Social Work Assistant – Family, Youth, and Children

Position Information

Do you have experience providing casework assistance for social services? If so, be a part of this exciting opportunity to make a difference in the lives of Sonoma County families! Starting salary up to $35.05/hour ($73,153/year) plus a competitive total compensation package.

Social Work Assistants in the Family, Youth, and Children (FYC) Division of the Human Services Department (HSD) work as liaisons between FYC Social Workers and clients, and are responsible for providing supportive services to children, families, and guardians in the HSD foster care system.

Additional responsibilities include:

• Supervising visits between parents/guardians and children in foster care
• Contacting parents and foster parents to coordinate and schedule visitation appointments
• Driving children to visits, and medical or therapy appointments
• Documenting visits in the Child Welfare Services/Case Management System (CWS/CMS) and various additional internal computer databases
• Ensuring child safety during travel and visits
• Assisting in case management by reviewing and following instructions, writing basic case notes, and providing documentation
• Responding to clients who may be under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, are having a mental health crisis, and/or are angry or hostile
• Testifying in a trial court setting to provide child and family updates

The ideal candidate will have a passion for working with children and supporting families in repairing and rebuilding relationships. They will demonstrate the skills and sensitivity needed to work successfully with children and adults with disabilities, and will also possess many of the following:

• A working knowledge of the community resources available to clients
• Experience with de-escalation techniques and working with angry, hostile, or highly emotional individuals
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to interact with a diverse customer base
• The ability to create clear and concise case notes and documentation
• Experience conducting supervised visits, both in office and in the community
• Sound judgment and the ability to work collaboratively with team members
• Experience working in a fast-paced, dynamic environment
• Computer software proficiency, including Word, Excel, Outlook, Apricot, Zoom, and the CWS/CMS
• A sense of humor is always helpful
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) skills are desired but not required

The Family, Youth, and Children Division helps ensure the safety and well-being of children and teens that experience abuse, neglect, or abandonment. Staff provide protective and supportive social services to promote the ideals that children and families deserve stable nurturing homes, a supportive environment, and a sense of personal empowerment and hope. The Division programs include:
Valley of the Moon Children’s Center (emergency shelter and Short Term Residential Therapeutic Program), child abuse prevention, forensic interviewing, child protective services, foster care eligibility and placements, and adoptions.

As the largest agency in Sonoma County government, the Human Services Department’s mission is to build upon strengths, as we bridge clients to opportunities through responsive safety-net services. We work to protect vulnerable children and adults, to help people rise above poverty and thrive in our community, and to promote maximum independence and well-being for individuals and families. HSD is responsible for child and adult protective services, veteran services, and administration of state and federal programs, including CalFRESH, CalWORKs, Medi-Cal, and In-Home Supportive Services.

The department is dedicated to providing responsive, client-focused services so that all in our community can live freely chosen lives up to their full potential throughout their lifespan. The core values that drive our work are dignity, humility, integrity, responsiveness, partnership, and belonging.

HSD fosters a positive work environment, where our commitment to providing opportunities for advancement is strengthened by a robust staff development…