State of Maryland

A Social Work Therapist, Family Services is the full-performance level of professional social work providing specialized clinical casework services to individuals and families in local departments of social services.  Employees in this classification do not supervise other positions but may provide consultation to other staff.

Employees in this classification receive general supervision from a Social Work Administrator.  Employees may be required to work evenings and on weekends and may be assigned to provide on-call coverage.  Work is generally performed in an office setting but may be performed in customer’s homes, schools, hospitals or 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 Social Work Therapist, Family Services is differentiated from the Social Worker II, Family Services in that the Social Work Therapist, Family Services is certified for independent clinical practice and provides special clinical casework services while the Social Worker II, Family Services performs the full range of duties and responsibilities under general supervision.  The Social Work Therapist, Family Services is differentiated from the Social Worker Supervisor, Family Services in that the Social Worker Supervisor, Family Service has supervisory responsibility for lower-level Social Workers, Family Services.

Provides clinical social work services to children, adolescents, young adults and families;

Functions as primary therapist for children and adolescents and their biological and foster parents;

Completes psychosocial and diagnostic assessments;

Makes mental health diagnoses based on the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders;

Attends interdisciplinary staffings to discuss and integrate the evaluation information and develop a comprehensive treatment plan;

Maintains records that include diagnostic interviews at the initiation of therapy, treatment plans, weekly progress notes, periodic reviews and termination summaries;

Interviews customers and other individuals to obtain necessary information in cases concerning suspected abuse or neglect, out of home placement and 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;

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

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

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

Develops and implements an individualized training plan to maintain and upgrade knowledge and skills;

Testifies in legal proceedings as to the facts of a specific family service case and may testify in court as an expert witness as to professional judgement;

May work with other caseworkers in placing customers in foster and adoptive homes;

May attend Foster Care Review Board meetings to provide information regarding treatment progress;

May respond to juvenile court system through progress reports required in the court’s development of a plan for a customer; May provide guidance and assistance to less experienced social workers;

Performs other duties as assigned.

Knowledge of the principles and practices of clinical social service casework;

Knowledge of individual, family and group behavioral patterns;

Knowledge of normal and abnormal growth and development throughout the age continuum;

Knowledge of medical and legal terminology related to the practice of clinical social work;

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

Ability to identify a crisis situation and initiate intervention techniques;

Ability to perform evaluations, plan treatments and carry out therapy designed to aid customers in solving problems;

Ability to work as a member of a social services team in evaluating the progress of treatment plans;

Ability to provide consultative guidance to other social work staff;

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate effectively with managers of related programs, with the courts and with the general public.

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

Experience: One year of experience in independent clinical practice providing specialized clinical casework services.

Notes:

1. These education 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 Human Resources does not have the authority to accept substitutions or equivalents.

2. Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience at a rank of Corporal/Petty Officer or higher as a commissioned officer in Social Work classifications or Social Work specialty codes in the Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare field of work on a year-for-year basis for the required experience.

1. Employees are required to be licensed as a Certified Social Worker-Clinical by the Maryland State Board of Social Work Examiners prior to permanent appointment.

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 where 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 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.