Children and Family Services Senior Social Worker

CAREER DESCRIPTION

Children and Family Services Senior Social Worker

(Senior Social Worker)

In addition to performance-based merit increases, this position is scheduled to receive salary range increases on the following dates:

Effective June 27, 2025 - 4.00% increase

Salary may be negotiable within the range listed above, based on position requirements and successful candidate's qualifications, subject to appropriate authorization.

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

This recruitment will establish an open eligible list that will be used to fill current and future Senior Social Worker positions with Social Services Agency. The eligible list established may also be used to fill positions in similar and/or lower classifications throughout the Agency and the County of Orange.

DEADLINE TO APPLY

This recruitment will be open for a minimum of five (5) business days and will remain open until 11:59 p.m. (PST) on Wednesday, May 07, 2025.

ORANGE COUNTY:

Orange County is a desirable place to live - and is one of the premier employers in the region, as well as the third largest populated County in California. At the County you will find variety, individual opportunity, job satisfaction, and the pleasure of working with colleagues who are dedicated to making a positive difference. You can learn more about the County of Orange by clicking here .

THE AGENCY:

The County of Orange , Social Services Agency is composed of four business divisions: Assistance Programs; Children and Family Services; Family Self-Sufficiency & Adult Services and Administrative Services; and over 4,300 dedicated employees, providing human services to an average of one in four Orange County residents. 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.

Click here to learn more about the Social Services Agency.
Click here to view a video about the Social Services Agency.

THE OPPORTUNITY:

The Social Services Agency , Senior Social Worker is responsible for the identification, assessment, and treatment of a variety of complex social issues which may impact individual, family, and/or social functioning such as child abuse (physical, sexual, emotional) and neglect, domestic violence, and substance abuse. Intervention and case management efforts are generally provided through provision of voluntary prevention services or court-ordered dependency proceedings (e.g., family reunification, family maintenance, and permanency planning services such as adoption or guardianship. Senior Social Workers hired with the Social Services Agency may be placed in various programs within the Children and Family Services division such as, but not limited to, the following:

Child Abuse & Adult Protection Hotline , Court Services Program , Emergency Response, Placement Coordination, Resource Family Approval,

Adoption Program, Orangewood Children and Family Center, Family Maintenance Collaborative Services, Special Medical, Integrated Continuing Services,

Permanency Services Program, Specialized Family Services, Transitional Planning Services Program, Multi-Agency Family Partnership, Resource Development & Management, and Resource Family Recruitment, Development, and Support.

WORK SCHEDULE:

Work schedules will vary depending on program needs and are subject to change. Some positions may work a flex schedule and/or telecommute schedule. Some positions may also be assigned to be on-call, evening, or night shift, including weekends and holidays.

POTENTIAL SUPPLEMENTAL PAY:

• On-call 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.
• Premium pay for select program assignments.

TRAINING EXPECTATIONS:

The newly hired SSW must complete statewide mandatory training, Social Worker Induction Training, which may include the Dependency Investigation training. Also, based upon business needs, it is possible that once you complete the mandatory training that you may be moved to a different assignment within Children and Family Services.

Click below video link to learn more about the Senior Social Worker position with the County of Orange.

Senior Social Worker

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS & CORE COMPETENCIES:

The ideal candidate will have experience and/or training: assessing safety and risk to children, managing crisis situations, writing professional reports documenting assessment, findings, conclusions, and action/case plans. In addition, candidates will also demonstrate experience and/or training in the following competencies:

Judgement and Decision Making:

• Thinking critically using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approach to problems.
• Challenging existing beliefs or ideas to see if they hold up under scrutiny.
• Recognizing personal or external biases that might influence your judgement and trying to minimize their impact.
• Drawing logical conclusions by using sound reasoning to make decisions, avoiding fallacies, and being open to revising conclusions if new evidence emerges.
• Applying critical thinking to solve problems by breaking them down into smaller, more manageable parts and exploring possible solutions systematically.

