What are the responsibilities and job description for the Social Service Supervisor I/II - Department Promotional - DHS position at Kern County?
Position Information
This is a Department Promotional Examination and is open to eligible employees of the Department of Human Services who have successfully completed their initial probationary period and received an overall rating of standard or better on the last employee performance report.
EXAMINATION SCHEDULE
Oral Exam (Weight 60%) Will be conducted for the purpose of appraising training, experience, interest and personal fitness for the position.
If the number of applicants successful on the written examination is insufficient to warrant an oral exam, the written examination shall be weighted 100%.
Applicants must attain at least a 70 % score on each phase of the examination process.
Minimum Qualifications / Employment Standards
Level I
Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's degree which includes a minimum of 12 semester or 20 quarter units in behavioral science, AND three (3) years of experience equivalent to a Social Service Worker in the Kern County classification system, of which one (1) year must have been at the level of SSW II or higher.
OR
Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's degree AND six (6) months experience equivalent to a Human Services Technician II, Employment Counselor II, Program Technician, Program Specialist II or Job Developer II, in the Kern County classification system AND three (3) years of experience equivalent to a Social Service Worker in the Kern County classification system, of which one (1) year must have been at the level of SSW II or higher.
Additional Requirements: Some departments or positions may require additional experience as listed in #1 or #2 below:
Completion of a Master's degree, from an accredited college or university, in Social Work, or a Master's degree in a Counseling program emphasizing Marriage, Family and Child Counseling, or Marriage and Family Therapy, Gerontology, Clinical Psychology, Sociology, Criminal Justice, or closely related social service discipline is permitted with the following stipulation:
Qualifying case management/work experience must include: responsibility for a caseload; development of service/care treatment plans; monitoring compliance through home calls, field calls and other personal contact; modification of service/care treatment plans as needed/required; and authority to impose/recommend sanctions for noncompliance, impacting benefits or services.
Possession of a valid Class C California driver's license is required. Incumbents must have the ability to travel to designated locations.
Bilingual (English/Spanish) applicants are encouraged to apply. Applicants must submit a bilingual (English/Spanish) certificate before the final filing deadline.
Applicants who wish to be considered for bilingual employment must submit a bilingual certificate issued by the Kern County Human Resources Division or its authorized agent, Bakersfield College.
Access the following website for information about where to obtain a qualifying certificate: Bilingual Testing (bakersfieldcollege.edu)
Employees who occupy positions designated as bilingual are paid dependent upon the required level of proficiency.
Please ensure applicable materials are attached to your application. If you are unable to attach application materials to your application, you may deliver a copy to the Human Resources Division at 1115 Truxtun Ave. First Floor, Bakersfield, CA 93301, fax to (661) 868-3928, or email garciado@kerncounty.com.
Full Job Description for Social Service Supervisor I / II
About Kern County
Kern County employees provide opportunities that are purposeful to our community. Every employee and every action contributes to the improvement and strengthening of our county.
To learn more about Kern County, click here or follow us:
Growth Mindset
We always encourage our employees to grow and develop. Kern County has a culture of innovation that allows employees to explore creative and more efficient ways to accomplish their work. We provide access to training and continued professional development in an effort to ensure that our employees have opportunities for career growth.
Additional Information
Examination components for promotional testing will be administered during the scheduled dates/times/locations without exception.
Admittance to the examination will require a valid government issued photograph identification. Applicants who are unable to present proper identification must make arrangements with the Human Resources Division prior to the test date.
A background check may be conducted for this classification.
Following an offer of employment, you may be required to submit to post offer medical and drug screening tests at County expense.
This examination will establish an eligible list from which immediate appointment(s) will be made. Other permanent and temporary appointments will be made as needed. Successful candidates will remain on the eligible list for a period of twelve-months, unless specified otherwise by the Civil Service Commission. Candidates are encouraged to indicate acceptable geographical locations in which they would accept employment on their application form.
For more information regarding Kern County's recruitment process, please see our FAQ page .
Kern County is an ADA compliant and an equal opportunity employer and encourages all qualified individuals from diverse backgrounds to apply.
This is a Department Promotional Examination and is open to eligible employees of the Department of Human Services who have successfully completed their initial probationary period and received an overall rating of standard or better on the last employee performance report.
EXAMINATION SCHEDULE
- Written Exam: will be conducted on January 6th, 2026 .
- Oral Exam: Subsequent testing dates will be posted as applicable.
