CHILD ACCESS ASSESSOR, MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL
Harford County MD

Job Info

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Nature of Work
This is a professional position that facilitates discussion, negotiation, and settlement in family law cases by providing a psychosocial assessment of the family that identifies the needs of the child(ren); the strengths and limitations of each parent; the capacity for co-parenting. The Child Access Assessment does not include a diagnostic assessment. Instead, the assessment, used as an ADR tool, provides direction and encouragement to the parties, their advocates, and the court. The Assessor uses a collaborative approach that seeks creative ways to reach a mutual solution that meets the needs of children. Specific duties vary but include interviewing parents and children; reviewing collateral documents and information; preparing court reports that facilitate solution-oriented discussion; providing testimony when indicated; implementing legislative enactments and court rules relating to a case; and keeping abreast of current research, Court rules, and legislation.

Employees in this classification receive managerial supervision from the Director of Family Court Services.

This position is 100 percent in-person and will require employee to be in office. After the first full year of successful employment, limited remote work may be an option.

Pursuant to Section 2-501 of the Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article of the Annotated Code of MD, this position serves at the pleasure of the Circuit Court Judges.

Examples of Duties
EXAMPLES OF WORK: (Examples are illustrative only)
Employees in this class may perform any or all of the below-listed duties. These should be interpreted as examples of the work and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Conducting Psychosocial family assessments that identify the child(ren)'s needs and each parent's strengths and limitations in meeting those needs as directed by an order of referral from the court. In conducting Child Access Assessments, the Mental Health Assessor provides:

• Multiple interviews with the family members.
• 1 interview with parties and counsel to provide notice of any recommendations
• Information from relevant collateral contacts (including child(ren)'s school, daycare, DSS, etc.)
• An oral report placed under oath on the record at a court hearing.
• Recommendations to the court
• Referrals for community services if appropriate
• Drafting of the Parenting Plan document for review by counsel if parties exercise their option to use the information generated by the assessment to settle their dispute

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
Work is essentially sedentary with occasional walking, standing, bending, and carrying items under 25 pounds, such as books, files, and papers.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
The role of the Mental Health professional when conducting a Child Access Assessment is to provide the Court with a psychosocial assessment of the family that identifies children's needs and parenting strengths and weaknesses. The Child Access Assessment model as practiced in Harford County is a 5-interview session model.

The Assessor is expected to systemically conceptualize family dynamics; co-parenting; identify children's developmental needs (intellectually, psychologically, socially, and physically); identify parenting strengths and liabilities, including identifying the need to proceed to rule out underlying psychopathology that compromises parenting. However, when conducting Child Access Assessments, the Assessor is not required to provide a formal DSM diagnosis. In the forensic setting, that role is limited to the psychologist since the psychologist is licensed or certified to perform and interpret psychological testing in addition to clinical interview information. Additionally, in the role of conducting a Child Access Assessment, the Assessor does not provide treatment services and, instead, will refer for treatment service.

The Mental Health professional conducting a Child Access Assessment is expected to actively intervene and apply clinical skills, psycho-educational skills, conflict resolution skills, and referral skills in the following circumstances:

In crisis situations (involving domestic violence, delusional thinking. abandonment)

In managing heightened emotional states (including anger, rage, depression, and anxiety)

In managing complex family systems (including stepfamilies and extended families)

In managing complex multidisciplinary case management services

(including judges, attorneys, and mental health service providers).
Minimum Qualification Requirements
EDUCATION:
Must have a Master's Degree in a mental health field.

EXPERIENCE:
Minimum of two (2) years of clinical experience working with children and families.
An interest in Forensic practice is preferred.

LICENSE:
Must have one of the following licenses:

• Licensed Clinical Social Worker - Certified (LCSW-C)
• Licensed Master of Social Work (LMSW)
• Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC)
• Licensed Graduate Professional Counselor (LGPC)

Notes
Possession of a valid Class "D" or Class "C" non-commercial motor vehicle operator's license with no more than three (3) points valid in the State of Maryland.

FRINGE BENEFITS
(Effective July 1, 2023)

ANNUAL LEAVE - Begin accruing first day of employment and cannot be taken until successful completion of probationary period, EXCESS of 40 DAYS [320 hours] will be deposited into an 106 Premium Reimbursement Account.

