Job Description

Posting number: 1234-26-09

Department: Health & Human Services

Division: Behavioral Health & Recovery Services

Job classification: Social Service Worker II - Bilingual

Posting type: Open

Categories: Mental Health, Social Services, Human Services, Health Education, Health Sciences, Health Care Support

Summary

At the County of Marin, our employees overwhelmingly report feeling their work is meaningful, they like the work they do, and they are proud to tell people “I work for the County of Marin.” Discover more about us, our values and our organizational culture on the Department of Human Resources website. Read on to find out more about this opportunity.

At Health & Human Services, we serve our community through the values of support, unity, trust and excellence with one common goal: to promote and protect the health, well-being, safety and self-sufficiency of all in Marin. Join our team of bright, committed, and energetic people who also want to make an impact through public service.

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES

At Health & Human Services, we serve our community through the values of support, unity, trust and excellence with one common goal: to promote and protect the health, well-being, safety and self-sufficiency of all in Marin. Join our team of bright, committed, and energetic people who also want to make an impact through public service.

Examples of duties

This Social Service Worker II recruitment is to establish an eligible list for Marin County.

This list may be used to fill Social Service Worker II vacancies as long as the list is active.

As such, you are encouraged to apply even if a vacancy doesn’t exist in the program for which you are interested.

Currently, the County of Marin Health & Human Services Department (HHS) seeks to fill two (2) Social Service Worker II positions.

POSITION #1 (FULL-TIME, REGULAR)

The Access Team connects Marin County residents to mental health and substance use services. This team serves Marin County Medi-Cal beneficiaries, low income and uninsured children, youth, adults and older adults. There is one (1) full-time Social Service Worker II, Bilingual Desired (Spanish/English) position available in the Behavioral Health & Recovery Services Division (BHRS) working on the Access team.

The Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS) Division of the County of Marin is seeking a dedicated and knowledgeable Social Service Worker II to join the Access Team. This role serves as a vital link between Behavioral Health and multiple divisions within Health & Human Services to ensure coordinated service delivery and continuity of care.

The Social Service Worker II plays a key role in supporting direct service teams, social services eligibility staff, and community partners. They Provide client-centered benefits navigation and advocacy to individuals and families experiencing financial, insurance, or administrative barriers to care. The position focuses on assessing and resolving issues related to Medi-Cal eligibility, insurance coverage, and other public benefit programs. By proactively addressing financial and social service barriers, the Social Service Worker II helps ensure individuals and families receive uninterrupted access to medically necessary behavioral health services throughout the continuum of care.

This position also educates clients regarding Medi-Cal requirements, insurance responsibilities, and available community resources that support ongoing treatment engagement.

When appropriate SSW II will document services provided to or on behalf of the client. Documentation deadlines will be inline with BHRS Documentation Policy which currently states that documentation must be completed and finalized within 3 business days.

POSITION #2 (FIXED TERM)

The Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) seeks a Social Service Worker II to join the Division of Homelessness and Coordinated Care, with a dotted-line relationship to the Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS) Division. This fixed-term position, funded through the Department of Health Care Services’ Behavioral Health Bridge Housing (BHBH) grant, is approved through June 30, 2027.

The Social Service Worker II will engage BHBH-enrolled individuals experiencing homelessness who have serious behavioral health conditions, including serious mental illness (SMI) and/or substance use disorders (SUD). The incumbent will independently manage a caseload and provide housing navigation, case management, care coordination, and stabilization services to help participants obtain and retain permanent housing. Responsibilities include conducting assessments, developing case plans, assisting with housing applications and move-ins, supporting tenancy and landlord relationships, connecting participants to resources and benefits, and maintaining accurate documentation. Out-of-county travel will be required to support BHBH-enrolled individuals placed temporarily in Sonoma County for behavioral health treatment.

This position plays a key role in Marin County’s strategy to reduce homelessness and improve behavioral health outcomes by ensuring that housing is recognized as the foundation for recovery and wellness.

FIXED TERM

This is a fixed-term position and is budgeted through June 30, 2027. However, there may be opportunities for the hired individual during this time-period to move to a regular, ongoing position as other vacancies or promotional opportunities occur, or the position may be funded and converted to an ongoing position. Fixed-term employment ends when the position’s funding finishes, or the work is completed. Employees in these positions are exempt from the County’s policies regarding lay-off order and reduction-in-force rights.

BILINGUAL TESTING / CERTIFICATION

Bilingual skills in Spanish and English are highly desirable.

