Human Services Specialist Level I/II (with Special Skills Classes)

About the Department

Level 1 - $4,786.74 - $5,818.58/month
Level 2 - $5,411.42 - $6,575.46/month

The Human Services Specialist Level I/II, under general supervision, performs duties in the provisions of public assistance benefits and/or basic employment services to customers and facilitates referrals to available resources, and/or applies regulations and procedures to determine eligibility for one or more public assistance programs. Interfaces and coordinates with other department staff to provide customer services or to provide or clarify information.

Positions in this class may offer differentials in Bilingual and Cultural Pay, Night Shift Pay, Specialized Units, Education and Certification Incentive Pay, etc.  Please click here to review the labor agreement for additional information.  

Position Duties

Knowledge of

• Goals and objectives of public social services
• Various public assistance programs available to customers and associated rules and regulations
• Public transportation services
• Public and private community resources and their programs and processes
• Techniques for working with a variety of individuals from various socio-economic, ethnic and cultural backgrounds
• Applicable laws, rules and regulations governing the field of public welfare
• Interviewing techniques
• Office procedures, methods, and equipment including computers and applicable software applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, databases, and other specialized applications related to area of assignment
• Basic arithmetic (i.e., addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, decimals, percentages, ratios, and fractions)
• English usage, spelling, grammar, and punctuation
• Signs of mental illness, domestic violence, drug and alcohol abuse, and child/elder abuse
• Principles of active listening, verbal and non-verbal communication, and non-verbal cues
• Effective case management and time management practices
• Principles and practices of effective customer service, including understanding, courtesy, diplomacy, empathy, concern, and politeness
• Confidentiality requirements
• Effective conflict resolution

Ability to

• Communicate effectively with persons from a variety of social, cultural and economic backgrounds
• Demonstrate empathy and understanding
• Read, interpret, apply, and explain complex rules, regulations, programs and policies
• Review output from State automated systems and determine when information is incorrect
• Adapt or modify approach based on customer’s needs and/or situation
• Work effectively with people of diverse life styles and varying attitudes
• Interview effectively in a wide variety of circumstances and elicit sensitive information in an effective, but tactful manner
• Establish and maintain cooperative, effective working relationships with customers, co-workers, other agencies and the general public
• Understand non-verbal cues and read body language
• Identify barriers to self-sufficiency and appropriate resources/referrals to address barriers, including difficult and sensitive situations
• Learn to recognize signs of child/elder abuse
• Learn to recognize signs of mental illness, domestic violence, and drug and alcohol abuse, as it related to work assignment
• Maintain composure in stressful or difficult situations and diffuse upset or angry individuals
• Navigate through various database systems and effectively locate, enter, and retrieve information
• Research and find information on the internet
• Assist customers in attaining needed services
• Listen effectively
• Adapt to frequent changes and demonstrate flexibility
• Communicate clearly and concisely, verbally and in writing
• Maintain appropriate boundaries with customers
• Independently initiate and respond to correspondence
• Reason logically, understand and follow complex instructions and procedures
• Compile various records and information accurately; evaluate the accuracy of information
• Analyze situations accurately and adopt an effective course of action
• Effectively organize and prioritize work assignments
• Complete a high volume of work and meet deadlines amid multiple interruptions
• Keep accurate and orderly records
• Make arithmetical computations accurately and rapidly
• Maintain confidential information
• Identify potential fraud and respond appropriately

Minimum Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

Either: Successful completion of 60 semester or 90 quarter units from an accredited college or university with 24 semester or 36 quarter units in Social Work, Sociology, Psychology, Counseling or other field closely related to the intent of the class.

Or: Two years of full-time, paid experience with responsibility for one or more of the following: obtaining and recording factual information; explaining rules, regulations, policies, or procedures; decision making based on complex rules and regulations; and/or written and financial record keeping at a clerical or higher level.

NOTE: Related fields above may include Behavioral Science, Child Development, Community Health Education, Cultural Anthropology, Ethnic Studies, Family Studies, Gerontology, Human Development, Mental Health, and Public Health.

Note: If the word “experience” is referenced in the minimum qualifications, it means full-time paid experience unless the minimum qualification states that volunteer experience is acceptable. Part-time paid experience may be accumulated and pro-rated to meet the total experience requirements.