0 months - 3 years 1 day per month (12 days per year)
4 years - 9 years 1 ¼ days per month (15 days per year)
10 years - 15 years 1 ¾ days per month (21 days per year)
Over 15 years 2 days per month (24 days per year)

* Please note that leave is prorated according to your status determined by actual hours worked*

SICK LEAVE - Begin accruing first day of employment (UMLIMITED ACCUMULATION)

1 day is allowed after first month of employment
1 ¼ days per month accumulation

PERSONAL LEAVE - For new employees, personal leave is prorated according to schedule below, for the first year only. Any employee on board as of December 31st of each year automatically receives 8 days as of January 1st the following year. (NOTE: Personal Leave may not be taken until successful completion of probationary period; personal leave will be lost if not taken before December 31st of each year.)

1/1 to 1/31 6 days 4/1 to 4/30 3 days
2/1 to 2/28 5 days 5/1 to 5/31 2 days
3/1 to 3/31 4 days 6/1 to 6/30 1 day
7/1 to 12/31 0 days
FAMILY LEAVE - Up to 12 weeks per year

FUNERAL LEAVE - 3 days + 1 day for extended travel

MILITARY LEAVE - 3 weeks per year with no loss in pay for Reserve or National Guard Training, Active Duty and serving during emergencies.

CIVIL LEAVE - No loss in pay while serving Jury Duty.

RETIREMENT -
COUNTY EMPLOYEES: State Pension System 7% employee contribution
LAW ENFORCEMENT (TO INCLUDE TEMPORARY DEPUTIES): LEOPS 7% Employee Contribution
CORRECTIONS: SOPP 9% Employee Contribution

COUNTYFLEX - Provides the employee with a range of health care and other employee benefit options which gives employee the opportunity to design a benefit plan that best meets the employee's needs. Employee may use available credits to purchase the following:

HEALTH INSURANCE - CareFirst Triple Option and BlueChoice Opt-Out Plus Open Access and Kaiser Permanente (all plans include prescription drug coverage)

DENTAL INSURANCE - CareFirst Dental PPO Plus Plan and CareFirst Dental PPO Plan

VISION INSURANCE - Provided through BlueVision Plus

FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNTS - Provided through American Fidelity. Employees may fund health and child care expenses on a pre-tax basis.

PRE-TAX - All deductions for health, dental, vision and flexible spending accounts are subject to deductions from paycheck before federal and state taxes are applied.

LIFE INSURANCE -
Provided through MetLife - $50,000 policy - NO COST TO EMPLOYEE

SUPPLEMENTAL LIFE (TERM/WHOLE/UNIVERSAL AND AD&D)
Provided through MetLife.

LONG TERM DISABILITY - Provided through MetLife.

DEFERRED COMPENSATION -
Lincoln Financial Group - Retirement Consultant David Weiland
Phone 410-236-2494 Email- Dave.Weiland@LFG.com
[Customer Service Representative 1-800-234-3500]

RETIREE HEALTH CARE INSURANCE BENEFITS-
Employees hired on or after 7/1/2010 will have an automatic Retirement Health Savings account made available as the primary retiree healthcare benefit. This 105(h) Universal Reimbursement Account will only be able to be accessed upon separation of service and/or retirement whichever applicable. These accounts are employer funded, tax free, & portable with 20 different Nationwide investment options.
These funds are solely for the use of offsetting your premium health care cost, prescriptions, co-pays and deductibles. Upon death funds are made available immediately to the surviving spouse or qualified dependents (as defined by the IRC 152 (a).

DEATH BENEFITS - PAID BY COUNTY

50% of accumulated sick leave

All accumulated annual leave

Personal leave (maximum of 2 days)

$50,000 life insurance

One (1) month's salary

PAID BY RETIREMENT
One year's pay (after 1 year's service) plus employee's contributions refunded with interest.

HOLIDAYS - 11 per year:

New Year's Day January 1st
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 3rd Monday in January
President's Day 3rd Monday in February
Memorial Day last Monday in May
Juneteenth June 19th
Independence Day July 4th
Labor Day 1st Monday in September
Veteran's Day November 11th
Thanksgiving Day 4th Thursday in November
Friday after Thanksgiving
Christmas Day December 25th

OTHER BENEFITS: Employee Assistance Program
Travel and Official Expense Reimbursement
Uniforms and Safety Clothing
Tuition Assistance
Legal Plan

Agency Harford County

Address 220 South Main Street

Bel Air, Maryland, 21014

Phone 410-638-3201

Website http://www.harfordcountymd.gov

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