Children's Services Social Work Supervisor - Exempt (Departmental Promotional Only)

Job Description:

Children's Services Social Work Supervisor - Exempt (Departmental Promotional Only)

Description

Description

The County of San Mateo's Human Services Agency is seeking a well-qualified individual for the position of Children's Services Social Work Supervisor in the Children and Family Services Branch.

The Children's Services Social Work Supervisor plans, assigns, reviews, guides, and evaluates the work of Children's Services Social Workers. The current vacancy is for the Emergency Response unit in the Southern Region. Children and Family Services operates on a 24/7 schedule. Some assignments are required to work nights, weekends, and holidays. Additionally, this position is subject to on-call shifts.

Departmental Promotional Only. Only current County of San Mateo employees in the Human Services Agency with at least six months (1040 hours) of continuous service in classified regular, probationary, or extra-help/limited term positions prior to the final filing date may apply.

Duties include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Plan, prioritize, assign, supervise, and review the work of a unit involved in providing casework, client management, continuing client investigation, and processing services for programs in Children & Family Services.
• Consult with staff regarding Risk and Safety.
• Review case service plans, case summaries, and court reports.
• Coordinate the workload of the unit with other departmental units providing related services.
• Review and evaluate staff work to ensure program compliance with applicable policies and procedures; review completed cases and assignments; work with employees to correct deficiencies, recommend corrective action when required, and implement discipline procedures.

• Make decisions on methodologies and procedures for solving specific problems in accordance with sound casework, childcare, and departmental policy.

• Recommend and assist in the implementation of goals and objectives; establish schedules and methods for providing effective caseload management of clients; implement policies and procedures.
• Consult with and provide information to other public and private agencies.
• Train new workers in casework techniques.
• Provide services for the most difficult cases or when unit workload is heavy.
• Attend and participate in policy team and other Agency meetings.

• Maintain client confidentiality and perform all duties in conformance with the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) code of ethics.

• Meet with higher level management on departmental policies, practices, and procedures. Perform other duties as assigned.

The ideal candidate will have:

• Strong leadership skills to direct the work of and motivate a team of social workers.
• Knowledge and experience with the mandates of a child protective services agency including safety and risk assessment, emergency response, court investigations, family maintenance, family reunification, permanent placement, adoption, resource family approval, and extended foster care.
• Knowledge of Section 300 of the Welfare and Institutions Code and Juvenile Court Procedures.
• A high-level understanding of tools and initiatives including Structured Decision Making, Safety Organized Practice, Integrated Core Practice Model, and child welfare systems.
• Demonstrated ability to provide reflective practice and supervision.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple competing demands.

Qualifications

This is a Departmental Promotional Only recruitment: Only current County of San Mateo employees in the Human Services Agency with at least six months (1040 hours) of continuous service in classified regular, probationary, or extra-help/limited term positions prior to the final filing date may apply.

Education : Completion of a master's degree in social work from an accredited college or university that includes an internship.

Substitution : A Master's degree from an accredited college or university in a Counseling program emphasizing Marriage, Family and Child Counseling or Marriage and Family Therapy that included an internship or supervised field work, AND completion of one (1) additional year of qualifying case management/work experience that included responsibility for a long term caseload, development of service/treatment plans; monitoring compliance through home calls, field calls and other personal contact; modification of treatment plans as needed/required; and authority to impose/recommend sanctions for non-compliance, impacting benefits or services (i.e. case closures, terminate benefits and or program participation).

Experience: Two years of experience performing a full range of professional social worker duties that included responsibility for a long-term caseload, development of service/treatment plans, monitoring compliance through home/field calls and other personal contact, modification of treatment plans as needed/required, and authority to impose/recommend sanctions for non-compliance, impacting benefits or services.

Knowledge of :

• Principles, methods, and techniques of social work.
• Theories of human behavior and their practical applications.
• Psycho-social, medical, and economic interrelationships that result in individual and social abnormalities.
• Philosophy and function of social work systems.
• Appropriate utilization of a variety of social resources.
• Laws, rules, and regulations governing the operation of social work agencies, specifically those relating to children and family services.
• Principles and practices of organization, workload management, and time management.
• Phone etiquette and interview techniques.
• Socio-economic conditions and trends.
• Basic principles of individual and group behavior.
• Current issues in the field of social welfare.
• Principles and techniques of interviewing and recording social casework.
• Laws, rules, and regulations governing the operation of the public welfare agency and the role and responsibilities of a social worker.
• Signs, stages, and dynamics of abuse, and the effects of abuse on child/adult development and behavior.
• Signs and symptoms of alcohol and drug use/abuse in adults and children and the effects on families.
• Standards for maintaining clients safely in home; options for placement; effects of removing clients from unsafe conditions.

