Employment & Training Social Service Worker III

Position Information

The Human Services Department's (HSD) Employment & Training Division seeks experienced Social Service Workers looking for a rewarding career opportunity.
Starting salary up to $36.37/Hr. ($75,908.55/Yr.) Plus, a cash allowanceof approximately $600/Mo.*
Social Service Worker IIIs (SSW IIIs) are experienced professionals with an advanced social work skill set, who provide a variety of complex social and safety-net support services, including case management. These positions will be part of the Human Services Department's Employment & Training Division, working within the SonomaWORKS Housing Support Program (HSP) or as part of the ACCESS Sonoma Interdepartmental Multi-Disciplinary Team (IMDT).
As a SSW III, you will be working in collaboration with multiple County departments to provide comprehensive services to homeless individuals and families. You will also be providing outreach, assessment, case management, and connection resources for homeless and at risk populations. Services provided will focus on housing assistance and connection with various safety-net programs and services. SSW IIIs will perform work both in the field and in an office setting.

The ideal candidates will possess:

• Substantial professional social work experience, working with the highly vulnerable homeless population
• Strong interview, assessment, and writing skills
• Community care coordination, mental health, and/or case management experience

The Benefits of County Employment

When you join HSD, you become part of a strong work family that makes a difference in lives of our community. We offer opportunities for growth, development, and the ability to be a part of a rewarding work environment. You can also look forward to excellent benefits,* including:

• An annual Staff Development/Wellness Benefit allowance up to $500 and ongoing education/training opportunities
• Competitive vacation and sick leave accruals, 12 paid holidays, and an additional 8 floating holiday hours per year
• Significant portion of health care premiums paid by the County and access to several health plan options
• County contribution to a Health Reimbursement Arrangement to help fund post-retirement employee health insurance/benefits
• Retirement fully integrated with Social Security
• May be eligible for up to 8 weeks (320 hours) of Paid Parental Leave after 12 months of County employment
• Eligibility for a salary increase after 1,040 hours (6 months when working full-time) for good work performance; eligibility for a salary increase for good performance every year thereafter, until reaching the top of the salary range

• Salary is negotiable. Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice. Additional information can found in the Service Employees International Union Local 1021 Memorandum Of Understanding (SEIU MOU).

The Human Services Department is currently recruiting to fill two regular and one Time-Limited Employment & Training Social Service Worker III positions. The time-limited position is currently funded through 06/30/2022. The Civil Service title for these positions is Social Service Worker III. This employment list may also be used to fill future full-time, part-time, or extra-help (temporary) positions as they occur during the active status of the list. Qualified County employees who wish to be considered for future positions should consider applying to this recruitment.
APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS REQUIRE THE SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE BE COMPLETED.

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience: 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.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

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.

Selection Procedure & Some Helpful Tips When Applying

• 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 and should 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 will be scored using position-specific criteria. Please provide specific and detailed responses of a reasonable length to allow for thorough assessment of your qualifications. Responses which state "See Resume" or "See Application" may be considered insufficient and therefore may not be scored.
The selection procedure will consist of the following examination:

An Application & Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination (weight 100%) will be conducted to evaluate each applicant's application and supplemental questionnaire for satisfaction of minimum qualifications (pass/not pass); and for educational coursework, training, experience, knowledge, and abilities which relate to this position. Each applicant will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Relevance of work history, related experience, and achieved level of education and/or training as described in the application and responses to the supplemental questions.

Candidates demonstrating possession of the minimum qualifications will be placed on an employment list in order of most qualified to least qualified based on the achieved score received in the Application & Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination. Scores may be adjusted based on such factors as number of candidates, anticipated vacancies, past practice, and natural breaks in the scores achieved by this group of candidates.

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 are 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 on-line 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. Applications received after the recruitment closes will not be accepted.

The County of Sonoma prioritizes and is committed to continuously providing a workplace where equal employment opportunity is afforded to all people. Please view the County's Equal Employment Opportunity Policy for further information.

HR Analyst: EP
HR Technician: RR