Social Worker III, Trainee

Buncombe County Government

START Social Worker III providing mandated services to families affected by substance use disorder. Collaborating with a START Family Mentor to ensure safety and well-being of children in our community.

Posted 7/9/2026full-timeAsheville • North Carolina • 🇺🇸 United StatesEntry Level💰 $30 - $35 per hourWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Provide mandated services to children and families affected by parental substance use and to ensure safety, permanency, and well-being of children in our community.
Ensure children who cannot safely return to their birth families achieve a safe and legally secure placement via adoption or guardianship.
Provide direct services to children and their pre-adoptive caregivers to ensure the protection, safety, and permanency of the children.
Assess, prepare, place and monitor children cleared for adoption.
Provide state mandated case management services for children in DSS Legal Custody.
Develop and monitor service plans with families and provide or refer services as needed.
Make recommendations to the court, including services needed, progress and barriers to permanent plan.
Establish rapport with children, families, and appropriate professionals/non-professionals in the community to provide a strengths-based, family centered approach in working with families throughout child welfare involvement.
Performs other related duties as assigned.

Requirements

What you’ll need

Master's degree in Social Work; or a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work and one (1) year of directly related experience; or a Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice, Sociology, Psychology, or Human Services and two (2) years directly related experience; or Bachelor’s degree in another field and three (3) years of directly related experience; or an equivalent combination of training and experience.
BSW and Social Work Collaborative Students preferred.
English/Spanish bi-lingual speakers preferred.
A current, valid North Carolina driver's license.

Benefits

Comp & perks

Employees in positions that are approved for remote work must work at a location within a 2-hour drive from the position's assigned Buncombe County facility.
Specialized training or experience working with families with young children impacted by Substance Use Disorder is preferred.
Time-and-a-half leave accrued for hours worked over 40.

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

Child AssessmentAdoption PreparationMonitoring Child PlacementLegal Custody ServicesStrengths-Based Approach

Soft Skills

Interpersonal CommunicationRapport BuildingFamily-Centered Approach

Certifications

Valid North Carolina Driver's License