Protective Services Worker - Family And Children's Services - Human Services Agency (2940) (x00002)

Protective Services Worker - Family and Children's Services

This is a Citywide Exam posting. Your application to this posting is an application to take a citywide exam. If you pass the exam, you will be emailed your score and ranking on the eligible candidate list. When a department has an open position with this job classification they will use this eligible list to hire for that position. Departments will contact candidates from this list to gauge interest in their specific roles.

San Francisco is a vibrant and dynamic city, on the forefront of economic growth & innovation, urban development, arts & entertainment, as well as social issues & change. This rich tapestry of culture and ideas is sustained by our City's commitment to heighten the quality of life for the diverse population of San Franciscans and residents of the greater Bay Area. Our employees play an important role not only in making our City what it is today, but also in shaping the future of San Francisco.

Our Commitment to Racial Equity

As we work towards our vision of an inclusive San Francisco, we embrace our responsibility to root out systemic racism by creating services and a workforce which reflect the lived experiences and strengths of the people we serve. We are committed to fostering a work environment where our differences are celebrated and everyone has what they need to thrive--no matter their race, age, ability, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or country of origin.

From financial, nutritional and employment support to protective services, health care coverage, affordable childcare, and in-home services for older adults and persons with disabilities, our team lends support for all in need.

Job Description

Under general supervision, Protective Service Workers perform professional investigation, case management, and casework services at the Family & Children's Services program. This includes activities related to: engagement of children, youth and families; assessment of safety and risk; case planning and service delivery; and transitioning children and families to appropriate permanent and stable living situations.

ESSENTIAL TASK AND DUTIES

According to Civil Service Commission Rule 109, the duties specified below are representative of the range of duties assigned to this job class and are not intended to be an inclusive list.

1. Partnering with families, communities, and service providers to build a supportive team that addresses the safety, health, and well-being needs of the child, youth, and family.
2. Exploring safety, well-being, family relationships and natural supports through interviewing, field visits, and gathering collateral information in a timely manner.
3. Conducting comprehensive assessments of safety, risk and protective capacity utilizing designated assessment tools. Taking appropriate action to ensure child safety, including promoting family strengths, mitigating safety threats and/or removal of children from the home.
4. Maintaining case information on applicable computerized case management system(s).Collaborating with families and stakeholders to develop behavioral case plans based on the assessment that addresses the family's needs and complies with relevant laws, rules and regulations.
5. Helping connect families to a broad array of services and supports and empowering them to utilize strengths in order to implement the provisions of a case plan.
6. Counseling and educating youth, families, care providers and community partners on the Child Welfare process, legal requirements and departmental policies and procedures by communicating verbally and in writing in order to provide necessary and appropriate information to families.
7. Building community partnerships through relationship building and educating community organizations about Family and Children's Services.
8. Staying abreast of latest polices, initiatives, and best practices by attending trainings, reading literature reviews, accessing various online child welfare resources and participating in work groups and site teams to contribute to the development of policies.
9. Ensuring all assigned cases meet compliance standards and scheduling work accordingly.
10. Testifying in Court and adhering to Court protocol in compliance with legal requirements.
11. Ensuring the well-being of children placed in homes by identifying homes to meet children's needs and closely monitoring their placement and providing assistance to out of home care providers so that children go to mandatory parental visits, medical and dental appointments in order to comply with mandatory county and state procedures, rules and regulations.
12. Preparing written correspondence, electronic records and court reports by maintaining well documented records in a clear and timely manner according to agency procedures.

Qualifications

1. Education

a. Possession of a Master's Degree in Social Work from a school accredited by the Council on Social Work education (CSWE);

OR

b. Possession of a Master's Degree from a two-year (2) counseling program from an accredited college or university. (Qualifying Master's Degrees in counseling include Marriage and Family Therapy, Clinical Counseling, Mental Health Counseling, Addiction Counseling and Counseling Psychology that included a supervised field placement as part of the course curriculum).

AND

2. Experience

a. Satisfactory completion of two semesters of graduate field placement, which involved 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, adolescent alcohol and drug counseling or school social work;

OR

b. Six (6) months post baccalaureate professional work experience which involved the provision of direct services to families or children in one of the areas previously described.

AND

3. License: Possession of a valid California class C driver's license and clear Motor Vehicle Record (MVR).

Note: Applicants who will receive their Master's degree by the end of the current semester/quarter may submit a written request to be placed on the eligible list under waiver pending receipt of the Master's degree; for these applicants, appointment referral is contingent upon verification of the required education and experience.

Applicants must meet the minimum qualification requirement by the final filing date unless otherwise noted.

LICENSE, CERTIFICATION AND SPECIAL CONDITIONS: Some positions in Class 2940 Protective Services Worker may require bilingual proficiency depending upon the department's bilingual needs. Only those eligible candidates who pass the bilingual proficiency test will be considered for bilingual positions. Applicants must indicate on the application form the language(s) in which they claim proficiency.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: The essential duties of this position require incumbents to: drive, usually outside the City of San Francisco; to get in and out of vehicles, climb flights of stairs to complete home visits; lift objects weighing up to 40 pounds; incumbents will be required to work after standard work hours to respond to emergency response shifts which can occur on nights and weekends including After Hours shifts.

Note: A current copy of the driver license and a current Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) must be submitted prior to appointment. Applicants must possess a good driving record, defined as not having the driving privilege suspended, revoked or being placed on probation for cause involving the safe operation of a motor vehicle within the preceding three (3) years. Violations will be reviewed on an individual basis and may be cause for non-selection or disciplinary action if employed.

Verification of Education and Experience:

Every application is reviewed to ensure that you meet the minimum qualifications as listed in the job ad. Review SF Careers Employment Applications for considerations taken when reviewing applications.

Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. If education verification is required, information on how to verify education requirements, including verifying foreign education credits or degree equivalency, can be found at https://careers.sf.gov/knowledge/experience-education/.

Note: Falsifying one's education, training, or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification for this and future job opportunities with the City and County of San Francisco.

SELECTION PROCEDURES

After application submission, candidates deemed qualified must complete all subsequent steps to advance in this selection process, which includes the following:

Written Examination – Multiple Choice (100%): Candidates will be administered a written multiple-choice test designed to measure knowledge, skills and/or abilities in job-related areas which may include but are not limited to: ability and skill to assess, diagnose and apply intervention techniques to child, family and adult related problems; knowledge of social work methods and practices; theories of human behavior and group dynamics; interviewing, investigative and intervention techniques; child development, the aging process, parenting skills, adolescence, substance abuse, familial violence; causes and treatment of child abuse, family dynamics, death and dying; crisis intervention; and mental health/illness; needs and problems of children, families and adults from diverse socio-economic and cultural backgrounds; community resources and community organizations; policies and procedures relating to the provision of social services; investigative techniques, reporting requirements, and court procedures related to social