Job Details

Salary : $54,204.80 - $97,052.80 Annually
Location : All Locations - San Luis Obispo County, CA
Job Type: Permanent - Hourly
Job Number: 1025PM-001536-01
Department: Social Services
Division: DSS Child Welfare Services
Opening Date: 10/31/2025
Closing Date: 11/16/2025 11:59 PM Pacific

About the Position
The Department of Social Services (DSS) is developing a list of eligible candidates for current and future Social Worker vacancies. The current vacancies are in the Children's Services Division at DSS, but the resulting eligible list may be used to fill future full-time, part-time, permanent, temporary or substitute vacancies within the County and DSS.

Social Workers determine the need for social services; approve and directly provide social services to persons eligible for public services or vocational assistance services; and perform other related work as required. Employees in this classification may be required to work holidays, weekends, and evenings. Travel may be required.

Children's Services Division: Social Workers in the Children's Services Division may be involved with the following programs: Voluntary Family Maintenance, Emergency Response, Dependency Investigations, Resource Family Approval, Placement, Family Maintenance, Family Reunification, and the Adoptions Unit.

Adult Services Division: Social Workers in the Adult Services branch would be involved in the Adult Protective Services or IHSS (In-Home Support Services) programs.

Two Virtual Informational Sessions will be held with DSS leadership. Click on the one of the dates below to join the virtual meeting. We strongly encourage your attendance and look forward to seeing you on the following dates:
Tuesday, November 4, 2025 at 1:00pm
and
Click for detailed job description.
Click to learn more about the Department of Social Services.
The Ideal Candidate

Education and Experience
A combination of education, training, and experience resulting in the required knowledge, skills, and abilities. An example of qualifying education and experience includes:

Social Worker I: One of the following options:
A: Possession of a Bachelor's degree in Social Work or closely related degree* (see below);
OR B: Bachelor's degree in any field AND one (1) year social work experience** (see below);
OR C: 30 semester units or 45 quarter units from an accredited college or university, including 15 semester units or 22.5 quarter units in a closely related field of study* AND four (4) years of social work experience**

Social Worker II: One of the following options:
A: Possession of a Bachelor's degree in any field AND one (1) year of experience equivalent to a Social Worker I with San Luis Obispo County;
OR B: 30 semester units or 45 quarter units from an accredited college or university, including 15 semester units or 22.5 quarter units in a closely related field of study* AND two (2) years of experience equivalent to a Social Worker I with San Luis Obispo County

Social Worker III: One of the following options:
A: Possession of a Bachelor's degree in any field AND one (1) year of experience equivalent to a Social Worker II with San Luis Obispo County;
OR B: 30 semester units or 45 quarter units from an accredited college or university, including 15 semester units or 22.5 quarter units in a closely related field of study* AND two (2) years of experience equivalent to a Social Worker II with San Luis Obispo County
OR C: Master's Degree in Social Work Social Work or closely related degree*;
OR D: Master's Degree in any field AND one (1) year social work experience**.

Social Worker IV: One of the following options:
A: Possession of a Bachelor's or Master's in any field AND one (1) year of experience equivalent to a Social Worker III with San Luis Obispo County.

*Examples of closely related degrees: Psychology, Sociology, Social Services, Social Sciences, Behavioral Sciences, Counseling, Education, Criminal Justice, Human Services, Public Health, Social Welfare, Humanities, Nursing, Ethnic Studies, Child Development, Health Science, Anthropology.

**Examples of Job-related experience: Experience in a public or private agency that includes supporting or managing a caseload comprised of people with various types of social service problems, by properly applying the laws, rules, and regulations governing the operation of social service agencies.
How to Apply

Applications, including answers to supplemental questions, must be submitted online by the final filing date. To apply for this position, click "apply" at the top of this page. Most County recruitments require you to respond to supplemental questions as part of the application process. We recommend that you review these questions prior to beginning your application.

An initial application review will be conducted. Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications and are best qualified will be invited to participate in selection activities which may include online assessments, performance exams, written exams, and interviews.

Final candidates will be required to have an in-depth background review performed before proceeding in the process. Please note that references will not be contacted until the end of the process.

If you have questions or would like to discuss the opportunity further, please contact Human Resources at ...@co.slo.ca.us. Confidential inquiries are welcomed.

For further information regarding the County of San Luis Obispo, visit our website at www.slocounty.ca.gov.
Reasonable Accommodation Notice
Federal law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. Please tell us if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job or to perform your job. Examples of reasonable accommodation include making a change to the application process or work procedures, providing documents in an alternate format, using a sign language interpreter, or using specialized equipment. Please call 805-###-#### for assistance or e-mail ...@co.slo.ca.us for more information.