Note: If the minimum qualifications include an educational or certificate/license requirement, applicants must submit proof of requirements with the application. Failure to submit proof of requirements may result in disqualification from the examination. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable. For guidelines on submitting acceptable proof of educational requirements, please click here or speak to someone in our office before the cut-off date listed in this notice.

General Qualifications 

Criminal History and Background Checks: The County may access criminal history information on candidates who have accepted a conditional offer of appointment for this class consistent with the provisions of Board of Supervisors Resolution No. 82-602, Personnel Policies and Procedures, and applicable federal and state laws. The County shall not consider for employment any candidate who has been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor that relates to or impacts the candidate’s ability to perform the job duties of this class unless it is determined that mitigating circumstances exist. For purposes of accessing criminal history information, the candidate will be fingerprinted. A subsequent arrest notification may be obtained.

The County may also conduct a background check on the candidate prior to appointment to a position within this class. The background check may include personal and professional reference checks, credit history checks where authorized by Labor Code section 1024.5, Social Security Number verification, professional license/registration verification, military service information and driving history. Information obtained in the course of this background check will be considered by the appointing authority in the selection process. In obtaining such information, the County will comply with applicable consent and disclosure practices in the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the California Investigative Consumer Reporting Agencies Act.

License Requirement: A valid California Driver License, Class C or higher, may be required at the time of appointment. Failure to obtain or maintain the appropriate California Driver License may constitute cause for personnel action in accordance with Civil Service Rules or applicable bargaining agreement. Individuals who do not meet this requirement due to disability will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Child and Elder Abuse Reporting: Persons selected for employment must, as a condition of employment, sign a statement agreeing to comply with Section 11166 of the California Penal Code and Section 15630 of the Welfare and Institutions Code relating to child and elder abuse reporting.

Working conditions: Some positions in this class may require the incumbent to:

• Be exposed to and/or interact with hostile, emotionally disturbed or mentally ill persons and/or confrontational interpersonal situations.
• Work in dangerous, high crime areas of the community.
• Work during non-routine hours, standby and/or callback.
• Work in and around substandard living areas with exposure to common communicable diseases or conditions.
• Work outside in all types of climatic conditions including inclement, very hot and/or cold weather.
• On a continuous basis, answer a high volume of telephone calls, and/or work in a call center environment.

Special skills: Special skills classes require sufficient knowledge to speak, read and write fluently a language other than Standard English; and/or knowledge of a multi-cultural group encompassing but not limited to: family member roles and living environments; the various characteristics or problems unique to the group in employment, education, health, economics and social customs; and current social movements involving the group. Incumbents use the specific language and multi-cultural knowledge in the performance of typical duties, incorporating this knowledge to appropriately serve customers and families in a manner that is culturally competent and affirming. In addition, incumbents translate and interpret using Standard English and a language other than Standard English, and act as a consultant to others regarding the specific multi-cultural group.

Human Services Specialist Level I/II - African American Culture
Human Services Specialist Level I/II - Arabic Language and Middle Eastern Culture
Human Services Specialist Level I/II - Armenian Language and Culture
Human Services Specialist Level I/II - Cambodian Language and Culture
Human Services Specialist Level I/II - Chinese Language and Culture
Human Services Specialist Level I/II - Farsi Language and Persian Culture
Human Services Specialist Level I/II - Hmong Language and Culture
Human Services Specialist Level I/II - Japanese Language and Culture
Human Services Specialist Level I/II - Korean Language and Culture
Human Services Specialist Level I/II - Lao Language and Culture
Human Services Specialist Level I/II - Mien Language and Culture
Human Services Specialist Level I/II - Native American Culture
Human Services Specialist Level I/II - Punjabi Language and East Indian Culture
Human Services Specialist Level I/II - Russian Language and Culture
Human Services Specialist Level I/II - Spanish Language and Latin Culture
Human Services Specialist Level I/II - Tagalog Language and Filipino Culture
Human Services Specialist Level I/II - Ukrainian Language and Culture
Human Services Specialist Level I/II - Vietnamese Language and Culture

Probationary Period

The probationary period for this classification is twelve (12) months. 