Verbal and Written Communication:

• Showing attention through verbal and non-verbal cues.
• Adjusting vocabulary and formality according to the audience and purpose.
• Writing effectively by using correct English grammar, punctuation, and spelling, including producing written information that is appropriate for the intended audience.
• Asking insightful, pointed, specific questions to actively investigate allegations to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the perspective of the client.
• Write comprehensive reports, such as Investigation, Detention, Jurisdictional/Dispositional and Status Review reports which are legal documents specific to each part of the investigation of child abuse allegations and the subsequent legal proceedings for any child placed into protective custody.

Interpersonal Skills:

• Asking insightful, pointed, specific questions to actively investigate allegations to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the perspective of the client.
• Analyzing evidence by looking at facts, data, or arguments presented and evaluating their reliability, relevance, and completeness.
• Assess the harm and risk of a child for neglect and abuse to determine the lowest level of intervention necessary to ensure their immediate physical and emotional health and well-being.
• Ability to maintain composure with adults and children in highly charged and challenging situations.
• Recognizing and respecting diverse cultural background and experiences of clients.

Adaptability:

• Adjusting quickly to changes in assignment and priorities.
• Willing to work irregular hours or varying work schedules.
• Be exposed to unsanitary environments and work with clients who have communicable diseases, substance abuse, domestic issues, criminal history, and mental/behavioral issues.
• Work outdoors in all types of climatic conditions including inclement, very hot and/or cold weather.
• Respond to cases within Orange County as well as outside Orange County.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Click here to learn more about the minimum qualifications for the Senior Social Worker classification as well as the physical and mental requirements and the environmental conditions.

SPECIAL QUALIFICATIONS:

Candidates will be required to undergo a background clearance check from the California Department of Social Services and Community Care Licensing 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. In addition, a Child Abuse Central Index background clearance check may be required. The Child Abuse Central Index background clearance check is a repository of child abuse investigation reports managed by the Department of Justice that contains information related to substantiated cases of physical abuse, sexual abuse, mental/emotional abuse, and/or severe neglect of a child.

RECRUITMENT PROCESS:

Human Resource Services will screen all application materials to identify qualified applicants. After screening, qualified applicants will be referred to the next step and notified of all further procedures applicable to their status in the competition.

Application Screening (Refer/Non-Refer)
Applications and supplemental responses will be screened for qualifications that are highly desirable and most needed to successfully perform the duties of this job. Only those candidates who meet the qualifications as listed in the job bulletin will be referred to the next step.

Online Assessment (Weighted 100%):

Candidates will be invited to participate in an online assessment covering job related items. The candidates with the most competitive scores will be referred to the next step and notified of all further procedures applicable to their status in the competition.

Eligible List
Once the assessment has been completed, Human Resource Services 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.

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.

Veterans Employment Preference Policy
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. Please click here (Download PDF reader) to review the policy.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

EMAIL NOTIFICATION:
Email is the primary form of notification during the recruitment process. Please ensure your correct email address is included in our application and use only one email account.

NOTE: User accounts are established for one person only and should not be shared with another person. Multiple applications with multiple users may jeopardize your status in the recruitment process for any positions for which you apply.

Candidates will be notified regarding their status as the recruitment proceeds via email through the GovernmentJobs.com site. Please check your email folders, including spam/junk folders, and/or accept emails ending with "governmentjobs.com" and "ocgov.com." If your email address should change, please update your profile at www.governmentjobs.com .

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Click here for additional Frequently Asked Questions.

For specific information pertaining to this recruitment, please contact Brandy Cetina at (714) 245-4580 or Brandy.Cetina@ssa.ocgov.com .

EEO INFORMATION

Orange County, as an equal employment opportunity employer, encourages applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply.

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.

Closing Date/Time: 5/7/2025 11:59 PM Pacific

• 

• County of Orange

• 714.834.5315

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