DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SOCIAL SERVICES
FILING DATES:
Applications will be accepted starting Monday, October 18, 2021, 8:00 a.m., PT until the needs of the service are met and is subject to closure without prior notice.
EXAM NUMBER:
49051R
TYPE OF RECRUITMENT:
Departmental Promotional Opportunity
REPOSTING INFORMATION: This is a reposting to reopen the exam number 49051R with the following sections updated: Filing Dates, Additional Information, and Supplemental Question.
Restricted to current permanent employees of the Department of Public Social Services who have successfully completed their initial probationary period with Los Angeles County.
APPLICANTS MUST MEET THE SELECTION REQUIREMENTS AT THE TIME OF FILING
Current employees in unclassified service in the County of Los Angeles Department Public Social Services who meet the following criteria also qualify to participate in this exam:
Unclassified employees who have attained permanent County status on a classified position by successful completion of the initial probationary period, with no break in service since leaving the classified service OR full-time employees in the unclassified service with at least six months of full-time experience in the unclassified service by the last day of filing.
WITHHOLD:
No withhold will be accepted for this examination.
OUT-OF-CLASS EXPERIENCE:
Experience gained in a position performing similar kinds of work which provides the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for the higher-level position will be accepted. Experience claimed will be verified and evaluated to determine if the type, level, or length of experience is qualifying. Applicants must supply sufficient information for this evaluation to be made. Applicants claiming such experience in County service must present, within ten (10) calendar days of filing, written proof of this experience in a Verification of Experience Letter (VOEL) signed and approved by their Departmental Human Resources Manager or authorized representative.
DEFINITION:
Performs a full-range of social casework and related service activities, including assessment of client needs and the development and implementation of social service plans to meet clients' needs.
CLASSIFICATION STANDARDS:
Positions allocable to this class report to a Social Services Supervisor and are responsible for journey level social work activities and/or are assigned to specialized program areas such as providing protective and other specialized services to adults and refugees. Incumbents in this class are expected to have in-depth knowledge of federal and state laws pertaining to the social services provided, as well as the department's policies, regulations and procedures and to work independently, and referring only the most complex, sensitive, or controversial cases to the Social Services Supervisor.
Identifies and analyzes the clients' needs for service, setting priorities, exploring alternatives and working with clients to develop plans for resolving problems.
Assists clients in carrying out problem solving activities directed toward resolving housing, money management, health care, citizenship, residence, employment and other problems of a tangible nature.
Assesses the employment or training potential of clients and assists clients to overcome problems that prevent or limit obtaining employment or participating in training programs.
Evaluates the need of aged, blind and disabled clients and helps them use In-Home Supportive Services so they may remain safely in, or return to, their own homes and helps maintain and strengthen their capabilities for self-care.
Provides information to clients about resources within the department and in the community and assists clients in selecting appropriate resources and contacting and utilizing these resources.
Investigates situations involving adults who are reported to be endangered by abuse, neglect, exploitation, unsafe or hazardous living conditions, and takes appropriate action to eliminate or reduce the possibility of endangerment, and/or report to appropriate agency.
Initiates requests for assistance from the appropriate legal authority to gain access to the client or obtains protection for clients in violent situations.
Acts as an advocate on behalf of clients in situations where the clients are unable to act on their own behalf and when appropriate, refers these clients for conservatorship.
Assists clients and their relatives in locating alternative living arrangements such as nursing homes, intermediate care facilities or board and care homes when in-home supportive services are not appropriate.
Takes appropriate action on referrals from public and private agencies and other jurisdictions.
Interacts with public and private service agencies such as Social Security Administration, Legal Aid, and Public Guardians on behalf of clients; assists clients with completing the application processes; refers clients to legal counsel and makes other referrals as needed.
Makes home visits as needed.
SELECTION REQUIREMENTS:
A Bachelor's degree* from an accredited college or university AND two (2) years' experience in the County of Los Angeles' class of Social Worker Trainee**.
LICENSE:
A valid California Class C Driver License or the ability to utilize an alternative method of transportation when needed to carry out job-related essential functions.
PHYSICAL CLASS:
Physical Class II - Light: Involves light physical effort which may include occasional light lifting to a 10-pound limit, and some bending, stooping, or squatting. Considerable walking may be involved.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS INFORMATION:
• In order to receive credit for a Bachelor's degree, you MUST include a legible copy of the official diploma, official transcripts, official letter, evaluation report of a transcript or a certificate of completion with your application or within ten (10) calendar days from application submission. Official transcript and official letter are defined as transcript or letter that bears the college seal and states "official and/or copy" issued by the school's Registrar Office. A printout of the transcript from the school's website is NOT considered official and will not be accepted which may result in your application being rejected. An evaluation report of a transcript is defined as a report issued by an academic credential evaluation agency recognized by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) or the Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. (AICE) of the United States. A transcript submitted that is expressed in a language other than English will NOT be accepted and may result in your application being rejected. If you did not attach such required documentation to your application, please submit it within ten (10) calendar days from application submission to ExamsUnit@dpss.lacounty.gov and indicate your name, and on the subject line must include the exam name, Social Worker and exam number, 49051R.
• *Social Worker Trainee: Under close supervision and in training capacity, assists in performing social casework.
EXAMINATION CONTENT:
This examination will consist of two (2) parts:
Part 1: Evaluation of Training and Experience based on the information provided on the application weighted 50%.
Only those who achieve a passing score of 70% or higher on Part 1 will advance to Part 2 of the examination.
