10. Interpersonal Savvy

Knowledge:

1. Administration and Management
2. Clerical
3. Customer and Personal Service
4. Psychology

Skills:

1. Active Learning
2. Active Listening
3. Complex Problem Solving
4. Coordination
5. Critical Thinking
6. Judgment and Decision Making
7. Learning Strategies
8. Negotiation
9. Reading Comprehension
10. Self Orientation
11. Self-Monitoring
12. Social Perceptiveness
13. Speaking
14. Time Management
15. Writing

Abilities:

1. Arm-Hand Steadiness
2. Auditory Attention
3. Extent Flexibility
4. Finger Dexterity
5. Gross Body Coordination
6. Inductive Reasoning
7. Manual Dexterity
8. Multi-limb Coordination
9. Oral Comprehension
10. Oral Expression
11. Problem Sensitivity
12. Reaction time
13. Selective Attention
14. Speech Clarity
15. Speech Recognition
16. Time Sharing
17. Wrist-Finger Speed
18. Written Comprehension
19. Written Expression

Tools & Equipment

1. Vehicle
2. Personal computer
3. Fax machine
4. Copier/scanner
5. Phone

TN Driver Standards

State of Tennessee positions that may involve driving responsibilities require candidates to meet the following minimum driver qualifications:

• A valid driver's license
• For the past five years, the candidate's driver record must not have record of the following violations: driving under the influence (DUI), reckless driving, license suspension for moving violations, more than 4 moving violations.

Please include your Driver's License Information under the Licenses and Certifications section of your application.

**Agencies may allow an exception based on other factors.