Job Title: Caseworker III
Department: Human Services
Immediate Supervisor: Child & Adult Protection Program Manager
Supervises: N/A
Pay Grade: NE8 - $23.26 - $32.57
Hiring Range: $23.26 – $27.94
Status: Full-Time
Classification: Non-Exempt
Primary Place of Work: 15193 HWY 119 Black Hawk, CO 80422
Primary Responsibility: Provides intake and ongoing social casework services to adults, children and families where abuse or neglect is present or suspected. Assignments include the provision of extensive assessment and situational evaluation, counseling, crisis intervention, resource mobilization and information and referral around all areas of child and adult protection.
Work will involve each of these areas:
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Child Protection Intake: Assesses allegations of abuse/neglect and refers clients to appropriate services.
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Child Protection Ongoing: Carries ongoing caseload that specializes in child protection, family and adolescent crisis response, delinquency and parent/child conflict, emancipation planning and facilitating adoptions. Assessing for safety continues throughout the life of each case.
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Adult Protection: Actively participates in the intake process of taking referrals; the investigation and assessment of allegations of abuse, neglect and exploitation to those who are aged, vulnerable or disabled; crises intervention; assessment of client’s strengths and capabilities; case management; advocacy and referrals to other agencies to further support the client. When required, petitions to the courts for legal/judicial intervention if it is in the best interest of the client. This includes decision making on behalf of the adjudicated client for whom the county department is the legal guardian.
Main Job Duties:
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Conducts assessments of alleged physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse and neglect; determines if situation warrants the recommendation of placing children outside the home; supervises placement of children and coordinates parent/child visits; works with treatment teams to determine when and if a child should be recommended to return to the home.
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Completes extensive case documentation as required at all levels in child and adult protection assessments and cases, which includes preparing court reports and social histories. Develops and writes reports that demonstrates appropriate, clear and professional documentation for court reports, case plans, recommendations, contacts, assessments, etc.; develops case file information; completes forms and writes correspondence.
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Makes evaluation and assessment of need for services; provides crisis intake and/or develops long-term case plans appropriate to the adult, child(ren) and family. Monitors progress of clients and modifies case plans and services as needed.
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Answer hotline calls for child welfare and adult protection. Receive incoming calls of a possible crisis nature. Gather all information needed utilizing screening questions and document in the state-wide data bases.
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May provide individual or family counseling on an ongoing or crisis basis to children and their parents who are experiencing parent-child conflict.
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Makes home visits with clients on a regular basis. Organizes services such as life skills, childcare, day treatment, therapy, parenting support, Medicare/Medicaid resources, assisted living or nursing facilities and in-home services. Provides information on available services.
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Works proactively and positively in collaboration with our community partners to include law enforcement, District Attorney’s Office, courts, hospitals, home care providers, service providers, schools, assessment centers and any other community partner pertinent to the assessment or case.
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Makes contacts with community resources such as law enforcement and medical personnel to obtain additional information, coordinate services or secure their assistance.
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Participates in staff meetings with school, mental health facilities, child protection review teams and other professionals involved with the family members.
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Testifies in court on a variety of ongoing cases; makes recommendations to the courts on abuse and neglect cases, placement of children, guardianship of adults and custody investigations; confers with lawyers, children, parents, witnesses and significant others in reference to their respective roles.
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Serves as an information and referral source to the public.
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Provides a variety of ancillary assignments as needed including preparing and maintaining client records, completing required forms and reports and entering computer information.
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Maintains and upgrades professional knowledge, skills, and development by attending seminars and training programs as appropriate.
Additional Job Duties:
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Performs other duties as assigned by the Human Services Director and any duties needed to stabilize an emergency situation.
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May provide Adult Protective Services for the County that involves investigations of abuse, neglect and exploitation of vulnerable adults. Provides ongoing services as needed.
Hours: Must be available for on-call coverage.
Qualifications:
Education:
- Bachelor’s Degree. Preference for a Bachelor’s Degree in a Human Services Field; or current Volume 7 requirements.
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Must successfully complete the requirements of the Colorado Child Welfare Training Academy as a condition of their continued employment with the County. Must complete annual training to maintain child welfare and adult protection certifications.
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Must have family engagement skills to work with adults, children and families in mitigating risk and enhancing safety that will be used in the office, client homes and in the community. Must have the ability to advocate for the adult, child and/or families, testify in court and de-escalate potentially volatile situations.
Ability to:
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Establish rapport with complex, dysfunctional clients.
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Recognize, assess, and analyze a variety of complex barriers and propose effective solutions.
