Social Worker II - APS

NATURE OF WORK:

A Social Worker I/II assigned to the InHome Supportive Services program (IHSS) has the primary function of taking referrals for the IHSS program interviewing clients and completing detailed service assessments in the field transferring field assessment data into computer systems; complying with State Regulations and agency deadlines.

A Social Worker II may receive Adult Protective Services (APS) training. This may include the assignment of simple APS referrals taking referrals for suspected abuse and neglect towards dependent adults and senior adults investigating referrals interviewing clients to ascertain nature of problems and develop service plans a considerable amount of work performed is conducted in the field with some work performed in an office environment writing reports and case plans with time sensitive deadlines entering data into computer systems in order to comply with State Regulations and agency deadlines.

IDEAL CANDIDATE:

The ideal candidate will work with a degree of independence be able to work well with community partners and clients extended family member or caregivers have excellent written and oral communication skills organization skills ability to prioritize tasks maintain calm and professional performance and demonstrate exceptional customer service working with client populations that have substance dependence mental health issues trauma domestic violence history aging issues physical or developmental disabilities.

TYPICAL DUTIES:

IHSS Social Workers conduct initial assessments and annual reassessments in the clients home to evaluate the effect of physical cognitive and emotional impairment on function to determine the needs of clients. Social Workers make referrals determine eligibility for services authorize and coordinate individual case plans; provide case management; prepare reports and records; communicate policies rules and regulations of the program to clients and others.

IHSS Social Workers that are assigned APS cases provide crisis intervention in order to reduce risk or eliminate abuse or neglect; handle emergency responses; establish cooperative working relationships with community partners; assists in developing case plans with clients; assist with arrangements for out of home placements; may provide testimony in elder/dependent adult abuse or neglect cases; prepare case records and written reports as required.

Social Workers assist to resolve issues and conflicts and encourage families and caregivers to work with the clients. It is important to understand the actions you take as a Social Worker affects the lives of clients and their families.

Controversial Issues:Social Workers may be required to take actions that conflict with their own values. A Social Worker must be able to accept clients differences and interact with them in a nonjudgmental manner and respect the clients right of selfdetermination.

Duties may include but are not limited to the following:

• Conducts interviews with clients family members and others in their home in the office or via telephone to assess the basic social physical and mental needs of clients and obtain health information in order to identify and provide social services
• Performs case studies and evaluates individual and family case information to assess the safety of children and adults; determines appropriate types and methods of treatment
• Assesses reports of suspected abuse; may be required to work oncall; may provide information to law enforcement or district attorneys
• Develops and carries out culturally sensitive noncomplex to moderate treatment plans for an assigned caseload in conformance with agency state and federal requirements; assists clients and family members to develop strategies to accomplish case plan goals
• Refers clients to other staff members or to community resources for direct and intensive services and specialized counseling as necessary; advocates on the clients behalf for most appropriate services including enabling services
• Assists applicants and recipients in utilizing available resources
• Interprets policies rules and regulations of the agency to applicants clients and others within the scope of their responsibility
• Makes home visits in connection with casework assignments
• Prepares and maintains case records and databases; communicates decisions timelines recommendations and case plans to clients families and service providers
• May testify in court
• May be assigned to specialized functions
• Participates in inservice 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
• Provides community outreach for various agency programs
• Maintains client confidentiality; performs all duties in conformance with the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics
• Performs related duties as assigned
• Carrying a caseload that includes cases with issues of moderate difficulty
• Counseling or supporting clients with complex or specialized needs; provides crisis intervention
• Providing selfhelp information education and services; works with client and caregivers to develop and improve caregiving and independent living skills
• Obtaining and evaluating policy medical and psychological reports
• May serve as mentor to staff orients staff provides training and guidance on cases

• Principles and practices of organization workload management and time management
• Principles and practices of note taking report writing English composition grammar punctuation and spelling
• Phone etiquette and interview techniques
• Socioeconomic conditions and trends
• Basic principles of individual and group behavior
• Current issues in the field of social welfare
• Role and responsibilities of social workers
• Principles of interviewing and problemsolving methodology
• Basic public welfare programs on the Federal State and local level
• General principles of public assistance policies and programs
• Developing and preparing court report case plans case narratives and safety plans in automated computer systems
• Entering and retrieving data and narratives from automated computer systems
• Basic 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 of a social worker
• Community organization and the social problems calling for the use of public and private community resources
• Basic principles involved in the nature growth and development of personality and ingroup processes
• The 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 Alzheimers and the terminally ill
• The strategies and protocols surrounding crisis intervention techniques such as voice modulation and assessing the potential for suicide
• Basic psychopathology the different types of mental illness diagnoses how mental illness affects human behavior and mental health services and treatments utilized by clients

• Understand and learn the agency programs policies and procedures
• Obtain facts and recognize the relevance and significance
• Organize and maintain work detail
• Establish and maintain effective client rapport and professional working relationships with agency staff clients and others
• Communicate effectively both orally (phone and in person) and in writing
• Analyze situations and adopt effective courses of action
• Interpret and explain to the applicant recipient 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
• Work effectively in emotionally charged or stressful settings/emergencies
• Operate a personal computer and other office equipment and software
• Analyze data interpret and apply directions rules policies procedures and regulations and develop appropriate responses
• Accept and use constructive feedback
• Interact professionally and respectfully with clients including difficult hostile or distressed clients
• Respect cultural differences
• Work with cases varying in difficulty /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

Examination Information
Training & Experience Examination Weighted 100%

The Training & Experience Examination is designed to elicit a range of specific information regarding each candidates knowledge skill abilities and potential to effectively perform the duties relative to the classification. Responses to the questionnaire will be assessed based on predetermined rating criteria. All applicants must complete the entire examination to receive a score. 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.

Eligible List Information

A departmentalopen eligiblelist will be established for the county of Tehama. 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 orupon 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.

Benefits
This position offers the following benefits:

• Represented by the Joint Council bargaining unit.
• 96 hours of vacation per year increasing upon continuous years of service.
• 96 hours of sick leave per year.
• 14 paid holidays plus one 8hour personal holiday.
• CalPERS retirement plan 8% employee contribution.
• The County pays approximately 80% of premium for medical dental and vision plan (including a $30000 life insurance plan for employee). For the employee and entire family the current employees share of the insurance plan is $234.54 per month.
• Annual salary step increase based upon satisfactory performance and completion of 2080 hours (Steps A to E).
• Deferred compensation plan with the County matching the employees deposit up to $60 per month.
• Supplemental insurance plans are available.
• Employee Assistance Program is provided to all employees at no cost by the County.

Additional Information
ADA/EEO/DRUGFREE WORKPLACE
As a condition of employment Tehama County Social Services will require:
A valid drivers license will be required at the time of appointment. Individuals who do not meet this requirement due to a disability will be reviewed on a casebycase basis.
Proof of ability to work in the United States
Preemployment drug testing and physical
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. A background check may be required if the position requires access to these types of records. Background requirements consist of three components which include fingerprinting citizenship verification and local law enforcement checks. State agencies must conduct investigation during time of hire and ensure a reinvestigation is conducted 10 years from the date of the previous background investigation for each employee that has access to federal tax information.

About Tehama County

Beautiful Tehama County is in the heart of northern California midway between Sacramento and the Oregon border. Based on the shores of the Sacramento River and in the shadows of Mount Lassen Tehama County boasts some of the lowest housing costs in California along with short commute times to work. The County is home to a myriad of recreational activities.