Child Welfare Worker I

READ THIS ENTIRE BULLETIN FOR INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO REAPPLY FOR THIS RECRUITMENT.

THIS IS A REOPENING OF AN EXISTING EXAMINATION.If you have previously applied or started an application for the Child Welfare Worker I Examread this entire bulletin.

PLEASE CONTACT THE EXAMINATION ANALYST Ione Bell ATTO HAVE YOUR PREVIOUS APPLICATION RELEASED BACK TO YOU.

The scores and dispositions of candidates for this examination will be merged with previous exam participants. If you have previously submitted an application and choose to reapply your new score/dispositionwillreplaceyour current disposition.

Applications and supplemental questionnaires will only be accepted on-line.

The Alameda County SocialServices Agency (SSA) is comprised of almost 2400 men and women workingcollectively and in partnership with community-based organizationsneighborhood groups and policy makers to serve the needs of the community. SSAprovides services through its administration and operating includes Finance Government and Community Relations and HumanResources. SSAs operations includes Adult and Aging Services Childrenand Family Services and Workforce and Benefits Administration.

The Social Services Agency assists one out of four of Alameda Countysresidents. The mission of the Social Services Agency is to promote the economicand social well-being of individuals families neighborhoods andcommunities.

To learn more about the Alameda County Social Services Agency pleasevisit the website at Welfare Worker I is an entry-level classification. Under closesupervision the Child Welfare Worker I provides intensive assessment casemanagement and/or casework services toward providing the most stable homeenvironment for children who have been or are in danger of being abusedneglected or abandoned and may be assigned other duties. Child Welfare WorkerIs are expected to gain experience and demonstrate proficiency which qualifiesthem to promote to Child Welfare Worker II upon completion of one (1) yearfull-time service. The Child Welfare Worker I job assignment will not beextended beyond one (1) year.

ChildWelfare Worker I positions are located in the Social Services Agency in theDepartment of Children and Family Services.

THEIDEAL CANDIDATE

Theideal candidates for the position of Child Welfare Worker must possessknowledge of the laws and principles related to child welfare. They mustpossess a broad knowledge and understanding of normal child development and howtrauma impacts the developmental process. The successful candidates will havethe skill and ability to conduct client interviews assessment and crisisintervention activities. They will understand normal family functioning and howthis functioning is impacted by trauma and loss. Incumbents in the positionwill exercise sound judgment in making diagnostic risk assessments anddecisions regarding placement of children and handle high-pressure crisissituations professionally and be able to extract appropriate information duringsuch situations. They must be able to work with a variety of individuals withvarying degrees of mental health functioning literacy coping abilities andlife skills. They must have the ability to understand the role of the Agency inthe treatment plan and the Social Services Agencys policies proceduresprograms and services and be able to articulate this understanding to theirclients.

Inaddition the ideal candidate must possess the following:

Theability to learn and adeptly apply principles regarding child welfare

knowledgeof community resources

theability to set limits to assist clients in taking steps toward greaterself-sufficiency

theability to write clear concise and descriptive reports under time restraints

strongwritten and verbal communication skills

theability to work well under pressure and display sound time managementtechniques

anappreciation for diversity.

EITHER I

Education:

Possession of a masters degree from an accredited college or university in Counseling or Clinical Psychology Sociology Education or an equivalent field (Vocational Rehabilitation majors not acceptable).

OR II

Education:

Possession of a bachelors degree from an accredited college or university (180 quarter units or 120 semester units) with major coursework in psychology sociology social work child development or an equivalent field (Vocational Rehabilitation majors not acceptable).

AND

Experience:

The equivalent of two (2) years of full-time post baccalaureate experience which involved the provision of direct services to families or children in one of the following or closely related areas: child welfare family counseling juvenile probation pediatric social work alcohol and drug counseling school social work and school counseling.

The most suitably qualified candidates will possess the following competencies:.

Knowledge of:

• Principles of sociology and psychology relating to normal and abnormal human behavior and family and community dynamics.
• Child development and parenting skills.
• Interviewing techniques including crisis intervention and counseling methods.
• The role of the Agency in the treatment plan and the Social Services Agencys policies procedures programs and services.
• Community resources.
• Legal definitions of sexual molestation physical abuse general neglect incest failure to thrive emotional abuse medical neglect and other details of laws relating to child abuse reporting and other related areas of law.

Ability to:

• Work cooperatively with varying interests and coordinate them towards achieving case plan and solving problems.
• Set limits to assist clients in taking steps toward greater self-sufficiency.
• Write clear concise and descriptive reports under time restraints.
• Exercise sound judgment in making diagnostic risk assessments and decisions regarding placement of children.
• Deal effectively with hostile disorganized or aggressive clients.
• supervision and consultation.
• Handle high-pressure crisis situations professionally and extract appropriate information in such situations.
• Learn and use various computer applications such as word processing and databases.

THE EXAMINATION WILL CONSIST OF THE FOLLOWING STEPS:

1) A review of applicants applications to verify possession of minimum requirements. Those candidates who possess the minimum requirements for the class will move on to the next step in the examination process.

