Special Assistance In-Home Social Worker

Salary: See Position Description
Location : New Hanover County, NC
Job Type: Full-Time
Job Number:
Department: SOCIAL SERVICES
Opening Date: 10/29/2026
Closing Date: Continuous

Position Information
The New Hanover County Department of Social Services is seeking a Special Assistance In-Home Aid Social Worker to support adults with disabilities and help them remain safely and independently in their homes. This position provides case management for eligible recipients of Special Assistance (SA) In-Home financial assistance by connecting clients and families with services, resources, and community support.
What You'll Do

• Conduct initial client assessments and identify individual strengths, needs, and support services.
• Develop service plans that promote client safety, independence, and well-being.
• Assist adults with disabilities and their families in accessing programs and services that provide protection and support.
• Assess clients' capacity to make decisions about their lives and determine when a surrogate decision-maker may be needed.
• Coordinate services with community agencies and service providers.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Salary Information:

The target hiring rangefor this position is $60,943.00 - $80,764.50. The full salary range for an incumbent hired into this position is $60,943 to $100,586.00.Starting salary will be based on qualifications, relevant experience, internal equity, and budget. Candidates with exceptional qualifications and experience may be considered for a starting salary above the target hiring range, but not to exceed the maximum of the salary range.

Candidates validated as bilingual by the County's Language Access Coordinator are eligible for a pay differential when performing bilingual duties during scheduled work hours, in accordance with County policy.
Trainee Opportunities:
Applicants who meet the required minimum education but lack the required social work experience may be considered, and if hired, will be paid at least the minimum trainee rate of $56,351 and will remain at a trainee rate until the minimum experience qualifications are met. The maximum period for an employee to remain in a trainee status is two (2) years. All experience requirements must be met within two (2) years of employment.
New Hanover County offers:

• Employer paid 401k contributions;
• Retirement plan through the NC Retirement system;
• Flex time and telework availability, depending on your position;
• Paid sick and personal leave + 13 paid holidays per year;
• Paid parental leave;
• Paid community services leave to give back to our community;
• Education leave to obtain a degree within your line of work;
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance + many other insurance options;
• Onsite, employer-paid health and wellness center;
• Professional development trainings & leadership initiatives;
• Opportunities to make a difference in your community;
• And so much more!

Please check out our careers page at www.nhcgov.com/careers for more information on why New Hanover County is a great place to work.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications:

• MSW from an accredited school;
• OR BSW from an accredited school of social work and 1 year of related social work experience;
• OR a four-year degree in a human services field with at least 15 semester hours in courses related to social work and 2 years of related social work experience;
• OR a four-year degree in a field outside of human services and 3 years of related social work experience;
• OR an equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Valid Driver's License and good driving record required at time of application.
• Valid North Carolina Driver's License required by first date of employment with good driving record.

Bilingual in English and Spanish preferred.
Note: Applicants who only have economic services caseworker or Probation/Parole Officer experience to count as social work experience, must have a minimum of two years of experience in order to be considered as a trainee. Experience counts as social work experience for one half the time up to one year maximum. For example, one year of experience equals six months of social work experience; two years of experience equals one year of social work experience; and ten years of experience still equals one year of social worker experience.
Licenses/Certifications
Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

• Ability to prioritize workload and maintain administrative duties while balancing field work
• Identify and assess risk, address safety issues, & problem-solve with families to create solutions
• Ability to make connections with families and support family-centered principles
• Ability to make decisions without regard to that personal prejudices, biases, and experiences and respect the value of individual differences at all levels of the organization
• Ability to think critically during conflict and high-stress situations and exercise sound judgement
• Ability to build and maintain positive, productive relationships with peers, colleagues, managers, providers, the community and other professionals
• Thorough knowledge of agency procedures and resources, community systems and resources, manual material, state and federal regulations, permanency planning philosophy, and laws governing protective services for children.
• Knowledge of basic criminal justice procedures, elements of medical and mental disorders, personality theory, family systems dynamics, interpersonal relations, and cultural differences, values and lifestyles.
• Firmly adhere to codes of conduct and ethical principles
• Ability to navigate technology and quickly learn new and complex systems.

Other Information
North Carolina Child Welfare Work:
Watch a introduction into the daily life of a social worker and learn what it takes to make a profound impact on your community. This information is provided by the UNC School of Social Work, and the video can be found by clicking this link:
Hours:
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Monday through Friday. All position assignments must be available to work during emergency situations.

Application Status:
This job is posted continuously until filled with a priority consideration date of Thursday 11/19/2026. Applications will be screened by Human Resources. Applicants referred to the department will receive an email requesting important information pertinent to the position applied for. Please be sure to check your email for this communication so we may proceed with the next step in the recruitment process in a timely manner. Updates regarding your application status can be viewed through your applicant portal.
If you have interviewed for a position and would like to inquire about the status of your interview, please contact the hiring manager that you interviewed with.
In compliance with G.S. 153A-94.2(b), if this position requires an applicant for employment to work with children in any capacity, the county must require the applicant to undergo a criminal history record check conducted by the SBI for all offers of employment made after October 1, 2025. These checks must be performed in accordance with G.S. 143B-1209.26, which authorizes the SBI to provide fingerprint-based state and national criminal record checks to cities and counties. Additional information on how to complete this required check will be provided to the selected candidate after an offer of employment is accepted.

01

Have you had your driver's license suspended or revoked for any reason in the last three years?

• Yes
• No

02

Select your highest level of education from the information below:

• Master's Degree in Social Work
• Master's Degree in the Human Services field other than Social Work
• Master's Degree outside of the Human Services field
• Bachelor's of Science in Social Work
• Bachelor's Degree in the Human Services field
• Bachelor's Degree in a field outside of the Human Services field
• No degree at a Bachelor's level or above

03

If your degree is NOT in social work, please indicate the field of study you received your applicable degree in.
04

Did you complete the NC Child Welfare Education Collaborative (CWEC) Program during your BSW or MSW?

• Yes
• No

05

How many years of social worker experience do you have?

• 5 or more years of social worker experience
• 3 years but fewer than 5 years of social worker experience
• 2 years but fewer than 3 years of social worker experience
• 1 year but fewer than 2 years of social worker experience
• Less than 1 year of social worker experience
• No social worker experience

06

Please indicate the social worker units in which you have had work experience.

• Child Protective Services (CPS)
• Permanency Planning (PP) OR Child Welfare Services (CWS)
• Adult Protective Services (APS)
• Work First Employment Services
• Emergency Services Intake
• Child Placement
• After Hours
• No work experience in these social work units

07

If a partial telework position becomes available, are you interested in working a partial telework position?

• Yes
• No

08

As a reminder, candidates are expected to thoroughly complete each relevant section of this application. Have you included all the required information on your application?

• Yes
• No

09

Have you reviewed the compensation details listed in the job