Oral Exam (Weight 60%) Will be conducted for the purpose of appraising training, experience, interest and personal fitness for the position.
If the number of applicants successful on the written examination is insufficient to warrant an oral exam, the written examination shall be weighted 100%.
Applicants must attain at least a 70 % score on each phase of the examination process.
Minimum Qualifications / Employment Standards
Level I
Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's degree which includes a minimum of 12 semester or 20 quarter units in behavioral science, AND three (3) years of experience equivalent to a Social Service Worker in the Kern County classification system, of which one (1) year must have been at the level of SSW II or higher.
OR
Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's degree AND six (6) months experience equivalent to a Human Services Technician II, Employment Counselor II, Program Technician, Program Specialist II or Job Developer II, in the Kern County classification system AND three (3) years of experience equivalent to a Social Service Worker in the Kern County classification system, of which one (1) year must have been at the level of SSW II or higher.
Additional Requirements: Some departments or positions may require additional experience as listed in #1 or #2 below:
- A minimum of one (1) additional year of Child Welfare Services crisis intervention, court related activities including, but not limited to, Emergency Response, Adoptions or Court Intake.
- A minimum of one (1) year of Employment Services/Welfare to Work experience. This experience may be at any classification level within the Social Service Worker series.
Completion of a Master's degree, from an accredited college or university, in Social Work, or a Master's degree in a Counseling program emphasizing Marriage, Family and Child Counseling, or Marriage and Family Therapy, Gerontology, Clinical Psychology, Sociology, Criminal Justice, or closely related social service discipline is permitted with the following stipulation:
- The Master's degree program included an internship or supervised fieldwork;
- For employment in the Kern County Department of Human Services: two (2) years of experience as a Social Services Supervisor I in the Kern County Department of Human Services Child Protective Services Bureau
- Three (3) years of child welfare social service work experience or experience with the elderly and/or disabled in a public, private or nonprofit social services agency; or three (3) years of social service work experience in the State correctional system, or three (3) years of social service work experience in employment services, or three (3) years any combination thereof.
Qualifying case management/work experience must include: responsibility for a caseload; development of service/care treatment plans; monitoring compliance through home calls, field calls and other personal contact; modification of service/care treatment plans as needed/required; and authority to impose/recommend sanctions for noncompliance, impacting benefits or services.
Possession of a valid Class C California driver's license is required. Incumbents must have the ability to travel to designated locations.
Bilingual (English/Spanish) applicants are encouraged to apply. Applicants must submit a bilingual (English/Spanish) certificate before the final filing deadline.
Applicants who wish to be considered for bilingual employment must submit a bilingual certificate issued by the Kern County Human Resources Division or its authorized agent, Bakersfield College.
Access the following website for information about where to obtain a qualifying certificate: Bilingual Testing (bakersfieldcollege.edu)
Employees who occupy positions designated as bilingual are paid dependent upon the required level of proficiency.
Please ensure applicable materials are attached to your application. If you are unable to attach application materials to your application, you may deliver a copy to the Human Resources Division at 1115 Truxtun Ave. First Floor, Bakersfield, CA 93301, fax to (661) 868-3928, or email garciado@kerncounty.com.
Full Job Description for Social Service Supervisor I / II
About Kern County
Kern County employees provide opportunities that are purposeful to our community. Every employee and every action contributes to the improvement and strengthening of our county.
To learn more about Kern County, click here or follow us:
Growth Mindset
We always encourage our employees to grow and develop. Kern County has a culture of innovation that allows employees to explore creative and more efficient ways to accomplish their work. We provide access to training and continued professional development in an effort to ensure that our employees have opportunities for career growth.
Additional Information
Examination components for promotional testing will be administered during the scheduled dates/times/locations without exception.
Admittance to the examination will require a valid government issued photograph identification. Applicants who are unable to present proper identification must make arrangements with the Human Resources Division prior to the test date.
A background check may be conducted for this classification.
Following an offer of employment, you may be required to submit to post offer medical and drug screening tests at County expense.
This examination will establish an eligible list from which immediate appointment(s) will be made. Other permanent and temporary appointments will be made as needed. Successful candidates will remain on the eligible list for a period of twelve-months, unless specified otherwise by the Civil Service Commission. Candidates are encouraged to indicate acceptable geographical locations in which they would accept employment on their application form.
For more information regarding Kern County's recruitment process, please see our FAQ page .
Kern County is an ADA compliant and an equal opportunity employer and encourages all qualified individuals from diverse backgrounds to apply.