Apparently, there are 2 levels of caseworkers. The person that we spoke with said that qualifications can vary from area to are in PA, but we asked for the minimum qualifications. Supposedly, those with a caseworker 1 status are more closely supervised than those with caseworker 2 status.
Take A Test
In order to qualify for this government worker position, you must take a civil service test. Your test will only be reviewed if you meet the other qualifications. Our contact said that interested parties could contact the county commissioners in their local are for an application or the human resource department at their local CYS.
Exactly what is on the test? Questions on casework principles, interviewing, effective expression, individual and group behavior, and advanced caseworker principle. The test is administered in Harrisburg, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh. On certain days, the test can be taken in Allentown, Erie, Johnstown, Lock Haven and Scranton.
Qualifications For Caseworker 1
1. You must be of GOOD moral character.
This is a laugh. We know of caseworkers who have been caught drunk driving, having sex with clients, or in some cases, rigging custody cases. Apparently this qualification is waived in Berks County. On a serious note, how does one describe someone of GOOD moral character? This is very subjective and can vary depending upon background, values, etc.
2. You will need to pass a background check.
What exactly do they check for? We couldn't find out. Our contact said that if the background check was unacceptable, that a person would be disqualified. Exactly what is unacceptable? We were referred to the first qualification. We asked if drunk driving, rigging cases, etc was considered good moral character. Our contact continued on with the qualification list rather than answer the question.
3. Some job descriptions may include the Older Adults Protective Services Act. One of our staff recently talked with a man who had his adult disabled sister taken away by CYS in PA. Apparently, CYS is expanding their service areas.
4. You need a bachelor's degree.
5. You need to complete 12 credits( 4 courses) in sociology, social welfare, psychology, gerontology, criminal justice OR another social science field.
We actually talked with some college graduates in Berks County and found out that everyone we spoke with would actually meet this qualification EXCEPT one person who was a science major.
6. If you don't have college experience, you can become a CYS worker if you have 2 years experience as a social services aide.
7. If you don't qualify for either 5 or 6, you can get in with just 4 courses in the social science field and "applicable work experience".
8. In some cases, all you need to do is prove that you have "applicable work experience" and you are in. What is applicable work experience? No one could really tell us. That is evaluated on a case by case basis.
Caseworker 2
Okay. The bar is pretty low for caseworker one. What about caseworker 2 level? The level that isn't supervised as much? The qualifications are pretty much the same as caseworker 1.
You also need 6 MONTHS experience as a caseworker, OR you need to have completed the County Social Caseworker Intern Program. About 300 people each year are promoted from status 1 to status 2.
Where do caseworkers learn to investigate? How do they learn to deal with dysfunctional families? An individual that we spoke with who declined to be named stated that a lot of it is "on the job training".
This is shocking, but perhaps not surprising. The caseworker who arrives at your door and who declares you unfit probably may not have more than a bachelor's degree with a few college credits in social services. Hopefully that person will be followed by a supervisor and hopefully they will have trained on the job with a credible caseworker.
The ramifications of this are stunning. As George Kovarie stated at a government meeting, 160 children in Berks County were adopted out in 2012 alone. Children are being taken from loving homes and in some cases, being placed in abusive foster homes or abusive group home settings.
One lawyer we spoke with off the record confirmed that he/she "will do anything to keep kids from going to foster care" as "the majority of foster care parents out there in Berks County are pretty scary." Statistics show that kids placed in foster care have a 75 percent chance of being abused. And these kids are being sent there by caseworkers with little more than a college degree and a few courses in social sciences.
In addition, judges and even the police rely heavily on CYS findings in order to make decisions in court and on the job. In fact, certain judges have admitted that they always do what CYS suggests.
How qualified is your CYS worker? Is he or she of good moral character? Does anyone actually care in Berks County?
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