This is a County of Humboldt job position; however, the job application is submitted through Merit System Services. To apply for this position, click on this link: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/mss/jobs/4476953/social-worker-i-ii-child-welfare-services

Performs basic social services casework; identifies client needs for more intensive casework services and provides referrals; carries a caseload of moderately difficult cases; manages a caseload of increasingly difficult cases; and performs other related work as assigned.

Social Worker I

Working under close supervision, Social Worker I is the entry/trainee class in the professional Social Worker series. Employees in this class are learning casework methods, procedures, policies and carry a limited non-complex social services caseload under close supervision and receive in-service training; are given close and constant supervision while learning social work principles, social service programs, basic case work methods and techniques, and departmental rules, regulations and procedures. Typical assignments are within child welfare and adult services programs; however, at the agency's discretion positions may be assigned to employment services to perform social services case work for employment services clients as required by department needs. As requisite skill and knowledge is developed, greater independence and the full scope of responsibility is exercised. Unless a position is permanently allocated to the Social Worker I level due to the nature of the work, employees are expected to advance to the Social Worker II after one year of satisfactory performance at the trainee level.

Social Worker II

Working under general direction, Social Worker II is the journey level in the Social Worker series. Employees at this level are expected to carry a full caseload of moderately difficult cases requiring greater skill and depth of job knowledge in assessing problem situations and formulating plans for service. Typical assignments are within child welfare and adult services programs. However, at the agency's discretion, Social Worker II may be assigned to employment services to perform social services case work for employment services clients as required by department needs. Employees work with a high degree of independence in administering services and in using agency or community resources. Some positions may determine initial and continuing eligibility for one or more aid programs.

Social Worker II differs from Social Worker III in that the latter is the advanced journey level, assigned the more complex cases, specialized functions and/or leadworker duties.

SUPERVISION EXERCISED AND RECEIVED

Incumbents in the Social Worker I/II classification receive direct supervision from a Social Worker Supervisor, or other higher-level supervisor or manager.

Note: For Social Worker I, duties are performed at the entry/trainee level.

Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

Social Worker I

• Conducts interviews with clients, family members, and others in their home, in the office, or via telephone to assess the basic social, physical, and mental needs of clients and obtain health information in order to identify and provide social services
• Performs case studies and evaluates individual and family case information to assess the safety of children and adults; determines appropriate types and methods of treatment
• Assesses reports of suspected abuse; may be required to work on-call; may provide information to law enforcement or district attorneys
• Develops and carries out culturally sensitive non-complex to moderate treatment plans for an assigned caseload in conformance with agency, state and federal requirements; assists clients and family members to develop strategies to accomplish case plan goals
• Refers clients to other staff members, or to community resources for direct and intensive services and specialized counseling as necessary; advocates on the clients' behalf for most appropriate services including enabling services
• Assists applicants and recipients in utilizing available resources
• Interprets policies, rules, and regulations of the agency to applicants, clients and others within the scope of their responsibility
• Makes home visits in connection with casework assignments
• Prepares and maintains case records and databases; communicates decisions, timelines, recommendations and case plans to clients, families and service providers
• May testify in court
• May be assigned to specialized functions
• Participates in in-service training and other staff development activities to increase knowledge of the social work processes and achieve technical competence
• Receives casework consultation from professionally trained staff members
• Provides community outreach for various agency programs
• Maintains client confidentiality; performs all duties in conformance with the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics
• Performs related duties as assigned

Social Worker II

In addition to the duties above, which are performed independently at the full working level, additional duties may include:

• Carrying a caseload that includes cases with issues of moderate difficulty
• Counseling or supporting clients with complex or specialized needs; provides crisis intervention
• Providing self-help information, education, and services; works with client and caregivers to develop and improve caregiving and independent living skills
• Obtaining and evaluating policy, medical, and psychological reports
• May serve as mentor to staff, orients staff, provides training and guidance on cases

Note: The level and scope of the knowledge and skills listed below are related to job duties as distinguished between the two levels in the Definition Section.

