Social Services Practitioner

• Vacation: 12 to 25 days per year, depending on the length of public employment.
• Holidays: 13 days per year.
• Sick Leave: 12 days sick leave per year. Unlimited accumulation, one year of which can be converted to service credit upon retirement.
• Health Plan: Choice of medical and dental plans (with vision care). The County contributes toward the employee's premium.
• On-Site Employee Health Clinics in Santa Barbara and Santa Maria: Provides ongoing and episodic services to eligible employees and their eligible dependents over 5 years of age.

• Retirement reciprocity
• Time and service credit towards an advanced vacation accrual rate

• Familiarity with principles and practices of social work as applicable to child welfare services
• Experience in interviewing techniques and practices
• Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to prioritize workload
• Ability to work independently
• Capability to make sound judgements and decisions
• Ability to learn complex regulations and policies
• Skill to write court reports and legal documents

1. Responds to and investigates complaints of child physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, severe and general neglect, and exploitation, abandonment, isolation, and financial abuse; performs intake screening in order to make emergency response assessments; interviews clients and other involved parties in order to assess home environment, individual functioning, and family background and dynamics; makes diagnostic assessments of problems; takes action necessary to minimize the risk of abuse to children, including short-term crisis intervention counseling, takes into custody neglected and abandoned children, and places children with relatives, foster homes, group homes, institutions, or other suitable placements.,
2. Develops and implements service plans; counsels children, and their parents.to enhance functioning of family unit; develops agreements with families to meet voluntary or court-ordered objectives and monitors progress toward delineated objectives by evaluating behavioral adjustment; acts on behalf of child within legal authority, to arrange for medical treatment and/or other needs; makes referrals to community resources.
3. Coordinates activities with law enforcement, legal, and the court systems; prepares court reports and legal documents; obtains police, medical, and psychological reports to substantiate recommendations; reports cases of suspected abuse to appropriate law enforcement and legal agencies; testifies and/or presents case investigative findings; participates in out-of-court settlement.
4. Places children in appropriate care facilities and makes permanency planning recommendations based upon an analysis of individual physical and psycho-social needs, available facilities and homes; determines suitability of applications for adoptions and investigates environment; matches children with prospective adoptive parents; counsels adoptive parents and children to assess and provide for needed support services; provides supportive counseling to children and parents.
5. Manages assigned caseload; prepares narrative and statistical reports, documents, and correspondence regarding client status; documents case files; prepares and serves legal documents; testifies in court.
6. Represents the department in the community and speaks before groups on matters related to assignment.
7. Utilizes mainframe computer applications including Child Welfare System/Case Management; uses personal computer applications including Microsoft Office Suite in preparation of various reports, documents and correspondence.

1. Possession of a master's degree from an accredited school of social work; OR,
2. Possession of a master's degree from an accredited school, college, or university in marriage, family, and child counseling; marital and family therapy; psychology; clinical psychology; counseling psychology; or counseling with an emphasis in marriage, family, and child counseling; and, (b) completion of supervised practicum in accordance with Business and Professions Code Section 4980.40.

1. The ability to speak, read, and write fluently in English and Spanish is preferred for some positions. If you indicated on your application that you are bilingual, Human Resources will place you on the employment list for a job requiring bilingual skills. Hiring departments will test you on your fluency. If you do not demonstrate sufficient fluency, your name will be removed from the employment list for bilingual only, in accordance with Civil Service Rule 7.
2. Possession of a valid California Class C Driver's License is required at the time of appointment. Independent travel, including client transportation is required and incumbents in this classification may be required to travel overnight and/or to areas outside of the county.
3. Selectees for employment in this class must, as a condition of employment, sign a statement agreeing to comply with Section 11166 of the California Penal Code relating to child abuse reporting and Section 15630 of the Welfare and Institutions Code relating to dependent adult abuse reporting.
4. Selectees for positions in this class assigned to Child Welfare Services are subject to fingerprinting for the purpose of a criminal record check as authorized by Section 16501 of the California Welfare and Institutions Code and Section 11105.3 of the California Penal Code.
5. Incumbents may be expected to work outside normal business hours.
6. This position will require you to serve as an emergency respondent needing to be available after hours and on holidays and weekend on an assigned basis, which will require you to be within emergency response time range when assigned.

APPLICATION & SELECTION PROCESS:

1. Review applications and supplemental questionnaire to determine those applicants who meet the employment standards.
2. Supplemental Questionnaire Ranking: Responses to the required supplemental questionnaire will be evaluated and scored. Candidates' final score and rank on the eligibility list will be determined by their responses to the supplemental questionnaire.