County approves reclassification for child‑protection social workers; MOA with AFSCME will move positions pending ratification

Human Services staff reported that a consultant, Dr. Tessa Melvin of Davis Smiles and Associates (referenced as the consultant), reviewed the child‑protection social worker job description and recommended separating child‑protection social worker duties from mental‑health and developmental‑disability caseloads. The consultant recommended raising the job from 310 to 330 points, placing the classification in grade 19.1 to improve pay competitiveness and reduce turnover.

Staff told the board the primary drivers for the reclassification were the length and intensity of required training (9 months to as much as 18 months for full proficiency), increased working conditions impact and turnover statewide. The director said the MOA with AFSCME would move incumbents onto the new scale after ratification and after positions are filled under the new scale; recruiting will begin with the revised wage scale pending ratification.

"She came back with a recommendation to increase it from 310 to 330 points...This would give us a subgrade of 19.1," the director said. "We're going to begin the recruiting process with this new wage scale with the caveat that it's pending ratification."

The board voted to approve the reclassification and authorized staff to begin recruiting using the new wage scale subject to the ratification process in collective bargaining.

Why it matters: The change is intended to make it easier to recruit and retain child‑protection social workers in the county, addressing a documented statewide turnover problem and the lengthy training pipeline required for those positions.