Please note if the successful candidate has bilingual skills, they must demonstrate proficiency in both Spanish and English prior to receiving differential pay. A bilingual proficiency exam will be administered to ensure the candidate possesses the appropriate skill level to meet the requirements.

Qualifications

OUR HIGHLY QUALIFIED CANDIDATE

Our highly qualified candidate for the Access Team is a detail-oriented, client-focused professional with strong expertise in Medi-Cal eligibility, public assistance programs, behavioral health systems, and community resource navigation. They excel at interpreting complex policies, assessing client needs, coordinating services across agencies, and navigating benefits systems with accuracy and compassion. This candidate demonstrates exceptional judgment, maintains meticulous documentation, protects confidentiality, and proactively identifies barriers to ensure seamless service delivery. They communicate complex concepts clearly, build trusting relationships with diverse populations, and contribute to continuous process and quality improvements.

In addition, the highly candidate will possess excellent skills in:

• Policy interpretation and information verification
• Eligibility systems and database proficiency
• Client interviewing and needs assessment
• Benefits navigation and resource/referral coordination
• Advocacy, rapport-building, and barrier resolution
• Clear communication of requirements
• Documentation standards and electronic records management
• Workflow evaluation and process improvement
• Strong judgment, critical thinking, and problem-solving

Our highly qualified candidate for Division of Homelessness and Coordinated Care is a skilled social services professional with experience in housing navigation, case management, and supporting individuals with behavioral health needs who are also experiencing homelessness. The successful candidate brings:

• Knowledge of social work principles, behavioral health conditions, housing programs, and landlord/tenant rights.
• Skills in engagement, motivational interviewing, case planning, and collaboration with landlords, service providers, and community partners.
• Ability to manage a complex caseload independently, conduct home visits, and maintain accurate, timely documentation.
• Cultural humility and the capacity to build trust with individuals from diverse socio-economic and cultural backgrounds.
• A commitment to helping people achieve housing stability as a foundation for health and recovery.

The highly qualified candidate demonstrates empathy, resilience, and strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to work effectively across systems to support participants on their path from homelessness to housing stability.

QUALIFICATIONS

Knowledge of:

• Principles, practices and techniques of social work.
• The role and function of a public social services agency.
• Principles and techniques of interviewing.
• Methods of social work record keeping, including computer applications related to the work.
• Community organizations and resources and the social problems calling for the use of public and private resources.
• Social research methods.
• Basic principles of public assistance policies and programs.
• Laws, rules, and regulations governing the operation of a social service agency.
• Goals of and current trends toward client rehabilitation.
• If assigned to the HIV Program, the medical, psycho-social and economic components of the various stages of HIV.

Ability to:

• Analyze client situations and social services needs.
• Develop, prepare and implement effective case work plans.
• Apply applicable laws, rules and regulations to social service operations.
• Interpret social service programs to applicants, recipients and others.
• Use appropriate community resources and services effectively.
• Utilize supervision and direction effectively.
• Direct the work of others on a project basis.
• Prepare clear, concise and accurate case records, reports, correspondence and other written materials.
• Maintain accurate records and files.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of the work.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Either possession of a Master's Degree in Social Work or a Master's degree in a two year counseling program by the time of appointment, or possession of a Bachelor's Degree or equivalent with coursework related to the field and four years of journey level social casework experience of which two years were in adult social services at a level comparable to the County's classes of Social Service Worker I or Social Service Worker I - Bilingual.

Supplemental information

For any questions concerning this position announcement, please contact Cassie Folan at cassie.folan@marincounty.gov

All applicants will receive email notifications regarding their status in the recruitment process. Please be sure to check your spam settings to allow our emails to reach you. You may also log into your GovernmentJobs.com account to view these emails.

Testing and Eligible List: Depending on the number of qualified applications received, the examination may consist of a highly qualified review, application screening, online assessment, written examination, oral examination, performance examination, or any combination to determine which candidates' names will be placed on the eligible list. The eligible list established from this recruitment may be used to fill the current vacancy, and any future vacancies for open, fixed-term, full-time or part-time positions which may occur while the list remains active.

Live Scan (Special Requirements): Candidates selected are subject to fingerprinting by the Sheriff's Department and must pass a Department of Justice Live Scan check prior to appointment.

Disaster Service Workers: All County of Marin employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state and local law (California Government Code Section 3100-3109). Employment with the County requires the affirmation of a loyalty oath to this effect. Employees are required to complete all Disaster Service Worker-related training as assigned, and to return to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.

Equal Employment Opportunity Employer: If you have questions regarding equal employment opportunities, please contact Roger Crawford, Equal Employment Opportunity Director, at 415-473-2095.