Adult and Aging Social Service Worker III - Extra-Help

Full Job Description

This Adult and Aging Social Service Worker III (SSW III) is assigned to the Adult and Aging Division's In-Home Support Services (IHSS) program, which provides in-home care to low-income, elderly, and individuals with disabilities, enabling them to remain safely and independently in their homes. They will utilize their experience and professional discretion to determine when a complex case decision can be made independently and when to consult with a supervisor, especially when working independently with clients in the field. Additional responsibilities include:

• Interviewing clients and conducting IHSS functional needs assessments to determine client eligibility
• Communicating program requirements to clients and their providers
• Conducting in person home visits to provide initial intake of new applicants to the program as well as their annual reassessment
• Mentoring new employees, and acting as an IHSS liaison with community partners and on specialized assignments
• Educating clients on available program features and how to best utilize them
• Providing referrals to resources in the community
• Carrying a complex caseload and managing client needs as they arise between annual assessments

The ideal candidate will possess many of the following:

• A bachelor’s degree in social work or a related field
• Excellent communication, multitasking, organization, and problem-solving skills
• The ability to keep calm in a stressful work environment and navigate challenging interpersonal situations
• Experience working with adults who are older, people with disabilities and/or chronic health issues, and their caregivers
• The ability to collaborate with coworkers as well as internal and external program partners
• Knowledge of trauma-informed care approaches, strength-based assessments, and cultural humility
• The ability to properly apply state regulations to a client’s individual needs
• Knowledge of the community resources and support structures in place for the populations we serve
• Experience working with underserved multicultural communities
• Basic Microsoft Office and data entry skills
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) speaking abilities are highly desirable but not required

Extra-help employees relieve or augment permanent staff. Intermittent, extra-help employees are not in the classified civil service and do not have property rights to permanently allocated positions.

In addition, they do not receive most regular employee benefits such as long-term disability insurance coverage, accrual of vacation, participation in the County retirement program, or eligibility to take promotional examinations.

Intermittent, extra-help employees are limited in their employment to a maximum of 1,380 hours within any twelve-month consecutive period.

Extra-help employees who meet the eligibility requirements may qualify for a County contribution toward medical coverage.

Requirements

Experience and Education: Any combination of training and experience which would provide the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and abilities listed. Normally, graduation from college, with a degree in social work, sociology, psychology or other behavioral science; and two years experience at the level of Social Service worker II.

OR

Academic course work at a college or university in social work, psychology, sociology, and other behavior science; and four years of progressively responsible experience in a social work agency at least two of which were at the level of Social Service Worker II would provide such opportunity.

License: Possession of a valid driver's license at the appropriate level including special endorsements, as required by the State of California, may be required depending upon assignment to perform the essential job functions of the position.

Qualifications

Considerable knowledge of: the basic principles and theories of sociology and psychology including abnormal psychology, human growth and development, group and family dynamics; principles and techniques of interviewing and recording social case work; principles of individual and group behavior; provisions of federal, state, and local welfare programs and the laws, rules and regulations governing their applications; community organizations and resources; socioeconomic conditions and trends; current problems and methodology in public social service.

Working knowledge of: supervisory techniques and practices.

Ability to: assess and evaluate data and develop an effective course of action; apply laws, rules, and regulations to welfare department operation; interpret social service programs to applicants, recipients, and the public; make effective use of resources and services in the community; develop and maintain effective working relationships with clients, departmental staff, public and private Social Service agencies, community based organizations and the public; accept and use consultative supervision and act effectively under stressful situations; control personal bias and apply social work ethics; input data, reports and narratives into a computer system; keep detailed records and prepare reports and correspondence.

Additional Information

• Your application information and your responses to the supplemental questions are evaluated and taken into consideration throughout the entire selection process.
• You should list all employers and positions held within the last ten years in the work history section of your application. Be as thorough as possible when responding to the supplemental questions.
• You may include history beyond ten years if related to the position for which you are applying. If you held multiple positions with one employer, list out each position separately.
• Failure to follow these instructions may impact your competitiveness in this process or may result in disqualification.

Please visit Getting a Job with the County of Sonoma to review more detailed information about the hiring process, including the application process, examination steps, and department selection process.

Application submissions require the Supplemental Questionnaire be completed.

Responses to supplemental questions are used to evaluate your qualifications. Please provide sufficient information to allow for a thorough evaluation of your qualifications.

The selection procedure will consist of the following examination:

An Application and Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination (pass/not pass) will be conducted to evaluate each applicant's combination of educational coursework, training, experience, knowledge, and abilities that relate to this position to ensure satisfaction of the minimum qualifications for this position.

Candidates who possess the minimum qualifications for the position will be placed on an extra-help employment list and referred to the department.

The department may contact candidates from the employment list who possess the most appropriate job-related qualifications for further consideration.

Additional Information

A background investigation is required prior to employment.

Candidates referred to departments for a selection interview are typically required to sign authorization and release forms enabling such an investigation.

Failure to sign prescribed forms will result in the candidate not being considered further for that vacancy. Reference information will not be made available to applicants.

Additional requirements, such as successful completion of a physical exam, drug screen, etc., may apply, depending on the duties and responsibilities of the position.

If you receive a conditional job offer for the position, the requirements upon which the offer is contingent will be outlined in the conditional job letter.

You may also review the Job Classification Screening Schedule to determine the requirements for this position.

How to Apply

Applications are accepted online at www.yourpath2sonomacounty.org. Paper applications may be submitted by person, fax (707-565-3770), email, or through the mail.

All applications and appropriate supplemental information as outlined in the job bulletin must be received by the time and date specified on the first page of this job announcement.

Continuous recruitments may close without notice at any time that a sufficient number of qualified applications have been received.

Applications received after the recruitment closes will not be accepted.

The County of Sonoma values diversity and is dedicated to creating a workplace environment that provides individuals with a sense of belonging.

We are committed to having a diverse workforce that is representative of the communities we serve.

The County is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer where all aspects of employment are based on merit, competence, performance, and business need.

HR Analyst: EP
HR Tech: VH