Veteran's Preference Points
If you are applying for employment with the County of San Luis Obispo and you served in the United States Armed Forces, you may be eligible for veteran's preference points as part of the recruitment process. Some dependents and survivors of eligible veterans may also be eligible for preference points. for more information and to learn how to apply for this benefit. Please note that Veteran's credits must be on file with the County of San Luis Obispo Veterans Services Office prior to the recruitment closing date indicated on the job announcement.

Equal Employment Opportunity
The County is an equal opportunity employer. Objectives are directed toward assuring equal opportunity in selection / promotion, pay, and job assignments. Recruitment and selection procedures have been established to ensure non-discrimination on the basis of political or religious opinions or affiliations, age, sex, race, color, national origin, marital status, disability, sexual orientation or other non-merit factors. In addition, the County complies with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act in hiring and retaining employees. For more information contact the Human Resources Department at (805)###-####.
Make a Difference
Employees of the County of San Luis Obispo are public servants who impact the lives of our community every day. From supporting efforts to reduce homelessness, keeping our drinking water clean, or serving the families in need in the community, County employees make a difference.
Compensation and Benefits
Your annual salary is supplemented by a generous benefit package.

For additional information regarding the benefits listed that may be available to you, visit the associated .

Some benefits include:

- Medical (PPO, EPO, HDHP), Dental (HMO, PPO) and Vision Insurance
- Health enhancing programs such as Hinge Health, GIThrive and Carrum Health for medical enrollees.
- Cafeteria (County contribution to pay for insurance premiums)
- Free visits to the employee health clinic
- Mental Health resources/benefits including Headspace
- Voluntary insurance plans (life insurance, disability, critical illness and many more)
- A lifelong retirement benefit through the San Luis Obispo County Pension Trust
- Optional deferred compensation plan
- Tax savings accounts (medical and dependent care)
- Paid personal, sick and vacation days
- 12 paid holidays
- Employee Assistance Program
- Education and Wellness Allowance
- Post Employment Health Plan
- Family Friendly workplace policies
- Flexible work schedule options
-Rideshare commuter benefits
- Pet Insurance
The County of San Luis Obispo has been recognized as a Diamond Level Family Friendly Workplace by San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce. We support our employees through: childcare assistance, flexible scheduling practices, paid and unpaid leave, comprehensive health benefits, flexible spending accounts, and employee assistance programs.

Pension Benefit and Employee Contribution Rates:
The County's pension is a defined benefit plan that provides a guaranteed monthly pension payment for life based on your time in service, wages, and other factors. The County is the primary contributor to the pension fund, but the health of the pension fund also depends on mandatory employee contributions. Employees are required to pay a percentage of their base pay towards the pension fund, ranging from 5% to 19%. This amount is deducted from your paycheck pre-tax every pay period. To find out how much will be deducted from your paycheck should you be hired for this position, please contact Pension Trust at (805) ###-####.

Healthcare Benefits and Cafeteria Contributions:
The County offers comprehensive medical coverage to you and your family, along with two dental plan options and vision coverage. All permanent employees receive a monthly employer contribution (or 'cafeteria' contribution) to help them pay for their portion of the medical, dental, and vision insurance premiums. The amount of the cafeteria contribution varies by Bargaining Unit (BU) and the extent to which employees enroll their dependents. If the cafeteria amount is greater than your selected premiums, the remainder of the cafeteria is paid out to you in your paycheck as taxable income. If the cafeteria amount is less than your monthly premiums, you pay the remainder of the premiums with pre-tax wages.

To estimate your out-of-pocket costs (or cashback from extra cafeteria),

Learning and Development
The County prioritizes your learning, personal and professional development, and career growth. Employees have access to over 1500 on-demand courses, instructor led courses, and job-specific trainings.

Employees can take courses to upskill to make themselves more competitive for promotional opportunities and further their career growth. Examples of courses include:

- Emotional Intelligence
- Supervisor/Manager academies
- Microsoft Suite courses
- Defensive Driving
- Financial management
- Retirement preparedness
- Teambuilding
- Written Communication
- Conflict Management
- Clifton StrengthsFinder and DISC
- Job specific conferences/trainings

Student Loan Forgiveness
Did you know that if you are employed by a government agency you may be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program
County employees also have access to GotZoom, a program that offers tools and support to navigate your federal student loans.

Homebuyer assistance program
Employees have access to the "Assist-to-Own" program sponsored by to get a loan for the down payment.
01

Have you reviewed the Education and Experience desired for Social Worker and added your relevant work experience?

• Yes
• No

02

Are you bilingual in Spanish?

• Yes
• No

03

How many years of social work experience do you have?
04

Please list any relevant fields of social work that you have experience in. (examples: Adoptions, Adult Protective Services, Dependency Investigations, Emergency Response, etc.)
05

Department leadership will be holding two virtual informational sessions on 11/4/2025 at 1:00pm and on 11/10/2025 at 1:00pm. Please indicate below if you plan to attend and list the date you will be attending.
Required Question