Social Worker I/Ii

SOCIAL SERVICES AGENCY
Administering a number of human services programs, the County of Orange Social Services Agency (SSA) is composed of four business divisions and over 4,000 dedicated employees, providing human services to an average of one-fourth of all Orange County residents. SSA operates under the policy direction of the Orange County Board of Supervisors and the California Health and Human Services Agency. SSA is responsible for planning, implementing and operating many of the social services programs provided by the County of Orange.
Funding for programs comes primarily from Federal, State and County sources. SSA's budget is approximately $1 billion, with fiduciary responsibility for an additional $4 billion in services provided as a result of programs it administers.
SSA is composed of the following four divisions: Assistance Programs; Children and Family Services; Family Self-Sufficiency & Adult Services; and Administrative Services. Our mission is to deliver quality services that are accessible and responsive to the community, encourage personal responsibility, strengthen individuals, preserve families, and protect vulnerable adults and children.
THE OPPORTUNITY
Social Worker I is the entry level position of the Social Worker series. Employees are expected to acquire the experience and knowledge as a Social Worker I in order to promote to the Social Worker II level within their probation period.
Social Worker II is the journey level classification.
In addition, the Social Worker I/II opportunities will perform the duties depending on the areas of assignment below.
Children and Family Services (CFS) – The CFS partners with families to ensure their children live in safe, nurturing and permanent homes.
CalWORKs Welfare to Work - The Welfare to Work (WTW) program is designed to foster an environment of teaming between staff and partners providing services to CalWORKs and WTW participants to facilitate achievement of self-sufficiency.
In Home Supportive Services (IHSS) - The IHSS Program provides domestic services, personal care, protective supervision, and paramedical services to individuals age 65 or older and to blind or disabled individuals of any age in their own homes. The purpose of the program is to allow eligible individuals to live safely at home rather than in costly and less desirable out-of-home placement facilities.
Adult Protective Services (APS) – The APS is a program mandated by the State of California to accept and respond to allegations of elder and dependent adult abuse and neglect. Services include but not limited to 24-hour, 7 day a week operation of receiving telephone calls from the public and mandated reports, entering information into the County of Orange data base, dispatching social workers to the field to respond to allegations, providing crisis intervention, establishing linkages with local community agencies and providing resources to clients when deemed appropriate.
WORK LOCATION:
Work locations are throughout Orange County.
SALARY:

• Social Worker I - $25.57 - $34.25
• Social Worker II - $27.66 - $37.15

Supplemental Pay

• Night shift differential pay
• Bilingual pay is available to positions requiring bilingual skills. Candidates must pass the bilingual exam to be eligible for the supplemental pay.
• On-Call (voluntary) pay

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS & CORE COMPETENCIES:
The ideal candidate will possess a background and understanding of County social services programs, policies, rules, codes and regulations. The ideal candidate will also have the ability to maintain a valid California driver’s license for the purpose of transporting children or conduct home visits and have a county-approved mode of transportation to perform some duties.
In addition, the ideal candidate will possess extensive knowledge and/or experience in the following core competencies.

• Technical Knowledge l Experience: Develop, use and coordinate County and community resources to meet the needs of the clients; Testify in criminal, probate, family law or juvenile court hearings; Assess the harm and risk of a child, elder or dependent adult for neglect and abuse; Drive personal vehicle to transport children for required visitation, school of origin, therapy and educational appointments; Case management; Proficient utilizing Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Outlook

• Listening, Oral Communication and Writing Skills: Show attention through verbal and non-verbal cues; Adjust vocabulary and formality according to the audience and purpose; Write effectively by using correct English grammar, punctuation and spelling, including producing written information that is appropriate for the intended customers

• Handling Stress: Maintain a positive attitude and manage stress when dealing with difficult situations

• Critical Thinking: Plan, organize, prioritize and process work and meet deadlines in a demanding environment; Maintain and safeguard client's information for privacy; Recognize and define problems, analyze data, evaluate and select alternatives for effective resolutions

• Diversity l Interpersonal Skills: Demonstrate professional demeanor in behavior, appearance, and communication; Adapt and Interview effectively with people from all cultures and ethnic backgrounds; Participate in multi-disciplinary team meetings

• Safety Focus - Know and adhere to all work safety practices/protocols, recognize potential hazards in the work environment, and anticipate emergency by making necessary preparations

SPECIAL QUALIFICATIONS
Candidates will be required to undergo a background clearance check from California Department of Social Services (CDSS) and Community Care Licensing (CCL) and must successfully clear prior to the start of their employment. All employment offers are contingent upon successful completion of a background check. Areas considered in the background check include conviction history, employment history, professional references and education verification (i.e. degree, license, or official transcripts) if applicable. Foreign degrees require an evaluation of U.S. equivalency by an agency that is a member of the National Association of Credential Services (N.A.C.E.S.). In addition, a Child Abuse Central Index (CACI) background clearance check may be required. CACI is a repository of child abuse investigation reports managed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) that contains information related to substantiated cases of physical abuse, sexual abuse, mental/emotional abuse, and/or severe neglect of a child.
RECRUITMENT PROCESS
Resumes will not be accepted and/or screened in lieu of applications; therefore, you will need to demonstrate your qualifications on your application.
Application Screening: (Refer/Non-Refer) - Human Resource Services (HRS) will initially screen applications for the minimum qualifications. Only those applications that meet the required qualifications will be referred to the next step.
Online Assessment: (Weighted 100%) - The online assessment will be scored and will cover required job related, behavioral competencies needed for this position. Only the highest scoring candidates will be referred to the next step.
Eligible List:
Human Resource Services (HRS) will establish an eligible list of candidates. Candidates placed on the eligible list may be referred to a selection interview to be considered for present and future vacancies.
Veterans Employment Preference Policy, Effective 9/15/2020
The County is committed to providing a mechanism to give preferential consideration in the employment process to veterans and their eligible spouses and will provide eligible participants the opportunity to receive interviews in the selection process for employment and paid internship openings.
Based on the Department's needs, the selection procedures listed above may be modified. All candidates will be notified of any changes in the selection procedure.

Non-Management Benefits
In addition to the County's standard suite of benefits, such as a variety of health plan options, annual leave and paid holidays-we also offer an excellent array of benefits such as a Health Care Reimbursement Account, 457 Defined Contribution Plan and Annual Education and Professional Reimbursement. Employees are provided a Retirement Plan through the Orange County Employees Retirement System (OCERS).

Please go to the following link to find out more about Defined Benefit Pensions and OCERS Plan Types/Benefits.
http://www.ocers.org/active-member-information

Click here for information about benefits offered to County of Orange employees.