Other Qualifications

APPLICATION

Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply immediately. All applicants must complete and submit an online County of Sacramento employment application by 5:00 PM on the posted cut-off date. Click here to apply.

County of Sacramento

Department of Personnel Services

Employment Services Division

700 H Street, Room 4667

Sacramento, CA 95814

Phone (916) 874-5593; 7-1-1 California Relay Service

Email [email protected]

Inter-Office Mail Code: 09-4667

www.SacCountyJobs.net

• Employment applications and all documentation requested in this announcement must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on the cut-off date. 
• Employment Services is not responsible for any issues or delays caused by an applicant's computer or web browser. Applicants will be automatically logged out if they have not submitted their applications and all documentation prior to 5:00 p.m. on the cut-off date.
• Your application should highlight all relevant education, training, and experience, and clearly indicate how you meet the minimum qualifications for the position as of the cut-off date.
• Application information must be current, concise and related to the requirements in this job announcement. You may only apply for this recruitment once. Duplicate and incomplete applications will be disqualified.
• A resume may be included with your application, however it will not substitute for the information requested on the application.

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE

Applicants are required to provide a full and complete response to each supplemental question. The Supplemental Questionnaire is located in the tab marked "Supplemental Questions". Please be descriptive in your response.

Note: Responses of "See Resume" or "See Application", or copy and paste of work experience are not qualifying responses and will not be considered.

• Supplemental Questionnaires must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on the cut-off date. Employment Services is not responsible for any issues or delays caused by an applicant's computer or web browser. Applicants will be automatically logged out if they have not submitted their applications and all documentation prior to 5:00 p.m. on the cut-off date.
• The supplemental questions are designed to elicit specific information regarding a candidate's experience, education, and training. Responses should be consistent with the information on your application and are subject to verification.
• Please provide place of employment, pertinent dates, and concise, descriptive and detailed information for each question.
• If a job included responsibilities applicable to several questions, separate the different functions of the job to answer all the questions completely.
• Resumes or referral to the application or other questionnaire responses will not be accepted in lieu of completing each question.
• If you have no experience, write "no experience" for the appropriate question.
• For many individuals, it is more efficient to develop responses to the supplemental questions in a word processing document and then paste them into the final document to be submitted. Changes or corrections to your Supplemental Questionnaire cannot be made once your application packet has been submitted.
• If the Supplemental Questionnaire is used in the Formula Rate exam, failure to complete all of the questions or incomplete responses will result in a lower score. While scoring the Supplemental Questionnaire, the candidate's application and/or attachments will not be reviewed, therefore, a candidate's responses to the questions should be accurate, thorough, detailed, and complete.

FORMULA RATE EXAMINATION (Weighted 100%)

All candidates meeting the minimum qualifications by the cut-off date will have their Supplemental Questionnaire scored in the Formula Rate Examination.

This examination will evaluate the relevance, level, recency, progression and quality of candidate's education, training and experience. The candidate's application or other materials will not be included in this examination. Therefore, the candidate's responses to the supplemental questionnaire should be thorough, detailed and complete. The score from the Formula Rate Examination will determine the ranking on the eligible/employment list for this job.

All candidates competing in the testing process will receive written notice of their examination results by email. Notices can also be accessed in their governmentjobs.com inbox. Applicants achieving a passing score will be placed on the eligible list in rank order. The rank is determined by the test score attained from the examination.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Click here for Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

For information regarding County jobs:

www.saccountyjobs.net

Sacramento County is about enriching communities to thrive. We strive to create inclusive workplaces that reflect the communities we serve. We value and celebrate the unique perspectives, backgrounds, abilities, and diverse dimensions of our employees and residents. Through transparency, courage, innovation, and trust we are committed to advance equity and transformational change.

We are a proud equal opportunity employer. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability for any phase of the hiring process, please contact our Disability Compliance Office at [email protected] or 916-874-7642, CA Relay 711. For more information, visit: Reasonable Accommodation Requests - Job Applicant Instructions

Benefits

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
 
At Sacramento County, we strive to provide benefit programs designed to meet our employees’ current and future needs and help them as they balance their careers and personal life.  County of Sacramento employees have a variety of benefits available. These benefits include:

More information can be found on the Benefits website
 
TEMPORARY POSITIONS:
 Most benefits do not apply to temporary positions. 
 
