In-Home Supportive Services Social Worker II/III – Aging and Adult Services - Unclassified (Open)

San Mateo County Health's Aging and Adult Services Division is seeking qualified individuals for the unclassified position of In-Home Supportive Services Social Worker II/III. Social Workers provide a wide variety of welfare services in such areas as information and referral, protective services, out-of-home services, health related services, chore services, and other welfare services within the Health and the Human Services Agency.
 
The current unclassified vacancy is in the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) Program that provides in-home care for persons who cannot safely remain in their own home without such assistance. The recipients of IHSS are aged, blind and/or disabled and eligible for Medi-Cal. Disabled and/or blind minor children may also be eligible for IHSS. The Social Worker will make a home visit to determine eligibility for the program and to conduct an assessment to determine a range of service hours for particular tasks. The IHSS recipient or guardian is the IHSS employer and is responsible for hiring and supervising a provider for the care they receive.  The Social Worker will travel throughout the County to conduct home visits, attend meetings and perform other duties of the position.  The Social Worker will work in the San Mateo, CA Aging and Adult Services Office.
 
This IHSS Social Worker will conduct intake and/or on-going activities for IHSS recipients. Some of those activities include:

• Conduct initial IHSS assessments using a detailed State assessment tool.
• Complete necessary documents, paperwork, and work within different information technology systems.
• Conduct annual reassessments.
• Educate, support, and perform administrative duties for IHSS recipients and care providers to understand/comply with program regulations.
• Provide education, outreach, and community resources information.
• Participate in quality improvement efforts.
• Collaborate with quality assurance and program integrity to ensure proper adherence to regulations.
• Prepare for and attend Fair Hearings.
• Engage in interdisciplinary team meetings or other activities to support San Mateo County's vision for integrated services.
• Maintain oversight of case management needs for a caseload focused on serving IHSS recipients who are minors.
• Collaborate and facilitate service with care providers and other partner agencies.

 The ideal candidate will possess the following:

• Master's degree in Social Work.
• Experience providing clinical assessment for children, youth and adults with disabilities. 
• Understanding of human development and behavior within diverse populations.
• Ability to independently develop and implement sound case plans of action.
• Experience balancing client-centered care coordination and the accompanying administrative documentation.
• Familiarity in implementing program regulations.
• Superior organizational skills to manage a large caseload and related documents.
• Proficient computer skills to use several independent data base systems as well as Microsoft Excel and Word.
• Ability to quickly learn and adopt new technology, policies and procedures.
• Excellent writing/documentation skills.
• Fluency in Cantonese, Mandarin, Tagalog, Vietnamese or Farsi is a plus.

For information on the In-Home Supportive Services Program please visit: https://www.smchealth.org/home-supportive-services

SALARY:
Social Worker II:   $6,564.13 - $8,205.60/month
Social Worker III:  $7,741.07 - $9,673.73/month

Social Workers provide highly skilled, intensive casework services to individuals and their families and provide casework consultation within the department and to outside agencies.  Incumbents of positions at this level work with minimal supervision and are expected to have acquired the high degree of assessment skills required to perform care coordination and referral tasks in complex casework areas. Lead supervisory responsibilities may be assigned as circumstances dictate. 

This is an unclassified position. Unclassified positions are at-will for a limited duration, typically associated with grant or other special funding. These positions are not covered by San Mateo County Civil Service Rules; and there is no formal probation period. The following are the same for classified and unclassified positions: salary, increases and other forms of compensation; accrual of sick leave, vacation, overtime, holiday and leaves of absence; health, dental, vision, long and short term disability, and retirement.

Licensure/Certification:  California class C driver license or equivalent.

Education:
Social Worker II: Satisfactory completion of 30 semester units of social welfare and/or appropriate behavioral science courses.

Social Worker III: Satisfactory completion of 36 semester units of social welfare and/or appropriate behavioral science courses.

Experience: 
Social Worker II: Two years experience performing duties comparable to those of a Social Worker I or higher in San Mateo County. Substitution: Possession of a Master's Degree in Social Work from an accredited school of Social Work.

Social Worker III:  Three years experience performing duties comparable to those of a Social Worker II or higher in San Mateo County.  Substitution: Possession of a Master's Degree in Social Work from an accredited school of Social Work and two years experience performing duties comparable to those of a Social Worker II or higher in San Mateo County.

