Protective Services Worker

Job Description

This is the entry-level class in the Protective Services Worker series. Adult Protective Services (APS) is a state-mandated program administered by the City and County of San Francisco (CCSF), HSA, and DAS. Under general supervision by the APS program, the Protective Services Worker (PSW) receives and responds to reports of suspected “elder” and “dependent adult” abuse including neglect, self-neglect, and financial abuse. The PSW performs professional investigations and case management services to victims of abuse. This includes activities related to evaluating the level of harm or risk of harm, to the person and the estate of an “elder” or “dependent adult;” assessing biopsychosocial functioning, including the medical condition, cognitive/psychological status, and adequacy of care and support system; orchestrating ongoing services to maximize the use of community resources, and to help protect victims from further harm once the case is closed.

Essential Duties and Functions

According to Civil Service Commission Rule 109, the duties specified below are representative of the range of duties assigned to this job class and are not intended to be an inclusive list.

1. Conducts unannounced visits to see elders and dependent adults in their living environment.
2. Investigates the allegations and conducts a risk assessment through interviewing the victim, family, relatives, neighbors, and others to assess for immediacy.
3. Arranges for immediate protective interventions and emergency services as necessary, including medical assessments, emergency shelter, or in-home protection, e.g. acts as a liaison on the medical aspects of the case with providers of services and other agencies that provide medical care, until the immediate dangers are resolved.
4. Gathers, documents, and reviews important detailed financial, personal, and confidential information, and writes investigative reports, findings, and service plan notes.
5. Conducts a needs assessment for clients in need of protective services.
6. Develops a Service Plan and organizes the initial care plan as appropriate, including supported decision-making activities.
7. Provides counseling for clients and significant others to alleviate the identified problems and to implement the service plan to restore optimum social functioning, and health adjustment within the client’s capacity; assists them in order to address personal and environmental difficulties, which perpetuate poor health and dysfunction, and interfere with self-care and self-protection.
8. Monitors the Service Plan and follows up through field visits and telephone contacts with clients, relatives, and other concerned individuals until the service goals have been achieved.
9. Assists with multidisciplinary team meetings with healthcare providers, hospitals, and the Public Health/Mental Health Department, and other City agencies involved to further their understanding of significant social and emotional factors underlying the client’s health, social, or environmental problems.
10. Designs interventions in collaboration with medical professionals, social service providers, law enforcement, or other relevant systems by contributing with information to help determine the level of care and services pertinent to the client’s welfare.
11. Provides education to individuals and agencies on the role and authority of APS.
12. Conducts public presentations about casework in a confidential, multi-disciplinary setting; collaborates and cooperates with the community and the CCSF partner agencies.
13. Uses a personal computer to prepare, review, and maintain records, correspondence, and reports; manages case documentation in an APS database; maintains timely email correspondence.

Qualifications

1. Education: 

Possession of a Master's Degree in Social Work from a school accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE);

OR

Master's Degree from a two (2) year counseling program from an accredited college or university. (Qualifying Master's Degrees in counseling include Marriage and Family Therapy, Clinical Counseling, Mental Health Counseling, Addiction Counseling and Counseling Psychology that included a supervised field placement as part of the course curriculum);

AND

2. Experience:

Satisfactory completion of two semesters of graduate field placement which involved the provision of direct services to elders and/or dependent adults and/or adults with physical, cognitive or mental health disabilities in one of the following or closely related areas: Adult Protective Services, intensive case management such as MSSP/Linkages, medical social work in a hospital or clinic, mental health program/agency, home health agency, or alcohol and drug counseling and treatment program;

OR

Six (6) months post-baccalaureate professional work experience which involved the provision of direct services to elders, dependent adults, or adults in one of the areas previously described.

***Please note: With your application, please provide a copy of your Master’s Degree diploma or transcripts. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable. Please upload to your application as an attachment.***

Note: Applicants who will receive their Master’s degree by the end of the current semester/quarter may submit a written request to be placed on the eligible list under waiver pending receipt of the Master’s degree; for these applicants, appointment referral is contingent upon verification of the required education and experience.

Applicants must meet the Minimum Qualifications requirements by the time the application is submitted unless applicants provide a written request to be placed on the eligible list under waiver pending receipt of the Master’s degree.

Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed to advance through all of the steps in the selection process.

Special Requirements

The essential duties of this position require incumbents to: work nights, weekends and holidays on a limited basis; drive, normally within the City of San Francisco and occasionally outside City/County limits as necessitated by case work; to get in and out of vehicles, climb flights of stairs to complete home visits; lift food boxes weighing up to 30 pounds; and complete visual assessments of elders/dependent adults and their home environments.

Note:All positions require possession of a valid California Class C driver's license and clear Motor Vehicle Record (MVR).

