Position Summary

The Social Service Aide 3 primary role is to service in the capacity of assisting professional casework staff employed through the County Office of Children, Youth, and Families.  An employee in this class assists casework staff by supporting and relieving them of paraprofessional case management functions. Work includes assisting in a wide variety of social functions which may include planning, scheduling, conducting or accompanying the worker on visits, sharing observations and assessments, collaborating with team members, entering and collecting data, and completing paperwork as appropriate.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Serve as an assistant to professional casework staff in relieving them of paraprofessional case management functions.
• Assist with or conduct interviews to obtain and verify information necessary to determine family background, extended kinship supports, risk factors, eligibility of services, etc...
• Plan, schedule, conduct or accompany the caseworker on home or community visits; share observations and assessments as a result of those visits.
• Meet with advisors or treatment team members to provide information for their use in the development of treatment plans and goals.
• Provide training to clients and/or their families in areas such as budgeting, nutrition, personal hygiene, care and maintenance of the home and the use of public transportation.
• Observe client and family strengths and problem areas and inform the caseworker or supervisor.
• Assist with the referral, admission, and discharge process for children and families to receive services and/or to help with placement programs
• Serve as liaison between the agency and other community organizations and services as assigned.
• Assist clients and encourage them to use available community resources; provide information to clients and their families regarding referral and emergency services.
• Provide intensive in-home assistance and parenting education/support services under the direction of a professional worker/supervisor.
• May provide testimony in court as required, under the supervision of a caseworker or supervisor.
• Set up and arranges recreational/educational trips.
• Coordinate and supervise visits between parents and children in their own home, foster home, other facilities, or in the community.
• Schedule and/or provide transportation for clients.
• May assign and review the work of other paraprofessional social services staff.
• Prepare correspondence, service reviews, and reports as required; maintain records and files.
• Assist with data entry, completion of forms or documents, writing notes or reports as a result of work being completed.
• Assist caseworker with organization, including scheduling of meetings, returning calls or returning voicemails, and filing paperwork.
• Attend meetings on behalf of the caseworker to obtain information and report information back both orally and in writing.
• May serve as a delegate, signing and completing application or admission paperwork in the absence of the caseworker.
• Serve as a liaison by contacting other community entities to gather information that can be used in the course of the investigation; the information is to be documented and relayed to the caseworker and/or supervisor.
• Comfortability in the use of Microsoft Office, as well as other agency databases identified.
• Perform other related work as required.

Essential Requirements

• Graduation from high school, or its equivalency, and three years of experience in public contact work in a human services agency which included one year of experience in interviewing and obtaining information; or an associate's degree in sociology, social welfare, psychology, gerontology, criminal justice, or other related social sciences; or one year as a Social Service Aide 2; or any equivalent combination of experience and training.
• Knowledge of interviewing methods and techniques.
• Knowledge of community resources.
• Knowledge of normal and dysfunctional behaviors.
• Knowledge of federal, state and county rules, regulations, policies and procedures.
• Knowledge of office practices and procedures.
• Ability to evaluate and analyze information obtained through interviews and general observation, reports, records, and other sources and to provide information to clients, families and social service and/or administrative staff.
• Ability to establish and maintain positive working relationships with clients, families, agency staff and other community agencies.
• Ability to implement developed training programs.
• Ability to follow oral and written instructions.
• Ability to assign and review the work of paraprofessional and clerical staff.
• Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.

Other Requirements

Valid clearances are required for this position.