Skill/Ability to:

• Teach the concepts and methods involved in the practice of children's service social casework and/or residential childcare.
• Plan, organize, supervise, and evaluate the work of assigned staff.
• Effectively interpret departmental policies, rules, and regulations.
• Formulate, develop, and implement treatment plans.
• Work effectively with persons differing in value systems, ethnicity, cultural backgrounds, and psychopathologies.
• Work with a variety of social resources to plan and coordinate services to individual clients.
• Act as a consultant and trainer to other social service staff.
• Prepare clear and concise reports.
• Communicate effectively with others in writing, in person, and over the telephone.
• Analyze data, interpret directions, procedures, and regulations, and develop appropriate responses.
• Prepare complex case records, detailed and legally sound court reports, and related Agency and program reports within designated time frames.
• Perform job duties under stressful conditions.
• Respond appropriately to situations.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with agency staff, clients, and outside organizations.
• Apply the principles of psychology and family relationships to engage individuals and families in social services.
• Recognize the signs of abuse for children, and non-minor dependent adults; assess risk factors and potential danger to clients.
• Interpret and explain to applicants, recipients, or others public social services programs, policies, rules, and regulations.
• Demonstrate skills in interviewing, case recording, and interpretation.
• Work within a community setting and effectively use appropriate resources and services.
• Maintain confidentiality in accordance with legal standards and/or county regulations.
• Operate a personal computer and other office equipment and enter data accurately and timely on-line into one or more computer systems; utilize and understand various computer software programs.
• Interact professionally and respectfully with clients including difficult, hostile, or distressed clients.
• Analyze data from multiple sources, interpret and apply complex directions, rules, policies, procedures, and regulations, and develop appropriate responses.
• Utilize social work methods and evaluation including crisis intervention and social work skills; communicate with and relate to varied client groups; work constructively within an agency and community setting; effectively use consultative supervision resources and services; control personal bias and apply social work ethics; prepare and keep records per department policy and social work standards.
• Comply with and implement specific court orders related to the presentation and disposition of cases, which may include detailed research, notification of missing parents, and transporting minors out of state.
• Exercise discretion and judgment in the performance of duties.
• Attend regularly scheduled meetings and as directed.
• Follow a regular and agreed-to work schedule and limit work schedule modifications to a minimum and for emergency cases only.
• Work over 40 hours per week, if needed.
• Work on-call, and regularly scheduled shifts, when assigned. This may include nights, weekends, and graveyards.
• Work under pressure, and exercise good judgment and common sense while making sound decisions in emergency situations.

Other Requirements:
Reasonable efforts will be made to accommodate individuals that qualify under the Americans with Disabilities Act or the California Fair Employment and Housing Act in meeting the below requirements.

• Climb stairs, stand, walk, run, bend, twist, and/or kneel in the course of making visits to client homes, and lifting and transporting children and their possessions.
• Sit, drive, and travel for long periods of time to transport children to placement locations and to complete required visits.
• Drive safely and/or travel by other means such as by bus, train, and airplane to perform job duties such as conducting home visits and transporting children, sometimes in remote locations and over long distances.
• Hear and smell sufficiently to detect sounds and odors within a home.
• Read lengthy documents, identify and distinguish between colors of a bruise or wound, and visually appraise living conditions of a home.
• Speak and hear well enough to communicate clearly in person or on the telephone.
• Sufficiently operate office equipment such as a computer keyboard to take field notes.
• Make home visits to clients' residences which may be unsanitary or unsafe, risking exposure to sick, disabled, hostile, uncooperative, or mentally unstable clients/relatives.
• Some positions may require ability to lift up to 50 lbs. when transporting and securing children to car seats.

Licensure/Certification: California class C driver license or equivalent.
Application/Examination
Departmental Promotional Only. Only current employees of the Human Services Agency with at least six months (1040 hours) of continuous service in a classified regular, probationary, or extra-help/limited term position prior to the final filing date may apply. A resume will not be accepted as a substitute for the required employment application and supplemental questionnaire.

The examination process will consist of an application screening based on the candidates' application and responses to the supplemental questions. Candidates who pass the application screening will be invited to a panel interview (weight: 100%). Depending on the number of applications received, an application appraisal of education and experience may be used in place of other examinations, or a screening committee may select those applicants whose education and/or experience appear to best meet the needs of the position. Because of this screening process, all applicants meeting the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement through any subsequent phase of the examination process. All examinations will be given in San Mateo County, California and applicants must participate at their own expense

IMPORTANT: Applications for this position will only be accepted online. If you are currently on the County's website, you may click the "Apply" button. If you are not on the County's website, please go to www.smcgov.org/hr/jobs to apply. Responses to the Supplemental Questionnaire must be submitted in addition to the standard County employment application form. A resume will not be accepted as a substitute for the required application materials. Online applications must be received by the Human Resources Department before midnight on the final filing date.

TENTATIVE RECRUITMENT SCHEDULE
Final Filing Date: Tuesday, July 28, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. PST
Application Screening: Wednesday, July 29, 2026
Combined Panel Interview: Tuesday, August 4, 2026

About the County
San Mateo County is centrally located between San Francisco, San Jose, and the East Bay. With over 750,000 residents, San Mateo is one of the largest and most diverse counties in California and serves a multitude of culturally, ethnically and linguistically diverse communities.

The County of San Mateo is committed to advancing equity in order to ensure that all employees are welcomed in a safe and inclusive environment. The County seeks to hire, support, and retain employees who reflect our diverse community. We encourage applicants with diverse backgrounds and lived experiences to apply. Eighty percent of employees surveyed stated that they would recommend the County as a great place to work.

The County of San Mateo is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering diversity, equity and inclusion at all levels.





Analyst: Arlene Cahill (Social Work Supervisor - G094)

Salary:

$11,129.73 - $13,910.00 Monthly