Assistant Social Worker/Social Worker

About the role

Posting number: 259-262_PD_082826 Department: Public Defender Job classification: Assistant Social Worker Posting type: Open Categories: Social Services Summary THE CURRENT VACANCY IS IN THE SHASTA COUNTY PUBLIC DEFENDER’S OFFICE ORAL EXAM IS  TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED FOR SEPTEMBER 2026 SEE SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS SECTION REGARDING POSSESSION OF A VALID DRIVER’S LICENSE RESPONSES TO SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONS REQUIRED FINAL FILING DATE: SEPTEMBER 30, 2026, AT 5:00 PM Salary Information Assistant Social Worker:  $4,024-$5,136 MONTHLY* / $23.21-$29.63 HOURLY* Social Worker: $4,659-$5,946 MONTHLY* / $26.88-$34.30 HOURLY* This position is in the UPEC Professional bargaining unit. Please refer to the applicable bargaining unit labor agreement (Memorandum of Understanding) for potential future salary increases:  Shasta County Labor Agreements The salary range consists of six (6) salary steps, with approximately 5% between each step. Newly hired employees are appointed at Step A of the assigned salary range. Employees are eligible for a merit-based salary increase from Step A to Step B after six months of satisfactory service. Thereafter, employees may be eligible for annual merit-based step increases, beginning one year from the Step B effective date, until they reach the top step of the salary range. About the Position Assistant Social Worker: Under direction, provides support to justice-involved clients by assessing basic social service needs, conducting initial social studies, identifying barriers to stability and successful case outcomes, and connecting clients with appropriate community resources. Provides limited casework services and assists Social Workers and attorneys with service coordination, documentation, and client support. Performs related duties as required. Social Worker: Under direction, provides social services to justice-involved clients by conducting comprehensive social assessments, developing individualized service plans, and coordinating treatment, diversion, and other supportive services. Provides information regarding available resources and facilitates referrals to appropriate community providers and human service agencies. Works collaboratively with Public Defender attorneys, clients, treatment providers, and community partners to address client needs and support successful case outcomes. Performs related duties as required. Distinguishing Characteristics Assistant Social Worker  The Assistant Social Worker is the trainee classification in the professional Social Worker series. Within the Public Defender’s Office, the position provides an opportunity to develop knowledge and skills in working with justice-involved individuals, including client assessment, resource coordination, treatment and diversion services, and collaboration with attorneys and community providers. Initially, the Assistant Social Worker works under close and detailed supervision, learning departmental procedures, available social and behavioral health resources, basic assessment and casework methods, and the unique role of social work within the criminal legal system. As experience is gained, the employee is assigned selected cases of limited complexity, with casework methods and recommendations continuing to receive close review. The Assistant Social Worker is distinguished from the Social Worker by the level of independence, complexity of assignments, and degree of supervision required. Social Worker - The Social Worker is the full journey-level classification in the professional Social Worker series. Within the Public Defender’s Office, the Social Worker independently manages a caseload and provides social work services to justice-involved clients with a range of needs and case complexities. The Social Worker conducts comprehensive assessments, develops service plans, coordinates treatment and diversion services, facilitates connections with community resources, and provides case consultation and support to Public Defender attorneys. Assignments may involve sensitive, complex, or specialized client needs requiring independent judgment, advanced casework skills, program knowledge, creativity, and sound decision-making. The Social Worker is distinguished from the Assistant Social Worker by the greater independence of action, level of responsibility, and ability to manage cases of average to complex difficulty. Who We Are Looking For The ideal candidate is a compassionate, motivated professional who is committed to serving justice-involved individuals experiencing mental health, substance use, and other barriers to stability. They will have strong communication and organizational skills, an interest in behavioral health and community resources, and the ability to work collaboratively with clients, attorneys, treatment providers, and justice system partners. The successful candidate will be comfortable working in a fast-paced legal environment, learning new systems and programs, and building positive relationships with clients from diverse backgrounds. An interest in mental health and substance use diversion, collaborative courts, treatment services, and rehabilitation is highly desirable. The ideal candidate will be passionate about helping individuals access appropriate services, achieve greater stability, and reduce barriers to successful outcomes. Public Defender - Who We Are For over 20 years the Shasta County Public Defender’s Office has provided representation to those who are unable to afford an attorney.  Our mission is to provide compassionate, holistic defense to those in need, ensuring that every client receives comprehensive legal representation tailored to their unique experiences, goals, and needs.  We provide zealous, ethical, effective advocacy while protecting the rights and dignity of each person we represent. We serve diverse communities with unwavering commitment to justice. Each year, our office represents hundreds of indigent clients charged with misdemeanor, felony, and juvenile offenses. Our role is to protect the constitutional rights of justice-involved individuals and to hold the government accountable, ensuring that fairness and due process are upheld in every case. We foster a supportive and empowering environment where our attorneys and staff are encouraged to grow both professionally and personally. By investing in our team’s well-being and development, we create a culture of excellence, advocacy, and integrity. We are committed to building a sustainable criminal defense practice that serves our clients and our community for generations to come. About Shasta County Shasta County offers all the amenities of the big city while retaining a comfortable small-town atmosphere.  