DEPUTY PUBLIC GUARDIAN

THE JOB: Under general supervision, investigates recommendations for the appointment of a conservator or need of a representative payee; recommends to the court the establishment, continuation, or termination of conservatorship; arranges for and monitors the care and treatment of persons placed under the jurisdiction of the Public Guardian; investigates and administers the personal and financial needs of persons under conservatorship or representation payeeship; safeguard the interests of and obtain legal services for clients; provide 24-hour emergency response services; and perform other work as required. The eligible list established from this recruitment will be used to fill the current vacancies and any future vacancies throughout the life of the eligible list.

THE REQUIREMENTS: Any combination of education and experience that would provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

Completion of 24 semester units with emphasis in business or public administration, financial management and/or investment, social work/welfare, behavioral science, or a related field AND Four years of experience in estate, financial or budgetary management, estate investigation work or providing case worker service to incompetent, disabled or needy persons.

OR

A Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college with a major in social work, social welfare, human services, public administration, or business administration AND Two years of experience performing social casework or conservator case work.

OR

Successful completion of a paralegal curriculum approved by the American Bar Association or Graduation from Law School AND One-year experience providing social casework or conservator casework. Note: Additional qualifying experience may be substituted for the required education on a month-for-month basis.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS/Conditions: License/Bonding Requirement: Possession and maintenance of a valid California Class C Driver License. Ability to be bonded. Background Investigation: Fingerprinting is required. Special Working Conditions: In the field, possible exposure to: Silica dust such as asbestos in old homes of clients; poison oak and insects in yards of clients; infections from needles, syringes, lice, scabies, fleas, and staph infections; odors such as human and animal feces, urine-soaked beds, unwashed clients that smell of old alcohol and unwashed clothes. Other Special Requirements: Perform tasks requiring physical strength such as moving couches, boxes of books, and other client property; lift items weighting up to 60 pounds such as television sets. Must be available to work flexible hours including evenings, weekends, and holidays. May be assigned to carry a pager and respond to crisis situations. Physically and mentally capable of performing the position's essential functions as summarized in the typical tasks.

Knowledge: Working Knowledge of Community health, welfare, social, and legal support systems, and other resources available to clients. Interviewing and record keeping techniques, including the documentation of all actions and contacts in case files. Some Knowledge of: Techniques used to locate and determine client assets including real and personal property, stocks, bonds, appraisals of value and other assets. Welfare and Institution Code, Probate Code, and other pertinent laws, codes, and regulations related to the Public Guardian function. Social, psychological, and medical problems affecting the acutely and chronically mentally ill and medically disabled client. Fiscal management, investment techniques, or related fields. Supportive interventions for chronically mentally disabled individuals.

Ability to: Communicate and relate effectively with emotionally or mentally disabled, medically disabled, and elderly persons; develop and maintain confidence and cooperation of emotionally or mentally disabled, medically disabled, and elderly persons, to assume responsibility for provision of their personal and financial needs, and to monitor delivery of those needs on an ongoing basis; conduct investigations and gather information on financial resources, real or personal property, available benefits, and community resources available to Public Guardian clients; administer the estates of mentally or medically disabled persons including the payment of bills, rents, taxes, and other obligations and expenses, and to establish and maintain budgets for each client; represent conservatees and payees in matters relating to their well-being, including hiring and monitoring in-home care givers, and setting goals and procedures for service providers and care givers; recognize and analyze problems, gather relevant information, establish facts, draw valid conclusions, respond to case details promptly, and communicate clearly and concisely both orally and in writing; prioritize and respond to demands of caseload in a prompt and efficient manner; be familiarized with complex codes, laws, and regulations, and apply them appropriately in management of caseload; establish and maintain working relationship with others, including client family members and others who may be under distress or duress; work effectively under pressure and deadlines imposed by law or regulation; locate, develop, and maintain community resources for the benefit of clients and advocate for services on behalf of clients; and work flexible hours and respond to after-hours emergencies.

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS:
ANNUAL LEAVE - 22 days first year, increasing to 37 days after 15 years of service. Available for vacation and/or sick leave.
HOLIDAYS - 13 paid holidays per year.
BEREAVEMENT LEAVE – 3 days paid in California, 5 days paid out-of-state.
MEDICAL PLAN - The County contracts with CalPERS for a variety of medical plans. For most plans, County contributions pay a majority of the premiums for employees and eligible dependents.
DENTAL PLAN - County pays for employee and eligible dependent coverage.
VISION PLAN - County pays for employee coverage. Employee may purchase eligible dependent coverage.
RETIREMENT - Pension formula 2% at age 60 or 2% at age 62 as determined based on provisions of the CA Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act of 2013 (PEPRA). Pension benefit determined by final average compensation of three years. County participates in Social Security.
LIFE INSURANCE - County paid $20,000 term policy. Employee may purchase additional life insurance.
DISABILITY INSURANCE - Employees in the General Representation Unit participate in the State Disability Insurance (SDI) program. This program is funded 100% by employee payroll deductions.
DEPENDENT-CARE PLAN - Employees who make contributions for child or dependent care may elect to have their contributions made utilizing “pre-tax dollars.”
H-CARE PLAN - Employees who pay a County medical premium may elect this pre-tax program.
HEALTH CARE FLEXIBLE SPENDING ALLOWANCE (HCFSA) - Employees may elect this pre-tax program to cover qualifying health care expenses.
DEFERRED COMPENSATION - A deferred compensation plan is available to employees.

THE EXAMINATION: Your application and supplemental questionnaire will be reviewed to determine if you have met the education, experience, training and/or licensing requirements as stated on the job announcement. If you meet these criteria and are one of the best qualified, you may be required to compete in any combination of written, oral and/or performance examinations or a competitive evaluation of training and experience as described on your application and supplemental questionnaire. You must pass all components of the examination to be placed on the eligible list. The examination may be eliminated if there are ten or fewer qualified applicants. If the eligible list is established without the administration of the announced examination, the life of the eligible list will be six months and your overall score will be based upon an evaluation of your application and supplemental questionnaire. If during those six months it is necessary to administer another examination for this job class, you will be invited to take the examination to remain on the eligible list.

HOW TO APPLY: Apply Online Now!  Click on the link below; or print out an application and supplemental questionnaire and mail/bring them to: Santa Cruz County Personnel Department, 701 Ocean Street, Room 510, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060.  For information, call (831) 454-2600.  Hearing Impaired TDD/TTY: 711.  Applications will meet the final filing date if received in one of the following ways:  1) in the Personnel Department by 5:00 p.m. on the final filing date, 2) submitted online before midnight of the final filing date. 

Women, minorities and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.  If you have a disability that requires test accommodation, please call (831) 454-2600.  

To comply with the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act, Santa Cruz County verifies that all new employees are either U.S. citizens or persons authorized to work in the U.S.

NOTE: The provisions of this bulletin do not constitute an expressed or implied contract.

An Equal Opportunity Employer

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