SUMMARY

The CWs Worker helps ensure children's safety, permanency, and well-being by providing services and support that promote the strengthening and maintenance of family functioning. The purpose of this position is to work within the CWS Referral Program to help families reduce risk through linkage to community services and resources.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following:

• Provide direct intervention to help reduce risk and teach strategies for avoiding risk in the future.
• Utilize critical thinking skills to respond with solution-focused resolutions that help families remain safe, thrive, and function to lessen risk.
• Visit family within 48 hour of assignment per agency protocol.
• Conduct Weekly home visits to assess family situations focusing on safety and risk issues related to the child, or ensure weekly home visits are conducted by the Family Enhancement worker, if assigned.
• Document home visit notes in SACWIS within 48 hours of attempted or home visit.
• Complete required assessments, including Child Endangerment Risk Assessment Protocol (CERAP) within required deadlines.
• Provide, verify, and document families' linkage to community services and resources and families' acknowledgment of receipt of information
• Request staffing expeditiously and when necessary to discuss obstacles of conducting visits, possible safety issues, etc..
• Complete necessary documentation to close cases after ensuring no other resources or services are needed or family has been connected to identify resources.
• Ensure that cases are closed within 30 days and request closure in SACWIS or request an extension per program protocol.
• Be prepared and attend weekly supervision. Demonstrate knowledge of case dynamics, progress, obstacles and what is needed to help the family
• Ensure families connect to services providers and understands when a case cannot remain open until services begin, such as in the case waitlists.
• Refer: and connect families to such services as short-term paraprofessional services for household organization and cleanliness, instruction around specific
• parenting problems, which contribute, to risk the child, medical services where the child or parent's physical condition contributes to concerns about safety and risk.
• Provide advocacy with public systems such as DHS/TANF, public schools, and other areas identified through an assessment of the family
• Transport family to appointments, shelter, pantry, etc. when necessary.
• Attend all identified training and maintain knowledge of content.
• Be available to work outside of normal business hours to meet families, when necessary.
• Always present the organization in a professional manner internally and externally per the code of conduct in handbook.
• Perform all other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor's degree in Social Work or human services related field required and one to two years’ work experience with targeted population.
• Experience working with or providing services to individuals, children and families.
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft office.
• Willingness to working with the culturally diverse population (community we serve), experience preferred.
• Knowledge of allocated demographic community resources available to service individual, children and families, preferred.
• Knowledge of infant, child and adolescent development; trauma, mental health, substance abuse, domestic violence experience preferred.
• Knowledge or experience serving multi-stressed families, preferred. Open to reflective practice (capacity for introspection).

CERTIFICATES and LICENSES

Must currently possess an Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (IDCFS) CWEL, CERAP and CANS certified or be eligible to participate in the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (IDCFS) foundations training and successfully pass the required training curriculum and examinations to become CWEL, CERAP and CANS certified.

OTHER QUALIFICATIONS

AMHW employee shall obtain and maintain certification in first Aid and CPR. Certifications must be obtained within 3 months of employment.

Current driver's license.

Current auto insurance.

Have reliable personal vehicle to transport clients.

Clear driving record.

Ability to work late hours, weekends and weekends, as needed.

Aunt Martha’s is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.