Do you have a passion for helping people make a difference in their lives? Come join a team committed to helping individuals and families live their best lives!
NOTE: SB county hires social workers for all departments at the same time, thus the bulletin you see on the website will reflect those values as opposed to the ones below.
Join the Santa Barbara County Public Defender’s Office (SBCPD) and become part of an interdisciplinary team that utilizes a holistic approach to enhance justice and help achieve the best possible outcome with adults and juveniles charged with crimes. A public defender social worker supports individuals in many ways including housing, educational and family support, mental health linkage, substance use treatment, homelessness resourcing, safety planning, employment, treatment placement coordination, benefits navigation, and general support. The social worker often works closely with other system partners, attends Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) meetings, visits incarcerated individuals, and writes psychosocial assessments.
SBCPD Social workers work as part of our client's defense team assisting in a variety of ways, including:
• Writing biopsychosocial reports and assessments of clients
• Identifying available social services in the community and connecting clients with them
• Identifying issues that may have led the person to involvement in the legal system
• Developing plans to help people reintegrate into their communities after incarceration
• Advocating for community-based solutions as alternatives to custody
• Ensuring that clients' treatment needs are adequately addressed;
• Providing expertise to assist judges and attorneys in understanding clients' circumstances;
• Contributing to early release from jail by providing alternatives to incarceration; and
• Improving outcomes.
We are looking for someone who has:
• Ability to learn and apply complex laws, rules, policies, and procedures to assist clients
• Strong analytical, organizational, and time management skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills demonstrated work with diverse clients of various ages, socioeconomic backgrounds,
cultures, and mental and/or physical capabilities
• Ability to work with other professionals to meet the needs of a shared client
• Great communication skills
• Tech-savvy skills and ability to learn and use specialized software programs
A few reasons you might love this work:
• Opportunity to compassionately support children, elders/dependent adults, and families
• It's more than a desk job! Travel throughout the beautiful central coast and neighboring counties to meet with clients
and community partners
• Work and network with dedicated professionals who share a passion for public service
• A supportive and respectful working environment that values work-life balance
A few challenges you might face in this job:
• Fast-paced environment
• Meeting mandated deadlines (such as from court)
• Navigating limited resources/services while meeting clients' identified goals and needs
• Keeping up with many changing State mandates and policies
Employment Standards
Possession of a bachelor’s degree including 30 semester or 45 quarter units of course work in social work, psychology, sociology, child development, or other behavioral sciences; AND two years of professional social work experience; OR,
Two years of experience performing duties comparable to a Social Service Worker with Santa Barbara County; OR,
A combination of training and experience that is equivalent to one of the employment standards listed above and that provides the required knowledge and abilities.
Additional Requirements:
Possession of or ability to obtain a valid California Class C Driver’s License may be required.
Independent travel, including transportation of client, within the county, throughout California, out of state, or country is required.
Will be required to work outside normal business hours and be available on call.
Positions allocated to this class may require bilingual skills
Please apply at the Santa Barbara County Empolyment website:
https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/sbcounty/jobs/3465708/social-serv...