With its natural beauty, affordable housing, excellent educational system, abundance of recreational opportunities, and excellent quality of life, Shasta County is a great place to live, work, and raise a family. Examples of duties Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following: Assistant Social Worker:  Studies and applies the principles and techniques of social work to a caseload which includes basic types of services problems; as a learner-trainee, interviews clients to ascertain the nature of their problems and develop elementary services plans; carries out the less difficult services plans under close supervision where the end result normally is a tangible service, such as employment, referral to a community center or an environmental change; makes referrals to other staff members when problems are beyond level of competence; interprets services rules, regulations, and policy to clients and the general public when within the scope of responsibility; maintains necessary casework records; attends training courses designed to further understanding of the social work processes and to increase technical competence. Social Worker:  Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following: Carries a caseload of the more difficult types of social service cases involving individualized treatment and specialized advanced application of casework methods and skills; diagnoses client problems and follows through with the more difficult treatment plans with a high degree of independence; interviews clients in office or home to assess needs for service; explains the optional and mandatory nature of social services programs; interprets State, County and departmental rules, regulations and policies to individuals and groups; responds to requests for information and makes referrals to appropriate workers or departments; gathers, maintains and disseminates current information on community resources; prepares reports, case records and correspondence; as an additional duty, incumbents may function in a lead capacity and assist with casework consultation and training for other social workers; assists in developing and implementing unit policies and procedures; acts in the absence of the supervisor or as designated in assigning cases and reviewing and approving case decisions; attends meetings and does related work as needed.   In the Public Defender’s Office: Meet with clients, many of whom will be incarcerated, to assess treatment needs and develop treatment plans with the goal of reducing recidivism and enhancing the prospects for successful re-entry into the community; collaborate with attorneys to develop alternatives to incarceration for clients suffering from substance abuse problems or mental illness; refer clients to appropriate services and occasionally advocate on their behalf in court proceedings. Qualifications Assistant Social Worker:  Click Here for the Full Job Description Social Worker:  Click Here for the Full Job Description How to Qualify Responses to the following must be submitted with a completed application. It is the responsibility of applicants to identify in their application materials how they meet the minimum qualifications listed below. Assistant Social Worker Possession of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university including thirty (30) semester college units in social welfare, social/human services, sociology, or other behavioral sciences. Social Worker EITHER Two (2) years of experience performing professional social casework services; OR Possession of a master's degree in social work or a master's degree from a two-year counseling program; OR Be a registered MFCC intern with California State Board of Behavioral Science; OR Possession of a bachelor's degree, including thirty (30) semester college units in social welfare, social/human services, sociology or other behavioral sciences AND two (2) years of experience as an  Assistant Social Worker  in Shasta County;  OR Possession of a bachelor's degree, including thirty (30) semester college units in social welfare, social/human services, sociology, or other behavioral sciences AND two (2) years of experience performing social casework services in child or adult protective services comparable to an  Assistant Social Worker  in Shasta County. Special Requirements Possession of a valid California driver’s license. Supplemental Questions Responses to the following must be submitted with a completed application. Education: 1. Do you possess a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, including at least thirty (30) semester units in social welfare, social/human services, sociology, psychology, or other behavioral sciences? If “Yes,” please identify your degree, college or university, and the relevant coursework, including the number of semester units for each course. If “No,” type N/A. Social Work Experience: 2. Do you possess experience providing professional social casework, client assessment, service coordination, resource navigation, or related human services? If “Yes,” please provide details including employer(s), dates of employment, job title(s), and primary duties. If “No,” type N/A. Graduate Education: 3. Do you possess a master's degree in social work, counseling, psychology, or a related behavioral health field? If “Yes,” please identify the degree and college or university/program from which it was received. If “No,” type N/A. Justice-Involved or Behavioral Health Experience: 4. Do you have experience working with individuals involved in the criminal justice system or experiencing mental health, substance use, homelessness, or other significant social or behavioral health challenges? If “Yes,” please describe your experience, including the population served, setting, and your primary responsibilities. If “No,” type N/A. Treatment and Community Resources: 5. Do you have experience coordinating