5A03
SOCIAL SERVICES TRAINEE

This is social services work at the trainee level. Employees in this class learn the principles, practices and techniques required to perform social work subsequent to successful completion of a comprehensive internship program with the Department of Human Services as part of a federal and state sponsored program. Work includes exposure to the variety of counseling, referral, placement and/or adoptive functions required to provide services to children and youth, services to adults and aging, services to mentally ill and/or retarded, services for family medical care and/or for correctional rehabilitation. Assignments vary in nature and increase in difficulty as the employee gains experience. Work is performed under the direction of a Social Work Supervisor.

ALLOCATING FACTORS: (The following conditions must be met for a position to be allocated to this class.)

• Employees work and train in a social work program with the intent of becoming proficient in the profession.
• Positions in this class are available only to employees who have successfully completed a comprehensive internship program with the Department of Human Services as part of a federal and state sponsored program.

• Attends training sessions, seminars and lectures to learn the concepts, principles, practices, and application of social work; reads and studies textbooks, manuals, instruction sheets and applicable rules and regulations; receives instruction in the interpretation and application of appropriate laws, rules, regulations and procedures.
• Receives on-the-job training on the accepted social work methods and techniques for performing a variety of counseling, referral, placement and/or adoptive functions; consults with immediate supervisor on departmental policies, programs, and procedures; observes higher level employees in performing various phases of case work within respective service areas; receives orientation on the respective programs within assigned functional area; receives instruction and performs a variety of field and office activities in the assigned phases of activity to enable an employee to learn to perform the work.
• Interviews defined client and/or family members to elicit socio-economic, family, medical, employment and educational, and criminal justice background and history; reviews case record to identify special needs and/or problems; observes behavior of appropriate case members; discusses case with concerned members of professional and community groups; defines and identifies individuals and family members needs and problems.
• Performs related work as required.

KNOWLEDGE OF:

• the basic principles, practices and techniques of social work.
• social factors which contribute to attitudes and behaviors common to abandoned, neglected and/or dependent individuals.
• principles, practices and techniques required to write narrative reports.
• English usage and grammar.
• uses and applications of personal computers and current standard software packages used for word processing, data base manipulation and preparation of spreadsheets as required by job assignment.
• application of basic statistics.

ABILITY TO:

• learn increasingly more complicated principles, practices and techniques of social work.
• learn the functions and resources of public and private welfare and related agencies for meeting social, financial, and medical problems
• learn the theories, principles and techniques of working with individuals with severe emotional, mental, and social problems.
• learn the principles, practices and techniques of individual and family counseling.
• learn casework principles, practices and techniques.
• learn the principles, practices and methods of group dynamics.
• apply social work techniques to specific problems.
• present ideas effectively, both orally and in writing.
• speak and understand the designated non-English language for the Bilingual specialty.

EDUCATION

• Completion of a bachelor's degree program at an accredited college or university with major course work in social work that has included successful completion of a comprehensive internship program with the Department of Human Services as part of a federal and state sponsored program.

PHYSICAL AND MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Ability to physically perform the duties and to work in the environmental conditions required of a position in this class.

LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS AND/OR CERTIFICATES

• Possession of a valid proper class motor vehicle operator's license as issued by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania prior to examination as a Social Services Trainee.