Holistic Defense Advocate

This recruitment will establish an employment list to fill current and any future vacancies within the Public Defender’s department. The anticipated life of the employment list is six months. If interested in employment for this position for current or future vacancies, please submit an online application for consideration.

Current vacancy is with the Public Defender’s Office located in Visalia. The anticipated life of the list is six months.

• This position is eligible for a 4% Cost of Living Increase effective 06/28/2026

Typical Duties

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in social work, Sociology, Psychology, Counseling, or a closely related field.

• Two (2) years of social casework experience working with the public or one (1) year working in indigent defense.

• Principles and techniques of interviewing, information gathering, and counseling.
• Laws, rules, and regulations affecting the work of social service agencies.
• Substance abuse, mental health issues, interpersonal and family dynamics and crisis intervention.
• Criminal justice and legal terminology.
• Behavioral science principles and their application to casework.
• Current socio-economic issues affecting communities.
• Report writing principles including rules of correct grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure.
• Current problems and methodology in the field of public social service.
• Community resources available to assist clients.
• Techniques for diagnosing family situations and problems are sufficient to develop, implement and monitor treatment plans.
• Caseload management methods and techniques.
• Basic computer skills and word processing applications.

• Work and communicate effectively with people of various education and socioeconomic backgrounds by respecting beliefs, interpersonal styles and behaviors of both clients and co-workers.
• Operate contemporary office equipment inclusive of computer, keyboard, and all applicable electronic equipment.
• Develop, implement, and monitor treatment plans in casework areas.
• Effectively manage a complex caseload.
• Evaluate personal and psychological factors within the family's situation.
• Identify and evaluate functional limitations that impede independent living.
• Learn and apply federal, state, and local criminal justice laws, regulations, codes and ordinances.
• Conduct in-depth assessments involving psychosocial, rehabilitation and environmental issues.
• Act effectively in stressful situations.
• Analyze situations and adopt effective courses of action.
• Read, interpret and explain rules, regulations, policies and procedures pertaining to social services programs.
• Write clear, concise, grammatically correct case narratives, reports, records and letters.
• Establish client-worker rapport on an individual basis.
• Establish and maintain an effective working relationship with agency staff, community groups and organizations and the general public.
• Verbally communicate sufficiently to explain technical information to people of various socio-economic, cultural, and educational backgrounds.

• Demonstrated interest in or exposure to criminal offender population.

Additional Information

Bargaining Unit 20

The information listed is a general summary of benefits. These provisions do not constitute an expressed or implied contract and are subject to change.

Benefit Amount: An annual benefit amount is provided and may be applied towards health insurance premiums (medical, dental, vision, life and long-term disability). This benefit is pro-rated and paid on a pay period basis (24 pay periods).

Health Insurance: A choice of PPO and HMO medical plans which include PPO and HMO dental plans and include dental and vision coverage. Dependent coverage is available. Providers include Anthem Blue Cross, Kaiser Permanente, Delta Dental, and Vision Services Plan (VSP). .

Retirement: The retirement plan is a defined benefit plan administered pursuant to the 1937 Act County Employees Retirement Act and integrated with Social Security. In addition to ordinary retirement benefits, the plan provides disability and death benefits. Retirement contributions are made by both the County and the employee. The County has reciprocity with the State of California, contracting PERS agencies, and all County 1937 Act Retirement Systems.

Paid Holiday Leave: 12 set days and 1 personal holiday.

Vacation Accrual:

2 weeks per year (0-3 years of service)
3 weeks per year (3-7 years of service)
4 weeks per year (7-11 years of service)
5 weeks per year (11 years of service)
Limit of 300 hours.

FLSA exempt employees accrue an additional 5 days of vacation per year.

Sick Leave Accrual: 12 days per year with unlimited accumulation, 60 hours of which may be used toward family sick leave.

Career Incentive Pay

Employees who have completed five (5) or more Years of Service with Tulare County and meet the eligibility criteria described in Administrative Regulation – 52, earn additional pay according to the schedule below.