Protective Services Worker - Family and Children's Services - Human Services Agency (2940) (X00002)

Company Description

This is a Citywide Exam posting. Your application to this posting is an application to take a citywide exam.

If you pass the exam, you will be emailed your score and ranking on the eligible candidate list. When a department has an open position with this job classification they will use this eligible list to hire for that position. Departments will contact candidates from this list to gauge interest in their specific roles. Learn more about the City’s hiring process here:

• Application Opening - Friday, October 2, 2026
• Application Deadline - Monday, December 21, 2026
• Salary Range: $115,362 - $147, 212 Yearly 2940-Protective Services Worker | City and County of San Francisco (sf.gov)

San Francisco is a vibrant and dynamic city, on the forefront of economic growth & innovation, urban development, arts & entertainment, as well as social issues & change. This rich tapestry of culture and ideas is sustained by our City's commitment to heighten the quality of life for the diverse population of San Franciscans and residents of the greater Bay Area. Our employees play an important role not only in making our City what it is today, but also in shaping the future of San Francisco.

Human Services Agency (HSA)
At the San Francisco Human Services Agency, we believe in a San Francisco where everyone has the opportunity and support to achieve their full potential. We are comprised of the Department of Benefits and Family Support, and the Department of Disability and Aging Services, and are united by our commitment to deliver essential services that support and protect people, families, and communities.


From financial, nutritional and employment support to child and adult protective services, health care coverage, affordable childcare, and in-home services for older adults and persons with disabilities, our team lends support for all in need.



OUR COMMITMENT TO RACIAL EQUALITY


As we work towards our vision of an inclusive San Francisco, we embrace our responsibility to root out systemic racism by creating services and a workforce which reflect the lived experiences and strengths of the people we serve. We are committed to fostering a work environment where our differences are celebrated and everyone has what they need to thrive--no matter their race, age, ability, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or country of origin. Click here to learn more about what this commitment looks like in action.

Job Description

Under general supervision, Protective Service Workers perform professional investigation, case management, and casework services at the Family & Children’s Services program. This includes the following activities: engagement of children, youth and families; assessment of safety and risk; case planning and service delivery; and transitioning children and families to appropriate permanent and stable living situations.

ESSENTIAL TASK AND DUTIES

According to Civil Service Commission Rule 109, the duties specified below are representative of the range of duties assigned to this job class and are not intended to be an inclusive list.

1. Partners with families, communities, and service providers to build a supportive team that addresses the safety, health, and well-being needs of the child, youth, and family.
2. Explores safety, well-being, family relationships and natural supports through interviewing, field visits, and gathering collateral information in a timely manner.
3. Conduces comprehensive assessments of safety, risk and protective capacity utilizing designated assessment tools.
4. Takes appropriate action to ensure child safety, including promoting family strengths, mitigating safety threats and/or removal of children from the home.
5. Maintaining case information on applicable computerized case management system(s).
6. Collaborates with families and stakeholders to develop behavioral case plans that addresses the family's needs and complies with relevant laws, rules and regulations, based on the assessment.
7. Helps connect families to a broad array of services and supports and empowers them to utilize strengths to implement the provisions of a case plan.
8. Counsels and educates youth, families, care providers and community partners on the Child Welfare process, legal requirements, and departmental policies and procedures by communicating verbally and in writing to provide necessary and appropriate information to families.
9. Builds community partnerships through relationship building and educating community organizations about Family and Children’s Services.
10. Stays abreast of latest polices, initiatives, and best practices by attending trainings, reading literature reviews, accessing various online child welfare resources, and participating in work groups and site teams to contribute to the development of policies.
11. Ensures all assigned cases meet compliance standards and schedules work accordingly.
12. Testifies in Court, adheres to Court protocol, and complies with legal requirements.
13. Ensures the well-being of children placed in homes by identifying homes to meet children’s needs and closely monitors their placement
14. Assists out of home care providers to ensure children attend mandatory parental visits and medical and dental appointments to comply with mandatory County and State procedures, rules, and regulations.
15. Prepares written correspondence, electronic records, and court reports by maintaining well documented records in a clear and timely manner, according to Agency procedures.

Qualifications

1. Education

a. Possession of a Master’s Degree in Social Work from a school accredited by the Council on Social Work education (CSWE);

OR

b. Possession of a Master’s Degree from a two-year (2) counseling program from an accredited college or university. (Qualifying Master’s Degrees in counseling include Marriage and Family Therapy, Clinical Counseling, Mental Health Counseling, Addiction Counseling and Counseling Psychology that included a supervised field placement as part of the course curriculum).

AND

2. Experience

a. Satisfactory completion of two (2) semesters of graduate field placement, which involved the provision of direct services to families or children in one of the following or closely related areas: child welfare, family counseling, juvenile probation, pediatric social work, adolescent alcohol and drug counseling or school social work;

OR

b. Six (6) months post baccalaureate professional work experience which involved the provision of direct services to families or children in one of the areas previously described.

AND

3. License: Possession of a valid California class C driver’s license and clear Motor Vehicle Record (MVR).

Note: Applicants who will receive their Master’s degree by the end of the current semester/quarter may submit a written request to be placed on the eligible list under waiver pending receipt of the Master’s degree; for these applicants, appointment referral is contingent upon verification of the required education and experience.

Applicants must meet the minimum qualification requirement by the final filing date unless otherwise noted.

