STATE OF CONNECTICUT EXECUTIVE BRANCH JOBS

Social Work Case Aide

Office/On-site

Recruitment #241029-7494SH-001

Introduction



The State of Connecticut, Department of Children and Families (DCF) is recruiting for full-time Social Work Case Aide vacancies at the following locations:
  • Norwalk
  • Willimantic (Please note: Willimantic is part of Windham County)
  • Norwich
  • Danbury
Position Highlights:
  • Full-time, 40 hours per week
  • First (1st) shift
  • Monday - Friday
  • 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
About Us:
Working together with families and communities to improve child safety, ensure that more children have permanent families, and advance the overall well-being of children is the central focus of the Department of Children and Families (DCF). DCF protects children who are being abused or neglected, strengthens families through support and advocacy, and builds on existing family and community strengths to help children who are facing emotional and behavioral challenges, including those committed to the Department by the juvenile justice system.

What’s In It For You:
  • To work for a Forbes top company: ‘Forbes State of Connecticut Ranked One of the Best Employers of 2023 - State of CT Receives National Recognition for Offering Job Growth, Competitive Benefits, and Flexible Schedule;
  • Professional growth and paid professional development opportunities.
  • A healthy work-life balance to all employees.
  • State of Connecticut is an eligible Public Service Loan Forgiveness employer, meaning you may be eligible to have qualifying student loan forgiveness after 10 years of service. Click here for more information.
We hope you take this opportunity to continue your career and make an impaCT!

Selection Plan

In order to be considered for this job opening, you must be a current State of CT employee, who has worked for the state for at least six (6) months of full-time service or full-time equivalent service, absent any applicable collective bargaining language, and meet the Minimum Qualifications as listed on the job opening.  You must specify your qualifications on your application.

For Assistance in Applying:

Please read or watch our Applicant Tips on How to Apply!

Application Process:

This position will be filled in accordance with contractual language, reemployment, SEBAC, transfer, promotion and merit employment rules.

For current state employees, salary calculations are not necessarily comparable from branch to branch but it does not impact your state service credit.

In order to comply with Public Act 21-69, the State of Connecticut is no longer asking for resumes during the initial application process.

In order to be considered for this job opening, you must meet the minimum qualifications as listed on the job opening. You must specify your qualifications on your application. The minimum experience and training requirements must be met by the close date, unless otherwise specified.

The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class.

All application materials must be received by the recruiting agency by the time specified on the job opening for the position for which you are applying. Late applications may not be submitted and will not be considered. Exceptions are rare and limited to documented events that incapacitate a candidate during the entire duration of the job posting time period. It is the candidate’s obligation and responsibility to request an exception and provide a legally recognized justification to accommodate such exception. Requests should be made to DAS.SHRM@ct.gov.

Please ensure that your application is complete. You will be unable to make revisions once you officially submit your application to the state of Connecticut.

Selection Process:

This posting may require completion of additional referral questions (RQs) which will be sent to you via email after the closing date. The email notification will include an expiration date by which you must submit (Finish) your responses. Please regularly check your email for notifications. Please check your SPAM and/or Junk folders, as emails could end up there in error.

During the recruitment process, applicants may be required to submit additional documentation supporting their qualification(s) for this position. These documents may include performance reviews, supervisory references, college transcripts, licensure, etc. at the discretion of the agency.

Read through this helpful link to prepare for your interview.

Contact Information:

Due to the large volume of applications received, we are unable to provide confirmation of receipt or status during the recruitment process.

Should you have any questions pertaining to this recruitment, please contact Christopher Lavallee at Christopher.Lavallee@ct.gov.

PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK)

In the Department of Children and Families this class is accountable for performing paraprofessional case management and client services activities to support and augment professional services provided to agency clients by agency social work staff.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

  • Transports children and/or clients to and from supervised visits, medical and other service appointments and court appointments;
  • Supervises family visitation sessions in office and/or home settings;
  • Observes interaction of parent(s) and child during visits and takes notes regarding interaction of family for review by Social Worker and inclusion into case file;
  • Prepares reports regarding client contacts;
  • Accompanies Social Worker on emergency and other field visits especially in cases where an interpreter is needed;
  • Supervises children in regional office during emergency procedures;
  • Obtains medical, social and other records to assist professional staff in developing family history;
  • Makes collateral contacts to community agencies such as schools, doctors, police and social service agencies to obtain necessary information;
  • Picks up and delivers cars for servicing;
  • Assists clients in completing forms relating to assistance or service requests;
  • May perform clerical activity such as typing narratives, filing and obtaining case files and copying and arranging various documents, referral information and other written material;
  • May shop for clients for food, clothing and household items;
  • May act as an interpreter for staff in cases involving non-English speaking clients or individuals;
  • May testify in court regarding information directly observed in client contacts;
  • Performs related duties as required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITY

  • Knowledge of
    • agency programs, policies and procedures;
    • human behavior and family dynamics;
  • Skills
    • interpersonal skills; 
    • oral and written communication skills;
  • Ability to
    • prepare clear and concise reports of client contacts; 
    • observe, record and report significant aspects of client contacts.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - GENERAL EXPERIENCE

Two (2) years of experience providing social and/or human services to children, youth or families or performing basic technical or complex clerical duties in social or human services.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - SUBSTITUTIONS ALLOWED

College training in a closely related field such as social and human services or behavioral sciences may be substituted for the General Experience on the basis of fifteen semester hours equalling one-half (1/2) year of experience to a maximum of two (2) years for an Associate's or Bachelor's degree.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

  • Experience in assisting with or providing services to children and families in community settings such as schools, shelters, hospitals, or family centers.
  • Experience and knowledge with supporting family visits, community resources, or client appointments.
  • Experience with both written and verbal communications. 

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

  • DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES: Incumbents in this class are required to possess and retain a valid Motor Vehicle Operator's License.
  • Incumbents in this class are required to travel.
  • Incumbents in this class may be required to speak a foreign language.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Incumbents in this class may be exposed to some risk of injury from assaultive and/or abusive clients.

Conclusion

AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

As defined by Sec. 5-196 of the Connecticut General Statutes, a job class is a position or group of positions that share general characteristics and are categorized under a single title for administrative purposes.  As such, a job class is not meant to be all-inclusive of every task and/or responsibility.