State of Maryland

A Family Services Caseworker Supervisor is the supervisory level of work providing direct services to individuals or families who are troubled and are designed to enhance or restore the social, health, economic, behavioral and emotional functioning of customers.  Employees in this classification supervise lower-level Family Services Caseworkers.

Employees in this classification receive general supervision from a Social Work Supervisor, Social Services Administrator or other designated official.  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 an office setting, 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 Family Services Caseworker Supervisor is differentiated from the Family Services Caseworker III in that the Family Services Caseworker Supervisor has full supervisory responsibility for lower-level Family Services Caseworkers while the Family Services Caseworker III either assigns, reviews and approves the work of and trains lower-level Family Services Caseworkers or functions as a facilitator for support groups and assists licensed clinical social workers in facilitating therapeutic groups.

Plans, coordinates, supervises and evaluates the work of Family Services Caseworkers and related support staff;

Supervises staff in assisting customers to identify, develop and use their potential capabilities as well as other community resources for maintaining their social, health, emotional, behavioral and economic problems;

Instructs staff in administrative and operating policies and procedures;

Provides training to subordinate staff;

Supervises the interviewing of clients and other individuals to obtain information necessary to determine eligibility for social services;

Approves the case assessments and recommendations regarding individualized plans of service;

Supervises limited counseling and crisis intervention services provided 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;

Supervises the collection of data from computer records, public records, such as birth records, and reviews the verification of other information such as income, kinship and residence;

Uses database applications to record information, research and track or manage cases for compliance with applicable laws, regulations and standards;

Supervises the preparation and management of 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 courts as an expert witness as to professional judgment;

Develops and implements a personalized training plan to maintain and upgrade knowledge and skills related to the delivery of direct services;

May provide on-call coverage;

May supervise the development of recommendations to place children in foster and adoptive homes;

May assist in investigating suspected child or adult abuse or neglect;

May supervise caseworkers in the initial investigations of fatalities that result from suspected abuse or neglect;

May be responsible for referring licensed social workers or candidates for advanced licensure for clinical supervision;

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge of social work values, principles and techniques;

Knowledge of human growth and development;

Knowledge of 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 assist customers in identifying, developing and using their potential capabilities as well as other community resources to enhance or restore their social, health, emotional, behavioral and economic functioning;

Ability to identify health, social service and mental hygiene resources and resources for individuals with disabilities and the elderly population and to appropriately link them to available services;

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

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

Ability to plan, coordinate, supervise and evaluate the work of lower-level Family Services Caseworkers;

Ability to facilitate meetings and support groups.

Education:   A Master’s degree in social work from an accredited college or university.

Experience: Three years rendering casework or community organizational Services to vulnerable children, individuals or families in a public or private social service agency.

Note: These requirements are established by the Social Services Administration by authority provided in Human Services Article, Title 4, Subtitle 301 - Section (b)(1) 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 in this classification must have 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 for no less than 18 months. 

2.Employees in this classification may be assigned duties that 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 in this classification 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 in this classification are required to meet mandatory standards for continuing education as determined by the Department of Human Services. 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 Professional Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Professional Service positions.  Some positions in Professional Service classifications may be designated Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.

This classification is not assigned to a bargaining unit as indicated by the designation of S (supervisor), M (manager), T (agency head), U (Board or Commission member), W (student), X (Used by agency or excluded by executive order),  or Z (confidential).  As provided by 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 therefore, all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.