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Organize work, set priorities, meet critical deadlines and follow up on assignments with minimum direction. Ability to understand, interpret and communicate complicated policies, procedures and protocols.
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Accurately and effectively transmit and receive information that is necessary to the accomplishment of goals and objectives, including effective written and oral communications in English; ability to testify effectively in court hearings; and the ability to listen.
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Exercise independent judgment and critical thought.
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Maintain effective working relationships with medical, law enforcement, education, legal, and psychiatric professionals; members of the judicial system; clients; community organizations and resources; foster parents and other members of the agency for the purpose of developing effective treatment plans for clients, to help clients solve problems, and to educate the community about child abuse and neglect.
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Work efficiently and effectively as a team member within the department.
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Ability to adapt to and apply changing federal and state rules and regulations
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Ability to work with community partner agencies
Computer knowledge:
- Microsoft Office and Google Suites; with the ability to learn new programs.
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Working knowledge of and skill in interviewing techniques, crisis intervention methods and relevant treatment modalities.
Working knowledge of:
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Theories, principles and concepts of social casework practice related to child protection;
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Casework principles and methods of human needs and behavior pertaining to child development, parenting, attachment and separation;
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Social group work principles and methods;
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Medical symptoms related to injuries or failure to thrive in children;
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Battered child syndrome, and the laws dealing with child abuse, neglect and other dependency conditions;
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Community resources, agency rules, regulations and procedures related to child protection issues.
- Considerable travel is required in order to make home visits and to visit foster parents and children/adults in placement.
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Must be able to work with clients who may be angry, verbally abusive and hostile.
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Must pass background check, including traffic and criminal.
Certifications:
- Preference for a Colorado Caseworker Certification.
- Must possess a valid Colorado Driver’s license without any restriction due to driving record. Must also be able to drive a county vehicle.
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Must possess FEMA ICS 100 and 700 certifications within 6 months of employment.
Work Environment/Physical Demands:
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Some work is performed in a standard office environment. Work also involves a considerable period of time away from a standard office environment, much of which consists of driving for home visits, collateral contacts and transporting clients; including children, families and adults.
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Work may occur in situations in which incumbent is threatened with physical harm by hostile, angry clients.
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Physical demands are described as mainly sedentary. Occasionally required to lift and carry infants and small children in the care and custody of the county, as well as the ability to carry large case files.
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While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, talk or hear, walk and use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, or controls. The employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms, stand, climb or balance, stoop, kneel, and crouch.
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Lift and carry and install car seats correctly.
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Lift up to 50 pounds; in excess of 50 pounds with assistance.
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May come into contact with human fluids and waste (i.e. blood, sputum, urine).
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Extensive travel by automobile may be necessary.
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Work/drive in inclement weather.
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Work around dust, dirt, and odors.
Experience:
- Two years of full-time professional social casework experience required with Master’s degree in Social Work or other human behavioral science field. Three years of experience required for Bachelor level candidates.
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of requirements, duties and responsibilities. Gilpin County provides reasonable job-related accommodations for disabled persons. Must pass drug screen and pre-employment screening.
- Part-time and Temporary staff are ineligible for the following benefits: medical, dental, vision, 401A, Life Insurance, Short-term & Long-term Disability plans in additional to Long-term care. See the benefit details at the end of the job posting for part-time options.
Benefits for Full Time Employees:
Paid Holidays: Gilpin County provides 13 paid holidays per calendar year. An employee will be paid ten (10) hours per holiday.
Vacation: The first year of employment, (based on the anniversary of the hire date) full-time employees are given 40 hours of vacation and earn 3 hours of paid vacation leave bi-weekly. After that time, leave shall accrue as follows:
Lump Sum on Date of Hire (Hours)
Hourly Accrual Rate
(bi-weekly)
Full-Time employees are encouraged to take their earned vacation leave each year. Vacation time accrual shall cap at the maximum amount and shall not exceed the maximum accrual amount, based on total months of service.
Sick Leave: Full-Time employees shall accrue four (4) hours of sick leave each bi-weekly pay period. The maximum sick leave that may be accumulated by such an employee is 600 hours.
Medical Plans: Gilpin County offers two medical plans with Kaiser and United Health Care. Gilpin County offers a Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) for all employees to cover co-pays, deductibles, and other medical expenses. Employees are eligible for benefits the first of the month following 30 days of service. This HRA card will have $3,000.00 on it for an individual or $6,000.00 for a family. Both plans have a max out of pocket for $1,000 individual or $2,000 per family after the use of the HRA card for in network expenses.
