Human Resource Services
Alameda Skyline

Employment Counselor

Recruitment #17-6784-01

Introduction

THIS IS A NEW ASSEMBLED EXAMINATION. The eligible list resulting from this examination will cancel any existing list and may last approximately one year, but can be extended. Applications must be in the possession of the Human Resource Services Department by 5:00 p.m. on the Last Day for Filing. Applications will only be accepted on-line.

 

QUALIFIED BILINGUAL PERSONS WHO SPEAK ENGLISH AND ARE ALSO FLUENT IN SPANISH, CHINESE, VIETNAMESE, CAMBODIAN, LAOTIAN, KOREAN, MIEN, TAGALOG, AMHARIC, FARSI, DARI, TIGRIGNA, RUSSIAN, ROMANIAN OR SIGN LANGUAGE ARE ESPECIALLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY. THERE IS AN ADDITIONAL BI WEEKLY COMPENSATION FOR PERSONS IN POSITIONS DESIGNATED BILINGUAL. Qualified candidates may be tested to demonstrate language proficiency.

DESCRIPTION

THE AGENCY

 

The Alameda County Social Services Agency (SSA) is comprised of 2,200 men and women working collectively and in partnership with community-based organizations to serve the needs of the community. Services are provided through four departments: Agency Administration, Adult, Aging and Medical Services, Children and Family Services, and Workforce and Benefits Administration.

 

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.

THE POSITION

Under general direction, to manage and counsel clients and facilitate and monitor their progress toward self-sufficiency through employment programs that may include training activities; to conduct orientation and appraisals; to evaluate test results, determine eligibility, employment goals, appropriate components and support services; to negotiate client employment plans and make appropriate referrals; to lead workshops; to provide supportive casework to help participants overcome barriers to program participation; to liaise with service providers; and to do related work as required.

This is a journey-level professional counseling classification that manages and counsels clients through a systematic program designed to assist them in becoming self-sufficient. Clients are public assistance applicants or recipients. Positions of Employment Counselors are found in the Social Services Agency. Employment Counselors are distinguished from Vocational Services Specialists in that Employment Counselors determine public assistance, make referrals and manage clients’ progress through an employment program that may include training activities. They perform duties independently, use on-line computer systems, and provide goal-directed counseling and casework.

 

The Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate communicates in a professional and courteous manner; demonstrates compassion but is able to provide firm direction and guidance to culturally and economically diverse individuals seeking self-sufficiency.  The candidate can work in a team environment, collaborates effectively with culturally diverse co-workers, managers, and community groups to better serve Welfare to Work participants.  The candidate is organized, is able to meet deadlines and achieve required outcomes.  The candidate successfully maintains client files, and is proficient in using computers and windows based software to accurately enter data or case dictation into a computer.  Lastly, the candidate is able to maintain confidentiality of sensitive information and maintain quality work performance while under pressure or opposition.

 

EMPLOYMENT RELATED GOALS

 

Employment Counselors conduct orientation and appraisals, negotiate participant employment plans and make appropriate referrals to existing resources for counseling, stress management and assistance in making the transition to self-sufficiency.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Either Pattern Number I

Experience:

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

Or Pattern Number II

The equivalent of three years of full-time experience in employment-related case-management, employment counseling, 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 I or II 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.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS


Knowledge of:

• Principles of counseling, motivation casework and case management.
• Education and employment requirements and labor market conditions.
• County, State and Federal laws governing employment, labor conditions and public welfare.
• Computer systems and applications.
• Community service providers and resources.
• Principles of eligibility determination.

Ability to:

• Provide effective individual and group employment counseling.
• Apply principles of counseling, motivation, casework and case management.
• Interview and maintain effective working relations with and foster a supportive environment for participants.
• Input and maintain all case record data via on-line computer system.
• Interpret and apply complex regulations and procedures.
• Acquire and apply program specific technical knowledge and knowledge of community resources.
• Communicate in clear and understandable manner, orally and in writing.
• Analyze and evaluate individual situations, make independent and sound decisions and take appropriate action.
• Conduct group meetings.
• Plan and organize.

EXAMINATION COMPONENTS

The examination will consist of the following steps:

1.     A review of candidates' application to verify possession of minimum requirements.  Those candidates who possess the minimum requirements for the class will move on to the next step in the examination process.

2.     A pass/fail written component will be administered and the most successful candidates will move to the next component of the examination.

3.     An oral interview which will be weighted as 100% of the candidate's final examination score.  The oral interview may contain situational exercises.

Candidates must attain a qualifying rating on each portion of this examination.  WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE ANNOUNCED EXAMINATION STEPS.

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.   To learn more about our recruitment and selection process, please visit the “What You Need to Know” section of our website, www.acgov.org/hrs.

Selection Plan

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.

TENTATIVE SELECTION PLAN

 

Deadline for Filing

5:00 pm, Friday, July 21, 2017 

Review of Minimum Qualifications

by Monday, July 31, 2017 

Written Exam

Week of August 21, 2017

Panel Interviews

Week of September 11, 2017

Alameda County and the Human Resource Services Department will make reasonable efforts in the examination and/or selection process to accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities and/or medical conditions in accordance/compliance with the State Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), Federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Alameda County's Reasonable Accommodation Policy and applicable statutes. To request and accommodation due to a disability/medical condition during this or other phases of the examination/selection process, please contact the assigned Human Resources Representative listed on the job announcement before the last date of filing. Alameda County requires applicants to provide supporting documentation to substantiate a request for reasonable accommodation. In order to qualify for a reasonable accommodation, applicants must have a disability/medical condition pursuant to the ADA, FEHA and applicable statutes.

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

**WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE ANNOUNCED RECRUITMENT & SELECTION PLAN.

BENEFITS

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
  • 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
  • 1st 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.

Conclusion

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 Resources Analyst II
Human Resource Services Division, County of Alameda
510-272-6456
www.acgov.org/hrs