Exam Bulletin

Department of State Hospitals

Exam Code: EX-2567

Examination Plans Included:

  • SOCIAL WORK ASSOCIATE (SAFETY) - Open

Final Filing Date: Applications are accepted on a continuous basis.

Classification Details

SOCIAL WORK ASSOCIATE (SAFETY): $3,150.00 - $4,879.00 per Month

View the SOCIAL WORK ASSOCIATE (SAFETY) classification specification.

Application Instructions

Upcoming Filing Cutoff Dates:

  • 6/28/2024
  • 7/5/2024
  • 7/19/2024
  • 8/2/2024
  • 8/16/2024
  • 9/6/2024
  • 9/20/2024
  • 10/4/2024
  • 10/18/2024
  • 11/1/2024
  • 11/15/2024
  • 12/6/2024
  • 12/20/2024

Examination/Employment Application (STD 678) must be received or postmarked by the filing date indicated above. Applications postmarked, personally delivered or received via interoffice mail after the filing date will be processed in the next group.

Who Should Apply:

The information below will help you determine which classification(s) is(are) appropriate for you. Applicants must meet the Minimum Qualifications as stated on this bulletin to compete in this examination.

Open and Open, Non-Promotional Examination(s):

  • SOCIAL WORK ASSOCIATE (SAFETY) - Open

For all Classifications, once you have participated in any of the following examinations, you may not recompete for 6 months:

Exam Code(s):

    2567

For SOCIAL WORK ASSOCIATE (SAFETY), once you have participated in any of the following examinations, you may not recompete for 6 months:

Exam Code(s):

  • EX-02567

How To Apply:

Submit an Examination/Employment Application (STD 678) to apply for this examination.

Electronic applications can be submitted through your account at www.CalCareers.ca.gov.

You may apply by mail to:

  • Department of State Hospitals
    Department of State Hospitals - Sacramento
    Human Resources Office
    1215 O Street, MS 17
    Sacramento, CA 95814

Indicate the Examination Code and Classification(s) on your Examination/Employment Application (STD 678).

You may drop off your application and any applicable or required documents at:

  • Department of State Hospitals
    Department of State Hospitals - Sacramento
    Human Resources Office
    1215 O Street, MS 17
    Sacramento, CA 95814
    8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Indicate the Examination Code and Classification(s) on your Examination/Employment Application (STD 678). All applicants must provide proof of identification. Accepted forms of identification are: 1) a photo identification card or 2) two forms of signed identification.

Special Testing Arrangements:

If you require assistance or alternative testing arrangements due to a disability, indicate on your application that you need reasonable accommodation. You will be contacted by a representative of the testing department to make the necessary arrangements. If you have not been contacted by the time you receive notification of testing, please contact the testing department listed in the Contact section of this bulletin.

If you are unable to submit your application or complete the test due to a disability, please contact the testing department listed in the Contact section of this bulletin.

Minimum Qualifications

All applicants must meet the education and/or experience requirements as stated on this exam bulletin to be accepted to the examination.

Unless otherwise stated in the Minimum Qualifications, qualifying experience may be combined on a proportionate basis if the requirements stated below include more than one pattern and are distinguished as "Either" 1, "or" 2, "or" 3, etc. For example, applicants possessing qualifying experience amounting to 50% of the required time of Pattern 1 and additional experience amounting to 50% of the required time of Pattern 2 may be accepted to an examination as meeting 100% of the overall experience requirement.

00109874 - SOCIAL WORK ASSOCIATE (SAFETY)

Education: Equivalent to graduation from college, preferably with major work in social science and humanities. Registration as a senior in a recognized institution will admit applicants to the examination, but they must produce evidence of graduation or its equivalent before they can be considered eligible for appointment.

Position Description

00109874 - SOCIAL WORK ASSOCIATE (SAFETY)

Provides orientation to new forensic clients, patients, or inmates about developmental center, hospital, or community programs; interviews forensic clients, patients, inmates, relatives, and others to obtain social information to be used in planning the treatment programs; identifies potential applicants for public assistance and processes their applications; assists with problems such as housing, child care, employment, and finances; assists Social Workers in group resocialization programs; coordinates release preparation from State developmental centers or hospitals by giving factual information regarding leave planning to forensic clients, patients, or inmates and others; accompanies forensic clients, patients, or inmates on short preplacement visits; works with other social agencies regarding services to forensic clients, patients, or inmates and monitors the status of referrals to them for service; participates in meetings, committees, and conferences concerned with administrative and treatment planning; prepares reports; collects and collates data from files; and observes and intervenes in instances of disruptive or assaultive behavior. Assists staff in the counting, distribution, and accounting for all utensils to prevent their use as weapons; inspecting facility to identify security breaches that could lead to forensic client, patient, or inmate escape; observing and intervening in forensic client, patient, or inmate behavior that may signal an impending escape attempt; and escorting forensic clients, patients, or inmates to other areas of the facility or the community.

