Public Health Assistant

CURRENT VACANCY IS WITHIN THE SHASTA COUNTY

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY – PUBLIC HEALTH BRANCH

ORAL EXAM IS TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED FOR FEBRUARY 2025

RESPONSES TO SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONS REQUIRED

SEE “SPECIAL REQUIREMENT” SECTION REGARDING

POSSESSION OF A VALID DRIVER’S LICENSE

FINAL FILING DATE: FEBRUARY 17, 2025, AT 09:00 AM

SALARY INFORMATION

$3,075 - $3,924 APPROXIMATE MONTHLY* / $17.74 - $22.64 APPROXIMATE HOURLY*

*Please refer to the appropriate Bargaining Unit Memorandum of Understanding for potential future salary increases* Please visit https://www.shastacounty.gov/personnel/page/labor-agreements-mous.

ABOUT SHASTA COUNTY

Shasta County offers all of the amenities of the big city while retaining a comfortable small-town atmosphere.  With its natural beauty, diversified culture, 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.

Health and Human Services Agency

The Shasta County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) partners with communities to protect and improve the health and well-being of Shasta County residents. Established in 2006, the HHSA is organized into four branches: Behavioral Health & Social Services, Public Health, Economic Mobility, with a centralized Administration Services. The HHSA promotes optimal health for all. The frail, the abused, the mentally ill and those without resources look to the HHSA for services and resources to meet their basic needs, and to protect their health and safety. This transformation improves efficiency, avoids unnecessary duplication of effort, encourages collaboration among programs and organizes the HHSA’s services to be more responsive to the needs of the public. 

The Public Health Branch focuses on community-wide prevention of communicable disease, chronic disease, injury, substance abuse, family violence, and lead poisoning. Public Health helps the community develop policies and support community environments that support positive health outcomes. It promotes nutrition and physical activity, healthy aging, worksite wellness, healthy families, and healthy communities. Public Health is also where the HHSA’s emergency response unit is headquartered, and its laboratory provides testing services for Shasta and numerous other Northern California counties.

ABOUT THE POSITION

Under general supervision by a public health program coordinator or manager, performs routine administrative duties of a program or programs. This position could perform these duties within a variety of public health programs such as immunizations, community nutrition or WIC, communicable disease, aging services, HIV/AIDS, health education, public health nursing, laboratory, clinical services or maternal and child health.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

This class requires a general knowledge of public health principles and practices, program administration, record keeping and reporting, oral and written communication skills, health education practices, and possession of basic clerical and coordination skills. This class is distinguished from a Typist Clerk III by its direct programmatic or administrative support of health professional duties; and by its performance of health paraprofessional duties.

IDEAL CANDIDATE

The ideal candidate will have at least one year of full-time experience in a public health or health and human services setting and be familiar with population-based disease prevention programs. The ideal candidate will be able to provide support and assistance to public health programs, providing health education information to health care providers and work cooperatively with team members, occasionally on weekends or in the evening. They will exhibit good interpersonal skills, problem solving ability, adaptability, and strong organizational skills with an ability to prioritize workload. The ideal candidate will have experience in providing excellent customer service, conducting intake screening assessments, designing materials such as flyers and brochures, managing social media posting, conducting outreach and material distribution, maintaining program files and documentation, taking meeting minutes, and data entry. The ideal candidate will embrace the mission of HHSA: “Partnering with communities to protect and improve health and well-being.”

Prepares reports and compiles program data or other information; coordinates program service delivery by assisting professional staff with scheduling, advertising or making site arrangements; assists program staff perform community educational or outreach events; maintains program statistics and records; effectively communicates to the public, community agencies or providers the essential mission and function of the assigned program(s); coordinates the distribution of correspondence regarding program services and assists in maintaining mailing lists; assists program staff with routine clerical support in absence of assigned staff; maintains inventory of fixed assets, supplies other program materials; maintains records to assist fiscal staff compile and submit fee or program invoices; assists in the development of health education materials, displays or presentations; and other duties as assigned.

Any combination of education and experience sufficient to directly demonstrate possession and application of the following:

Knowledge of: Public health principles and practices; fundamentals of record keeping, data and statistical maintenance; health education methods; and standard medical terminology routinely used in public health programs. 

Ability to: Work well with public health professionals, community members and the public; communicate effectively both orally and in writing; compile and maintain records and design record keeping systems and methods; learn the specific principles of assigned program service delivery and administration, and be able to interpret and explain those principles to the target audience, community members or agencies; learn the principles of disease control, health practices, and intervention strategies employed by the assigned program; draft and compile information necessary for reports to local, state or federal agencies, funding sources, or public health staff; operate a personal computer for record keeping, word processing, data base development and maintenance, and report writing; carry out assigned goals and activities; and actively promote the Department's mission and its population based outcomes orientation.