Part 2: Appraisal of Promotability weighted 50%. This part of the exam will evaluate the following dimensions:
• Professional/Technical Knowledge
• Customer Service Knowledge
• Clerical Knowledge
• Technology Application
• Oral Communication
• Written Communication
• Reading Comprehension
• Fact Finding and Data Analysis
• Decision Making
• Adaptability/Flexibility
• Conscientiousness
• Interpersonal Skills
• Integrity/Honesty
• Continual Learning
Applicants must meet the Selection Requirements and achieve a passing score of 70% or higher on each weighted part of the examination in order to be placed on the eligible register.
ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION:
The names of candidates receiving a passing grade in the examination will be placed on the eligible register in order of their score group for a period of twelve (12) months following the date of promulgation. No person may compete in this exam more than once in a 12-month period. Applications will be processed on an as-received basis and promulgated to the list of eligible candidates accordingly.
SPECIAL INFORMATION:
The County of Los Angeles is a Fair Chance employer. Except for a very limited number of positions, you will not be asked to provide information about a conviction history unless you receive a contingent offer of employment. The County will make an individualized assessment of whether your conviction history has a direct or adverse relationship with the specific duties of the job, and consider potential mitigating factors, including, but not limited to, evidence and extent of rehabilitation, recency of the offense(s), and age at the time of the offense(s). If asked to provide information about a conviction history, any convictions or court records which are exempted by a valid court order do not have to be disclosed.
COVID-19 VACCINATION REQUIREMENT:
All County workforce members must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. Successful candidates for this position will be required to submit proof of vaccination against COVID-19 or request an exemption for qualifying medical or religious reasons during the onboarding process. Candidates should not present proof of vaccination until instructed to do so by the hiring department.
VACANCY INFORMATION:
The resulting eligible register will be used to fill vacancies in the Department of Public Social Services offices located throughout Los Angeles County.
PASSING THIS EXAMINATION AND BEING PLACED ON THE ELIGIBLE REGISTER DOES NOT GUARANTEE AN OFFER OF EMPLOYMENT
APPLICATION AND FILING INFORMATION:Applications must be filed online only. We must receive your application by 5:00 p.m., PT, on the last day of filing. Applications submitted by U.S. mail, fax, or in person will not be accepted. Apply online by clicking on the "Apply" button at the top right of this posting. You can also track the status of your application using the website https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/lacounty.
Many important notifications including invitation letters will be sent electronically to the email address provided on the application. It is important that you provide a valid email address. Please add WynneHou@dpss.lacounty.gov and info@governmentjobs.com and the domain dpss.lacounty.gov to your list of approved senders to prevent email notifications from being filtered as spam/junk/clutter email. Applicants have the ability to opt out of emails from LA County. If you unsubscribe, you will not receive any email notification for any examination for which you apply with Los Angeles County. Regardless of whether you choose to unsubscribe, you can always check for notifications by logging into https://www.governmentjobs.com and viewing your profile inbox, which saves a copy of all emailed notices.
It is your responsibility to take the above steps to view correspondence. Los Angeles County will not consider claims of not viewing or receiving notification to be a valid reason for late test administration or re-scheduling of a test component.
Plan to submit your online application well in advance of the deadline as you may be required to verify your email address. This only needs to be done once per email address, and if you already have a job seeker account on https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/lacounty you can verify at anytime by logging in and following the prompts. This is to enhance the security of your online application and to ensure you do not enter an incorrect email address.
Notice of Non-acceptance and Final Result letters will be sent via E-mail or USPS, depending on your chosen method of contact in the supplemental questionnaire. Test scores cannot be given over the phone.
Applicants must submit all applicable documents to be considered (VOEL, diplomas, official transcripts, certificates, etc.) during application submission. All documents must be clear and legible. Although resumes can be uploaded as attachments to the application, resumes cannot be accepted in lieu of completing the online application.
Documents not submitted with the application may be emailed to ExamsUnit@dpss.lacounty.gov but must be received within ten (10) calendar days of filing. All emails must clearly identify the applicant's name and the subject line must include the exam name, Social Worker and exam number, 49051R.
Acceptance of your application depends on whether you clearly show that you meet the Selection Requirements. Fill out the online application completely and correctly in order to receive full credit for any related education, training, and job experience. For each job held, give the name and address of your employer, your job title, beginning and ending dates, description of work performed. Utilizing verbiage from the Class Specification and Selection Requirements will not be sufficient to demonstrate that you meet the requirements. Doing so may result in an incomplete application and disqualification. All information supplied is subject to verification. APPLICATIONS MAY BE REJECTED AT ANY STAGE OF THE SELECTION PROCESS. Falsification of any information may result in disqualification or rescission of appointment.
PLEASE REVIEW YOUR APPLICATION CAREFULLY AND COMPLETELY PRIOR TO CLICKING THE "SUBMIT" BUTTON
SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER:
Please include your Social Security Number for record control purposes.
Federal law requires that all employed persons have a Social Security Number.
COMPUTER AND INTERNET ACCESS AT PUBLIC LIBRARIES:
Though LA County libraries remain closed, select locations are loaning out laptops and mobile wifi hotspots. Some LA County public libraries have reopened with limited access hours and may require prior reservation to use their computers. Applicants can find out more information about reopening at https://lacountylibrary.org/reopening.
NO SHARING OF USER ID, E-MAIL AND PASSWORD:
All applicants must file their application online using their own user ID, e-mail and password. Using a family member or friend's user ID, e-mail and password may erase a candidate's original application record and is subject to disqualification from this examination.
Questions regarding this posting may be emailed, with the exam name, Social Worker and exam number, 49051R in the subject line, to ExamsUnit@dpss.lacounty.gov.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Coordinator Email: LassandraHill@dpss.lacounty.gov
Teletype Phone: (800) 897-0077
California Relay Services Phone: (800) 735-2922
Department Contact Name: Wynne Hou
Department Contact Phone: (562) 566-7522
Department Contact Email: ExamsUnit@dpss.lacounty.gov
