Job Specification
Position Title:
Amended - Social Worker
Job Code:
C10104 - Social Worker 2 (COR)
Purpose of Position :
Provides professional social work services in assessment, treatment and community re-integration female inmates using a trauma influenced culturally responsive approach. Provides community liaison and outreach services and performs a variety of related tasks.
Duties / Responsibilities :
1. (80%) Provides professional, woman-sensitive social work services in the assessment, treatment, and community re-integration of women offenders by performing such tasks as: Establishing co-operative working relationships with correctional, administrative and other professional staff. Assuming clinical responsibility for a caseload of women, prioritizing their needs for treatment and other services and intervening as appropriate. Providing gender responsive individual, group or family intervention, crisis counselling and making appropriate referrals as needed. Interpreting reports and offering clinical resources and direction to correctional staff re case management. Maintaining a client record and preparing clinical assessments for Assessment and Evaluation Meetings, the Ontario Board of Parole, discharging planning; offering clinical recommendations and preparing client correspondence as appropriate. Providing clinical consultation to OM's, administration and others re the appropriate placement and management of women.Offering professional input in institutional meetings: staff meetings, department meetings, house meetings, assessment and evaluation meetings, programme planning meeting. Participating in the development, implementation, revision and evaluation of institutional programming.
2. (10%) Providing community liaison and outreach services by; Establishing and maintaining professional working relationships with community agencies (Elizabeth Fry, Children's Aid Society, Native Women's Organizations, etc.) to improve community options for women. Advocating for gender responsive practices, policies, services, placements and programmes.
3. (10%) Performing other related duties such as: Assuming the duties of colleagues during absences. Performing public relations tasks or public speaking engagements. Participating in staff training as required. As required or assigned, representing the Department of Social Work inside and outside the institution. Orienting, supervising and appraising social work students during placement or summer employment.
Staffing and Licensing :
Designation of Registered Social Worker in good standing with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers.
Knowledge :
1. Requires in-depth knowledge of theories, principles and practices of social work normally acquired through a Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W.) with significant work experience or Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) to develop rehabilitative treatment plans from a social work perspective and psycho-social rehabilitation/treatment theories, principles and techniques;e.g.,psycho-social assessments ,individual/group therapy, crisis intervention, and development and implementation of programs and rehabilitative plans for female inmates to apply appropriate treatment to inmates.
2. Knowledge of relevant legislation; e.g.; Ministry of Correctional Services Act, Institutional Ministry policies, procedures, rules of confidentiality, program support services and risk assessment tools to recommend appropriate classification for institutional program, or alternate institution placement to ensure proper and consistent treatment implementation, to provide information, interpretation and advice to institutional staff and to report observations to manager that may affect programs and female inmate activities .
3. Knowledge of community support services to assist inmates in formulating discharge plans. Working knowledge of computers and related software ; e.g.,OTIS, LSI-OR and word-processing software packages to input retrieve inmate data, prepare reports and maintain case documentation and statistics.
4. Ability to develop cooperative, professional relationships with staff and female clients.
5. Knowledge in the area of sexual abuse and addiction recovery and gender responsive individual, group and family practice
6. Job requires knowledge of community resources/services and organizations to co-ordinate services for offenders and formulate discharge plans.
Skills :
Requires analytical and problem solving skills to gather and compile data from multiple sources; e.g. Inmate, file history,ministry staff, family, other external treatment professionals, in order to identify inmate needs and appropriate Institutional classification, and develop or modify social work rehabilitative, treatment and case management plans in consultation with Inmate and case management team, and make recommendations on the appropriate classification of female inmates.
Analytical and effective reasoning skills to assess female inmates in crisis and apply appropriate therapeutic intervention.
Analytical skills to evaluate program effectiveness based on composite of experience with crisis intervention, conflict resolution, counselling, therapy, observations of female inmates and input from other concerned parties.
Excellent communication skills to carry out assessments and counselling sessions with female inmates to discuss issues or problematic cases with supervisor or other professionals, and to liaise with correctional staff and/or community support services.
Advanced written communication skills to prepare assessment, progress and statistical reports. Interpersonal skills to advocate on behalf of female inmates in the institution or community.
Tact, discretion and sensitivity when discussing problems/options with female inmates in crisis, maintaining confidentiality.
Planning and organizational skills to manage own priorities, meet needs of treatment team and prepare discharge plans.
Job requires keyboarding skills to prepare reports, etc.
Freedom of Action :
Working In accordance with established program policies and procedures to write reports, to provide care to female inmates, and provide information about social work services to professional/correctional staff.
Working within guidelines of relevant legislation and recognized and approved professional ethics and practices, and maintaining confidentiality. Discussing development and modification of social rehabilitative treatment and case management plans with female inmate and consultation, as necessary with Supervisor.
Providing weekly work update to supervisor, who is consulted on unique cases and situations not covered by established methods and procedure. Exercising independence in direct dealings with inmates in social work counselling.