PRINCIPAL SOCIAL SERVICE AIDE
In New Jersey, Principal Social Service Aide is filled through the competitive process: candidates take a civil service exam and are hired off a ranked list, not picked at will.
Qualifying turns on 2 years of relevant experience. The FY 2027 range lands between $42,397 and $61,027, and state payroll currently lists about 11 people in the title, most of them at Health and Senior Services.
How to apply
This title is filled by competitive examination.
See every real route in, and where to apply. One agency employs it. We don't track live vacancies.
See where to apply for this title →Who employs this title
Principal Social Service Aide appears on the State payroll at one department, Department of Health.
State departments
| Employer | Employees |
|---|---|
| Department of Health | 11 |
State payroll and independent authority payroll are separate systems and are never merged. See data sources.
Who employs this title
State payroll records show 11 people working under this title. The median actual salary is $53,563. The agencies employing the most are:
- Health and Senior Services (11)
Counts from NJ YourMoney agency payroll. See statewide workforce analytics.
Official job specification
The text below is the official specification published by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The plain-language summary and analysis above are derived from it by NJ Civil Service Navigator. Source: the official specification page at NJ CSC.
Definition
Under the general supervision of a supervisory official in the Department of Health, performs highly complex paraprofessional work involving the operation of a service program requiring specialized skills and program knowledge; has responsibility for gathering required social information about clients, for making assessments of cases, and for implementing preventive, rehabilitative, and/or supportive treatment; does other related duties as required.
Examples of work
- Makes field visits to assist clients to utilize community resources such as clinics, hospitals, and other social agencies.
- Obtains information from other resources such as schools, clinics, and other social agencies.
- Makes field visits to assist clients in carrying out some of their responsibilities as parents such as completing forms, registering children in schools, obtaining inoculations, referring children to recreational programs and youth activity centers, and so forth.
- Develops and maintains a community resource file and interprets to the community and clients agency's policy and procedures.
- Assesses day care needs of clients.
- Assists natural families in home management, financial management, homemaking skills, parenting skills, housing problems, and so forth.
- Carries a small caseload of five to fifteen families under direct supervision of professional staff.
- Assesses clients' problems and needs and develops plans for fulfillment of their needs and treatments.
- Notes significant incidents and other developments with clients.
- Performs projects and surveys in the office and gathers other routine information as needed.
- Assesses existing and new foster care, day care homes, and so forth in accordance with agency policy and procedure and prepares evaluations.
- Transports clients to clinics, schools, camps, supermarkets, and so forth as directed.
- Prepares necessary correspondence in the course of official duties.
- Maintains essential records, reports, and files.
- Prepares clear, technically sound, accurate, and informative reports containing findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
- Will be required to learn how to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
Experience
Two (2) years of subprofessional social service experience.
License
Appointees will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform the essential duties of the position.
Knowledge, skills and abilities
- Knowledge of the problems of economically and culturally disadvantaged persons.
- Knowledge of available community services and organizations and their resources
- Knowledge of the prevailing economic and social conditions in the community.
- Knowledge of department law and regulations pertaining to the provision of general and specific social services.
- Knowledge of the basic casework procedures and routines including the preparation of case records and other documents.
- Ability to understand complex casework procedures and techniques.
- Ability to understand and apply department laws, regulations, and procedures pertaining to the provision of social services, and to interpret and clarify them.
- Ability to work independently using established procedures and methods.
- Ability to organize work, analyze the problems arising therein, and develop appropriate work methods.
- Ability to establish and maintain effective and courteous relationships with clients, business associates, employers, banks, insurance companies, schools, hospitals, and other establishments.
- Ability to make effective contacts with clients, relatives, and interested individuals and agencies and to secure needed information.
- Ability to work effectively with agency staff and to win the confidence of clients of varying ethnic, education, and social background to obtain their cooperation in an effective manner.
- Ability to profit from an in-service training program.
- Ability to assess and determine client needs.
- Ability to use interviewing techniques and provide information in accord with prescribed procedure.
- Ability to write clear, technically sound, accurate, and informative case histories and factual reports containing findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
- Ability to learn how to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
- Ability to read, write, speak, understand, and communicate in English sufficiently to perform the duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication.
- Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible if they can perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible.
Note
The examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular position using this title may not perform all duties listed in this job specification. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be used.
Applicants who do not possess the required experience may substitute completion of thirty (30) semester hour college credits for one (1) year of experience.