Special Personal Characteristics

Willingness to work at developmental centers, State hospitals, or correctional facilities contracting with the Department of Mental Health for diagnostic and treatment services; sympathetic and objective understanding of the problems of developmentally or mentally disordered offenders; potential for becoming a professional Social Worker; willingness as a learner to do routine or detailed work in order to learn the practical application of social work principles; demonstrated capacity for development as evidenced by academic attainment or other activities; tact; patience; and emotional stability.

Incumbents must possess and maintain sufficient strength, agility, and endurance to perform during physically, mentally, and emotionally stressful and emergency situations encountered on the job without endangering their own health and well-being or that of their fellow employees, forensic clients, patients, inmates, or the public.

For information regarding position location(s), please refer to the Eligible List Information section.

Examination Information

This examination consists of the following component(s):

Component OrderComponent TypeComponent DuePercentage of Final Score
1Supplemental ReportWith Application100%

Components that are due with your application will be scored and will count toward your final examination result. Failure to submit these items may result in disqualification or elimination from the examination.

A final score of 70% must be attained to be placed on the eligible list.

Applicants must submit their exam application AND complete the exam during the same cut-off period.  For example, if you submit your exam application on July 8th, 2024 (which is after the July 5th, 2024 cut-off) you must complete the exam by July 19th, 2024.  Filing Cut-Off Dates are listed at the beginning of the exam bulletin.

Complete and submit the following items with your application. These will be scored and count toward your final examination result. Failure to submit these items will result in disqualification from the examination.

Click the above link to take the exam after you have submitted your application.  Exam responses must be received with the corresponding cut-off date as your application.

 

In addition to evaluating the applicant's relative knowledge, skill and ability as demonstrated by quality and breadth of education/experience, emphasis in each test component will be on measuring competitively, relative to job demands, each applicant's:

Knowledge of: Developments and trends in the field of health and welfare.

 Ability to: Gather and analyze data; write clear, accurate, and concise reports; interpret statistical data; analyze situations accurately and take effective action; communicate effectively; establish and maintain effective and cooperative working relationships with forensic clients, patients, inmates, fellow employees, and the general public; participate effectively in interviews.

Eligible List Information

A Departmental Open eligible list for the SOCIAL WORK ASSOCIATE (SAFETY) Classification will be established for:

  • Department of State Hospitals

The names of successful competitors will be merged onto the eligible list(s) in order of final score regardless of test date. Eligibility expires 12 months after it is established. Applicants must then retake the examination to reestablish eligibility.

Resulting Eligibility List(s) will be used to fill vacancies throughout the State of California.

Veterans' Preference will be granted for this examination. Veterans' Preference is an assistance program for veterans, veteran widows and widowers, and spouses of 100% disabled veterans who seek employment with the state. Veterans' Preference is also extended to currently serving military members nearing their retirement or separation date.

You are not eligible for Veteran's Preference if you are:

  • A veteran who has been dishonorably discharged or released.
  • A veteran, widow or widower of a veteran, or spouse of a 100 percent disabled veteran who currently has permanent civil service status. (Permanent civil service status is the status of an employee who is lawfully retained in his/her position after completion of the applicable probationary period. This does not include limited term).

Veterans' Preference is codified in Government Code Sections 18973 – 18979.

Veteran status is verified by the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR). Directions to apply for Veterans' Preference are on the Veterans' Preference Application (Std. Form 1093), which is available at www.CalCareers.ca.gov, and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Career Credits are not granted for examination(s) administered on an Open basis or a Promotional basis.

Training and Experience Examination Preview

Instructions: Rate your knowledge and experience performing specific job-related tasks.

