Child Welfare Worker II

THE EXAMINATION:

THIS IS A NEW ASSEMBLED EXAMINATION. The eligible list resulting from this examination will cancel any existing list and may last approximately one year, but can be extended.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENT

*All applicants must provide a transcript which notes the number of units and field practicum obtained for their Master’s degree.

Transcripts must be submitted at the (appointment) time of the oral examination.

· If the transcript does not clearly indicate degree requirements have been fulfilled, a letter from an accredited college or university which affirms the graduation requirements/status must be provided.

Applicants who fail to provide sufficient proof of their Master’s degree will be disqualified.

Note: Qualified bilingual persons who speak English and are also fluent in Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, Korean, Mien, Tagalog, Amharic, Farsi, Dari, Tigrigna, Russian, Romanian or Sign Language are especially encouraged to apply. There is an additional bi-weekly compensation for persons in positions designated bilingual. Qualified candidates may be tested to demonstrate language proficiency.

DESCRIPTION

Child Welfare Worker II's in Alameda County provide intensive assessment, case management and/or casework services directed toward providing the most stable home environment for children who have been or are in danger of being abused, neglected or abandoned; and to perform related duties as required. These positions are located exclusively in the Social Services Agency, primarily in the Department of Children and Family Services. Child Welfare Worker II's perform social casework of an advanced nature for children and families, dealing with complex problems under the time limitations and responsibility imposed by court action. Positions in the Child Welfare series are found exclusively in the Social Services Agency, primarily in the Department of Children and Family Services.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

The ideal candidates for the position of Child Welfare Worker must possess knowledge of the laws and principles related to child welfare. They must possess a broad knowledge and understanding of normal child development and how trauma impacts the developmental process. The successful candidates will have the skill and ability to conduct client interviews, assessment and crisis intervention activities. They will understand normal family functioning and how this functioning is impacted by trauma and loss. Incumbents in the position will exercise sound judgment in making diagnostic risk assessments and decisions regarding placement of children and handle high-pressure, crisis situations professionally and be able to extract appropriate information during such situations. They must be able to work with a variety of individuals with varying degrees of mental health functioning, literacy, coping abilities and life skills. They must have the ability to understand the role of the Agency in the treatment plan and the Social Services Agency's policies, procedures, programs and services and be able to articulate this understanding to their clients.

In addition, the ideal candidate must possess the following: knowledge of community resources,

· the ability to set limits to assist clients in taking steps toward greater self-sufficiency,

· the ability to write clear, concise and descriptive reports under time restraints,

· strong written and verbal communication skills,

· the ability to work well under pressure and display sound time management techniques,

· an appreciation for diversity.

For a detailed listing of the Child Welfare Worker II duties and essential competency requirements, please click on the link to see the complete job description.  

Either I
Experience:

The equivalent of one year of full-time experience as a Child Welfare Worker I in the Alameda County classified service (non-classified includes District Attorney's Office, Hospital Authority, and the Consolidated Courts),

AND

Recommendation for promotion based on recent performance evaluations.

Or II
Education:

Possession of a Master's Degree in Social Work from an accredited school of social work, which included a supervised field placement providing social casework and counseling services to individuals and families.

Or III
Education:

Possession of a Master's Degree from an accredited college or university in Counseling, or Clinical Psychology, Sociology, Education or an equivalent field (Vocational Rehabilitation majors not acceptable).

AND
Experience:

Satisfactory completion of two semesters of supervised field work in an agency involved in 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, or school counseling.

OR
The equivalent of six (6) months full-time post baccalaureate professional work experience which involved the provision of direct services to families or children in one of the areas previously described.

License:

Possession of a valid California Motor Vehicle Operator's license.

NOTE: The Civil Service Commission may modify the above Minimum Qualifications in the announcement of an examination.

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 Agency's 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.
· Accept 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.
· Use personal computers and word processing programs.

EXAMINATION COMPONENTS

The examination will consist of the following steps: A review of candidates' applications to verify possession of minimum requirements. Those candidates who possess the minimum requirements will be invited to participate in an oral interview which will be weighted as 100% of the candidate's final examination score. The oral interview will contain situational exercises. CANDIDATES MUST ATTAIN A QUALIFYING RATING ON EACH PORTION OF THIS EXAMINATION. The oral exam may serve as the hiring interview. 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, www.acgov.org/hrs.

Applicants will be informed via email with reasonable notice in advance of any examination process which will require their attendance. The following dates are tentative and subject to change based on the needs of the Agency:

TENTATIVE SELECTION PLAN:

Deadline for Filing: Review of Minimum Qualifications Oral Interviews:	5:00 pm, Friday, March 22, 2019 by Thursday, March 28, 2019 Week of April 22, 2019

Alameda County and the Human Resource Services Department will make reasonable efforts in the examination and/or selection process to accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities and/or medical conditions in accordance/compliance with the State Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), Federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Alameda County’s Reasonable Accommodation Policy and applicable statues. To request an accommodation due to a disability/medical condition during this or other phases of the examination/selection process, please contact the assigned Human Resources Representative listed on the job announcement before the last date of filing. Alameda County requires applicants to provide supporting documentation to substantiate a request for reasonable accommodation. In order to qualify for a reasonable accommodation, applicants must have a disability/medical condition pursuant to the ADA, FEHA and applicable statues.

Alameda 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

• 11 paid holidays
• Floating Holidays
• Vacation and sick leave accrual
• Vacation purchase program
• Catastrophic Sick Leave
• Employee Mortgage Loan Program
• Group Auto/Home Insurance
• 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 to County recruitments for which you have applied will be sent/delivered via email. Please add @acgov.org and alamedacountyHR@acgov.org as accepted addresses to any email blocking or spam filtering program you may use. If you do not do this, your email blocking or spam filtering program may block receipt of the notices regarding your application for recruitments. You are also strongly advised to regularly log into your County of Alameda online application account to check for notices that may have been sent to you. All email notices that will be sent to you will also be kept in your personal online application account. You will be able to view all of your notices in your online application account by clicking on the "My applications" button on the Current Job Openings page.

Please take the steps recommended above to ensure you do not miss any notices about a recruitment for which you have applied. The County of Alameda is not responsible for notices that are not read, received or accessed by any applicant for a County recruitment.

NOTE: All notices are generated through an automated email notification system. Replies to the email box alamedacountyHR@acgov.org are routed to an unmonitored mailbox. All notices are generated through an automated email notification system. Replies to the email box are routed to an unmonitored mailbox. If you have questions please go to our website at www.acgov.org/hrs. You may also contact the Human Resources Analyst listed on the job announcement for the recruitment for which you have applied.

Ione Bell, Human Resources Analyst

Human Resource Services, County of Alameda

510-272-6456

Alameda County is an Equal Opportunity Employer