Social Worker I/II

Knowledge of:

• Principles and practices of organization, workload management and time management
• Principles and practices of note taking, report writing, English composition, grammar, punctuation, and spelling
• Phone etiquette and interview techniques
• Socio-economic conditions and trends
• Basic principles of individual and group behavior
• Current issues in the field of social welfare
• Role and responsibilities of social workers
• Principles of interviewing and problem-solving methodology
• Basic public welfare programs on the Federal, State, and local level
• General principles of public assistance policies and programs
• Developing and preparing court report, case plans, case narratives and safety plans in automated computer systems
• Entering and retrieving data and narratives from automated computer systems
• Basic principles and techniques of interviewing and recording of social casework
• Laws, rules, and regulations governing the operation of the public welfare agency and the role of a social worker
• Community organization and the social problems calling for the use of public and private community resources
• Basic principles involved in the nature, growth, and development of personality and in-group processes
• The medical, legal, economic, and social management needs of individuals and families with special medical needs such as HIV disease, drug dependency, the medically fragile child, Alzheimer's, and the terminally ill
• The strategies and protocols surrounding crisis intervention techniques such as voice modulation and assessing the potential for suicide
• Basic psychopathology, the different types of mental illness diagnoses, how mental illness affects human behavior and mental health services and treatments utilized by clients

Ability to:

• Understand and learn the agency programs, policies, and procedures
• Obtain facts and recognize the relevance and significance
• Organize and maintain work detail
• Establish and maintain effective client rapport and professional working relationships with agency staff, clients, and others
• Communicate effectively, both orally (phone and in person) and in writing
• Analyze situations and adopt effective courses of action
• Interpret and explain to the applicant, recipient, or others public social service programs, policies, rules, and regulations
• Develop skill in interviewing case recording and interpretation
• Work within a community setting and effectively use appropriate resources and services
• Maintain confidentiality in accordance with legal standards and/or county regulations
• Work effectively in emotionally charged or stressful settings/emergencies
• Operate a personal computer and other office equipment and software
• Analyze data, interpret and apply directions, rules, policies, procedures and regulations, and develop appropriate responses
• Accept and use constructive feedback
• Interact professionally and respectfully with clients including difficult, hostile, or distressed clients
• Respect cultural differences
• Work with cases varying in difficulty /clients including clients with dual diagnoses, potentially dangerous clients or legally complex cases
• Analyze data from multiple sources, interpret and apply complex directions, rules, policies, procedures and regulations, and develop appropriate responses

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS (Education and/or Experience)

Social Worker I

Pattern 1: Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university;

OR

Pattern 2: Successful completion of thirty (30) college semester units (45 quarter units) from an accredited college or university, including fifteen (15) semester units (22.5 quarter units) in social welfare, social/human services, sociology, or other social or behavioral science*;

AND

One (1) year of full-time experience in the Social Service Aide, Eligibility Worker II, Employment and Training Worker II or comparable classification; OR Three (3) years of full-time experience providing direct client services to disadvantaged adults or children in a private or public agency.

 *Examples of acceptable social or behavioral science courses include: anthropology, criminal justice, education, ethnic studies, history, human development, human services, law, nursing, nutrition, psychology, public health, social welfare, sociology, welfare, women's studies.

Social Worker II

Pattern 1: One (1) year of full-time experience performing entry level social work case management in the Social Worker I classification in an Interagency Merit System (IMS) county;

OR

Pattern 2: One (1) year of full-time social work case management experience**; AND Thirty (30) college semester units (45 quarter units) from an accredited college or university, including fifteen (15) semester units (22.5 quarter units) in social welfare, social/human services, sociology, or other social or behavioral science*

 *Examples of acceptable social or behavioral science courses include: anthropology, criminal justice, education, ethnic studies, history, human development, human services, law, nursing, nutrition, psychology, public health, social welfare, sociology, welfare, women's studies.

**Qualifying social work case management includes direct case work management, such as: assessment, evaluation; conducting investigations of abuse and neglect; preparing court reports; responsibility for a long term caseload, monitoring compliance through home calls and other personal contact; collaboration with other agencies and linking clients to resources and programs; development of a case plan, modification of case plans as needed/required; and authority to impose sanctions or implement actions that impact services.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENT

Some positions may require possession of special language and culture skills as a bona fide qualifications standard. In these cases, candidates must demonstrate that they possess the required skills.

DRIVER LICENSE REQUIREMENT

Some positions in this classification may require possession of a valid California driver's License. Employees who drive on County business to carry out job-related duties must possess a valid California driver's license for the class of vehicle driven and meet automobile insurability requirements of the County. Eligibility for employment for those who do not meet this requirement due to disability will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the appointing authority.

CalPERS Retirement
 

• Tier I: Prior to 7/5/2012: 2.7 @ 55
• Tier II: Post 7/6/2012: 2.0 @ 55
• Tier III: Post 1/1/2013: 2.0 @ 62

 Selection Procedure
 The County’s Human Resources system operates by a set of rules and procedures which ensure that employees are hired and promoted on the basis of merit and fitness for the job. Jobs are filled through competitive examinations.