United Health Care Monthly Employee Cost:
Employee Only/Employee and Spouse/Employee and Child(ren)/Employee and Family
$80.85/$167.72/$149.40/$234.30
Kaiser Permanente Monthly Employee Cost:
Employee Only/Employee and Spouse/Employee and Child(ren)/Employee and Family
$72.60/$152.62/$134.47/$210.90
Dental Plan: Gilpin County offers dental coverage through Delta Dental with PPO and Premiere network coverages. Individual deductible at $50 and family deductible at $150. In network coverage for preventative and diagnostic services are covered 100%, basic services covered at 80%, major services at 50%, and ortho covered at 50% with a $2,000 max. The plan offers a “Right Start 4 Kids” plan that covers most children basic services up to their 13th birthday at 100% with no deductible (some exclusions apply). Annual max this plan pays for covered dental services is $2,000 per individual covered on the plan.
Delta Dental Monthly Employee Costs:
Employee Only/Employee and Spouse/Employee and Child(ren)/Employee and Family
$0.00/$28.71/$54.00/$72.50
Vision Plan: Gilpin County offers vision coverage through VSP. In network coverage includes copays at $10 copays with an allowance of $175 per pair of either one prescription eyeglasses or contacts yearly on a 12-month calendar basis and discounts on Lasik.
VSP Vision Monthly Employee Costs:
Employee Only/Employee and Spouse/Employee and Child(ren)/Employee and Family
$0.00/$3.20/$3.40/$5.60
Retirement: Two retirement savings plans are available through the Colorado Retirement Association: 401(a) and 457 Deferred Compensation Plans
- The 401(a) has a 5% required full match with a 4-year vesting period.
- The 457 Plan is optional and has Pre-tax and Roth Options available. After four years of service, this plan could also include a County match as described below.
Social Security, as required by law: 6.2% required full match.
Effective July 8, 2025, for all new employees hired on or after this date, the graduated vesting schedule for the 5% match on employees’ 401(a) plan is as follows:
1 year to less than 2 years
2 years to less than 3 years
3 years to less than 4 years
Starting January 1, 2026, two new voluntary retirement plan matches will be initiated, with one plan for POST (law enforcement officers) and a second for all other employees, based on years of service. The employee would need to make voluntary contributions into a 457 account at the minimum level in order to be eligible for the County match into the employee’s 401(a).
POST 401(a) eligible positions, 1:1 match
POST Employee Contribution to 457
All other 401(a) eligible positions, 1:2 match
Employee Contribution to 457
Short-Term Disability: Short-term disability pays 60% of your earnings with a max of $1,000 per week for up to 11 weeks. Benefits begin on day 15 and your first two weeks you will have to cover with sick, personal, or vacation time. Gilpin County covers 100% of the premium cost of this plan for the employee.
Long-Term Disability: Long-term disability kicks in after 90 consecutive calendar days of a qualified disability. The plan will pay 60% of your earnings with a max of $5,000 monthly. Gilpin County covers 100% of the premium cost of this plan for the employee.
Employee Assistance Program (EAP): EAP is provided through Triad All one Health for employees and members of your household. Services are confidential and available 24/7. A wide variety of services including but not limited to: Emotion well-being support with up to 6 Counseling sessions per issue each year. Daily life assistance guidance on a variety of topics. Online resources with articles, assessments, search tools, webinars. Free 30-minute consultations on legal services and financial services. A discount center to find deals on products, services, travel and more!
Gilpin County Parks & Recreation: Employees receive free memberships, as well as 20% discounts on most services such as childcare, leagues, rentals, in house classes but does not include contract classes.
Benefits for Part Time and Temporary Employees:
Sick Leave: Leave accrues at the rate of 1 hours of sick leave per 30 hours worked to a maximum of 45 hours per year.
Retirement: As a part time or temporary employee, you may participate in the optional 457b or 457 Roth plan. These plans may be started, stopped, and changed anytime during your employment.
Employee Assistance Program (EAP): EAP is provided through Triad All One Health for employees and members of your household. Services are confidential and available 24/7. A wide variety of services including but not limited to: Emotion well-being support with up to 6 Counseling sessions per issue each year. Daily life assistance guidance on a variety of topics. Online resources with articles, assessments, search tools, webinars. Free 30-minute consultations on legal services and financial services. A discount center to find deals on products, services, travel and more!
Retirement: Gilpin County offers optional 457b or 457 Roth plans. The optional 457b plans may be started, stopped, and changed anytime during your employment
Gilpin County Parks & Recreation: Employees receive free membership, as well as 20% discounts on most services such as childcare, leagues, rentals, in house classes but does not include contract classes.
