Social Worker III

The Position

The current vacancy is within Adult & Aging Services in Ukiah. The list developed from this recruitment will be used for a limited period to fill open and promotional, regular full-time, and part-time positions in a variety of service areas, and locations throughout the County, should they occur. Pursuant to current bargaining unit agreements, employees regularly assigned to the coastal region or in Covelo are eligible to receive a 5% assignment premium. Under general direction the Social Worker III carries a caseload of difficult cases determining the services required by County applicants or clients for social services; performs difficult studies and develops comprehensive client service plans. Typical assignments are within child welfare and adult service programs. Bilingual English/Spanish encouraged to apply. Se buscan personas bilingües en inglés y español. Para recibir una solicitud en español, llame a Recursos Humanos al 234-6600. Earn your AA, BSW, or MSW with Title IV-E funding—MCDSS employees may qualify for educational assistance. Learn more here.

Job Requirements and Minimum Qualifications

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

• Conducts interviews with clients, family members, and others in their home/field, 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.
• Carries a caseload of more difficult types of social services cases requiring a high degree of technical competence.
• Receives reports of suspected abuse/neglect; investigates allegations by conducting interviews with victims and others; assesses situations and recommends, implements and monitors alternate placement; may provide information to law enforcement or district attorneys; may testify in court.
• Maintains confidential information and client confidentiality in accordance with legal standards and/or County regulations; performs all duties in conformance with the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics.
• Develops and carries out culturally sensitive service plans for an assigned caseload in conformance with agency, state and federal requirements; assists clients and family members to develop strategies to accomplish service plan goals.
• Assess and evaluate client problems and determine service plans with a high degree of independence.
• Refers clients to other staff members or to community resources for direct and intensive services and specialized counseling as necessary.
• Advocates on clients' behalf for appropriate services. Assists applicants and clients in utilizing available resources including assisting in completing paperwork and accompanying clients to appointments.
• Interprets policies, rules, and regulations of the agency to clients, applicants and others within the scope of responsibility.
• Makes home visits in connection with casework assignments.
• Prepares and maintains case records and databases; communicates decisions, timelines, recommendations and service plans to clients, families and service providers.
• Develops and prepares court reports, service plans, case narratives and safety plans in computer systems.
• Coordinates and directly monitors family visitations to assess progress toward the case plan goals.
• Participates in in-service training and other staff development activities to increase knowledge of social work practices and achieve technical proficiency.
• Develops, coordinates, and may facilitate a team of professionals and natural supports working with clients to achieve client goals.
• Provides community outreach for various agency programs.
• Counsels or provides guidance and support to individuals and/or families with more complex or specialized needs including protective services, crisis intervention, special medical or legal needs, and other social services.
• Provides self-help information, education, and services; works with clients and caregivers to develop and improve caregiving and independent living skills.
• Obtains and evaluates law enforcement, medical, and psychological reports.
• Enters and retrieves data and narratives from computer systems.
• May counsel client/family regarding marital, family inter-relationship, abuse/neglect and life skill issues.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED Education and Experience: EITHER Pattern 1: One (1) year of full-time experience performing journey level social work case management, as defined below, at the level, or the equivalent in education and experience, of the Social Worker II classification in Mendocino County. Pattern 2: Bachelor's degree from an accredited four year college or university with a major in any field with successful completion of 30 semester units (45 quarter) in social welfare, social/human services, sociology, or other social or behavioral science; AND two (2) years of full-time social work case management experience as a professional Social Worker or Protective Services Worker in a private or public social services agency setting, as defined below. PATTERN 2 SUBSTITUTION: Successful completion of twenty four (24) semester units (36 quarter units) of a master's degree program from an accredited college or university in social work or from an accredited two year counseling program emphasizing marriage, family, and child counseling or marriage and family therapy, clinical psychology, or gerontology (adults only) may be substituted for one (1) year of the required experience. Social work case management is defined as: case management performed by a professional Social Worker or Protective Services Worker, as opposed to healthcare (or other non-social work) case management, with direct responsibility for assessing and evaluating clients; conducting investigations of abuse and neglect; preparing court reports; responsibility for a long term caseload, monitoring compliance through home calls and other personal contact; collaborating with other agencies and linking clients to resources and programs; developing a case plan, modifying case plans as needed/required; and having authority to impose sanctions or implement actions that impact services. Licenses and Certifications : Valid Driver's License

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge of:

• Principles and practices of organization, workload management and time management.
• Principles and practices of note taking, report writing, and English composition, grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
• Phone etiquette and interview techniques.
• Local socio-economic conditions and trends.
• Principles of individual and group behavior.
• Current issues in the field of social welfare.
• Public welfare programs on the federal, state, and local level.
• General principles of public assistance policies and programs.
• 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 and responsibilities of a social worker.
• Community organization and the social problems calling for the use of public and private community resources.
• 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.
• Strategies and protocols surrounding crisis intervention techniques such as voice modulation and assessing the potential for suicide.
• Psychopathology, the different types of mental illness diagnoses, how mental illness affects human behavior and mental health services and treatments utilized by clients.
• Signs, stages and dynamics of abuse/neglect, and the effects of abuse/neglect on child/adult development and behavior.
• Signs and symptoms of alcohol and drug use abuse/neglect in adults and children and the effects on families.
• Standards for maintaining clients safely in home; options for placement; effects of removing clients from unsafe situations.

Skill to:

• Evaluate psychological factors in the child and/or family's situations.
• Recognize signs of abuse/neglect of children, the elderly and dependent adults; assess risk factors and potential dangers to clients.
• Communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
• Maintain confidentiality in accordance with legal standards and/or county regulations.
• Organize and maintain work detail.
• Apply existing laws, rules, and regulations to welfare department operations.
• Interpret and explain to applicants, recipients, or other public social service programs, policies, rules and regulations.
• Write clear and concise narrative reports, correspondence and other materials.
• Interviewing, case recording, and interpretation.
• Work constructively within a community setting and effectively use appropriate resources and services.
• Interact professionally and respectfully with clients including difficult, hostile, or distressed clients.
• Respect cultural differences