Employment Counselor Supervisor (Promotional)

THIS IS A PROMOTIONAL EXAM
YOU MUST BE AN ALAMEDA COUNTY EMPLOYEE TO APPLY

Current employment and completion by July 28, 2014, of the equivalent of six months of continuous service following a regular appointment in the Alameda County classified service (non-classified includes the District Attorney’s Office, the Hospital Authority, and the Consolidated Courts). A regular appointment does not include provisional, TAP (Temporary Assignment Pool), or STEP-UP appointments. Applications must be submitted on-line before the filing deadline of 5:00 p.m. on the Last Day for Filing.

APPLICATIONS WILL ONLY BE ACCEPTED ON-LINE

The Alameda County Social Services Agency is comprised of 2,400 men and women working collectively and in partnership with community-based organizations to serve the needs of the community. Services are provided through five departments: Agency Administration and Finance, Adult, Aging and Medical Services, Children and Family Services, Workforce and Benefit Administration and Policy Office.

The Agency assists approximately 11.3 percent of Alameda County's residents. Benefits programs contribute over $278 million to the local economy through cash assistance and CalFresh (formerly known as Food Stamps). Every month, more than 52,000 people receive CalWORKs (assistance for families with children), CalFresh and General Assistance. Every month health insurance is made available to more than 78,000 people through the Medi-Cal program. More than 11,000 frail, elderly and disabled individuals receive in-home care, adult protection and support managing their affairs monthly and 16,000 seniors will receive services through the Area Agency on Aging throughout the year. 3,700 children are in foster care. More than 1,600 reports of child abuse or neglect are filed with SSA each month. Emergency shelter is made available to 415 people nightly.

Supplemental Questionnaire:  A properly completed Supplemental Questionnaire must be submitted with each application.  Applications and Supplemental Questionnaires must be in the possession of the Human Resource Services Department by 5:00 p.m. on the Last Day for Filing. Failure to submit the Supplemental Questionnaire will result in disqualification.

Under general direction, to supervise, review and evaluate the work of a group of Employment Counselors who directly manage and counsel clients, determine and maintain eligibility, facilitate and monitor their progress toward self-sufficiency through employment services; be the liaison to community employment-related services; to maintain acceptable standards of casework practice and case management; and to perform related work as required.

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES

This is the supervisory level of the Employment Counselor series. Incumbents are assigned supervision of a group of Employment Counselors who manage and counsel clients and facilitate and monitor their progress toward self-sufficiency through employment services that may include training activities; conduct orientation and appraisals; determine eligibility; evaluate test results and employment goals. Positions of Employment Counselor Supervisor are found in the Social Services Agency. Employment Counselor Supervisors are distinguished from Social Work Supervisors in that Employment Counselor Supervisors are responsible for supervision of a group of counselors or similar classifications who determine public assistance eligibility, make referrals, manage client’s progress through an employment program that may include training activities and provide goal-directed counseling and casework.

In order to participate in the examination process, applicants must qualify through one of the following patterns:

Either Pattern Number One

Experience:

The equivalent of three years of full-time experience as an Employment Counselor or an equivalent or higher level employment service position in the Alameda County classified service. (Non-classified includes District Attorney’s Office, Hospital Authority, and the Consolidated Courts.)

Or  Pattern Number Two

Experience:

The equivalent of three years of full-time experience as a Supervising Eligibility Technician or an equivalent or higher level social service supervisory position in the Alameda County classified service. (Non-classified includes District Attorney’s Office, Hospital Authority, and the Consolidated Courts.)

Or III

Experience:

The equivalent of three years of full-time experience in a supervisory capacity for staff engaged in employment-related case management, employment counseling determining eligibility or in providing employment-related services in a recognized public or private agency.

NOTE: Graduation from an accredited college or university with 30 semester or 45 quarter units in sociology, social psychology, vocational counseling or a closely related social science field may be substituted for one year of experience in patterns II or III above.

License:

Possession of a valid California Motor Vehicle Operator's License is required.

NOTE: The Civil Service Commission may modify the above minimum qualifications in the announcement of an examination.

The most suitably qualified candidates will possess the following competencies:

Knowledge of:

• Casework methods and techniques with particular reference to principles of vocational and employment counseling.
• Education and experience requirements for a wide variety of jobs and employment opportunities.
• County, State and Federal regulations governing employment, labor conditions and public welfare.
• Principles and practices of public administration.
• Principles of eligibility determination.

Abilities:

• Written communication.
• Oral communication.
• Decision making.
• Leadership.
• Interpersonal sensitivity.
• Problem solving.
• Analyzing data.
• Supervision.
• Planning and organizing.
• Acquire and apply program-specific technical knowledge and knowledge of community resources.
• Perform data entry and learn to effectively use a sophisticated on-line electronic data processing system.
• Foster a supportive environment for clients.

Alameda County utilizes a Civil Service Selection System founded on merit.  Such a system is competitive and based on broad recruitment efforts and equal opportunity for qualified applicants to test in an examination process designed to determine the qualifications, fitness and ability of competitors to perform duties of the vacant position.  Many of our recruitments are targeted and specific to the needs of a current vacant position, in which case, the eligible list may be exclusively used for that current vacant position.  Other recruitments may be more broadly used for both current and future vacancies, or for other alternate jobs with comparable scopes of work.

