Adult and Aging Social Worker

The County of Sonoma Human Services Department (HSD) seeks experienced Social Workers who are ready to make a difference in the lives of adults with vulnerabilities in our community!

• Receiving and investigating reports of suspected elder and/or dependent abuse, neglect, or self-neglect through the intake process
• Managing a client caseload and providing person-centered services to elders and adults who are dependent
• Providing an evidenced-based intervention to address symptoms of depression
• Conducting home visits, risk assessments, creating person-centered service plans, and documenting case details within required time frames
• Working collaboratively with community partners, such as law enforcement, the District Attorney, hospitals, and other social services agencies to intervene in cases of abuse and neglect
• Responding to client emergencies when it is determined there is an immediate health and/or safety risk
• Collaborating with a multidisciplinary team weekly
• Identifying and linking clients to available resources and services
• Conducting interviews and providing crisis counseling with reporting parties to collect detailed information
• Completing detailed case documentation and meeting mandated deadlines for specific case action and documentation

The ideal candidates for the Adult and Aging Social Worker position will be compassionate, resourceful, and adaptable professionals who thrive in a dynamic, community-centered environment. They will bring strong clinical skills, cultural humility, and an ability to navigate complex systems to ensure older adults, people with disabilities, and their families receive equitable access to services and support. The ideal candidates will also possess many of the following:

• Experience with social work case management, including managing complex caseloads
• Significant knowledge of social work principles and mental health conditions in the aging and disabled populations
• Experience supporting older adults and people with disabilities in home, medical, or community-based settings
• Knowledge of community resources, crisis intervention techniques, and risk assessment protocols
• Experience in community care coordination, counseling, and mental health services
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and tactful problem-solving skills in sensitive or traumatic situations
• Experience conducting home visits with older adults and people with disabilities
• The ability to work within a multidisciplinary team, including physicians, nurses, behavioral health clinicians, and/or community partners
• Experience working with regional centers, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, skilled nursing facilities, or other institutions or medical settings
• Strong skills in assessment, care planning, service coordination, and advocacy
• The ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced, dynamic environment
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills working with diverse populations
• A commitment to Trauma-Informed Care and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion principles
• A Master's degree in Social Work or a related social services field is desired but not required
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) skills are desired but not required

• Hybrid Telework- A schedule that meets the needs of our staff, department operations, and the communities we serve may be available depending on the assignment
• Salary Advancement - A salary increase after 1,040 hours (6 months when working full-time) for good work performance; eligibility for a salary increase for good performance every year thereafter, until reaching the top of the salary range
• Paid Time Off - Competitive vacation and sick leave accruals, 12 paid holidays, and an additional 8 floating holiday hours per year
• County Paid Health Premium Contributions - 100% premium contribution for the majority of employee-only and employee + family health plan options
• Post-Retirement Health Reimbursement Arrangement - County contributions to help fund post-retirement employee health insurance/benefits
• Retirement - A pension fully integrated with Social Security
• Paid Parental Leave - May be eligible for up to 8 weeks (320 hours) after 12 months of County employment
• Additional Benefits - Excellent dental, vision, disability, life insurance, employee assistance program, professional development, and more
• Student Loan Debt Relief - County employees may be eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness through the U.S. Department of Education

Experience and Education: Any combination of training and experience which would provide the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and abilities listed. Normally, this includes a Master's Degree in social work, or a Master's Degree from a two-year counseling program, such as marriage and family therapy, clinical counseling, mental health counseling, addiction counseling, and counseling psychology, upon appointment;

OR,

Graduation from college, with a Bachelor's Degree in social work, sociology, psychology or other behavioral science; and three years of social work case management experience for older and/or adults or people with disabilities or complex medical conditions, which included performing duties such as needs assessments, conducting investigations of abuse and neglect, and/or developing and modifying social work case plans;

OR,

Academic coursework at a college or university in social work, sociology, psychology, and other behavior sciences; and six years of progressively responsible experience providing social services for older and/or dependent adults, or for people with disabilities or complex medical conditions, which included performing duties such as needs assessments, conducting investigations of abuse and neglect, and/or developing and modifying social work case plans would provide such opportunity.

Special Requirement: Some positions require a Master's degree in Social Work per State regulations; some positions may require bilingual skills.

License: Possession of a valid driver's license at the appropriate level including special endorsements, as required by the State of California, may be required depending upon assignment to perform the essential job functions of the position.

The position advertised on this announcement requires possession of a valid California Driver's License.

Considerable knowledge of: current principles, practices, and techniques of social work; casework methods and techniques with particular reference to problems of older and/or dependent adult neglect, abandonment, and abuse; current philosophy and practices in the field of Adult Social Services and gerontology; 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 adult behavior; signs and symptoms of alcohol and drug use/abuse in adults and their families/caregivers; standards for maintaining clients safely in the home; options for housing and higher level care; conflict resolution, family dynamics, and caregiver/client dynamics.

