Social Worker IV; Public Guardian

Recruitment Number 26-104LJ, Social Worker IV (Public Guardian), SR-22*, Hilo, Hawaii.

* Hourly rate effective July 1, 2026.

Note: This position requires a current and valid driver's license to operate a motor vehicle.

This position provides guardianship and case management services for incapacitated adults under the supervision of the Office of the Public Guardian. Responsibilities include conducting interviews and assessments; monitoring client well-being and progress; making decisions regarding the ward’s health, residence, safety, and welfare; developing and monitoring treatment plans; coordinating services with case managers, healthcare providers, and community agencies; and responding to emergency situations.

The position serves as an on-duty guardian, provides coverage for absent staff, attends and testifies at court hearings, prepares guardianship reports and legal documentation, and protects wards from abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation. Additional duties include conducting intake assessments for new guardianship cases, identifying and securing necessary resources and services, providing information and consultation regarding guardianship matters, supervising interns and volunteers, conducting community education and training, and maintaining comprehensive case records.

The position requires regular travel to residences, healthcare facilities, courts, and other community locations, including occasional overnight travel and inter-island assignments as needed to serve wards and fulfill program responsibilities.

Graduation from an accredited four (4) year college or university with a bachelor’s degree which included a minimum of twelve (12) semester credit hours in courses such as social work, social welfare, criminal justice, human services, counseling, psychology, sociology, or other related social sciences. Excess work experience as described under Specialized Experience below, or any other responsible administrative, professional or analytical work experience which provided knowledge and abilities comparable to those acquired in four (4) years of successful study while completing a college or university curriculum leading to a bachelor’s degree may be substituted on a year-for-year basis.

To be acceptable, the experience must have been of such scope, level and quality as to assure the possession of comparable knowledge and abilities. The education or experience background must also demonstrate the ability to write clear and comprehensive reports and other documents; read and interpret complex written material; and solve complex problems logically and systematically.

Two and one-half (2-1/2) years of progressively responsible professional social work experience which involved utilizing a variety of social work skills and exercising professional judgement in the process of assisting individuals and their families with identifying their problems, evaluating the situation realistically, and considering resources and alternative courses of action pertinent to their needs and circumstances. The work typically involves conducting assessments;

developing and implementing a plan of treatment programs and services; working cooperatively with other professionals, community agencies or institutions, in an interdisciplinary team; and evaluating the client’s progress and adjusting plans as appropriate.

• (1) Experience providing supportive services to professional social workers, vocational rehabilitation specialists, housing managers, or other professional workers in such programs as public welfare, family court, etc.
• (2) Experience determining the eligibility of applicants/recipients for benefits under a public welfare program such as medical assistance, food stamps and other benefits.
• (3) Experience providing vocational, educational, psychological, or pastoral counseling.
• (4) Experience providing occupational or physical therapeutic services.
• (5) Peace Corps or VISTA work experience which did not require the application of professional knowledge of the principles and practices of social work and/or was not performed under…