 A complete online application is required for this position. All application materials will be reviewed by a panel of subject matter experts. Those candidates considered to be the most qualified, based on the application materials submitted, will be invited to a written and/or oral examination, or an evaluation of education and experience.

 Policy of Nondiscrimination
 The County of Humboldt does not discriminate on the basis of mental or physical disability in the admission or access to, treatment or employment in, its programs or activities. Human Resources is wheelchair-accessible by entering the Courthouse from the ramp located on the east side of the building next to the marked handicapped parking. Special testing arrangements may be made to accommodate disabilities or religious convictions. Contact Human Resources at (707) 476-2349 well in advance of the examination for assistance.

 The County is an equal opportunity employer. We enthusiastically accept our responsibility to make employment decisions without regard to race, religion or religious creed, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, marital status, medical condition, mental or physical disability, military service, or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local laws or ordinances. Reasonable accommodation may be made in the testing procedure as well as the work site. If you need accommodation for an exam due to a disability, please contact the Human Resources office as soon as possible.

 How to Apply
 A complete, original application must be filed for each position you are interested in applying for. Although this is a County of Humboldt job position, and you may access the job flyer at http://www.humboldtgov.org/hr , the application must be submitted through the Merit System Services website at www.mss.ca.gov no later than the final filing date listed on the job flyer. The link for the Merit System Services website is located at the top of the job flyer. All applications are screened by subject matter experts. The most qualified candidates may then be invited for further testing. 

 It is important that your application show all the relevant experience and education you possess.

 Please read the job requirements section of the announcement. Be sure you meet these requirements since they will be carefully evaluated during the selection process. Your performance in this examination will be compared with the performance of others who take the test. All candidates who pass will be ranked according to their scores. The examination results will be emailed to you as quickly as possible. Scores will be provided in writing only.

 To fill a vacancy, Merit Systems Services furnishes the employing department with the most qualified candidate names for the position.
TRAINING & EXPERIENCE EXAMINATION – WEIGHTED 100%
The Training & Experience Examination is designed to elicit a range of specific information regarding each candidate’s knowledge, skill, abilities, and potential to effectively perform the duties relative to the classification. Responses to the questionnaire will be assessed based on pre-determined rating criteria. All applicants must complete the entire examination to receive a score. In order to obtain a position on the eligible list, candidates must receive a minimum rating of 70% on the examination.Examination administration and processing time is approximately two weeks after the closing date of the job bulletin.SPECIAL TESTING ARRANGEMENTSSpecial testing arrangements may be made to accommodate applicants for disability, military, or religious reasons. If you require such arrangements, please contact CalHR at mssprogram@calhr.ca.gov or 916-909-3701 upon notification that your application has been approved. Documentation from medical, military, school or church officials outlining the accommodation request must be received by our office a minimum of five business days prior to a scheduled examination. 
MEDICAL EXAMINATION: A pre-employment medical examination provided by the County may be required upon offer of employment.

 OTHER EXAMINATIONS: Some positions also require psychological evaluation and/or extensive background investigation.

 LICENSES: Some classifications require possession of valid professional and/or technical licenses. Some classifications may require the possession of a valid California driver’s license.

 PROBATIONARY PERIOD: Persons appointed to regular County positions serve a probationary period. This is normally six months, but may be up to one year. All designated safety employees serve a one year probationary period.

 EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY: It is the County’s intention to hire only those workers who are authorized to work in the United States, pursuant to the Immigration Act of 1990. If you are offered employment you will be required to verify your eligibility to work in the United States. For law enforcement positions you will be required to verify your U.S. citizenship or legalized status.

 The County is an equal opportunity employer. We enthusiastically accept our responsibility to make employment decisions without regard to race, religion or religious creed, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, marital status, medical condition, mental or physical disability, military service, or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local laws or ordinances. Reasonable accommodation may be made in the testing procedure as well as the work site. If you need accommodation for an exam due to a disability, please contact the Human Resources office as soon as possible.

 All County of Humboldt employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state and local law (California Government Code Section 3100-3109). Employment with the County requires the affirmation of a loyalty oath to this effect. Employees are required to complete all Disaster Service Worker-related training as assigned, and to return to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.

 THE PROVISIONS OF THIS BULLETIN DO NOT CONSTITUTE AN EXPRESS OR IMPLIED CONTRACT. THE COUNTY OF HUMBOLDT RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MAKE NECESSARY MODIFICATIONS TO THE EXAMINATION PLAN IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE HUMBOLDT COUNTY MERIT SYSTEM RULES.