Social Service Worker

County of Santa Barbara • Santa Barbara, CA

12d • Hybrid

About The Position

Join our team as a Social Service Worker and help families and individuals thrive in your community. We are accepting applications to fill current vacancies in the Department of Social Services and County Health. The Department of Social Services is currently trying to fill five vacancies in Child Welfare Service, Adult Protective Services, and In-Home Supported Services in Santa Maria, Santa Barbara, or Lompoc. County Health has vacancies in the CalAIM Justice-Involved Initiative program at the Santa Barbara County Jail and in Santa Maria County Jail. We are also establishing a list for future vacancies in the Social Services Department, Sheriff's Office, County Health, and Public Defender's Office. Vacancies may be available in Santa Maria, Santa Barbara, and Lompoc. This job classification is utilized by 4 departments within the County of Santa Barbara. Candidates interested in the Sheriff's Office or Public Defender's Office must be available and willing to work at All Locations throughout the County. The Social Services Department and County Health may appoint candidates at the Social Service Worker Senior PS/L level if they meet the employment standards of a Social Service Worker plus two years of professional social work experience and at the department's need and discretion.

Requirements

• Possession of a bachelor's degree including 30 semester or 45 quarter units of course work in social work, psychology, counseling, sociology, child development, geriatrics, or other behavioral or health sciences; OR, Two years of experience equivalent to Eligibility Worker or Social Services Case Aide with Santa Barbara County, plus 30 semester or 45 quarter units of course work in social work, psychology, counseling, sociology, child development, geriatrics, or other behavioral or health sciences related to social work; OR, A combination of training and experience that is equivalent to the experience requirement listed in #2 above; however, candidates must also possess the 30 semester or 45 quarter units of course work in a related field of study.
• Applicants who are currently in their final quarter or semester of study leading to the required degree are encouraged to apply.
• International degrees must include documentation from an evaluation service that shows the U.S. education equivalency along with unofficial transcripts at the time of application submittal.
• The ability to read, write, and converse fluently in English and Spanish is required for some positions.
• Possession of or ability to obtain a valid California Class C Driver's License is required at the time of appointment.
• Independent travel, including transportation of client, within the county, throughout California, out of state, or country is required.
• May be required to work outside normal business hours and be available on call.
• Selectees for employment in this class must, as a condition of employment, sign a statement agreeing to comply with Section 11166 of the California Penal Code relating to child abuse reporting and Section 15630 of the Welfare and Institutions Code relating to dependent adult abuse reporting.
• Selectees for positions in this class assigned to Child Welfare Services are subject to being fingerprinted for the purpose of criminal record clearance, as authorized under Section 11105.3 of the California Penal Code and Section 16501 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
• Knowledge of: basic functions of social service systems, public assistance or non-profit social services; practical application of human behavior and child development/parenting or aging principles; socioeconomic/psycho-social factors affecting individual behavior, independent living social functioning and social abnormalities; organizational and time management methods; report writing principles including rules of correct grammar, punctuation and sentence structure; basic computer skills and word processing applications.
• Ability to: learn, apply and explain complex regulations and policies governing processes of assigned program; interview a variety of people with diverse socio-economic backgrounds and temperaments; work independently; understand and follow direction; listen; cope with unusual life circumstances; manage a caseload and recall case details; maintain confidentiality of information; write clear, accurate and concise reports and prepare routine statistical reports; organize and prioritize work assignments; make decisions and independent judgments; determine the appropriate course of action in emergency or stressful situations; understand program objectives in relation to departmental goals and procedures; deal firmly and fairly with clients; maintain accurate records and document actions taken; identify and make referrals to local and regional providers of social, medical and/or other specialized services; act on behalf of client to obtain needed services; operate a computer in the completion of assignments; communicate effectively both verbally and in writing; establish and maintain cooperative working relationships.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working with justice-involved individuals.
• Understanding of family dynamics.

Responsibilities

• Performs social work and other related duties as required.
• Incumbents in the Department of Social Services will initially be working under close supervision in a training status and are expected to learn departmental organization, social service programs, case study methods, and casework services and perform without close supervision within one year.
• Trainees assigned to work in child/adult protective services may perform more difficult social service work.
• Upon completion of training, incumbents are expected to perform journey-level social service work.
• Incumbents carry a complex social service caseload in such areas as child protective services, adult protective services, and in-home supportive services, supplemental security income advocacy services, or in a locked facility.
• Incumbents in the Public Defender's Office for this position work within the Community Defender Division, providing case management and advocacy services, collaborating with attorneys, housing advocates, and resource specialists to address the underlying causes of clients' involvement with the criminal justice system.
• Incumbents in the Sheriff's Office perform social work in an inmate discharge setting by assessing inmate criminogenic needs and creating release plans that will ensure proper community supports are in place to reduce reoffending, including residential treatment facilities, health care applications, housing, employment and other community resources.
• Incumbents in County Health - Jail Health Reentry Services support individuals housed in the County Jail by conducting assessments, creating care and reentry plans, coordinating referrals to medical, behavioral health, and social-service programs, and assisting with Medi-Cal and benefit enrollment. They manage discharge planning, facilitate warm handoffs to community providers, collaborate with custody staff and partner agencies, maintain accurate documentation, and help ensure continuity of care as individuals transition back into the community.
• Conducts in-home or on-site visitations to interview clients, family members and other interested parties to assess and identify needs for social services, medical, and/or behavioral health; gathers and evaluates information regarding employment history, housing situation, physical functioning, financial status, capacity for independent living and availability of domestic services; evaluates clients concerns and observes behavior; develops service plans and establishes case files.
• Counsels clients on available resources, barriers to employment, independent living skills and other areas involving defined problems or concerns; explains procedures, rights and responsibilities.
• Assists clients in identifying and obtaining basic services needed for independent living; identifies and makes referrals to a variety of public and community agencies providing food, shelter, clothing, medical, educational and other services; schedules client appointments; acts as client advocate in obtaining services.
• As a protective service worker, investigates reports of child or vulnerable adult abuse, neglect and/or exploitation; assesses the degree of immediate risk to the child/adult and takes necessary action to minimize the risk; coordinates activity with other agencies and involved parties including relatives, school personnel and officers of the court.
• Develops service and treatment plans, evaluates client and/or family behavioral adjustment and monitors client progress toward delineated objectives; counsels clients using a variety of counseling modalities.
• Manages assigned caseload; prepares narrative and statistical reports, documents and correspondence regarding client status; documents case files; prepares and serves legal documents; testifies in court and State Hearings.
• Identifies and assesses suitability for out-of-home care placements and conducts on-site visits to assess living conditions.
• Performs social work in an inmate discharge setting by assessing inmate criminogenic needs and creating release plans that ensure proper community supports are in place to reduce reoffending, including residential treatment facilities, health care applications, housing, employment, and other community resources.
• Provides case management and advocacy services within the Community Defender Division (CDD), collaborating with attorneys, housing advocates, and resource specialists to address the underlying causes of clients' involvement with the criminal justice system.
• Supports individuals housed in the County Jail by conducting assessments, creating care and reentry plans, and coordinating referrals to medical, behavioral health, and social-service programs, and assisting with Medi-Cal and benefit enrollment; manages discharge planning, facilitates warm handoffs to community providers, collaborates with custody staff and partner agencies, maintains accurate documentation, and helps ensure continuity of care as individuals transition back into the community.

Benefits

• County of Santa Barbara offers generous benefits.
• Retirement reciprocity for applicants from other public sector employers.
• Time and service credit towards an advanced vacation accrual rate for applicants from other public sector employers.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level