Job Opportunities

The Rockland County Department of Social Services is seeking a candidate to perform professional-level casework of a moderately difficult nature which involves managing cases in order to provide social services to, and having responsibility for, the well-being of clients, including their financial management. Supervision is received from a higher-level casework professional. The work is distinguished from that of a Caseworker in that some of the duties performed in this position require the incumbent to possess speaking and reading ability in French/Creole at the fluency level indicated below in the Notes.

Candidates must possess good knowledge of the principles and practices of social casework, working knowledge of Federal, State and local public welfare laws and programs, working knowledge of the techniques of case recording, working knowledge of interviewing and investigation techniques, the ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing, the ability to establish and maintain cooperative relationships with others, the ability to speak, read and understand colloquial French/Creole and to translate into acceptable English; awareness, knowledge and understanding of French/Creole culture, and the ability to prepare reports.

Minimum Qualifications:

• A Bachelor’s degree or higher that included or was supplemented by at least eighteen credits in human or behavioral sciences (e.g., Social Work, Psychology, Sociology, Criminology, Counseling, Education) or comparable curriculum; or
• A Bachelor’s degree or higher and one year of social casework* experience and/or counseling, mental health or education** experience, or criminal justice casework***.

Notes: 

All experience indicated in #2, above, shall be paid professional-level experience and must have been gained after completion of a Bachelor’s degree. Unpaid experience, such as internships, externships, and/or volunteer experience, shall not qualify.

Incumbents are expected to possess a Level II proficiency in French/Creole (as defined by the Examinations Division of the State of New York Department of Civil Service)**** which requires that the incumbent: be able to speak the language with sufficient structural accuracy and vocabulary to participate effectively in most formal and informal conversations on practical, social and professional topics not requiring specialized vocabulary (e.g. technical engineering, medicine, etc.); can discuss particular interests and special fields of competence in general terms with reasonable ease; possesses adequate comprehension to normal rate of speech; has good control of grammar and errors do not interfere with understanding; can read with understanding a standard newspaper, correspondence and official documents.

Other Requirements and Information:

• Candidate must be a legal resident of New York, New Jersey or Connecticut.
• This is a competitive class position in Civil Service for which the candidate will be required to take the appropriate Civil Service examination and be reachable on the resulting eligible list to maintain employment.
• Possession of a valid driver’s license is required at the time of appointment and must be maintained throughout the course of employment in this title.
• Applicants for designated positions with the Department of Social Services that may have regular or substantial unsupervised or unrestricted contact with children shall be subject to background checks according to the New York State Justice Center’s Staff Exclusion List (SEL) and New York State Office of Children and Family Services Sitewide Central Register of Abuse and Maltreatment (SCR). Inquiries on current employees shall be made annually and prior to promotion but no more often than once in any six-month period (N.Y. Social Services Law 424- a). Candidates/applicants with conditional offers of employment may be required to submit the necessary fee(s) for background screening and inquiries shall be completed prior to employment hiring/start date. Refusal to sign the necessary clearance forms, submit the required associated fees and/or participate in the review process shall be cause for an automatic non- selection. In addition, inquiry responses are subject to evaluation and may result in disqualification pursuant to Section 50 of New York State Civil Service Law.
• *Social Casework is defined as maintaining a caseload of clients which includes making assessments for multiple services, coordination of services and performance of follow up visits to continually reassess client needs, and/or performing child welfare and/or child protective service functions including field visits, interviews, and referrals of needed services. Social casework does not include determining eligibility for benefits, such as food stamps, medical services, housing, child support, emergency services, day care, HEAP assistance, etc. or coordination thereof.

**Education experience is defined as experience gained while in a credentialed teacher position, performing work as a guidance counselor, social worker, or mental health counselor in a school-based setting.

***Examples of criminal justice casework includes individuals working as a Probation Officer or Probation Assistant, or Investigators or support staff working in a Police Department, District Attorney’s Office, or Public Defender’s Office.

****French/Creole is a language that is derived from a combination of French and Creole. This language uses French vocabulary with West African syntax and is spoken predominately in countries in the Caribbean such as Haiti and, through immigration, in countries such as the United States and Canada.

Salary and Benefits:

Salary and benefits are competitive with the public sector market including but not limited to the following:

• $38.20 per hour for a 35-hour work week
• Medical, dental and vision available
• Paid time off including vacation, personal and holiday time
• This position is New York State Pension eligible
• Other benefits, including, but not limited to deferred compensation, tuition reimbursement, leadership and other professional development training

How to Apply:

Interested candidates should email completed Rockland County application to: RocklandDSSPersonnel@dfa.state.ny.us

Click here to access the online application.

Position open until filled.