Social Worker III (Aging and Disability Services, Social Services to Adults), Grade 24

This recruitment may be used to fill current and future vacancies.

Montgomery County is located adjacent to Washington, DC and with over one million residents, is the most populous County in the State of Maryland. The County is also the most diverse County in the State and ranks among the top ten most diverse Counties in the nation. Montgomery County contains many major U.S. government offices, scientific research and learning centers, and business campuses.

The Department of Health and Human Services is responsible for delivery of the County’s public health and human services that the needs of our community’s most vulnerable children, adults and seniors. The Department provides services through more than 120 programs at more than 20 locations. With 1,750 employees, the Department of Health and Human Services is the largest County Department.

As a Department, we believe health and wellness of the county can only be achieved by ensuring that every resident has fair opportunities to reach their fullest potential. This means access to quality housing, transportation, education, employment, health care, human services, safe neighborhoods and healthy food. HHS’ provides critical services for residents who face a variety of obstacles in achieving their full potential. HHS plays an essential role in building a healthy and strong community.

If you are interested in working for the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, we invite qualified candidates to apply for our Social Worker III position.

About the Position:

This position is located in the Department’s Aging and Disability Services division, Social Services to Adults Program.

The employee is responsible for providing clinical social work services including assessment, developing care plans and on-going care management for disabled adults, frail elderly, mentally, chronically and terminally ill and intellectually disabled adults, aged 18 and over. Adult Protective Services (APS) investigations may be required on a limited basis.

Duties include:

• conducting comprehensive psychosocial assessments and developing and initiating individualized plans of care;
• crisis intervention, emergency psychiatric petitions, and the preparation of court reports for guardianship;
• investigating allegations of abuse, neglect, self-neglect and exploitation of vulnerable adults who are at risk in the community and taking steps to ensure their safety in the least restrictive setting;
• consultation and collaboration with other staff within the Department as well as with collateral agencies such as the MCPD, State’s Attorney’s Office, County Attorney’s Office, private attorneys, guardians of property, and community public and private agencies is required.

Employees will need to operate a motor vehicle to transport clients, supplies, and equipment, to other locations to perform these duties and would require the need to lift and carry, and manage stairs, equipment, and supplies. Selected candidates will be required to complete a criminal background check, physical exam, drug, and alcohol screening.

Effective August 30, 2021 all new hires will be required to provide proof that they are fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus prior to their first date of employment. Individuals who are unable to be vaccinated should contact OHR@montgomerycountymd.gov to discuss possible accommodations.

OHR reviews the minimum qualifications of all applicants, irrespective of whether the candidate has previously been found to have met the minimum requirements for the job or been temporarily promoted to the same position. This evaluation is based solely on the information contained in the application/resume submitted for this specific position/IRC.

Montgomery County Government is an equal opportunity employer, committed to workforce diversity. Accordingly, as it relates to employment opportunities, the County will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities, in accordance with the law. Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the Office of Human Resources via email to OHR@montgomerycountymd.gov . Individual determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made in accordance with all applicable laws.

Montgomery County Government also provides hiring preference to certain categories of veterans and veterans/persons with a disability. For more information and to claim employment preference, please refer to the Careers webpage on Hiring Preference .

All applicants will respond to a series of questions related to their education, relevant experience, knowledge, skills and abilities required to minimally perform the job. The applicant's responses in conjunction with their resume and all other information provided in the employment application process will be evaluated to determine the minimum qualifications and preferred criteria status. Based on the results, the highest qualified applicants will be placed on an Eligible List and may be considered for an interview. Employees meeting minimum qualifications who are the same grade will be placed on Eligible List as a "Lateral Transfer" candidate and may be considered for interview.

If selected for consideration for this position, you may be required to provide evidence that you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities indicated on your resume.

Montgomery County Ethics Law : Except as provided by law or regulation, the County's "Public Employees" (which does not include employees of the Sheriff's office) are subject to the County's ethics law including the requirements to obtain advanced approval of any outside employment and the prohibitions on certain outside employment. The outside employment requirements of the ethics law can be found at 19A-12 of the County Code . Additional information about outside employment can be obtained from the Ethics Commission website.

Education: Possession of a Master's Degree in Social Work (MSW) from an accredited college or university that meets the criteria of graduate social work program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.

Experience: Two (2) years to include 3,000 hours, of professional experience rendering social work services under the supervision of a LCSW-C in accordance with Maryland Board requirements.

License:

• Must be licensed as a Licensed Certified Social Worker/Clinical (LCSW-C) by the Maryland State Board of Social Work Examiners prior to appointment. Note: There will be no substitutions for this requirement.
• Possession and maintenance at all times of a valid Class C (or equivalent) driver's license from the applicant's state of residence when required for job-related duties.

The applications of those individuals meeting the minimum qualifications will be reviewed to determine the extent, relevancy of training, and experience in the following areas.

• Experience working with vulnerable adult populations
• Written Communications skills
• Experience planning, prioritizing work responsibilities
• Experience with teamwork
• Experience with decision making and problem solving
• Experience developing psychosocial, Mental Capacity, and Risk Assessments
• Knowledge of Procedures, Polices, and regulations for Adult Protective Services.