Social Worker III

Salary: $4,614.00 - $5,611.00 Monthly
Location : Imperial County
Job Type: Full-Time
Job Number: MSS06209
Department: Imperial County Department of Social Services
Opening Date: 09/30/2026
Closing Date: 10/14/2026 11:59 PM Pacific


Position Information
Applicants: If you are using education to qualify, please remember to include copies of your transcripts, degree(s), and/or certifications. Foreign degrees must have a U.S. Equivalency Report. Failure to submit, may result in your application being disqualified.

ATTENTION JOB APPLICANTS: Please indicate in the supplemental question section if you are interested in a bilingual position. Job applicants must meet the minimum qualifications as outlined in the job bulletin and be successful in the interview process. If selected for a bilingual position, as a condition of employment, candidates who are selected for hire must receive a qualifying proficiency score on the Social Worker III bilingual certification examination(s) administered by MSS.
Under general direction, the Social Worker III carries a difficult caseload involving the determination of need for basic social services functions for applicants or clients; performs social studies and assignments involving individualized treatment and specialized application of casework methods and skills; provides comprehensive casework services of a tangible nature; and performs other related work as assigned.

Social Worker III is the advanced journey level in the Social Worker series. Incumbents are normally assigned a selected caseload of the more difficult cases and when needed are given supervisory consultation in development of treatment plans. They may also be assigned to a specialized function requiring a high degree of perception such as a special problem caseload or they are assigned to a specific geographic or functional area such as Court Investigations, Family Maintenance/Reunification, Emergency Response, Child/Adult Protection, or Foster Care. A Social Worker III may act as a lead worker to other social service workers. Incumbents are expected to work independently.

Social Worker III differs from Social Worker II in that the former receives the more difficult assignments requiring greater skill and depth of job knowledge in assessing problem situations and formulating plans for services. Incumbents normally work with a high degree of independence of action in administering services and in making use of agency or community resources. Social Worker III differs from Social Worker IV-A/B in that the latter is the most experienced worker and requires both advanced education and social work experience.

SUPERVISION EXERCISED AND RECEIVED
Incumbents in the Social Worker III classification receive general direction from a Social Worker Supervisor or other higher-level manager or deputy director, and may act as lead worker to lower classification working in the same program area.
Examples of Duties
Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Carries a caseload of more difficult types of social services cases requiring a high degree of technical competence, such as situations where environmental forces affect family life
• Receives and responds to reports of suspected abuse; obtains information from reporters; personally investigates and assesses situations to protect vulnerable adults and children and recommends alternate placement; may provide information to law enforcement or district attorneys; may be required to work on-call; may testify in court
• Performs case studies evaluates individual and family case information to assess the safety of children and adults; determines appropriate types and methods of treatment
• Develops and carries out social treatment plans for an assigned caseload; ensures all services are delivered in a respectful, culturally sensitive and appropriate manner and
• Counsels or provides guidance and support to individuals and/or families with more complex or specialized needs including Adult Protective Services, crisis intervention, special medical or legal needs, and other social services
• Refers clients to other staff members
• Makes a diagnosis of client problems and follows through with the social treatment plans with a high degree of independence
• Interprets policies, rules, and regulations to client, applicants, and others
• May act as a lead worker to a small group of social service workers or service employees
• Assists applicants and recipients in utilizing available resources for individual needs
• Makes home visits in connection with casework assignments
• Develops and prepares court report, case plans, case narratives and safety plans in automated computer systems
• Enters and retrieves data and narratives from automated computer systems
• Prepares and maintains case
• 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
• May be required to testify in court
• Works with community organizations and makes referrals to outside resources
• Provides self-help information, education, and services; works with clients and caregivers to develop and improve caregiving and independent living skills
• Obtains and evaluates police, medical, and psychological reports
• Maintains client confidentiality; performs all duties in conformance with the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics
• Performs related duties as assigned

EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS
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
• Socio-economic conditions and trends
• Basic principles of individual and group behavior
• Current issues in the field of social welfare
• Principles of analysis and problem-solving methodology
• Basic 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
• Current problems and methodology in the field of public social services
• 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, and the effects of abuse on child/adult development and behavior
• Signs and symptoms of alcohol and drug use/abuse 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

