Casework Specialist

Position Summary: The Case Worker provides emergency transactional services to low-income applicants, assisting them in meeting their basic needs during a crisis.

Essential Responsibilities:
• Meets with applicants; assists with application processes; assesses needs for food, utilities, housing, shelter, emotional support, spiritual care, or other needs.; determines eligibility for resources; develops plans to address the presenting problem and provide support for peripheral issues
• Provides information on resources; utilizes a person-centered approach to educate applicants utilizing a financial toolkit; coaches applicants on ways to reduce energy consumption as applicable
• Maintains working relationships with community agencies for awareness of available services, coordinates services and communicates about cases, assures that valid releases of information are on file
• Enhances personal knowledge and skill through regional and divisional educational forums
• Uses electronic database to enter, retrieve, and maintain accurate case records per protocols
• Manages client service transactions, monitors fund balances, and requests funding as appropriate
• Fulfills ad hoc and periodic survey requests, and provides information needed for reports to administration
• Perform other duties as assigned

Qualifications:
Education/Experience:
• Bachelor's degree in social work, psychology, sociology, or related field; or an equivalent combination of education and professional work experience
• 1 or more years of applicant interview experience (desired)
• Experience working with low-income populations (preferred)

Skills, Knowledge & Abilities:
• Learn and adhere to The Salvation Army Social Services Code of Ethics
• Adhere to professional codes of ethics as they apply to professional licensing
• Understand and adhere to professional boundaries within and outside of the organization
• Maintain client confidentiality and obtain appropriate releases of information
• Complete Safe From Harm training, and keep current as needed
• Demonstrate a continued effort to increase self-awareness and to better understand other cultures and issues of social justice, and promote racial understanding and reconciliation

Computer Skills:
• Proficient in Microsoft Office
• Advanced computer skills

Certificates and Licenses:
• Complete Caseworker Certification Program within 120 days of hire

COMMUNICATION: Ability to effectively receive and express ideas, both written and verbal; using clear and concise vocabulary and active listening skills.

CUSTOMER SERVICE: A desire to serve others by focusing efforts on listening and responding effectively to questions, providing services, and evaluating customer satisfaction.

EMPATHY: Ability to identify with or be sensitive to the feelings and experiences of others.

PROBLEM SOLVING: Ability to recognize courses of action to handle problems, gathering and organizing information, identifying cause and effect relationships, and applying contingency plans to solve those problems.

TEAMWORK: Effectively interacts with people by being able to share and receive information that supports team goals.