LICENSE, CERTIFICATION AND SPECIAL CONDITIONS:

Some positions in Class 2940 Protective Services Worker may require bilingual proficiency depending upon the department's bilingual needs. Only those eligible candidates who pass the bilingual proficiency test will be considered for bilingual positions. Applicants must indicate on the application form the language(s) in which they claim proficiency.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

The essential duties of this position require incumbents to: drive, usually outside the City of San Francisco; to get in and out of vehicles, climb flights of stairs to complete home visits; lift objects weighing up to 40 pounds; incumbents will be required to work after standard work hours to respond to emergency response shifts which can occur on nights and weekends including After Hours shifts.

Note: A current copy of the driver license and a current Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) must be submitted prior to appointment. Applicants must possess a good driving record, defined as not having the driving privilege suspended, revoked or being placed on probation for cause involving the safe operation of a motor vehicle within the preceding three (3) years. Violations will be reviewed on an individual basis and may be cause for non-selection or disciplinary action if employed.

Verification of Education and Experience:

Every application is reviewed to ensure that you meet the minimum qualifications as listed in the job ad. Review SF Careers Employment Applications for considerations taken when reviewing applications.

Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. If education verification is required, information on how to verify education requirements, including verifying foreign education credits or degree equivalency, can be found at

Note: Falsifying one’s education, training, or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification for this and future job opportunities with the City and County of San Francisco.

SELECTION PROCEDURES

After application submission, candidates deemed qualified must complete all subsequent steps to advance in this selection process, which includes the following:

Written Examination – Multiple Choice (100%):

Candidates will be administered a written multiple-choice test designed to measure knowledge, skills and/or abilities in job-related areas which may include but are not limited to: ability and skill to assess, diagnose and apply intervention techniques to child, family and adult related problems; knowledge of social work methods and practices; theories of human behavior and group dynamics; interviewing, investigative and intervention techniques; child development, the aging process, parenting skills, adolescence, substance abuse, familial violence; causes and treatment of child abuse, family dynamics, death and dying; crisis intervention; and mental health/illness; needs and problems of children, families and adults from diverse socio-economic and cultural backgrounds; community resources and community organizations; policies and procedures relating to the provision of social services; investigative techniques, reporting requirements, and court procedures related to social services; the laws, rules and regulations governing the operation of public social services agencies; therapeutic modalities and pharmacology.

A passing score must be achieved on the written multiple choice exam in order to continue in the selection process. Candidates who pass the exam will be placed on the eligible list in rank order according to their written examination score.

Score Banking: Scores attained on the Protective Services Worker Exam for Family and Children Services will be 'banked' for two (2) years, starting from the date of the examination. This means that, during this two-year time period, candidates need not take this test again. However, after one (1) year, a candidate has the option to either (a) keep the same score and apply their test score to the other announcement or (b) re-take the test. Re-testing is permitted no sooner than one (1) year from the date of the test. If a candidate opts to re-test, the re-test score becomes the candidate’s official score since it is the most recent.

If a significant modification is made to this exam in the future, the application of “banked” scores may no longer be appropriate. In such a rare circumstance, candidates with “banked” scores would be required to re-take the exam sooner than the two-year period specified above should they apply to another job opportunity where the modified exam is used.

Additional Information

Eligible List/Score Report:
A confidential eligible list of applicant names that have passed the civil service examination process will be created, and used for certification purposes only. An examination score report will be established, so applicants can view the ranks, final scores and number of eligible candidates. Applicant information, including names of applicants on the eligible list, shall not be made public unless required by law. However, an eligible list shall be made available for public inspection, upon request, once the eligible list is exhausted or expired and referrals resolved. The eligible list/score report resulting from this civil service examination process is subject to change after adoption (e.g., as a result of appeals), as directed by the Human Resources Director or the Civil Service Commission.

Upon passing the exam, candidates will be placed on the eligible list for a period of 12 months.

To find Departments which use this classification, please see the city’sPosition Counts by Job Codes and Departments.

Terms of Announcement and Appeal Rights:
Applicants must be guided solely by the provisions of this announcement, including requirements, time periods and other particulars, except when superseded by federal, state or local laws, rules or regulations. [Note: The correction of clerical errors in an announcement may be posted on the Department of Human Resources website at

The terms of this announcement may be appealed under Civil Service Rule 110.4. Such appeals must be submitted in writing to the Department of Human Resources, 1 S Van Ness Avenue, 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103-5413 by close of business on the 5th business day following the issuance date of this examination announcement. Information concerning other Civil Service Commission Rules involving announcements, applications and examination policies, including applicant appeal rights, can be found on the Civil Service Commission website at

Additional Information Regarding Employment with the City and County of San Francisco:

• Information About the Hiring Process
• Conviction History
• Employee Benefits Overview
• Equal Employment Opportunity
• Disaster Service Worker
• ADA Accommodation
• Veterans Preference
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement

Where to Apply

All job applications for the City and County of San Francisco must be submitted through our online portal. Please visit to begin your application process.

Computers are available for the public (9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday) to file online applications in the lobby of the Dept. of Human Resources at 1 South Van Ness Avenue, 4th Floor and at the City Career Center at City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 110.

Ensure your application information is accurate, as changes may not be possible after submission. Your first and last name must match your legal ID for verification, and preferred names can be included in parentheses. Use your personal email address, not a shared or work email, to avoid unfixable issues.

Applicants will receive a confirmation email from that their online application has been received in response to every announcement for which they file. Applicants should retain this confirmation email for their records. Failure to receive this email means that the online application was not submitted or received.

If you have any questions, you may contact Valerie Tieu at . Recruitment ID: X00002

All of your information will be kept confidential according to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) guidelines.

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.

Certification Rule: Rule of the ListExam Type: ContinuousWork Hours: OtherJob Code and Title: 2940-Protective Services WorkerFill Type: Permanent Civil ServiceEligible List Type: Entrance