Ability to:

• Communicate effectively with others in writing, in person and over the telephone
• Analyze data, interpret directions, procedures and regulations, and develop appropriate responses
• Perform job duties under stressful conditions
• Respond appropriately to situations
• Maintain confidential information in accordance with legal standards and/or county regulations
• Understand and apply the agency program, policy and procedures
• Obtain facts and recognize the relevance and significance
• Organize and maintain work detail
• Establish and maintain effective working relationship with agency staff, clients, and outside organizations
• Analyze situation and adopt effective courses of action
• Apply the principles of psychology and family relationships to engage individuals and families in social services
• Recognize signs of abuse for children, elderly and dependent adults; assess risk factors and potential dangers to clients
• Apply existing laws, rules, and regulations to welfare department operations
• Interpret and explain to applicants, recipients, 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
• Communicate effectively both orally and in writing
• Operate a personal computer and other office equipment and related software
• Act appropriately in emergency and stressful situations
• Interact professionally and respectfully with clients including difficult, hostile, or distressed clients
• Respect cultural differences
• Work with difficult or complex cases/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
Pattern 1: One (1) year of full-time experience performing journey level social work case management in the Social Worker II classification in an Interagency Merit System (IMS) county;

OR
Pattern 2: Two (2) years of full-time social work case management experience in a public or private agency; AND Thirty (30) semester units or forty-five (45) quarter units from an accredited college or university, including fifteen (15) semester units or twenty-two and a half (22.5) quarter units in social welfare, social/human services, sociology, or other social or behavioral science;**

OR

Pattern 3: Bachelor's degree and successful completion of twenty-four (24) semester or thirty-six (36) quarter units of a master's degree program in Social Work, or a Counseling program from an accredited college or university, emphasizing Marriage, Family and Child Counseling or Marriage and Family therapy, Gerontology or Clinical Psychology; AND Twelve (12) months of social work case management experience.*
*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.

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

Supplemental Information
Applicants: If you are using education to qualify, please remember to include copies of your transcripts, degree(s), and/or certifications. Foreign degrees must have a U.S. Equivalency Report. Failure to submit, may result in your application being disqualified.
EXAMINATION INFORMATION

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.


BILINGUAL TESTING

This job posting is for a bilingual position. Job applicants must meet the minimum qualifications as outlined in the job bulletin and be successful in the interview process. As a condition of employment, candidates who are selected for hire must receive a qualifying proficiency score on the Spanish bilingual certification examination(s) administered by MSS.

For Social Worker III, the required proficiency level is:
ILR Level 3 - Professional Working Proficiency:At this rating, bilingual persons are able to speak and write the required language effectively with sufficient structural accuracy and vocabulary. Persons can participate effectively in most conversations on practical, social, and professional topics. They can discuss special fields of competence with reasonable ease. Their vocabulary is broad enough that they seldom search for words. Persons at this level may have an obvious foreign accent but have good control of grammar and their errors virtually do not interfere with understanding or disturb native speakers.
Please review the bilingual examination information below:
SPANISH ORAL EXAMINATION
The oral examination is designed to elicit the full range of the target language to identify how well candidates use and control the language. The oral examination is administered over the phone and consists of a series of prompts (such as providing a description, discussing a hypothetical event, providing an opinion, etc.) requiring an oral response. Candidates will be evaluated on comprehension, communication, grammar, and vocabulary.


SPANISH WRITTEN EXAMINATION
The written examination is designed to evaluate the reading and writing proficiency of the candidate. The written examination is administered online and consists of several prompts presented in the target language. Candidates are required to provide a written response and will be evaluated on comprehension, expression, and mechanics.
ELIGIBLE LIST INFORMATION
A departmental open eligible list will be established for the county of Imperial. The list will be utilized for 12 months after it is established unless the needs of the service and conditions of the list warrant a change in this period.
RETEST PERIOD

Once you have taken the examination, you may not retest for SIX (6) MONTHS from the established eligibility date.


