Buncombe County seeks social worker for child welfare recovery team
Buncombe County is hiring a START social worker as the county’s recovery-focused child welfare model keeps young children with parents when substance use is part of the case.
Buncombe County Government is recruiting a Social Work START team member for a child welfare program built to keep parents and young children together when substance use is part of the case. The position sits in Child Welfare, works with a START Family Mentor, and was posted with an external hiring range of about $29.51 to $34.96 an hour.
START stands for Sobriety Treatment and Recovery Teams, a national model for families involved in the child welfare system. Buncombe County Child and Family Services aims to partner with families and their supports to reduce the risk of future maltreatment by building on strengths and protective factors while minimizing trauma. Buncombe County Social Work Services aims to prevent abuse, neglect and exploitation of vulnerable residents and promote self-reliance and self-sufficiency.
The county implemented START in July 2017, expanded to three social worker-Family Mentor dyads in February 2020, and then grew to five dyads after receiving federal grant funds for expansion from 2020 to 2022. Buncombe kept the program going through the COVID-19 pandemic despite safety and staffing barriers in 2022. By February 2023, Buncombe was the only North Carolina jurisdiction with a START program.
U.S. Administration for Children and Families guidance designs START for child welfare families with at least one child age 5 or younger and one parent diagnosed with a substance use disorder. The county's model centers on fast coordination between social work, family mentoring and treatment support.
Buncombe County has completed START services for 146 families, and 67% of closures ended in reunification or preservation outcomes. Buncombe County became the second jurisdiction in the country to complete the national START certification process. In December 2018, Buncombe DSS and Family Preservation Services of North Carolina were recognized by the i2i Center for Integrative Health for innovation and quality commitment.
Candidates may need a Master of Social Work or a related bachelor’s degree with experience, and the work may be hybrid or remote.
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