VACATION:
Generally, vacation with pay begins at 10 days annually. With increase over a period of years, the maximum annual vacation with pay is 25 days.
 
HOLIDAYS:
 14.5 holidays per year as recognized by the Board of Supervisors.
 
SICK LEAVE:
 Equivalent to 15 days annually, unlimited accumulation.

TUITION REIMBURSEMENT:
Regular County employees may be eligible to receive Tuition Reimbursement. The costs for course tuition/registration fees and required books/supplies may be eligible for reimbursement. Tuition reimbursement amounts may vary depending upon union agreement.
 
RETIREMENT:
The County’s defined-benefit pension plan is provided by the County Employees’ Retirement Law of 1937 and is managed by the Sacramento County Employees' Retirement System (SCERS) Board of Retirement. For more information, visit the SCERS website, http://www.scers.org
 
DENTAL INSURANCE:
For more information, visit the Benefits website
 
LIFE INSURANCE:
The County of Sacramento provides a basic life insurance benefit to all eligible employees at no cost. Additional coverage may be purchased through payroll deduction.

For more information, visit the Benefits website
 
DEFERRED COMPENSATION:
A deferred compensation program is available through the County 457(b) Deferred Compensation Plan. For more information, visit the Benefits website
 
EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM:
The County of Sacramento provides an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for employees and their eligible dependents. The EAP offers confidential, professional counseling services in areas such as:

More information can be found on the Benefits website

WELLNESS INCENTIVE PROGRAM:
 The County will recognize and award time off to eligible employees who maintain an excellent attendance record.
 
FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNT:
The County offers regular employees two separate Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA's). These accounts allow employees to set money aside, on a pre-tax basis via payroll deduction, to pay for medical, dental or dependent care expenses.

DEPENDENT CARE REIMBURSEMENT ACCOUNT:
Employees may set aside pre-tax dollars to pay for qualified childcare or dependent care expenses that are necessary for the employee and/or spouse to continue working.

MEDICAL REIMBURSEMENT ACCOUNT:
The Medical Reimbursement Account allows pre-tax dollars to be set aside to pay for out-of-pocket expenses that are not paid by insurance or reimbursed by any other benefit plan.
 
WORKERS' COMPENSATION:
 In case of injury while on the job, each employee is protected under the Workers' Compensation laws of California.
 

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT OUR FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: FAQs
 
VETERAN'S PREFERENCE:
 Military veterans who have served during wartime shall be given preference in initial appointment to County service. Such preference shall apply, provided the veteran has first achieved a minimum passing score in the examination. The passing score of a veteran shall be annotated to indicate the veteran's score shall be regarded as 5 points or higher, OR 10 points higher for disabled veterans, only for the purpose of determining the three ranks along with which the veteran's name shall be certified. No score shall actually be changed and no new rank shall be created as a result of application of veteran's preference for certification purposes.

"Disabled Veteran" means any veteran who has served during wartime and, who, as of the final filing date for an examination is declared by the United States Veterans Administration or military service department to be 10% or more disabled as a result of his/her military service. Persons claiming eligibility for disabled veteran's preference must submit to the employment office, on or before the application deadline date, a certification from the United States Veterans Administration or a military service department, dated within 1 year, which certifies the present existence of a service related disability of 10% or more, or other acceptable proof of such disability as a result of his/her military service.
 Persons claiming eligibility for veterans preference must submit a copy of Form DD 214 or other acceptable proof of veteran's status on or before the final filing date for the examination. For purpose of this rule "reserve" status does not constitute active duty.
 
SPECIAL SKILL QUALIFICATIONS (WHEN SPECIFIED ON THE JOB ANNOUNCEMENT):
 Persons who have special skills required by some (but not all) positions in a class may be certified ahead of others provided that:

Such special skills are based on the duties and requirements of the positions and are in conformance with merit system and equal opportunity principles, and
The certification of eligibles who possess special skills have been approved by the Civil Service Commission.
 

Supplemental Questions

Required Question

Agency Information

EmployerCounty of SacramentoAddress 700 H Street, Room 4667

Sacramento, California, 95814 Phone(916) 874-5593
Website http://www.saccountyjobs.net