Posting number: 7012CS-1126-058 (O) A
Department: Public Defender
Job classification: SOCIAL WORKER II
Posting type: Open
Categories: Community Services, Legal, Mental Health, Public Health, Social Services, Professional, Miscellaneous, Human Services
NOTE: Limited Term positions are intended to be occupied for a specific period. Limited-term positions do not have layoff rights or rights back to a previous position. The current limited-term position is approved through June 30, 2028, subject to ongoing County approval and State Budget Act grant funding.
This recruitment is being held to establish an open eligible list to fill current and future vacancies in the Public Defender's Office. The Public Defender will begin advertising on Saturday, November 14, however, online applications will be accepted beginning on Friday, November 20, 2026 until a maximum of fifty (50) applications are received. Qualified applicants are strongly encouraged to apply without delay as the recruitment may close on Friday, November 20, 2026 or anytime once the needs of the department are met.
The apply button will appear only on Friday, November 20, 2026, and qualified candidates may submit their application.
Social Worker I............... $29.91 to $40.07
Social Worker II ..............$32.35 to $43.45
An additional $1.15 per hour is paid for this position to bilingual employees (fluently speak, read, and write) in Spanish and/or Vietnamese (in addition to English). Employees must pass the bilingual exam and be certified to be eligible for supplemental pay.
Orange County Public Defender's Office is a law firm of highly dedicated and skilled attorneys, investigators, paralegals, and support staff who work to advance a more humane and compassionate justice system by protecting the constitutional rights and freedoms of the diverse communities of Orange County through inspired, client-centered advocacy in the courtroom and the community. In addition to clients in criminal cases, counsel is appointed to represent children in Juvenile Court Delinquency cases, parents in Dependency cases, and a variety of persons in Mental Health cases.
Please click HERE for more information about the Offices of Public Defender.
The Limited Term Social Worker I/II position is responsible for assisting criminal defense attorneys by performing a variety of mandated legal casework under Proposition 47. The assignment supports the Anaheim Collaborative Court: Evaluating Strategies and Solutions ("ACCESS") Program under the department's Recidivism and Reduction Unit. ACCESS is a collaboration between the Orange County Superior Court, City of Anaheim, and the Orange County Public Defender to provide diversion opportunities to justice-involved individuals at the intersection of homelessness, substance abuse disorder, and/or mental illness. With a holistic approach, the Limited Term Social Worker I/II will tackle the underlying social and behavioral health needs of the client by providing high quality proactive assistance with respect to whole person care. This is an in-person assignment, and the duties cannot be performed remotely/virtually.
Under supervision of the Social Services Supervisor I, the Limited Term Social Worker I/II will include, but are not limited to:
Social Worker I is the entry level position of the Social Worker occupational series. There is no permanent status in this classification. Incumbents are expected to acquire the experience and knowledge as a Social Worker I in order to promote to the Social Worker II level at the end of their probation period. Incumbents who do not promote to Social Worker II by the completion of the probationary period will be subject to termination.
Social Worker II is the journey level classification.
Click here to read more about the job duties and qualifications for Social Worker I, including Physical, Mental, Environmental and Working Conditions.
Click here to read more about the job duties and qualifications for Social Worker II, including Physical, Mental, Environmental and Working Conditions.
The Offices of the Public Defender is seeking an individual who is self-motivated, capable of multi-tasking with frequent interruptions, and within definitive timelines, in a fast-paced office, courtroom, and/or jail facilities environment. The ideal candidate will possess professional work experience and/or knowledge in the following core competencies:
All employment offers are contingent upon successful completion of a background check consisting of employment history, professional references, conviction history, criminal check and education verification (i.e., certificate, degree, license, and official transcript). State Bar membership must be attained, and candidates will be required to provide proof of successful admission to the State Bar of California prior to appointment/conditional job offer.
Special Requirements: Appointees must pass a background investigation to the satisfaction of the County of Orange Public Defender's Office (for all levels), including a fingerprint check though Live Scan and a jail security clearance. Applicants will also be required to answer a conviction questionnaire as part of the background process. A clean driving record may be required while employed in this classification (see minimum qualifications and classification description for required license).
Note: Foreign degrees require an evaluation of U.S. equivalency by an agency that is a member of the National Association of Credential Services (N.A.C.E.S.).
Public Defender Human Resources screens all application materials to identify candidates with qualities that meet minimum and/or desirable qualifications. Application materials and supplemental responses will be screened to identify qualifications that are highly desirable and most needed to successfully perform the duties of this position based on the skills required to meet the needs of the County. Only those applicants that meet the qualifications as listed in the job bulletin will be referred to the next step and notified of all further procedures applicable to their status in the competition.
Application Appraisal Panel | Supplemental Questions Rating (Weighted 100%):
A panel of job knowledge experts will only evaluate the responses to the supplemental questions for job knowledge, competencies, and related experience described above.
Each candidate's rating is solely based on the candidate's responses to the supplemental questions; therefore, candidates should be thorough, detailed, and complete in their responses to the supplemental questions. The information you provide will be rated, so please be descriptive and thorough in your response. "See Resume" is not a qualifying response and will not be evaluated in lieu of the required information. Clarity of expression, grammar, spelling and your ability to follow instructions may also be considered in the evaluation process.
This is a competitive process. Please note that the panel will also be evaluating written communication skills. Only the most successful candidates will be placed on the eligible list.
After the competitive procedures listed above have been completed, an eligible list of qualified candidates will be established. Candidates will be notified of their standing. Candidates placed on the eligible list may be referred to an in-person selection interview to be considered for present and future vacancies.
Please note: To ensure case confidentiality, please do not provide specific identifying case names and/or case numbers within the application, all supplemental responses and in all attachments to the application.
Based on the Agency/Department's needs, modification to the selection procedure listed above may occur. If changes in the selection procedure should occur, all candidates will receive notification.
Veterans Employment Preference Policy, Effective 09/15/2020
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 to review the policy.
For specific information pertaining to this recruitment, please contact
Jennifer Yo at (657) 258-5139.
INTERESTED?
Note: We suggest you prepare the supplemental answers offline so you do not lose your Internet connection. Once you have completed the answers offline, copy and paste your answers in the appropriate boxes.
Please note: To ensure you submit your application before the 11:59 p.m. (PST) deadline, the submit button MUST be clicked before the deadline and please ensure your computer time/clock is set to the correct time.
The County of Orange provides a comprehensive, balanced, and competitive benefits package as part of the employee total compensation.
The County of Orange provides a comprehensive, balanced, and competitive benefits package as part of the employee total compensation.
The County offers a competitive benefits package which includes a choice of several health plans, annual leave (includes paid vacation) and paid holidays. Additionally, the County provides a retirement plan. Participation in a deferred compensation plan is available.
For detailed information on benefits click here.
Current employed members of accepted reciprocal systems who have not retired from those systems, may be eligible for reciprocity.
For detailed information on OCERS retirement click here.
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," "oc.gov," and "ocpubdef.gov." If your email address should change, please update your profile at www.governmentjobs.com.
Click here for additional Frequently Asked Questions. For additional information regarding employment with the County of Orange, please visit OC Human Resource Services.
Orange County, as an equal employment opportunity employer, encourages applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply.
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