Verification of Experience and/or Education:Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. If education verification is required, information on how to verify education requirements, including verifying foreign education credits or degree equivalency, can be found at https://sfdhr.org/how-verify-education-requirements

Note: Falsifying one’s education, training, or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification for this and future job opportunities with the City and County of San Francisco.

All work experience, education, training and other information substantiating how you meet the minimum qualifications must be included on your application by the filing deadline. Information submitted after the filing deadline will not be considered in determining whether you meet the minimum qualifications.

Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a completed City and County of San Francisco application.

Applications completed improperly may be cause for ineligibility, disqualification or may lead to lower scores.

SELECTION PROCEDURES    

After application submission, candidates deemed qualified must complete all subsequent steps to advance in this selection process, which includes the following:

Written Examination – Multiple Choice (100%): 

Candidates who meet the minimum qualification will be invited to a written multiple choice exam designed to measure knowledge, skills and/or abilities in job-related areas which may include but are not limited to: ability and skill to assess, knowledge of psycho-social functioning development, individual psychodynamics, family dynamics, and social systems; knowledge of socio-economics factors; knowledge of and ability to apply relevant laws; ability to assess the client's functioning, safety, and to develop an appropriate case plan.

Score Banking: Scores attained on the Protective Services Worker Exam for Adult Protective Services will be 'banked' for two years, starting from the date of the examination. This means that, during this two-year time period, candidates need not take this test again. However, after one year, a candidate has the option to either (a) keep the same score and apply their test score to the other announcement or (b) re-take the test. Re-testing is permitted no sooner than one year from the date of the test. If a candidate opts to re-test, the re-test score becomes the candidate’s official score since it is the most recent.

If a significant modification is made to this exam in the future, the application of “banked” scores may no longer be appropriate. In such a rare circumstance, candidates with “banked” scores would be required to re-take the exam sooner than the two-year period specified above should they apply to another job opportunity where the modified exam is used.

The above test component is considered standardized and, therefore, test questions and answers are not available for public inspection or review.

Candidate scores on this examination may also be applied to other announcements involving other job titles, when directed by the Human Resources Director.

A passing score must be achieved on the Written Multiple Choice Examination in order to continue in the selection process.

Additional Information

Eligible List/Score Report: A confidential eligible list of applicant names that have passed the civil service examination process will be created, and used for certification purposes only. An examination score report will be established, so applicants can view the ranks, final scores and number of eligible candidates. Applicant information, including names of applicants on the eligible list, shall not be made public unless required by law. However, an eligible list shall be made available for public inspection, upon request, once the eligible list is exhausted or expired and referrals resolved. The eligible list/score report resulting from this civil service examination process is subject to change after adoption (e.g., as a result of appeals), as directed by the Human Resources Director or the Civil Service Commission.

Upon passing the exam, candidates will be placed on the eligible list for a period of 12 months.

To find Departments which use this classification, please see the city’s Position Counts by Job Codes and Departments.

Terms of Announcement and Appeal Rights:

Applicants must be guided solely by the provisions of this announcement, including requirements, time periods and other particulars, except when superseded by federal, state or local laws, rules or regulations. [Note: The correction of clerical errors in an announcement may be posted on the Department of Human Resources website at https://careers.sf.gov/.] The terms of this announcement may be appealed under Civil Service Rule 110.4. Such appeals must be submitted in writing to the Department of Human Resources, 1 S Van Ness Avenue, 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103-5413 by close of business on the 5th business day following the issuance date of this examination announcement. Information concerning other Civil Service Commission Rules involving announcements, applications and examination policies, including applicant appeal rights, can be found on the Civil Service Commission website at https://sf.gov/departments/civil-service-commission.

Additional Information Regarding Employment with the City and County of San Francisco

• Information About The Hiring Process
• Conviction History
• Employee Benefits Overview  
• Equal Employment Opportunity 
• Disaster Service Worker
• ADA Accommodation
• Veterans Preference
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement

Where to Apply 

All job applications for the City and County of San Francisco must be submitted through our online portal. Please visit https://careers.sf.gov/ to begin your application process.  

Computers are available for the public (9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday) to file online applications in the lobby of the Dept. of Human Resources at 1 South Van Ness Avenue, 4th Floor and at the City Career Center at City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 110. 

Ensure your application information is accurate, as changes may not be possible after submission. Your first and last name must match your legal ID for verification, and preferred names can be included in parentheses. Use your personal email address, not a shared or work email, to avoid unfixable issues. 

Applicants will receive a confirmation email from [email protected] that their online application has been received in response to every announcement for which they file. Applicants should retain this confirmation email for their records. Failure to receive this email means that the online application was not submitted or received. 

If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the exam analyst, Miguel Campos-Salas, by telephone at (415) 557-5185 or by email at [email protected]. 

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.