Social Worker

Department       Human Services

Classification     Grade 17

Reports to         Human Services Supervisor (Adult and Children’s Services) 

                             Social Worker Lead (Children’s)                                

                             Human Services Director

Unit                     Teamsters Local-320 Human Services

Supervises         N/A

FLSA Status        Non-exempt

Position Description 

Adult Services (Assignment) Perform work in coordinating and delivering home and community-based services to qualified individuals. Assess needs through a computer-based assessing tool. Identify potential service needs and make appropriate referrals and recommendations. Determine eligibility for home and community-based services and complete a person-centered community support plan.

Children Services (Assignment): Perform work of considerable difficulty in providing intensive social work services for the protection, rehabilitation and care of children.  Perform highly critical social work assignments in voluntary and non-voluntary child protective service cases. .

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Social Worker:

• Provide public information on human service programs to the community.


• Engage clients at intake.


• Collaborate with local law enforcement and correction agencies.


• Interpret Federal and State laws, and implement judicial findings and court orders, including testifying in court proceedings.

• Prepare social histories.


• Facilitate out-of-home placements for children and adults.


• Coordinate preventative services.


• Make referrals to local mental health agencies who can provide direct services to clients.


• Case management of families and individuals.


• Conduct complex case evaluation for the purpose of assessing problems and determining appropriate types and methods of treatment.


• Prepare in-depth long or short-term treatment plans.


• Perform client drug screening requirements.


• Provide referral for vocation/employment services.


• Interpret social and emotional factors to others involved in treatment of clients.


• Supervise foster home placements.


• Make home visits to determine needs of individuals and families for services.


• Interpret policies and regulations to clients.


• Provide casework services for rehabilitation and care of children or adult.


• Investigate complaints of abuse and neglect.


• Maintain case records which meet federal, state and local guidelines.


• Consult with psychiatrists, psychologists and attorneys in connection with case objectives.


• Prepare information and recommendations in connection with court cases and proceedings.


• Participate in in-service training and other staff development activities.


• Attend relevant meetings, workshops and training sessions.


• Provide input for the design of new programs and services.

Adult Services:

• Provide case management services to the adult and disabled populations.


• Complete MnCHOICES assessments to determine eligibility of Home and Community Base Services, identifying potential service needs or appropriate recommendations and completion of a person-centered community support plan that is designed to fulfill those needs and limit service gaps.

Children Services:

• Prepare treatment plans in areas such as family management, marital counseling, childcare and development.


• Interview and screen prospective adoptive parents.


• Provide case management services to children and families.

Qualifications and Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Minimum Qualifications

• Adult and Children Services (Assignment)

Bachelor's degree in social work, nursing, psychology, sociology or closely related field; OR Bachelor's degree in any field and 1 year work experience as a social worker in a public or private social services agency.

• MnChoices Assessor (Assignment)

Bachelor’s degree in nursing with a public health nursing certificate, or other closely related field with at least 1 year of home and community-based experience; OR be a registered nurse with at least 2 years of home and community-based experience.

• AMHI (Assignment)

Bachelor’s degree in social work, nursing, psychology, sociology or a closely related field; OR Bachelor’s Degree in any field and 1 year of work experience as a social worker in a public or private social services agency.

AMH-TCM case managers must meet the requirements outlined in Minnesota Statutes 245.462 subdivision 4; OR AMH-TCM case managers with less than 2,000 hours of supervised experience delivering mental health services to adults with mental illness or children with a severe emotional disturbance must: Complete the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) 4—hour commissioner-approved Rule 79 training curriculum. Refer to the Mental Health Targeted Case Management Trainings webpage for more information, including registration. Receive clinical supervision regarding individual service delivery from a mental health professional (MHP) until the requirement of 2,000 hours of experience is met.

• Valid driver’s license.


• Successful completion of a Child Protection Background Check (M.S. 299C.60 – 299C.64), as amended) and Predatory Offender Registration Check and Sexual Exploitation Background Check (M.S. 604.20 – 604.205, as amended).

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Knowledge: Agency programs, operations, policies and procedures. Principles and techniques of interviewing and recording in social work and the ability to apply them. Individual and group behavior. Social casework objectives, principles, and methods. Social- economic factors, which promote stable family life and understanding of the elements, which affect family security. Principles of community organization. Physical and mental illnesses. Social welfare research methods. Family systems and dynamics. Current principles and practices of social work case management as they apply to the treatment of major behavior problems. Causative factors leading to social maladjustment. Laws relating to abuse and neglect. Principles of family and marital counseling. Techniques of placement with emphasis on the complete participation of the parent or guardian. Utilization of appropriate resources and services

Skills: Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook). Basic understanding of electronic filing systems.

Abilities: Effectively apply casework knowledge and skills. Work constructively within an agency in the community setting and in effectively utilizing appropriate resources and services. Work constructively in the development and coordination of community resources to meet special needs. Manage time productively. Prioritize caseloads. Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing. Communicate with and understand the problems faced by people from all cultural and economic levels. Work with and motivate the most disadvantaged segment of the community. Develop and maintain effective working relationships with clients, relatives, the courts, local law enforcement agencies and the public. Analyze complex situations and evaluate potential for improvement. Understand the problems faced by people from all cultural and economic levels. Work with and motivate the most disadvantaged segment of the community. Develop and maintain effective working relationships with clients, relatives, the courts, local law enforcement agencies and the public. Analyze complex situations and evaluate potential for improvement. Understand the problems faced by people from all cultural and economic levels. Work with and motivate the most disadvantaged segment of the community. Develop and maintain effective working relationships with clients, relatives, the courts, local law enforcement agencies and the public. Analyze complex situations and evaluate potential for improvement. Work well with others; ability and willingness to follow rules and procedures and follow directives from supervisors.

Preferred Qualifications

• Work experience beyond the minimum qualifications.


• Work experience working in a county social services agency.


• Work experience developing care and case management plans with children or adults.


• Work experience with programs (i.e. MnChoices, CAC,CAS/CADI/DD/BL,/AC/EW and MCO’s/TBI).


• Public Health nursing certificate.


• Training and certification specific to assessment and consultation for long-term care services in the state.

Physical Requirements

Sedentary Work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body.  Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time.  Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally, and all other sedentary criteria are met. 

Note (Management Right)

The above position description is intended to represent only the key areas of responsibilities; specific position assignments will vary depending on the business needs of the department.  Regular attendance on the job and the performance of other duties as assigned are required.  The County retains the discretion to add or change the contents of this position description at any time.

 Revision date 11/17/2025