SOCIAL WORK SUPERVISOR

Official job specification

The text below is the official specification published by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The plain-language summary and analysis above are derived from it by NJ Civil Service Navigator. Source: the official specification page at NJ CSC.

Definition

Under direction of a supervisory official, supervises a group of professional and paraprofessional social service staff involved in the identification of complex social problems and the administration of social service programs designed to assist active, former, and potential welfare clients; does other related duties as required.

Examples of work

• Supervises activities of assigned social service staff.
• May assist other social work supervisors and/or service supervisors in planning, developing, and installing appropriate social service standards, services, procedures, and techniques.
• Assumes responsibility for comprehensive understanding of the social service system to which assigned, and may be expected to offer recommendations and suggestions regarding corrections in that system when service delivery is found to be below acceptable standards or professional standards as established by professional bodies.
• May represent the agency in public meetings or in interagency meetings.
• Consults and makes appraisals and evaluations of the work efficiency of individual staff members and makes recommendations regarding their assignments.
• May assist supervisors in the development and training of social workers.
• Analyzes, comprehends, and interprets welfare laws, rules, regulations, and procedures and applies them with reasonable consistency.
• Analyzes social data with the purpose of using such data for improvement of the system to which assigned.
• Plans, organizes, and assigns work of the organizational unit and evaluates employee performance and conduct, enabling the effective recommendation of the hiring, firing, promoting, and disciplining of subordinates.
• Evaluates performance of social workers and paraprofessionals, gives them assignments and instructions, and supervises their work.
• Prepares clear, sound, accurate, and informative reports containing findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
• Supervises the establishment and maintenance of records and files.
• Assumes responsibility for case conferences for members of the social service staff.
• Will be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.

Education

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's degree supplemented by a Master's degree in Social Work, Psychology, Sociology, Guidance and Counseling or other field related to social work or social services.

Experience

Two (2) years of social work experience involving gathering social information from clients, determining their needs, and planning and carrying out treatment plans and/or service plans geared to individual client needs.

License

Appointees will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform essential duties of the position.

Knowledge, skills and abilities

• Knowledge of social work theory, procedures, terminology, and methods.
• Knowledge of problems involved in supervising a social work program.
• Knowledge of New Jersey welfare laws of and of pertinent articles of the Federal Social Security Act.
• Knowledge of social service standards, policies, and procedures of the county welfare board or agency and of the Department of Human Services.
• Ability to analyze, comprehend, and interpret laws, rules, regulations, and procedures and to apply them with reasonable consistency.
• Ability to supervise the execution of programs for social readjustment and rehabilitation of the aged, disabled, or dependent children.
• Ability to motivate, supervise, and evaluate groups of assigned professional or paraprofessional social service staff.
• Ability to compose business correspondence.
• Ability to prepare clear, sound, accurate, and informative statistical and other reports containing findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
• Ability to supervise the maintenance of records and files.
• Ability to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
• Ability to read, write, speak, understand, and communicate in English sufficiently to perform duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication.
• Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long as they can perform essential functions of the job after reasonable accommodation is made to their known limitations. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible.

Note

The examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular position using this title may not perform all duties listed in this job specification. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be listed.

Applicants who do not possess the Bachelor's degree may substitute additional experience as indicated on a year-for-year basis with thirty (30) semester hour credits being equal to one (1) year of experience.

Applicants who do not possess the required Master's degree may substitute one (1) additional year of experience.