Job Description

Posting number: 26-79874-02

Department: Children & Families Commission

Division: RCC - Agency

Job classification: SOCIAL SERVICES PRACTITIONER II

Posting type: Open & Promotional

Categories: Social Services, Community and Social Services

Summary

Required: Bilingual-English/ Spanish

**ALL APPLICANTS MUST UPLOAD A COPY OF THEIR OFFICIAL AND/OR UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS OF THEIR COMPLETED DEGREE AT AN ACCREDITED COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY.

First 5 Riverside County Children & Families Commission is recruiting for a Social Services Practitioner I/II for their location in Mecca, CA.

This is a fast-paced environment that requires excellent ability to obtain information from individuals in crisis and excellent critical thinking skills for the ability to analyze information provided, identify additional information needed and assist with appropriate response times for assistance to clients. The Social Service Practitioner I/II provides support and assistance to a Social Services Practitioner III. This position is responsible for providing assistance and support to a caseload involving clients with moderately complex social, financial, and emotional needs. The role includes interviewing clients and families, conducting home and field visits, assessing risks and support needs, and developing comprehensive service or treatment plans. The employee maintains accurate case records, assists with educational and well-being courses, makes referrals to community resources, and assists in the interpretation of department policies for clients and partners. Regular participation in staff development, case consultations, and collaborative service planning is essential. This position may also provide specialized services within healthcare facilities or Child Life programs. These responsibilities can include assessing psychosocial needs of pediatric or medically impacted patients, supporting families adjusting to illness or disability, coordinating with healthcare teams, and contributing to therapeutic programming.

The most competitive candidates will possess experience in social services, experience with community outreach and working closely within communities in relation to social services work and knowledge of linkage and linkage resources.

Meet the Team!

First 5 Riverside, the Riverside County Children & Families Commission, is primarily funded by tobacco taxes generated by Proposition 10, which passed in November 1998 to help make sure that all of our youngest Californians, from prenatal through 5 years old, get the best possible start in life. First 5 Riverside also receives state and federal funding to support community programs and initiatives to meet the goals and objectives of the Strategic Plan. First 5 Riverside County invests in partnerships that promote, support and enhance the health and early development of children, prenatal through age 5, their families and communities.

Examples of duties

• Carry a caseload which includes cases with problems of moderate difficulty; interview clients and their families to assess the nature of their social and financial problems and the need for social service casework intervention or treatment; determine or recommend treatment plans to meet social needs; lead self-care, well-being and educational courses to community participants and/or staff; conduct home visits; prepare and maintain case records.
• Complete studies of patients and their families to determine the nature of their problems; learn to develop the most effective treatment methods and treatment plans according to need.
• Interview patients, families and friends to obtain information for case records.
• Identify the need for, and make referrals to, other services available to the client; assist applicants and recipients in utilizing available resources for individual needs.
• Interpret the policies, rules and regulations of the department to applicants, clients, and others; may be assigned to specialized functions.
• Participate in in-service training and other staff development activities to increase knowledge of the social work processes and achieve technical competence; receive casework consultation from professionally trained staff members; assist in conducting training activities for personnel outside the social services unit; participate in group therapy.
• Frequently conduct field visits, away from the home office, which may include long distances in order to carry out service plans, observe, and assess client needs, and provide information and social work services.
• Assess client family environment in order to determine potential or imminent risk to the safety of children/disabled adults/elderly residing in the household; when safety needs dictate, remove children/ adults from home and transport them, complying with all safety regulations, including the use of age appropriate California safety mandated equipment, when assisting with initial removal or facilitating a placement change, which may include managing/lifting the client's necessary assistive equipment (e.g., wheelchair).
• Maintain up-to-date electronic records of assigned aspects of client case management in a centralized database.
• Perform evaluations/assessments of client needs for the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) Program.

IN ADDITION TO THE ABOVE LISTED DUTIES, ASSIGNMENTS WITHIN HEALTHCARE FACILITIES MAY PERFORM THE FOLLOWING:

• Assess the psychosocial needs of pediatric patients and initiate appropriate interaction accordingly.
• Coordinate and consult with medical and other healthcare staff members and with outside agencies regarding available resources.
• Learn to interpret significant emotional, social and economic factors to healthcare team members.
• Under close supervision, provide social casework services to help patients and their families adjust to social, emotional and financial problems created by illness or disability.
• Assist in conducting training of social service aspects of medical treatment for healthcare related personnel outside of the social services unit.
• Under close supervision, provide social casework services to help patients and their families adjust to social, emotional and financial problems created by illness or disability.

IN ADDITION TO THE ABOVE LISTED DUTIES, ASSIGNMENTS WITHIN THE CHILD LIFE PROGRAM MAY PERFORM THE FOLLOWING:

• Plan, implement and evaluate the Child Life Program.

Qualifications

Social Services Practitioner I (Salary range $48,796.80 - $66,425.12)

Education: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree, preferably with a major in social welfare, social or behavioral sciences, social/human services, counseling, or a closely related field to the assignment.

Social Services Practitioner II (Salary range $53,961.95 - $76,180.41)

OPTION I

Education: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree, preferably with a major in social welfare, social or behavioral sciences, social/human services, counseling, or a closely related field to the assignment.

Experience: One year equivalent to a County of Riverside Social Services Practitioner I.

OPTION II

Education: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree, preferably with a major in social welfare, social or behavioral sciences, social/human services, counseling, or a closely related field to the assignment.

Experience: One year of performing casework duties in a public or private human services agency. Experience must include assessing or determining client needs, formulating case plans, or executing case plans to support and meet client needs.

POSITIONS ASSIGNED TO A HEALTHCARE FACILITY

Education: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree in social work, counseling, psychology, sociology, or a closely related field to the assignment.

Experience: One year equivalent to a County of Riverside Social Services Practitioner I.

POSITIONS ASSIGNED TO THE CHILD LIFE PROGRAM

Education: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree in social or behavioral sciences, social/human services, child life, child development, or a closely related field to the assignment.

Experience: One year equivalent to a County of Riverside Social Services Practitioner I.

ALL OPTIONS

Knowledge of: The principles and techniques of interviewing clients and resolving individual, social and environmental problems; methods of identification, analysis and resolution of social casework problems; social service research methods; principles and techniques of interviewing and documenting social casework; principles and techniques of social work and the functions of public social services agencies; laws, rules and regulations governing the operation of public social services agencies; various socioeconomic conditions affecting the work of the agency; community organizations and the services they provide; specialized aid programs; current social problems and methods of approaching those problems; general principles of public assistance policies and programs; basic computer skills.

Ability to: Establish rapport with clients and their families; effectively apply casework knowledge and skills; interpret and explain current laws, rules and regulations of public social services programs to the public; work constructively within an agency and community setting; effectively utilize appropriate resources and services; control personal bias and apply social work ethics; maintain effective working relationships with other employees and the general public; input and retrieve data from computerized system.

Supplemental information

For questions regarding this recruitment

Please Contact Joshua Roberts at 951-955-2548 or at JoRoberts@rivco.org. Please allow 1-2 business days for a response to general inquires.