Social Worker II
Knowledge of:

• Principles of individual, group, and community behavior.
• Scope and nature of current problems in the field of social work.
• Social work methods and procedures.
• Social service programs, and State and Federal legislation.
• Techniques and principles of interviewing and counseling and problem solving methodology.
• Social and community resources and awareness of how to identify, develop, and properly utilize these resources.

Skill/Ability to:

• Understanding and implementing the agency's programs, policies and procedures.
• Implementing caseload management techniques.
• Establishing rapport with clients and their families in working toward solutions to their problems.
• Analyzing problems and needs of clients and developing courses of action which lead toward constructive solutions.
• Speaking and writing effectively.
• Establishing effective working relationships with other employees.

Social Worker III
Knowledge of:

• Theories of human behavior and their practical applications.
• Psycho-social, medical, and economic interrelationships that result in individual and social abnormalities.
• Philosophy and function of social work systems.
• Appropriate utilization of a variety of social resources.
• Laws, rules and regulations governing the operation of social work agencies, specifically those relating to the specific areas of assignment.

Skill/Ability to:

• Formulating, developing and implementing treatment plans.
• Working effectively with persons differing in value systems, ethnicity, cultural backgrounds and psychopathologies.
• Working with a variety of social resources to plan and coordinate services to individual clients.
• Acting as a consultant and trainer to other social service staff.
• Preparing clear and concise reports.

• Cover letter with responses to Supplemental Questions (maximum of 2 pages)
• Resume

Supplemental Questions:   

1. The position requires a valid California class C driver license or equivalent. Provide your 1) driver license number and 2) the expiration date.
2. Social Worker II requires satisfactory completion of 30 semester units of social welfare and/or appropriate behavioral science courses. Social Worker III requires satisfactory completion of 36 semester units of social welfare and/or appropriate behavioral science courses. 
    
    List the following for the education that qualifies you:
    1) the course ID for classes completed;
    2) course title; and
    3) the "semester" units received for each.
    
   NOTE: APPLICATIONS THAT DON'T CLEARLY INDICATE THE REQUIRED EDUCATION WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
3. Social Worker II requires two years of case management experience comparable to a Social Worker I in San Mateo County OR an MSW degree. Social Worker III requires three years of case management experience comparable to a Social Worker II OR an MSW degree and two years of experience performing duties comparable to Social Worker II or higher in San Mateo County.
   
   List the following for the experience that qualifies you:
    1) your exact title;
    2) job duties;
    3) length of experience in months; and
    4) employer.
    
   NOTE: APPLICATIONS THAT DON'T CLEARLY INDICATE THE REQUIRED EXPERIENCE/EDUCATION WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
4. Describe in detail your experience completing social work assessments with older adults and individuals with disabilities. Provide an example of a time your assessment was not well received by the client and how did you adjust your approach to ensure the client's needs were met. Be specific. 
5. Provide an example of a time in your career where you had to implement a new administrative or regulative change that also affected your clientele. What did you do to ensure your understanding and implementation of the change was successful? How did you adjust your approach with your clientele to ensure smooth service delivery? Be specific. 
6. Describe your experience with managing a large and ethnically diverse caseload of clients. What techniques do you use to ensure you are providing service through a racial equity lens while also meeting work expectations? Be specific.

Please include the words "In-Home Supportive Services Social Worker II/III – Aging and Adult Services - Unclassified" in the subject line of the email submission. Please submit the required materials electronically via email to:
  
Application materials will be reviewed as they are received, and well-qualified candidates will be contacted for an interview.
 
Apply immediately. Resumés will be accepted until position is filled. This posting is open on a continuous basis and selection may be made at any time within the process.
 
NOTE: Application materials are only accepted via e-mail. Materials sent via regular mail and/or fax will not be accepted. Submittals that do not include all required elements (cover letter with responses to supplemental questions and a resume) will not be considered.

About the County 
San Mateo County is centrally located between San Francisco, San Jose, and the East Bay. With over 750,000 residents, San Mateo is one of the largest and most diverse counties in California and serves a multitude of culturally, ethnically, and linguistically diverse communities.

The County of San Mateo, as an employer, is committed to advancing equity to ensure that all employees are welcomed in a safe and inclusive environment. The County seeks to hire, support, and retain employees who reflect our diverse community. We encourage applicants with diverse backgrounds and lived experiences to apply. Eighty percent of employees surveyed stated that they would recommend the County as a great place to work.

Salary : $78,770 - $116,085