Social Worker III- Departmental Promotional Only**

• Carries a caseload of more difficult types of social services cases requiring a high degree of technical competence such as situations where environmental forces affect family life
• Receives and responds to reports of suspected abuse; obtains information from reporters; personally investigates and assesses situations to protect vulnerable adults and children and recommends alternate placement; may provide information to law enforcement or district attorneys; may be required to work on-call; may testify in court
• Performs case studies evaluates individual and family case information to assess the safety of children and adults; determines appropriate types and methods of treatment
• Develops and carries out social treatment plans for an assigned caseload; ensures all services are delivered in a respectful culturally sensitive and appropriate manner and
• Counsels or provides guidance and support to individuals and/or families with more complex or specialized needs including Adult Protective Services crisis intervention special medical or legal needs and other social services
• Refers clients to other staff members
• Makes a diagnosis of client problems and follows through with the social treatment plans with a high degree of independence
• Interprets policies rules and regulations to client applicants and others
• May act as a lead worker to a small group of social service workers or service employees
• Assists applicants and recipients in utilizing available resources for individual needs
• Makes home visits in connection with casework assignments
• Develops and prepares court report case plans case narratives and safety plans in automated computer systems
• Enters and retrieves data and narratives from automated computer systems
• Prepares and maintains case
• Participates in in-service 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
• May be required to testify in court
• Works with community organizations and makes referrals to outside resources
• Provides self-help information education and services; works with clients and caregivers to develop and improve caregiving and independent living skills
• Obtains and evaluates police medical and psychological reports
• Maintains client confidentiality; performs all duties in conformance with the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics
• Performs related duties as assigned

• Principles and practices of organization workload management and time management
• Principles and practices of note taking report writing and English composition grammar punctuation and spelling
• Phone etiquette and interview techniques
• Socio-economic conditions and trends
• Basic principles of individual and group behavior
• Current issues in the field of social welfare
• Principles of analysis and problem-solving methodology
• Basic public welfare programs on the Federal State and local level
• General principles of public assistance policies and programs
• 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 and responsibilities of a social worker
• Community organization and the social problems calling for the use of public and private community resources
• Current problems and methodology in the field of public social services
• 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
• Strategies and protocols surrounding crisis intervention techniques such as voice modulation and assessing the potential for suicide
• Psychopathology the different types of mental illness diagnoses how mental illness affects human behavior and mental health services and treatments utilized by clients
• Signs stages and dynamics of abuse and the effects of abuse on child/adult development and behavior
• Signs and symptoms of alcohol and drug use/abuse in adults and children and the effects on families
• Standards for maintaining clients safely in home; options for placement; effects of removing clients from unsafe situations

• Communicate effectively with others in writing in person and over the telephone
• Analyze data interpret directions procedures and regulations and develop appropriate responses
• Perform job duties under stressful conditions
• Respond appropriately to situations
• Maintain confidential information in accordance with legal standards and/or county regulations
• Understand and apply the agency program policy and procedures
• Obtain facts and recognize the relevance and significance
• Organize and maintain work detail
• Establish and maintain effective working relationship with agency staff clients and outside organizations
• Analyze situation and adopt effective courses of action
• Apply the principles of psychology and family relationships to engage individuals and families in social services
• Recognize signs of abuse for children elderly and dependent adults; assess risk factors and potential dangers to clients
• Apply existing laws rules and regulations to welfare department operations
• Interpret and explain to applicants recipients 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
• Communicate effectively both orally and in writing
• Operate a personal computer and other office equipment and related software
• Act appropriately in emergency and stressful situations
• Interact professionally and respectfully with clients including difficult hostile or distressed clients
• Respect cultural differences
• Work with difficult or complex cases/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 pre-determined 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 departmental open eligible list will be established for the county of Amador. 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 or upon 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.

Additional Information

The ability to speak read and write Spanish in addition to English would be an asset in this position but is not required.

A valid drivers license may be required at the time of appointment. Individuals who do not meet this requirement due to a disability will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Positions may require pre-employment screening including background checks and fingerprinting.

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 Amador County

Billed as The Heart of the Mother Lode Amador County is located in the Gold Country in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. Though geographically one of the smallest counties in California Amador County offers several bodies of water from lakes to reservoirs and rivers and is home to over 40 different wineries and vineyards. Residents and visitors in Amador County enjoy year-round recreation and activities with hiking trails for all abilities as well as fishing cycling skiing and golf. The county is also host to a myriad of music events festivals and local sporting events.