Working knowledge of: principles and methodologies of research, analysis, problem-solving, and decision making; laws, rules, and regulations governing the operation of public social services agencies and the role and responsibilities of a social worker; medical, legal, economic, and social management needs of individuals; various medical conditions affecting client population.

Knowledge of: Strategies and protocols surrounding crisis intervention techniques such as voice modulation and de-escalation techniques; principles of community organization; resources available in the community for referral.

Ability to: use social work methods and evaluation techniques to determine appropriate treatment in difficult, emotional, confrontational, and crisis situations while maintaining a professional demeanor; utilize various strategies to address the cumulative impact of a high stress environment; work on-call and extended hours; develop therapeutic relationships in order to conduct crisis intervention and therapeutic social work counseling; employ effective stress management techniques and methods of self-care; exercise tact, objectivity, sensitivity, sound judgment, and cultural awareness; control personal bias and apply social work ethics; assess and evaluate home and family situations to determine if crisis intervention or a safety plan is needed; exercise sound judgment in making diagnostic risk assessments and decisions; assist in transport of clients; develop and utilize community resources to best serve clients' needs; interpret, explain, and apply complex laws, rules, regulations, policies, and procedures; provide guidance and consultation to other staff; learn and use various computer applications, databases, and specialized software programs; write clear, descriptive, and detailed reports under time constraints; maintain confidentiality of files and records; and keep and prepare accurate and timely records.

• Your application information and your responses to the supplemental questions are evaluated and taken into consideration throughout the entire selection process.
• You should list all employers and positions held within the last ten years in the work history section of your application. Be as thorough as possible when responding to the supplemental questions.
• You may include history beyond ten years if related to the position for which you are applying. If you held multiple positions with one employer, list out each position separately.
• Failure to follow these instructions may impact your competitiveness in this process or may result in disqualification.

Please visit Getting a Job with the County of Sonoma to review more detailed information about the hiring process, including the application process, examination steps, and department selection process.

Application submissions require the Supplemental Questionnaire be completed.

Responses to supplemental questions will be scored using position-specific criteria. Please provide specific and detailed responses of a reasonable length to allow for a thorough assessment of your qualifications. Responses that state, "See Resume" or "See Application" may be considered insufficient and therefore may not be scored.

The selection procedure will consist of the following examination:

An Application and Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination (weight 100%) will be conducted to evaluate each applicant's application and supplemental questionnaire for satisfaction of minimum qualifications (pass/not pass); and for educational coursework, training, experience, knowledge, and abilities which relate to this position. Personally identifiable information (PII) is removed from the standard application fields and applicable attachments. This PII blind screening practice redacts a candidate's personal information that could potentially influence or bias the scoring process. Personal information includes the applicant's name, former last name, address, phone number, email, driver's license number, school name, education start and end dates, age, date of birth, gender, and race. This PII blind screening practice helps contribute to a fair and equitable examination process.

Each applicant will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Relevance of work history, related experience, and achieved level of education and/or training as described in the application and responses to the supplemental questions.

Candidates demonstrating possession of the minimum qualifications will be placed on an employment list in order of most qualified to least qualified based on the achieved score received in the Application and Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination which evaluates the education, training, experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, and other qualifications that you demonstrate in your application and/or response to the supplemental questionnaire. Please be aware that resumes and cover letters are not typically evaluated in the Application and Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination. Scores may be adjusted based on such factors as the number of candidates, anticipated vacancies, past practice, and natural breaks in the scores achieved by this group of candidates.

Additional Information

A background investigation is required prior to employment. Candidates referred to departments for a selection interview are typically required to sign authorization and release forms enabling such an investigation. Failure to sign prescribed forms will result in the candidate not being considered further for that vacancy. Reference information will not be made available to candidates.

Additional requirements, such as successful completion of a physical exam, drug screen, etc., may apply, depending on the duties and responsibilities of the position. If you receive a conditional job offer for the position, the requirements upon which the offer is contingent will be outlined in the conditional job letter. You may also review the Job Classification Screening Schedule to determine the requirements for this position.

How to Apply

Applications are accepted online at: www.yourpath2sonomacounty.org. Paper applications may be submitted by person, fax (707-565-3770), email, or through the mail. All applications and appropriate supplemental information as outlined in the job bulletin must be received by the time and date specified on the first page of this job announcement. Applications received after the recruitment closes will not be accepted.

The County of Sonoma values diversity and is dedicated to creating a workplace environment that provides individuals with a sense of belonging. We are committed to having a diverse workforce that is representative of the communities we serve. The County is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer where all aspects of employment are based on merit, competence, performance, and business need.

HR Analyst: EP
HR Tech: VH