or referring clients to behavioral health treatment, substance use treatment, housing, benefits, or other community-based services? If “Yes,” please describe your experience and the types of services or resources with which you have worked. If “No,” type N/A. Driver’s License: 6. I acknowledge that this position requires a valid California driver's license. Yes / No Other Considerations All new employees are required to have their paycheck directly deposited to a bank account. Some positions may require a valid California driver's license and acceptable driving record according to County policy. Reasonable accommodations may be made for those persons who are disabled under the Americans with Disabilities Act to perform the essential functions of the position. As part of the selection process, all individuals provided with a preliminary offer of employment with Shasta County will be subject to a background investigation, including a criminal history check (primarily completed through the taking of fingerprints). An image of your fingerprints will be captured and sent to the California Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The resulting report of your conviction history, (if any), will be evaluated along with the other information received in connection with your application. Except as otherwise required by law, a criminal conviction will not necessarily disqualify you from the position. The nature of the offense, the date of the offense, the surrounding circumstances, and the relevance of the offense to the position applied for may, however, be considered. Based on the results of the background investigation and criminal history check, applicants may then be provided with an offer of employment conditioned on the results of a medical examination, which includes drug/alcohol testing.  Shasta County participates in E-Verify. For more information visit  DOJ Right to Work Poster. If you do not have internet access, contact Personnel at to request a flyer.  In accordance with Government Code Section 3100, County employees, in the event of a disaster are considered disaster workers and may be asked to respond accordingly. Positions in this classification are covered by a collective bargaining agreement between the County and the UPEC Professional   Employees in this classification are covered under the CalPERS retirement program. Depending on the provisions of the California Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act (PEPRA) and other applicable laws, an employee in this classification will be covered under one of the following CalPERS retirement formulas: (1) 2% at 55, (2) 2% at 60, or (3) 2% at 62. An employee in this classification will also contribute up to 9.5% of their pay to this plan or will contribute such other amount to the plan as authorized by PEPRA and other applicable laws. Please visit our employees benefit page at  Shasta County Employee Benefits for additional information regarding benefits and CalPERS coverage information. The provisions in this flyer and on the County website are for information purposes only. To the extent the provisions of the flyer or the County website are inconsistent with PEPRA and other applicable laws, PEPRA and other applicable laws shall govern. Supplemental information Shasta County Personnel will accept applications and responses to the supplemental questions until 5:00 p.m., on September 30, 2026. A resume and/or cover letter will be accepted in addition to the application but will not serve as a substitute for a completed application. It is not acceptable to complete the application with statements such as “Refer to resume and/or cover letter,” or “See attached resume and/or cover letter.” The application must be completed in its entirety prior to submission.  Incomplete applications will not be processed. Closing date postmarks or faxes will not be accepted. This recruitment will establish a list that may or may not be used by other departments. Prior applicants must reapply to be considered.  Applicants will be screened and those considered best qualified will be invited to appear for an oral and/or written examination. Meeting the announced requirements does not guarantee inclusion in the selection process. Depending upon the number of applications received, the selection process may consist of additional application screening, written and/or practical exam(s), oral interview, or any combination thereof.  Veterans' Credit: Veterans (as defined by California Government Code section 18973) who have been discharged from military service under conditions other than dishonorable and who receive a passing score on all components of the employment examinations (up to and including oral examinations) shall receive credit for an additional five points to be added to their final examination score. To be considered for this credit, a veteran must provide a copy of his or her discharge document (DD-214 or equivalent) and information as to the type of discharge (honorable, dishonorable, etc.) with the employment application on or before the final filing date. Applicants are encouraged to apply online at or submit an application to the Shasta County Personnel Office. Arrangements may be made to accommodate applicants with disabilities. Requests for accommodations may be made to the Shasta County Personnel Office by the filing deadline posted on this bulletin. Shasta County does not discriminate on the basis of disability. If you feel you are being denied service based on a disability, our ADA Coordinator may be reached at; relay service; fax. Shasta County will consider qualified applicants with a criminal history pursuant to the California Fair Chance Act. You do not need to disclose your criminal history or participate in a background check until a conditional job offer is made to you. After making a conditional offer and running a background check, if Shasta County is concerned about a conviction that is directly related to the job, you will be given the chance to explain the circumstances surrounding the conviction, provide mitigating evidence, or challenge the accuracy of the background report. Find out more about the Fair Chance Act by visiting  Fair Chance Act | CRD. SHASTA COUNTY IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER Shasta County Personnel 1450 Court Street, Suite 348; Redding, CA 96001;