Protective Services Worker – Adult Protective Services

City and County of San Francisco - Human Services Agency; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

City and County of San Francisco - Human Services Agency seeks a skilled Social Worker to protect elders and dependent adults. You will conduct home visits, assess risks, develop service plans, provide counseling, and coordinate with medical and social service partners to ensure client welfare.

The role requires a Master's in Social Work, relevant field experience, and the ability to work nights and weekends on a limited basis, with driving within San Francisco as needed.

Qualifications

• Master's Degree in Social Work from a CSWE-accredited program.
• Master's Degree in counseling including supervised field placement as part of the curriculum (e.g., Marriage and Family Therapy, Clinical Counseling, Mental Health Counseling, Addiction Counseling).

Responsibilities

• Conduct unannounced visits to elders and dependent adults in their living environments.
• Investigate allegations and perform risk assessments through interviewing victims, family, relatives, neighbors, and others.
• Arrange for immediate protective interventions and emergency services as needed (medical assessments, shelter, in-home protection).
• Gather, document, and review confidential information; write investigative reports and service plan notes.
• Conduct needs assessments for clients in need of protective services.
• Develop service plans and initial care plans with supported decision-making activities.
• Provide counseling to clients to restore health and functioning and address environmental difficulties.
• Monitor service plans with field visits and regular contacts until goals are achieved.
• Assist with multidisciplinary team meetings with healthcare providers and related agencies.
• Design interventions in collaboration with medical professionals and social service providers.
• Provide education to individuals and agencies on the role and authority of APS.
• Conduct public presentations about casework in a confidential, multi-disciplinary setting.
• Maintain records and correspondence in APS database; manage case documentation.

Education

Master's Degree in Social Work (CSWE accredited)

Master's Degree in counseling (MMFT/Clinical/Mental Health Counseling or equivalent)

Job description

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.

• Conducts unannounced visits to see elders and dependent adults in their living environment.
• Investigates the allegations and conducts a risk assessment through interviewing the victim, family, relatives, neighbors, and others to assess for immediacy.
• 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.
• Gathers, documents, and reviews important detailed financial, personal, and confidential information, and writes investigative reports, findings, and service plan notes.
• Conducts a needs assessment for clients in need of protective services.
• Develops a Service Plan and organizes the initial care plan as appropriate, including supported decision‑making activities.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Provides education to individuals and agencies on the role and authority of APS.
• Conducts public presentations about casework in a confidential, multi‑disciplinary setting; collaborates and cooperates with the community and the CCSF partner agencies.
• Uses a personal computer to prepare, review, and maintain records, correspondence, and reports; manages case documentation in an APS database; maintains timely email correspondence.

How to Qualify

1. Education

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

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;
• 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.

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).