State of Maryland

A Casework Specialist, Family Services is the provisional level of pre-licensed professional social work used for Social Workers in Maryland.  Employees in this classification provide preventive or protective services to vulnerable adults, children or families.  The work of this classification involves cases of suspected child or adult abuse or neglect, out of home placement, guardianship or emergency protective orders, adoption or adult case management.  Employees in this classification do not supervise other positions.

Employees in this classification receive close supervision from a Social Work Supervisor, Family Services.  Employees in this class may be required to work evenings and on weekends and may be assigned to provide on-call coverage.  Work is performed in customer’s homes, schools, hospitals and other community settings.  Employees may be required to deal with potentially hazardous situations.

Positions in this classification are evaluated by using the classification job evaluation methodology.  The use of this method involves comparing the assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work sections of the class specification.

The Casework Specialist, Family Services is differentiated from the Social Worker I, Family Services and the Social Worker II, Family Services in that the Casework Specialist is eligible for licensure but is not licensed as a Social Worker in Maryland while the Social Worker I, Family Services and Social Worker II, Family Services are licensed as Social Workers.  The Casework Specialist, Family Services, Social Worker I, Family Services and Social Worker II, Family Services are also differentiated on the basis of the degree of supervisory control exercised by the supervisor over these employees.  The Casework Specialist, Family Services performs duties under close supervision.  The Social Worker I, Family Services performs duties under close supervision at times and under general supervision at other times depending upon the complexity of the specific duty being performed.  The Social Worker II, Family Services performs the full range of duties and responsibilities under general supervision.

Applies social work values, principles and techniques in helping individuals and families obtain social services;

Interviews or investigates customers and other individuals to obtain necessary information in cases concerning suspected child or adult abuse or neglect, out of home placement, guardianship or emergency protective orders, or adoption;

Assists customers in identifying, developing and using their potential capabilities as well as other community resources for taking care of their social, health, emotional, behavioral and economic problems;

Assesses case situations and develops and implements an individualized plan of service;

Provides extensive counseling and crisis intervention services to customers regarding personal, economic and social problems;

Establishes and maintains personal contact with other helping agencies and community resources to facilitate the referral of individual customers;

Provides on-call coverage in cases involving suspected child or adult abuse or neglect;

Checks public records, such as birth records, for data and verifies other information such as income, kinship and residence;

Compiles evaluative reports and makes recommendations to the courts, other agencies and institutions regarding individual case situations; Uses database applications to record information, research, and track or manage cases for compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and standards;

Prepares and manages case records and reports concerning information secured and services rendered;

Testifies in legal proceedings as to the facts of a specific family service case and may testify in court;

Develops and implements an individualized training plan to maintain and upgrade knowledge and skills related to the delivery of services;

May prepare comprehensive evaluative reports recommending licensure of prospective homes for foster care or adoption;

May place children in foster and adoptive homes;

May participate in initial investigations of fatalities that result rom suspected abuse or neglect;

May aid delinquent or mentally retarded children and adults in institutions or in foster and adoptive homes;

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge of the principles, practices and ethics of professional social work;

Knowledge of human growth and development;

Knowledge of the emotional, social, economic and physical needs of children and adults;

Knowledge of individual and group behavior;

Knowledge of the social implications of various diseases or disabilities;

Skill in using computer applications such as email, word processing and database applications;

Ability to work effectively with children and adults who have social, economic, emotional, behavioral or health problems;

Ability to aid customers in the constructive use of their capabilities and in adjusting to their specific situations;

Ability to develop, initiate and follow through with an appropriate plan of service;

Ability to provide counseling to customers and treat personal information discreetly and confidentially;

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with staff members, other agencies and institutions and the general public.

Education:   Determined by the Maryland State Board of Social Work Examiners under the licensing requirements for Social Workers.

Experience: None.

Note: These requirements are established by the Social Services Administration by authority provided in the Health Occupations Article, Section 19-302 of the Annotated Code of Maryland. The Department of Budget and Management, Office of Personnel Services and Benefits does not have the authority to accept substitutions or equivalents.

1. Employees are required to obtain a license as a Graduate Social Worker (on or before June 30, 2018), Master Social Worker (on or after July 1, 2018), Certified Social Worker or Certified Social Worker-Clinical from the State Board of Social Work Examiners by the end of two years of continuous employment with the hiring department. 

2. Employees in this classification may be assigned duties which require the operation of a motor vehicle. Employees assigned such duties will be required to possess a motor vehicle operator’s license valid in the State of Maryland.

1. Employees who have not already done so must complete an approved training program and pass a competency test before being granted permanent employment status.

2. Employees are required to meet mandatory standards for continuing education as determined by the Department of Human Resources.  Employees who fail to obtain the required continuing education credits shall be subject to disciplinary action including demotion, suspension and dismissal.

3. Employees in this classification may be required to provide the employer with a telephone number at which they can be reached.

Class specifications are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies. Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position.

This is a Skilled Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Skilled Service positions.  Some positions in Skilled Service classifications may be designated as Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.

This classification is assigned to Bargaining Unit F, Social and Human Service Professionals classes.  As provided by the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded from collective bargaining. Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.

Employees in this classification are eligible to receive overtime compensation.  An employee who works more than the normal workweek is entitled to be compensated for that overtime as provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 8-305.

This classification is one level in a Non-Competitive Promotion (NCP) series.  NCP promotions are promotions by which employees may advance in grade and class level from trainee to full performance level in a classification series.  In           order to be non-competitively promoted to the next level in a NCP series, an employee must: 1) perform the main purpose of the class, as defined by the Nature of Work section of the class specification; 2) receive the type of supervision defined in the class specification and 3) meet the minimum qualifications of the classification.