2)Oral Panel Interview Examination (Weighted as 100% of the final examination score):If the candidates meet the minimum qualifications then the candidate will be invited to participate in an oral panel interview where they will be asked about past job experiences relating to the core competencies that successful incumbents of the job possess. The candidate who passes this portion of the exam will then be scored and put into rank order. The oral panel interview examination may also serve as the hiring interview at the discretion of the hiring authority.

CANDIDATES MUST ATTAIN A QUALIFYING RATING ON EACH PORTION OF THIS EXAMINATION.

We reserve the right to make changes to the announced examination components.

Alameda County utilizes a Civil Service Selection System founded on merit. Such a system is competitive and based on broad recruitment efforts and equal opportunity for qualified applicants to test in an examination process designed to determine the qualifications fitness and ability of competitors to perform duties of the vacant position. Many of our recruitments are targeted and specific to the needs of a current vacant position in which case the eligible list may be exclusively used for that current vacant position. Other recruitments may be more broadly used for both current and future vacancies or for other alternate jobs with comparable scopes of work.

To learn more about our recruitment and selection process please visit the What You Need to Know section of our website.

Applicants will be informed via email with reasonable notice in advanceof any examination process which will require their dates aretentativeand subject to changebased on the needs of the Agency.

*If designated as a combined oral examination/hiring interview in addition to establishing an eligibility list the oral interviews may serve as the final selection interview for vacancies in this classification.

WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TOMAKE CHANGES TO THE ANNOUNCED RECRUITMENT & SELECTION PLAN

Alameda County and the Human Resource Services Department will makereasonable efforts in the examination and/or selection process to accommodatequalified individuals with disabilities and/or medical conditions inaccordance/compliance with the State Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA)Federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Alameda Countys ReasonableAccommodation Policy and applicable request an accommodationdue to a disability/medical condition during this or other phases of theexamination/selection process please contact the assigned Human ResourcesRepresentative listed on the job announcementbefore the last dateoffiling.Alameda County requires applicants to providesupporting documentation to substantiate a request for order to qualify for a reasonable accommodation applicantsmust have a disability/medical condition pursuant to the ADA FEHA andapplicable statutes.

For more information regarding our Reasonable Accommodation proceduresplease visit our website: County offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that affords wide-ranging health care options to meet the different needs of a diverse workforce and their families. We also sponsor many different employee discount fitness and health screening programs focused on overall well being. These benefits include but are not limited to*:

For your Health & Well-Being

• Medical HMO & PPO Plans
• Dental HMO & PPO Plans
• Vision or Vision Reimbursement
• Share the Savings
• Basic Life Insurance
• Supplemental Life Insurance (with optional dependent coverage for eligible employees)
• County Allowance Credit
• Flexible Spending Accounts - Health FSA Dependent Care and Adoption Assistance
• Short-Term Disability Insurance
• Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Voluntary Benefits - Accident Insurance Critical Illness Hospital Indemnity and Legal Services
• Employee Assistance Program

For your Financial Future

• Retirement Plan - (Defined Benefit Pension Plan)
• Deferred Compensation Plan (457 Plan or Roth Plan)

For your Work/Life Balance

• 12 paid holidays
• Floating Holidays
• Vacation and sick leave accrual
• Vacation purchase program
• Catastrophic Sick Leave
• Pet Insurance
• Commuter Benefits Program
• Guaranteed Ride Home
• Employee Wellness Program (e.g. At Work Fitness Incentive Based Programs Gym Membership Discounts)
• Employee Discount Program (e.g. theme parks cell phone etc.)
• Child Care Resources
• 1^st United Services Credit Union

*Eligibility is determined by Alameda County and offerings may vary by collective bargaining agreement. This provides a brief summary of the benefits offered and can be subject to change.

All notices related toCounty recruitments for which you have applied will be sent/delivered viaemail. Please add@ @andasaccepted addresses to any email blocking or spam filtering program you may you do not do this your email blocking or spam filtering program may blockreceipt of the notices regarding your application for recruitments. You arealso strongly advised to regularly log into your County of Alameda onlineapplication account to check for notices that may have been sent to you. Allemail notices that will be sent to you will also be kept in your personalonline application account. You will be able to view all of your notices inyour online application account by clicking on the My applicationsbutton on the Current Job Openings page.

Please take thesteps recommended above to ensure you do not miss any notices about arecruitment for which you have applied. The County of Alameda is notresponsible for notices that are not read received or accessed by anyapplicant for a County recruitment.

NOTE: All notices aregenerated through an automated email notification system. Replies to the @ routed to unmonitored mailboxes. Ifyou have questions please go to our website You mayalso contact the Human Resources Analyst listed on the job announcement for therecruitment for which you have applied.

Ione Bell Human Resources Analyst

Human Resource Services County of Alameda

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SERVICE WORKER

All Alameda County employees are designated DisasterService Workers through state and local law. Employment with the Countyrequires the affirmation of a loyalty oath to this effect. Employees arerequired to report to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Alameda County has a diverse workforce that isrepresentative of the communities we serve and is proud to be an equalopportunity employer. All aspects of employment are based on merit competenceperformance and business need. Alameda County does not discriminate inemployment on the basis of race color religion sex (including pregnancy andgender identity) national origin political affiliation sexual orientationmarital status disability genetic information age membership in an employeeorganization retaliation parental status military service or othernon-merit factors protected under federal state and local law. Alameda Countycelebrates diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive and welcomingworkplace environment.