Child Protective Services Social Worker

Salary : $101,580.13 - $123,474.02 Annually
Location : Santa Rosa, CA
Job Type: Full-Time
Job Number: 26/04-3006-O&PT
Department: Human Services Department (HSD)
Opening Date: 04/13/2026
Closing Date: 4/27/2026 11:59 PM Pacific
Bargaining Unit: 25

Position Information
Make a difference in the lives of Sonoma County families.
Become a Child Protective Services Social Worker!

Title IV-E students graduating Spring 2026 are encouraged to apply!

Starting salary at $48.67/hour ($101,580/year) plus a competitive total compensation package!*

Family, Youth, and Children (FYC) staff members help individuals, families, and the community to ensure the safety and well-being of Sonoma County children and teens. They investigate reports of child abuse, neglect, or abandonment and, when needed, provide compassionate care placement with foster parents or residential programs. Children and their families who are at-risk are supported through referrals to social services, helping client homes to be safe, stable, nurturing places. Staff respond to reports of abuse and neglect, day or night, through the 24-hour hotline. FYC staff members also provide community training about child abuse prevention and mandated reporting. For more information about FYC, please visit .

Child Protective Services Social Workers in FYC may be assigned to one or more programs within the Division and may work from a variety of regional offices located in the County. The Division provides a wide spectrum of protective, regulatory, preventative, and placement services, including but not limited to:

• Assessing client and family strengths and needs to develop and monitor parents' compliance with treatment case plans
• Investigating allegations of child abuse and neglect
• Engaging with the Dependency Court via applications for protective custody warrants, written court reports, court appearances, providing support to clients and witnesses, and providing testimony
• Making services available to intact families, to assist in the remediation of existing problems
• Filing petitions and other legal documents with the Juvenile Court to have children who have been abused or neglected removed from parental care
• Determining living arrangements for children and youth
• Maintaining confidential information in accordance with legal standards and County regulations
• Supporting families and children during visitation sessions
• Providing reunification services to parents whose children have been removed from their care
• Collaborating with attorneys, the Juvenile Court, service providers, tribal representatives, and foster care providers
• Ensuring all services are delivered in a respectful, culturally sensitive, and appropriate manner
• Participating in evening and weekend Emergency Response standby coverage as needed

The ideal candidates for these positions will possess many of the following:

• A Master's Degree in Social Work or a Master's Degree from a two year counseling program
• The ability to remain calm and multitask while interacting with children and families in stressful situations
• A passion for child welfare and working with youth and families who have experienced trauma
• The ability to think critically through complex and emotionally charged situations
• A thorough understanding of the regulations and laws that govern child welfare work
• The ability to adapt to meet the changing needs of clients while maintaining tact, objectivity, sensitivity, and sound judgment
• Experience assessing and evaluating home and family situations to determine the need for crisis intervention or a safety plan
• The ability to handle sensitive topics and content, including images of children who may have experienced abuse, neglect, or abandonment
• Experience utilizing the Safety Organized Practice (SOP), Core Practice Model (CPM), and Structured Decision Making (SDM) approaches when dealing with complex situations
• An understanding of Trauma-Informed Care and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) concepts
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Experience exercising sound judgment to make diagnostic risk assessments and decisions regarding the placement of children or youth
• The ability to develop and utilize community resources to best serve our clients' needs
• Working knowledge and a basic understanding of how to support FYC's mission and vision
• Basic computer skills including Outlook, Word, and Excel
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) skills are desired but not required

About the Human Services Department (HSD)

As the largest agency in Sonoma County government, the Human Services Department's mission is to build upon strengths, as we bridge clients to opportunities through responsive safety-net services. We work to protect vulnerable children and adults, to help people rise above poverty and thrive in our community, and to promote maximum independence and well-being for individuals and families. HSD is responsible for child and adult protective services, veteran services, and administration of state and federal programs, including CalFRESH, CalWORKs, Medi-Cal, and In-Home Supportive Services. The department is dedicated to providing responsive, client-focused services so that all in our community can live freely chosen lives up to their full potential throughout their lifespan. The core values that drive our work are dignity, humility, integrity, responsiveness, partnership, and belonging.
HSD fosters a positive work environment, where our commitment to providing opportunities for advancement is strengthened by a robust staff development program. We believe in the merits of work/life balance and enjoy the satisfaction of knowing that our work contributes to the betterment of our community.

The Department works collaboratively at the federal, state, and local levels to find creative solutions to support the well-being of individuals, families, and the community. To meet that goal, the department has fostered strong relationships with other public and private sector partners, including other government agencies, community-based organizations, and business leaders. For more information regarding HSD's services please visit

What We Offer

At the Human Services Department's Family, Youth, and Children (FYC) Division, we deliver exemplary employee training and mentoring, resulting in a strong learning environment.
We provide our employees cost-free supervision for licensure hours after successful completion of CORE training and passing probation.