These standards are typically attained with two or more years of experience in a public health program. Fifteen (15) semester units of community or public health, social services, community education, health science, or closely related field may be substituted for one year of experience AND a bachelor's degree in public health, health science, or health education may be substituted for both years of experience.

 SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONS

Responses to the following must be submitted with a completed application.

1. Do you have two or more years of experience in a public health program? If yes, please list your experience, if none please write “N/A”.
2. Do you have at least 15 semester units of community or public health, social services, community education, health science, or closely related field? If yes, please list your courses, if none please write “N/A”.
3. Do you have a bachelor's degree in public health, health science, or health education? If yes, please list your degree, if none please write “N/A”.
4. I acknowledge that this position does require a valid California driver's license. Yes/No

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand; walk; sit; and use hands to finger, handle, or feel. The employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

• All new employees are required to have their paycheck directly deposited to a bank account.
• Some positions may require a valid California driver's license and acceptable driving record according to County policy.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made for those persons who are disabled under the Americans with Disabilities Act to perform the essential functions of the position.
• As part of the selection process, all individuals provided with a preliminary offer of employment with Shasta County will be subject to a background investigation, including a criminal history check (primarily completed through the taking of fingerprints). An image of your fingerprints will be captured and sent to the California Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The resulting report of your conviction history, (if any), will be evaluated along with the other information received in connection with your application. Except as otherwise required by law, a criminal conviction will not necessarily disqualify you from the position. The nature of the offense, the date of the offense, the surrounding circumstances, and the relevance of the offense to the position applied for may, however, be considered.
• Based on the results of the background investigation and criminal history check, applicants may then be provided with an offer of employment conditioned on the results of a medical examination, which includes drug/alcohol testing. 

Shasta County Personnel will accept applications and responses to the supplemental questions until 9:00 a.m., on February 17, 2025. A Resume and/or Cover Letter will be accepted in addition to the application form but will not serve as a substitute for a completed application. It is not acceptable to complete the application with statements such as, “Refer to Resume and/or Cover Letter,” or “See Attached Resume and/or Cover Letter” the employment application must be completed in its entirety prior to submission. Incomplete applications will not be processed. Closing date postmarks or faxes will NOT be accepted. This recruitment will establish a list that may or may not be used by other departments. Prior applicants must reapply to be considered. 

Applicants will be screened and those considered best qualified will be invited to appear for an oral and/or written examination. Meeting the announced requirements does not guarantee inclusion into the selection process. Depending upon the number of applications received, the selection process may consist of additional application screening, written and/or practical exam(s), oral interview, or any combination thereof. 

Veterans' Credit: Veterans (as defined by California Government Code section 18973) who have been discharged from military service under conditions other than dishonorable and who receive a passing score on all components of the employment examinations (up to and including oral examinations) shall receive credit for an additional five points to be added to their final examination score. To be considered for this credit, a veteran MUST provide a copy of his or her discharge document (DD-214 or equivalent) and information as to the type of discharge (honorable, dishonorable, etc.) WITH THE EMPLOYMENT APPLICATION ON OR BEFORE THE FINAL FILING DATE. 

Applicants are encouraged to apply on-line at www.ShastaCountyCareers.com or submit an application to the Shasta County Personnel Office.

Arrangements may be made to accommodate applicants with disabilities. Requests for accommodations may be made to the Shasta County Personnel Office by the filing deadline posted on this bulletin. Shasta County does not discriminate on the basis of disability. If you feel you are being denied service based on a disability, our ADA Coordinator may be reached at (530) 225-5515; relay service (800) 735-2922; fax (530) 225-5345.

Shasta County will consider qualified applicants with a criminal history pursuant to the California Fair Chance Act. You do not need to disclose your criminal history or participate in a background check until a conditional job offer is made to you. After making a conditional offer and running a background check, if Shasta County is concerned about a conviction that is directly related to the job, you will be given the chance to explain the circumstances surrounding the conviction, provide mitigating evidence, or challenge the accuracy of the background report. Find out more about the Fair Chance Act by visiting calcivilrights.ca.gov/fair-chance-act.

SHASTA COUNTY IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Shasta County Personnel

1450 Court Street, Suite 348; Redding, CA 96001; (530) 225-5515

Salary : $36,900 - $47,088