For more information on the Civil Service Selection process, please visit:

http://www.acgov.org/hrs/divisions/ps/application.htm#1

Applicants will be informed via email with reasonable notice in advance of any examination process which will require their attendance.  The following dates are tentative and subject to change based on the needs of the Agency:

Examination Recruitment Bulletin Release 7/2/14

All applications must be filled out according to the instructions.  Applications that are not fully completed or not completed following the instructions listed will not be considered.  Resumes in lieu of properly filled out applications will not be considered.  Only applications submitted electronically, via the County's online application system, by the final file date will be accepted.  Be aware that if you only complete an application template and fail to submit it to apply for this position, your application will not be accepted.

Final File Date for Applications 7/28/14

At 5:00pm the system will discontinue accepting applications.

Review for Minimum Qualifications 8/11/14

During this time, your application will be reviewed to ensure that you meet the minimum qualifications as stated above.  If you fail to meet the minimum qualifications, you will be notified via email. 

Screening for Best Qualified 8/29/14

During this time your responses to the supplemental questions will be reviewed and scored and only the best qualified will continue on to the next phase of the examination.  Those not selected as best qualified will be notified.

Oral Interview Dates Week of 9/22/14

If you pass screening for best qualified, you will be invited for a panel interview examination.  During this  oral interview, you will be asked to provide examples of past work experiences that highlight the job-related core competencies that successful incumbents of the position possess.  This type of interviewing is called behavior-based interviewing.  Your interview examination may include a situational exercise where you may have to perform mock job duties to prove your level of job-related competency.

 

We reserve the right to make changes to the selection plan.

Please Note:  This is a new, promotional assembled examination. 

The Human Resource Services Department will make reasonable efforts in the examination process to accommodate qualified individuals with mental and physical disabilities, and/or medical conditions in accordance/compliance with the State Fair Employment Housing Act (FEHA), Federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, and Alameda County Resolution No. R-83-773.  To request an accommodation due to a disability during this or other phases of the selection process, please contact the Human Resource Services Department at (510) 272-6472 before the final filing deadline. Alameda County Human Resources Services will require documentation to substantiate a request for reasonable accommodation. In order to qualify for a reasonable accommodation, applicants must have a permanent disability pursuant to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's statute of the Americans with Disability Act of 1990, as amended, and/or the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) Act.

 

For more information regarding our Reasonable Accommodation procedures, please visit our website, www.acgov.org/hrs

Alameda County offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that affords wide-ranging health care options to meet the different needs of a diverse workforce and their families. We also sponsor many different employee discount, fitness and health screening programs focused on overall well being.  These benefits include but are not limited to*:

For your Health & Welfare Benefits

• Medical – HMO & PPO Insurance
• Dental – PPO & DHMO Insurance  
• Vision
• Basic Life Insurance 
• Supplemental Life Insurance (with optional dependent coverage) 
• County Allowance
• Health Flexible Spending Account
• Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account
• Accident, Critical Illness & Hospital Indemnity
• Long Term Care Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program

For your Financial Future

• Short-term Disability Insurance
• Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Retirement Plan – (Defined Benefit Pension Plan)
• Deferred Compensation Plan

For your Work/Life Balance

• 11 paid holidays
• Vacation and sick leave accrual
• Vacation purchase program
• Management Paid Leave**
• Group Auto/Home
• Commuter Benefits Program
• Guaranteed Ride Home
• Employee Wellness Program (e.g. At Work Fitness, Incentive Based Programs, Gym Membership Discounts)
• Employee Discount Program (e.g. theme parks, cell phone, etc.)
• Child Care Resources
• 1^st United Services Credit Union 

*Eligibility is determined by Alameda County and offerings may vary by collective bargaining agreement.  This provides a brief summary of the benefits offered and can be subject to change.

** Non-exempt management employees are entitled to up to three days of management paid leave. Exempt management employees are entitled to up to seven days of management paid leave.

All notices related to County recruitments for which you have applied will be sent/delivered via email. Please add @acgov.org and alamedacountyHR@acgov.org as accepted addresses to any email blocking or spam filtering program you may use. If you do not do this, your email blocking or spam filtering program may block receipt of the notices regarding your application for recruitments. You are also strongly advised to regularly log into your County of Alameda online application account to check for notices that may have been sent to you. All email notices that will be sent to you will also be kept in your personal online application account. You will be able to view all of your notices in your online application account by clicking on the "My applications" button on the Current Job Openings page.

Please take the steps recommended above to insure you do not miss any notices about a recruitment for which you have applied. The County of Alameda is not responsible for notices that are not read, received or accessed by any applicant for a County recruitment.

NOTE: All notices are generated through an automated email notification system. Replies to the email box alamedacountyHR@acgov.org are routed to an unmonitored mailbox. If you have questions please go to our website at www.acgov.org/hrs. You may also contact the Human Resources Analyst listed on the bulletin for the recruitment for which you have applied.

Ione Bell

Human Resource Analyst
Human Resource Services Division-County of Alameda
510-272-6456
www.acgov.org