Working at the County of Sonoma offers expansive opportunities for growth and development, the ability to be a part of a challenging and rewarding work environment, and the satisfaction of knowing your contributions work to better our shared community. You can also look forward to flexible work arrangements and excellent benefits* including:

• Hybrid Telework- A schedule that meets the needs of our staff, department operations, and the communities we serve may be available depending on the assignment
• Salary Advancement - A salary increase after 1,040 hours (6 months when working full-time) for good work performance; eligibility for a salary increase for good performance every year thereafter, until reaching the top of the salary range
• Paid Time Off - Competitive vacation and sick leave accruals, 12 paid holidays, and an additional 8 floating holiday hours per year
• County Paid Health Premium Contributions - 100% premium contribution for the majority of employee-only and employee + family health plan options
• Post-Retirement Health Reimbursement Arrangement - County contributions to help fund post-retirement employee health insurance/benefits
• Retirement - A pension fully integrated with Social Security
• Paid Parental Leave - May be eligible for up to 8 weeks (320 hours) after 12 months of County employment
• Additional Benefits - Excellent dental, vision, disability, life insurance, employee assistance program, professional development, and more
• Student Loan Debt Relief - County employees may be eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness through the U.S. Department of Education

*Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice. Additional information can be found in the and our .

This recruitment is currently being conducted to fill two full-time and one part-time Child Protective Services Social Worker positions in the Human Services Department. This employment list may also be used to fill future full-time, part-time, or extra-help (temporary) positions as they occur during the active status of the list. Qualified candidates who wish to be considered for future positions should consider applying to this recruitment.
Application submissions require the Supplemental Questionnaire to be completed.

Minimum Qualifications
Experience and Education: Any combination of education and work experience which would provide an opportunity to acquire the knowledge and abilities listed herein. Normally, this would include possession of a Master's Degree in social work, or a Master's Degree from a two year counseling program, such as marriage and family therapy, clinical counseling, mental health counseling, addiction counseling, and counseling psychology, upon appointment.

OR

Graduation from college, with a Bachelor's Degree in social work, sociology, psychology or other behavioral science; and three years of social work case management experience, performing duties such as mental health assessments; conducting investigations of abuse and neglect, including an assessment for child risk and safety; and developing and modifying social work case plans.

License: Possession of a valid driver's license at the appropriate level including special endorsements, as required by the State of California, may be required depending upon assignment to perform the essential job functions of the position.

The positions advertised on this announcement require possession of a valid California Driver's License.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Considerable Knowledge of: Current principles, practices, and techniques of social work; casework methods and techniques with particular reference to problems of child neglect, abandonment, and abuse; current philosophy and practices in the field of Child Social Services; psychopathology, the different types of mental illness diagnoses, how mental illness affects human behavior and mental health services and treatments utilized by clients; signs, stages, and dynamics of abuse, and the effects of abuse on child/adult development and behavior; signs and symptoms of alcohol and drug use/abuse in adults and children and the effects on families; standards for maintaining clients safely in the home; options for placement; effects of removing clients from unsafe situations.

Working knowledge of: Principles and methodologies of research, analysis, problem solving, and decision making; laws, rules, and regulations governing the operation of public social services agencies and the role and responsibilities of a social worker; medical, legal, economic, and social management needs of individuals and families.

Knowledge of: Strategies and protocols surrounding crisis intervention techniques such as voice modulation; principles of community organization; resources available in the community for referral or utilization in employment or social service programs.

Ability to: Use social work methods and evaluation techniques to determine appropriate treatment in difficult, emotional, confrontational, and crisis situations while maintaining a professional demeanor; utilize various strategies to address the cumulative impact of a high stress environment; work on-call and extended hours; develop therapeutic relationships in order to conduct crisis intervention and therapeutic social work counseling; employ effective stress management techniques and methods of self-care; exercise tact, objectivity, sensitivity, sound judgment, and cultural awareness; control personal bias and apply social work ethics; assess and evaluate home and family situations to determine if crisis intervention or a safety plan is needed; exercise sound judgment in making diagnostic risk assessments and decisions regarding placement of children; assist in transport of children; develop and utilize community resources to best serve clients' needs; interpret, explain, and apply complex laws, rules, regulations, policies, and procedures; provide guidance and consultation to other staff; learn and use various computer applications, databases, and specialized software programs; write clear, descriptive, and detailed reports under time constraints; maintain confidentiality of files and records; and keep and prepare accurate and timely records.

Selection Procedure & Some Helpful Tips When Applying

• Your application information and your responses to the supplemental questions are evaluated and taken into consideration throughout the entire selection process.
• You should list all employers and positions held within the last ten years in the work history section of your application. Be as thorough as possible when responding to the supplemental questions.
• You may include history beyond ten years if related to the position for which you are applying. If you held multiple positions with one employer, list out each position separately.
• Failure to follow these instructions may impact your competitiveness in this process or may result in disqualification.

Please visit to review more detailed information about the hiring process, including the