Karen Curran

Professional Social Case Worker with strong background in delivering quality results through effective teamwork and adaptability. Skilled in task management, problem-solving, and ensuring smooth operations. Known for reliability, strong work ethic, and ability to meet changing needs with positive attitude. Focused on achieving goals and contributing to team success.

• A thorough knowledge of social casework principles, practices, and techniques and the ability to apply these effectively; a thorough knowledge of individual, emotional and behavior patterns as well as the social, cultural, ethnic, and economic factors that contribute to the personal maladjustment and dependency, that can affect interpersonal and interfamilial relationships and can impair parental functions; a thorough knowledge of the wide variety of the diverse population (i.e.: cultural, ethnic, socioeconomic, and alternative lifestyles) serviced by state agencies and departments The ability to apply this knowledge effectively; a working knowledge of the provisions of federal and state laws relating to the performance of caseworker duties and responsibilities of an extraordinary nature; and to be assigned to children and family preservation services; knowledge of resources in the community offering specialized services to children and their families, particularly the voluntary services; the ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with individuals and groups within and outside the agency; basic computer skills including keyboarding, use of a mouse device, and word processing; and related capacities and abilities.
• To provide social services to a culturally diverse population of children and their families; to be responsible for family and children services, requiring a high degree of social work skill in the identification and analysis of social problems and treatment of individuals and families towards the goals of self-help, rehabilitation, and preserving family life, the protection of children and the development of substitute care including permanency of children.
• To be responsible for providing culturally sensitive specialized child welfare and family preservation services which may include intensive services to children and families in their own home, foster care placement, to the physically, behaviorally, and/or emotionally challenged, and protective services, or other related services such as adoption and transportation of clients.
• To participate in special projects which are developed by the agency for the purpose of studying and evaluating special problem areas and/or agency practice and policy in order to improve agency service.
• To secure relevant information accurately and completely through the social history process in order to form a relevant case plan so that the client is helped to become engaged in an examination and solution of his/her problems, or to determine the appropriate and culturally sensitive plan for care and treatment for the child and the family.
• To make creative use of available resources and enlist the cooperation and understanding of other social agencies for the meeting of unusual, unique and/or special needs or individual care.
• To exercise a wide degree of independent judgment, decision, and action on an ongoing, regular basis.
• To re-evaluate the level of safety, the needs of and services being provided to clients in order to ensure their effectiveness and cultural sensitivity.
• To institute and revise assistance or services plans promptly as needed, or to change treatment plan(s) and goals for children and their families.