Case Worker

Full Job Description

SALARY

$35.52 - $42.53 Hourly

$73,889.92- $88,458.24 annually

Bilingual allowance when applicable.

Special Duty Assignment allowance when regularly assigned to a Psychiatric Health Facility

We are accepting applications to fill multiple full-time Case Worker vacancies in Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, and Lompoc. The current vacancies are in the Behavioral Wellness Department (BWELL).

THE POSITIONUnder supervision, the incumbent assures continuity of care for clients in a community behavioral health program or as part of the Department of Behavioral Wellness; and performs related duties as required.

Incumbents in this class work within a system of interdisciplinary departmental teams and/or contract service agencies providing assessment, prevention, intervention, treatment, and related ancillary support services via an integrated service delivery system to people with alcohol and other drug-related problems, mental illness, and/or co-occurring conditions.

The Ideal Candidate will have:

ABOUT THE BWELL PROGRAMS WITH CURRENT VACANCIES:

Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Court: The CARE Court Program provides outreach, engagement, and case management services to individuals with untreated mental health and substance use disorders who are referred through court-submitted petitions under the CARE Court Act.

Services are delivered primarily in community-based settings, meeting individuals where they are and assisting them with linkage to treatment and supportive services.

CARE Court connects participants to a court-ordered Care Plan for up to 24 months, which may include clinically prescribed interventions, medication support, housing planning, and coordinated community services.

Case Workers collaborate closely with multidisciplinary teams and the Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) Program, with weekly case review meetings to ensure continuity of care.

Children’s Wellness, Recovery, And Resiliency (WR&W): Case Workers in the Children’s WR&R Program work as part of multidisciplinary treatment teams at the Santa Maria, Lompoc, and Santa Barbara Children’s Outpatient Clinics.

The program serves children, adolescents, and Transitional Age Youth by providing individual, family, and group rehabilitation and skill-building services.

The program emphasizes trauma-informed care, family systems, screening, evaluation, treatment planning, and crisis intervention.

Staff frequently collaborate with Child Welfare Services, schools, Juvenile Probation, foster care systems, and special education programs, including support for youth with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs).

Adults Wellness, Recovery, and Resiliency (WR&R):

Adult WR&R staff work as part of multidisciplinary treatment teams at Adult Outpatient Clinics, providing services to adults 18+.

Services include individual, family, and group rehabilitation and skill-building interventions, with an emphasis on trauma-informed care, co-occurring/harm reduction, justice involved; housing and employment support.

Assessment and screening along with treatment planning, crisis intervention, and collaboration with community partners.

Homeless Services Program: The Santa Barbara Homeless Services Program supports individuals who are unhoused, transitioning to housing, or recently housed and who meet Behavioral Wellness criteria for moderate to severe mental illness.

This field-based program focuses on short-term stabilization through mental health treatment, targeted outreach, housing support, and linkage to long-term services and community resources.

Case Workers assist participants with housing placement, benefits establishment, substance use treatment, independent living skills, and coordination with shelters, landlords, housing authorities, and Continuum of Care/Homeless Management Information Systems (CoC/HMIS).

Services are provided in dynamic environments, community settings, shelters, and unsheltered locations. Case Workers are required to meet Behavioral Wellness direct client care service standards aligned with Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) requirements.

Individual Placement and Support (IPS): An IPS (Individual Placement and Support) Employment Specialist/Case Worker helps individuals with mental health conditions to secure competitive, integrated employment.

They provide personalized job searching, community outreach, resume building, and long-term, on-the-job support based on client preferences, focusing on strengths, zero exclusion, and integrated, community-based services.

An IPS Case Worker conducts job development by building relationships with local employers to identify opportunities that match client interests.

This role individualizes support through creating customized employment plans, assists with applications, resumes, and interview prep.

Through “zero exclusion” the program accepts all clients who want to work. Regardless of job readiness, diagnoses, symptoms, or work history.

The IPS Case Worker works closely with mental health treatment teams in an integrated team approach, spending the majority of their time in the community.

Requirements

The examples listed are not intended to include all possible responsibilities, and duties may vary from program.