 

  1. Provide orientation to new individuals in order to educate individuals.
  2. Interview individuals, relatives, and others to obtain information for assessment.
  3. Assist individuals with discharge options and relevant resources.
  4. Assist staff in group treatment and psycho-educational groups.
  5. Work with other social agencies regarding services to individuals.
  6. Provide input/feedback regarding administrative, treatment, and discharge planning.
  7. Prepare documentation to assess and record individual progress and treatment.
  8. Assess environmental risk factors (e.g., bullying, hostile work environment) that may impose danger to staff or individuals.
  9. Assist staff with treatment planning for individuals.
  10. Schedule and process requests for individual evaluations.
  11. Prepare individual referral information packets in the required timeframe to maintain continuity of care.
  12. Assist with evaluations to determine individual progress.
  13. Document individual information in the appropriate or relevant record (e.g., medical record).

 

 

Instructions: Rate your knowledge and experience performing specific job-related knowledge and abilities.

 

  1. Knowledge of developments and trends in the field of health and welfare.
  2. Knowledge of implications of cognitive function and human development in order to meet patients’ needs.
  3. Knowledge of confidentiality to maintain patient privacy.
  4. Skill to use computers to complete various daily tasks.
  5. Ability to assess and document relevant treatment information.
  6. Ability to write clear, accurate, and concise reports.
  7. Ability to assess situations accurately and take effective action.
  8. Ability to communicate effectively both verbal and written.
  9. Ability to establish and maintain effective and cooperative working relationships with individuals, employees, supervisors, and the general public.

 

Testing Departments

  • Department of State Hospitals

Contact Information

Questions regarding this examination should be directed to:

Department of State Hospitals
Department of State Hospitals - Sacramento
Human Resources Office
1215 O Street, MS 17
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 654-2351

California Relay Service: 1-800-735-2929 (TTY), 1-800-735-2922 (Voice). TTY is a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf, and is reachable only from phones equipped with a TTY Device.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The State of California is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

Drug Free Statement

It is an objective of the State of California to achieve a drug-free State work place. Any applicant for State employment will be expected to behave in accordance with this objective, because the use of illegal drugs is inconsistent with the law of the State, the rules governing civil service, and the special trust placed in public servants.

General Information

Examination and/or Employment Application (STD 678) forms are available at the California Department of Human Resources, local offices of the Employment Development Department, and through your CalCareer Account (www.CalCareers.ca.gov).

If you meet the requirements stated on this examination bulletin, you may take this examination, which is competitive. Possession of the entrance requirements does not assure a place on the eligible list. Your performance in the examination described in this bulletin will be rated against a predetermined job-related rating, and all applicants who pass will be ranked according to their scores.

Department of State Hospitals reserves the right to revise the examination plan to better meet the needs of the service, if the circumstances under which this examination was planned change. Such revision will be in accordance with civil service laws and rules and all applicants will be notified.

General Qualifications: Applicants must possess essential personal qualifications including integrity, initiative, dependability, good judgment, the ability to work cooperatively with others, and a state of health consistent with the ability to perform the assigned duties of the class. A medical examination may be required. In open examinations, investigation may be made of employment records and personal history and fingerprinting may be required.

Eligible Lists: Eligible lists established by competitive examination, regardless of date, must be used in the following order: 1) sub-divisional promotional, 2) departmental promotional, 3) multi-departmental promotional, 4) service-wide promotional, 5) departmental open, 6) open. When there are two lists of the same kind, the older must be used first. Eligible lists will expire in one to four years unless otherwise stated on the bulletin.

High School Equivalence: Equivalence to completion of the 12th grade may be demonstrated in any one of the following ways: 1) passing the General Education Development (GED) Test; 2) completion of 12 semester units of college-level work; 3) certification from the State Department of Education, a local school board, or high school authorities that the competitor is considered to have education equivalent to graduation from high school; or 4) for clerical and accounting classes, substitution of business college work in place of high school on a year-for-year basis.

Accepted applicants must provide proof of identification at each in-person test session. Acceptable identification consists of a photo identification card or two forms of signed identification.

Application Methods:
Electronic (Your CalCareer Account)
By Mail
In Person (see bulletin for details)
Alternate Application Process

While we recommend that you utilize your CalCareer Account to take advantage of all the tools available, you may choose to apply for this examination without using your account. In this case, print and complete the Exam Application Package Checklist and include it if you submit a hard copy application.

Exam Application Package Checklist

Blank Application Form (STD678)

Accommodation Request (STD679)