How to hire a casework specialist

How to hire a casework specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step casework specialist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a casework specialist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new casework specialist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

Post a casework specialist job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your casework specialist job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a casework specialist for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A casework specialist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, casework specialists from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents casework specialist salaries for various positions.

   Type of Casework Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Casework Specialist	Social workers help people solve and cope with problems in their everyday lives. One group of social workers—clinical social workers—also diagnose and treat mental, behavioral, and emotional issues.	$13-25
   Youth Advocate	Youth advocates are individuals who responsible for maintaining the human rights of youth while assisting them in developing their skills in all areas of life, such as education, health, employment, and relationships. These advocates are required to discuss youth development and involvement with various leaders in the community... Show more	$12-19
   Youth Development Professional	Youth Development Professionals are specialists in implementing and overseeing programs to help adolescents discover their abilities and interests. They are responsible for coordinating career days and field trips, organizing mentorship sessions, create youth outreach projects, and assisting community organizations in youth provision development... Show more	$9-45

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Social Work
   • Vulnerable Adults
   • Social Services
   • Protective Services
   • Child Abuse
   • Mental Health
   • Crisis Intervention
   • Financial Assistance
   • Court Reports
   • Financial Aid
   • Foster Care
   • Law Enforcement
   • Substance Abuse
   • Risk Assessments

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Provide comprehensive case management to DCFS clients and their families to achieve case goals as outlined in the client service plan.
   • Review applicant documentation to determine eligibility for state and federal aid programs, including Medicaid, food stamps and emergency assistance.
   • Participate in transition educational meetings IEP.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your casework specialist job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A casework specialist can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, casework specialists' average salary in mississippi is 54% less than in new jersey.
   • Seniority. Entry-level casework specialists 45% less than senior-level casework specialists.
   • Certifications. A casework specialist with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a casework specialist's salary.

   Average casework specialist salary

   $40,044yearly

   $19.25 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level casework specialist salary

   $29,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

4. Writing a casework specialist job description

   A good casework specialist job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a casework specialist job description:

   Casework specialist job description example

   The goal of the IFRS worker is to help reunite children who have been placed out of the home with back with their families, once they have made alterations to their lifestyle which caused the placement in the first place. Decrease the number of IFRS clients whose children re-enter LCCYS care (both in and out of home placements). Initially, IFRS clients should be AT LEAST 10% less likely to have substantiated new reports than their non IFRS counterparts after: 6 months, 12 months, 2 years, and 5 years. This likelihood should reduce further as the program progresses at a rate to be determined at a future time
   Responsibilities/Duties
   
   1. Administrative
   
   Adheres to established regulations, policies and procedures of the overall agency and their specific component.
   
   Attends seminars, conferences, and training to enhance skills and job performance as directed by supervisor, subject to approval of the Program Manager.
   
   Performs in an advisory capacity to other professional staff in specialized areas through participation in conferences and meetings for the purpose of diagnosis and plan of treatment.
   
   Interprets agency programs, policies, and/or procedures to individuals, groups and agencies as assigned by the Program Manager.
   
   2. Case Management
   
   Works in close cooperation with schools, other social agencies, hospitals, clinics, courts, and community resources in planning to meet the needs of clients and assists clients in utilizing their resources.
   
   Prepares dictation and record keeping as required by specific agency department programs on a timely basis as directed by supervisor.
   
   3. Direct Service
   
   Works closely with the Juvenile Court / Probation System / Magisterial System / schools to establish and facilitate the referral and feedback process.
   
   Obtains information from clients, families, and significant others necessary for the identification of social, economic, health, or physical problems, assisting clients in obtaining a wide variety of services and/or treatment.
   
   Provides direct clinical, advocacy and/or supportive services to individual clients, members of their families, and/or significant others to aid them in achieving a more satisfactory adjustment to their specific problems or situations, including individual family and group treatment.
   
   4. Supervision
   
   This position will report to the Program Supervisor for supervision, direction, monitoring and evaluation of job performance for this classification Required Qualifications
   
   A Bachelor's degree in social work or a related field and Bilingual a plus.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right casework specialist for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with casework specialists they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit casework specialists who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your casework specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit casework specialist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit casework specialists, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new casework specialist

   Once you have selected a candidate for the casework specialist position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new casework specialist. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a casework specialist?