SPECIAL TESTING ARRANGEMENTS
Special testing arrangements may be made to accommodate applicants for disability, military, or religious reasons. If you require such arrangements, please contact CalHR at View email address on click.appcast.io or View phone number on click.appcast.io 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.


EDUCATION DOCUMENTS

If you are using education to meet the minimum qualifications, you must attach your transcripts to your application. Applicants with foreign transcripts must provide a transcript evaluation that indicates the number of units to which the foreign course work is equivalent. Transcripts and evaluations may be unofficial; official transcripts may be required upon appointment. Please redact birthdates and social security numbers.
GENERAL INFORMATION
This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without the need for visa sponsorship by the start date of employment.
MSS reserves the right to revise the examination plan to better meet the needs of the recruitment if the circumstances under which this examination was planned change. Such revision will be in accordance with civil service laws and rules and all competitors will be notified.
If you meet the requirements stated on this bulletin, you may take this examination. Your performance in this examination will be rated against predetermined rating criteria. All competitors who pass will be added to the eligible list. Meeting the entry requirements does not assure success in the examination or placement on the eligible list.
General Qualifications: Applicants must possess essential personal qualifications including integrity, initiative, dependability, good judgement, the ability to work cooperatively with others, and a state of health consistent with the ability to perform the assigned duties of the class. A medical examination may be required. As part of the hiring process, a background investigation may be required.
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
The Merit System Services program is committed to equal employment opportunity for all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• A valid driver's license is required at the time of appointment and employees may also be required to drive their own car, provide proof of car insurance. Individuals who do not meet this requirement due to a disability will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
• This position will require pre-employment drug testing, a physical examination, and fingerprinting for a background investigation.
• Government agencies accessing US government information, which include federal tax information must ensure that background investigation requirements for all agency employees and contractors that have access to federal tax information are consistent to the IRS background investigation requirements for access to federal tax information.
• Employees in this position will be required to drive in and out of the county to conduct business. Travel will include an airplane commute.
• Employees may be required to work with clients of various age groups and clients with disabilities, mental health issues, physical health issues, substance abuse issues, victims of abuse and/or domestic violence, at risk of abuse, and financial instability.
• Employees may encounter hostile and emotionally troubled clients, including children and parents under the influence of controlled substances and alcohol.
• Employees will be required to complete court reports and abide by statutory timeframes.
• Employees will be required to participate in the "On-call/rotation" assignment.
• Employees will be required to perform abuse and neglect investigations.
• Employees will be required to visit clients at their homes to conduct safety and risk assessments.
• Employees will be required to conduct a needs assessment for clients to remain safely in their homes.
• Employees will be required to represent the County in administrative appeals and fair hearings.
• The ability to speak, read, and write Spanish in addition to English would be an asset in this position. Applicants for English/Spanish bilingual designated positions must take and pass the bilingual proficiency examination administered by the California Department of Human Resources, Merit System Services.
• Employees in this position must be able to provide- support and directions to staff after hours.

• All Imperial County employees are considered Disaster Service Workers and might be required to take the associated FEMA training.

ABOUT IMPERIAL COUNTY
Imperial County is located in the Imperial Valley in the southeast of California, bordering Arizona and Mexico, with the Colorado River forming the County's eastern boundary. Imperial County is a major agricultural center, producing half of the nation's winter vegetables, as well as extensive renewable resources, such as geothermal, wind, and solar. Off-road enthusiasts are drawn to the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation area, and the Colorado River is a popular destination for watersports, including fishing, boating, and water skiing. Fans of the popular movie, The Return of the Jedi, will recognize the Algodones Sand Dunes, where the movie was filmed.
Merit System Services does not negotiate or determine the benefits or salaries for positions offered by its partners. For more information about benefits or salaries, please visit the listed county or child support office's website or contact their human resources department.
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By selecting "yes" below, I certify my understanding of the requirement to provide substantiating educational documents (i.e., transcripts, foreign degree evaluation) if I am using education to meet the minimum qualifications. I understand that failure to provide substantiating educational documents may result in disqualification of my application.

• Yes
• No

Required Question