• Conducts personal interviews and evaluations of individuals and estates involved in matters before the Probate Court;

• Contacts and conducts interviews with other parties who may be able to provide information relevant to the matters before the court;
• Conducts investigations of individuals and organizations on issues related to pending matters; i.e. successor conservator, petitions, accountings, medical consent authority;
• Acts as liaison between court and relevant agencies related to the area of specialization of the investigator;
• Completes investigative report, which summarizes results of interviews and investigations; provides results of analysis and recommendations as required or requested;
• Reports findings to the Probate Court in writing;
• Identify an issue, make recommendations to attorneys and mediators;
• Studies new legislation, which affects the policies and procedures of the office and implement changes as directed;
• Consults with, refers cases to, and maintains effective working relationships with other agencies and individuals at all organizational levels;
• Testifies in Court as the Court's expert witness;
• Performs other related duties as required.

Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a major in social or behavioral sciences, family counseling, or related field and a minimum of two years experience in social work, family counseling, probate, or probation investigative work involving field evaluations. Possession of a California Driver's license, with a good driving record, is required.

Knowledge of:

• California court systems and local Probate Court proceedings;
• State and local laws relating to emancipations, guardianships for minors, and conservatorships for adults;
• Techniques of interviewing and evaluating the needs of minors, developmentally disabled adults, frail elderly, and dependent adults, and determining the resources to meet them;
• Knowledge of medical terms and medications;
• Basic knowledge of accounting principals;
• Knowledge of estate planning documents, such as: wills, trusts, durable powers of attorney for both finances and health care;
• Caseload management and statistical tracing;
• Investigative methods and techniques;
  Community resources for the client referral.

Ability to:

• Gather, analyze, and evaluate facts and evidence;
• Accurately implement court processes, rules, policies, and procedures;
• Interact appropriately with judges, court staff, attorneys, and the public;
• Communicate orally and in written form in a clear and concise manner;
• Work with time restraints; work under pressure with minimal supervision to meet a number of deadlines, including court hearings;
• Adapt to varying circumstances, and use sound judgment in the performance of duties.

WORKING CONDITIONS:
The work environment is generally clean, inside buildings, with limited exposure to dust, fumes, odors, and noise. Incumbents may also travel to various environments while conducting field investigations. A California Driver's license is required. Conducts field work investigations on proposed and continuing conservatees, guardians, and wards, to obtain social history, assess developmental, emotional, and psychological needs of conservatees and wards and evaluates the ability of proposed conservators and guardians to meet those needs. Incumbents will be working under sometimes difficult and stressful conditions, with frequent deadlines and expectation to produce high quality work under limited time constraints as well as periodic contact with angry and confrontational individuals. Must travel to various institutional and private home settings throughout the County, and at times, in neighboring communities. The ability to work independently as well as closely with others is required.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
Specific tasks and duties may vary between assignments, however, the following are considered essential functions expected of the investigator classification:

• Frequent and ongoing use of a computer terminal for writing reports and accessing information from the internet;
• Regular contact with the public, with the ability to converse and respond appropriately with tact and decorum.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• Dexterity, coordination, and/or ability to use a computer keyboard and read a video display terminal on a regular basis;
• Sitting for long periods of time is periodically required;
• Driving is a requirement of the job;
• Occasional lifting of objects weighing up to 10 lbs.

EXAMINATION:
A screening panel will be convened to select those applicants deemed most qualified to participate in a written and/or oral examination. The examination process will include one or more of the following: application appraisal; written examination; oral examination.