Job Details

Shasta County Public Defender's Office

The current vacancy is in the Shasta County Public Defender's Office. Oral exam is tentatively scheduled for September 2026. Responses to supplemental questions required. Final filing date: September 30, 2026, at 5:00 PM.

Salary information:

Assistant Social Worker: $4,024-$5,136 MONTHLY* / $23.21-$29.63 HOURLY*

Social Worker: $4,659-$5,946 MONTHLY* / $26.88-$34.30 HOURLY*

This position is in the UPEC Professional bargaining unit. Please refer to the applicable bargaining unit labor agreement (Memorandum of Understanding) for potential future salary increases: Shasta County Labor Agreements.

The salary range consists of six (6) salary steps, with approximately 5% between each step. Newly hired employees are appointed at Step A of the assigned salary range. Employees are eligible for a merit-based salary increase from Step A to Step B after six months of satisfactory service. Thereafter, employees may be eligible for annual merit-based step increases, beginning one year from the Step B effective date, until they reach the top step of the salary range.

About the position:

Assistant Social Worker: Under direction, provides support to justice-involved clients by assessing basic social service needs, conducting initial social studies, identifying barriers to stability and successful case outcomes, and connecting clients with appropriate community resources. Provides limited casework services and assists Social Workers and attorneys with service coordination, documentation, and client support. Performs related duties as required.

Social Worker: Under direction, provides social services to justice-involved clients by conducting comprehensive social assessments, developing individualized service plans, and coordinating treatment, diversion, and other supportive services. Provides information regarding available resources and facilitates referrals to appropriate community providers and human service agencies. Works collaboratively with Public Defender attorneys, clients, treatment providers, and community partners to address client needs and support successful case outcomes. Performs related duties as required.

Distinguishing characteristics:

Assistant Social Worker: The Assistant Social Worker is the trainee classification in the professional Social Worker series. Within the Public Defender's Office, the position provides an opportunity to develop knowledge and skills in working with justice-involved individuals, including client assessment, resource coordination, treatment and diversion services, and collaboration with attorneys and community providers.

Social Worker: The Social Worker is the full journey-level classification in the professional Social Worker series. Within the Public Defender's Office, the Social Worker independently manages a caseload and provides social work services to justice-involved clients with a range of needs and case complexities.

Who we are looking for:

The ideal candidate is a compassionate, motivated professional who is committed to serving justice-involved individuals experiencing mental health, substance use, and other barriers to stability. They will have strong communication and organizational skills, an interest in behavioral health and community resources, and the ability to work collaboratively with clients, attorneys, treatment providers, and justice system partners.

Public Defender - Who we are:

For over 20 years the Shasta County Public Defender's Office has provided representation to those who are unable to afford an attorney. Our mission is to provide compassionate, holistic defense to those in need, ensuring that every client receives comprehensive legal representation tailored to their unique experiences, goals, and needs. We provide zealous, ethical, effective advocacy while protecting the rights and dignity of each person we represent.

We serve diverse communities with unwavering commitment to justice. Each year, our office represents hundreds of indigent clients charged with misdemeanor, felony, and juvenile offenses. Our role is to protect the constitutional rights of justice-involved individuals and to hold the government accountable, ensuring that fairness and due process are upheld in every case.

We foster a supportive and empowering environment where our attorneys and staff are encouraged to grow both professionally and personally. By investing in our team's well-being and development, we create a culture of excellence, advocacy, and integrity. We are committed to building a sustainable criminal defense practice that serves our clients and our community for generations to come.

About Shasta County:

Shasta County offers all the amenities of the big city while retaining a comfortable small-town atmosphere. With its natural beauty, affordable housing, excellent educational system, abundance of recreational opportunities, and excellent quality of life, Shasta County is a great place to live, work, and raise a family.

Examples of Essential Duties

Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

Assistant Social Worker:

Studies and applies the principles and techniques of social work to a caseload which includes basic types of services problems; as a learner-trainee, interviews clients to ascertain the nature of their problems and develop elementary services plans; carries out the less difficult services plans under close supervision where the end result normally is a tangible service, such as employment, referral to a community center or an environmental change; makes referrals to other staff members when problems are beyond level of competence; interprets services rules, regulations, and policy to clients and the general public when within the scope of responsibility; maintains necessary casework records; attends training courses designed to further understanding of the social work processes and to increase technical competence.

Social Worker:

Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

Carries a caseload of the more difficult types of social service cases involving individualized treatment and specialized advanced application of casework methods and skills; diagnoses client problems and follows through with the more difficult treatment plans with a high degree of independence; interviews clients in office or home to assess needs for service; explains the optional and mandatory nature of social services programs; interprets State, County and departmental rules, regulations and policies to individuals and groups; responds to requests for information and makes referrals to appropriate workers or departments; gathers, maintains and disseminates current information on community resources; prepares reports, case records and correspondence; as an additional duty, incumbents may function in a lead capacity and assist with casework consultation and training for other social workers; assists in developing and implementing unit policies and procedures; acts in the absence of the supervisor or as designated in assigning cases and reviewing and approving case decisions; attends meetings and does related work as needed.

In the Public Defender's Office: Meet with clients, many of whom will be incarcerated, to assess treatment needs and develop treatment plans with the goal of reducing recidivism and enhancing the prospects for successful re-entry into the community; collaborate with attorneys to develop alternatives to incarceration for clients suffering from substance abuse problems or mental illness; refer clients to appropriate services and occasionally advocate on their behalf in court proceedings.

Qualifications

Assistant Social Worker:

Possession of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university including thirty (30) semester college units in social welfare, social/human services, sociology, or other behavioral sciences.

Social Worker:

Either:

Two (2) years of experience performing professional social casework services;

Or possession of a master's degree in social work or a master's degree from a two-year counseling program;

Or be a registered MFCC intern with California State Board of Behavioral Science;

Or possession of a bachelor's degree, including thirty (30) semester college units in social welfare, social/human services, sociology or other behavioral sciences AND two (2) years of experience as an Assistant Social Worker in Shasta County;

Or possession of a bachelor's degree, including thirty (30) semester college units in social welfare, social/human services, sociology, or other behavioral sciences AND two (2) years of experience performing social casework services in child or adult protective services comparable to an Assistant Social Worker in Shasta County.

Special Requirements:

Possession of a valid California driver's license.

Supplemental Questions:

Education: Do you possess a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, including at least thirty (30) semester units in social welfare, social/human services, sociology, psychology, or other behavioral sciences? If "Yes," please identify your degree, college or university, and the relevant coursework, including the number of semester units for each course. If "No," type N/A.

Social Work Experience: Do you possess experience providing professional social casework, client assessment, service coordination, resource navigation, or related human services? If "Yes," please provide details including employer(s), dates of employment, job title(s), and primary duties. If "No," type N/A.

Graduate Education: Do you possess a master's degree in social work, counseling, psychology, or a related behavioral health field? If "Yes," please identify the degree and