Social Work Assistant - START Family Mentor

This job posting expires at 11:59PM on August 19, 2026. No applications can be submitted after 11:59PM on August 19, 2026.

 

 

Job Title:  Social Work Assistant - START Family Mentor

 

 

Department: Social Services - Child Welfare

 

 

External Hiring Range: $22.51 - $27.09

 

 

Compensation Grade: 2005

 

 

Posted Internally and Externally

 

 

 

 

 

 

Purpose of the position: The purpose of this position is to provide work with children and families that have HHS involvement when one of the parents has history of or is currently abusing substances.  The goal of the program is to keep children safe while providing mandated services to the family; to develop a safe, nurturing, and stable living environment for the child as rapidly and responsibly as possible and to assist the parent(s) to overcome their substance use.

Minimum Education, Training and/or Experience (required at time of hire): High school diploma or GED (or equivalent); one (1) year of experience working with the population(s) served; a minimum of two (2) years of sustained recovery from substance use; and direct or indirect experience with the child welfare system related to substance use and family recovery.

Must be willing to complete training specific to the required components of the position within the first ninety (90) days of employment.

Preferred Training and/or Experience: Experience as a Parent Advocate or Family Mentor in any system; certification in CPR, First Aid, NCI, and/or other role-related certifications; and certification as a Peer Support Specialist.

License or Certification Required by Statute or Regulation: Valid driver’s license and automotive insurance.

Essential Functions of the position:

• Coordinate and provide supervised visitation services to children in the custody of BCHHS.

• Co-work Child Welfare Permanency Planning cases with a paired Social Work staff partner to help families complete case goals and reunify children in substance use impacted cases.

• Drawing on personal experience as a former client of the child welfare system as a person in recovery to provide emotional support to START clients, including phone calls and visits with the family in the home or office setting.

• Advocate for START clients to obtain necessary services and support such as housing, benefits, substance use treatment services and other supports as needed.

• Work with clients to provide hope, support and self-determination.

• Assist the family with identifying and responding to identified precursors or triggers that result in functional impairments.

• Maintain strict confidentiality of all information related to the client and their work with the agency.

• Work in collaboration with the START team, including HHS and other partner agencies.

• Participate in case conferences/reviews, service planning meetings, training sessions and other meetings as needed.

• Accompany/transport parents to services, including but not limited to substance use treatment sessions, court, supervised visits with children, and other relevant treatment plan goals.

• Maintain accurate case documentation and complete administrative tasks, including recording case activities, contributing to START team data collection, and preparing correspondence, records, and reports.

• Perform other duties as required.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Knowledge of the population(s) served, demonstrated through at least one year of experience working with individuals who have children and a substance use disorder.

• Knowledge of the challenges faced by families involved with Child Protective Services and substance use treatment.

• Knowledge of and commitment to maintaining personal recovery.

• Skill in using effective time management and organizational skills to complete job duties.

• Skill in effective interpersonal communication.

• Ability to establish and maintain professional working relationships with regional staff, divisional staff, state contacts, clients, and community partners.

• Ability to troubleshoot, analyze, evaluate, and solve problems, using sound judgment to make decisions and determine the appropriate course of action.

• Skill in using computers and standard office software, including email, word processing, and spreadsheets (e.g., Microsoft Word and Excel).

 

 

Buncombe County Government realizes the importance of a diverse professional workforce and the need to foster a responsive and innovative organizational culture, one that fully engages all of our employees, honoring and building on each employee's unique experiences, opinions, and perspective.

It is the policy of Buncombe County to provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all persons regardless of race, natural hair or hairstyles, ethnicity, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin or ancestry, marital or familial status, pregnancy, veteran status, religious belief or non-belief, age, or disability or any other legally protected class under federal or NC State law. EEO practices and employment decisions regarding recruitment, hiring, assignment, promotion and compensation shall not be based on any of these protected classes. In addition, the County expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment or discrimination.