1. Provides care management, crisis evaluations, and evaluations for involuntary hospitalization; interviews clients to obtain pertinent information including psychiatric, social, educational, and vocational history; makes field visits to evaluate clients to determine needs for services; assists clients in obtaining suitable services such as housing, vocational rehabilitation, financial assistance, and employment; helps clients develop necessary skills for everyday living; provides transportation for clients to obtain needed services; cooperates with other agencies and professionals to coordinate services for mutual clientele.
2. Participates in interdisciplinary team reviews for collaborative assessment and treatment planning to ensure quality care; conducts social, recreational, or occupational skill development in accordance with the treatment plan; observes and reports to licensed staff observations of client's behaviors; confers with licensed staff regarding needed services and referrals to other community agencies.
3. Serves as a point of contact to community agencies or contract service providers when programmatic issues arise.
4. Documents client activity according to established departmental guidelines under supervision of licensed professional staff.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet the employment standards (minimum qualifications) list below to be considered for this position. Detailed information should be included in the application.

NOTE: Applicants who are currently in their final quarter or semester of study leading to the required degree are encouraged to apply. Such applicants may compete in the examination process but may not be considered for appointment until they have attained the required degree.

Driver's License: A valid California Class C Driver's License may be required at the time of appointment.

Knowledge of: characteristics of emotional and mental disorders; and correct English grammar, spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, and paragraphing.

Ability to: read, understand, and follow detailed departmental procedures and state and federal laws and regulations; learn practices of care management including evaluating needs of clients, referring clients to resources, and providing skill development for clients; learn principles of paraprofessional counseling including conflict resolution and crisis intervention; learn about resources for social, health, welfare, and related services within communities served; provide services to clients from a variety of cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds; elicit from and communicate information to people with psychiatric disabilities and systematically and concisely record such data using correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling; interview clients to obtain information for crisis intervention; communicate effectively with clients and staff; work effectively as a member of an interdisciplinary team; respond supportively and empathetically to people with psychiatric disabilities; maintain calm, supportive demeanor in crisis situations; and understand and follow verbal and written instructions.

Additional Information

APPLICATION & SELECTION PROCESS:

• Review applications and supplemental questionnaire to determine those applicants who meet the employment standards.

Supplemental Questionnaire Ranking: Candidates' response to the required supplemental questionnaire will be evaluated and autoscored.

Candidates' final score and rank on the employment list will be determined by their responses to the supplemental questionnaire.

This process may be eliminated if there are fewer than 14 qualified candidates.

Applicants must receive a percentage score of at least 70 on the supplemental questionnaire to be placed on an employment list.

An adjustment may be made to raw scores based on factors listed in Civil Service Rule VI.

Those candidates who are successful in the selection process will have their names placed on the employment list for a minimum of three months.

At the time the employment list is established, all candidates will receive written notice of their score on the exam(s), rank on the employment list, and exact duration of the employment list.

Veteran's Preference Points: Veteran's preference credit is applicable for this recruitment (5 points for veterans, 10 points for disabled veterans).

To be eligible for this credit, you must be applying for this position within five years from your most recent date of: (1) honorable discharge from active military service; or, (2) discharge from a military or veterans' hospital where treatment and confinement were for a disability incurred during active military service; or, (3) completion of education or training funded by a Federal Educational Assistance Act.

No time limit exists for veterans with 30% or more disability.

To receive veteran's preference points, you must: (1) check the Veteran's Preference Points box on the employment application form, (2) submit a copy of your Form DD214 to the Human Resources Department by attaching it to your application, and (3) pass all phases of the examination process.

The preference points will be added to your final test score. CONDITIONAL JOB OFFER:

Live Scan and Background Check: Once a conditional offer of employment has been made, the selected candidate's appointment is contingent upon successful completion of a Live Scan and background check which includes a conviction history check, and satisfactory reference checks.

A Live Scan is electronic fingerprint scanning that is certified by the State Department of Justice.

Further instructions about when and how to complete the Live Scan will be included in the offer letter. Appointee will be subject to a post-offer medical evaluation or examination.

The appointee must satisfactorily complete a one-year probationary period.