Tuberculosis (TB) Outreach Specialist - Bilingual Required

WHAT WE OFFER:
The County of Ventura offers an attractive compensation and benefits package.  Aside from our base salary range, an employee within this position will also be eligible for the following:

• A general salary increase of 3.5% effective December 22, 2024.
• Merit Increases - New employees are eligible for an initial 5% merit increase within the pay range upon completion of at least 1,040 hours (approximately 6 months) assuming work meets satisfactory standards.  Subsequent merit increases within the pay range will be upon completion of each additional 2,080 hours (approximately one year) from the initial merit increase. 
• Educational Incentive - Incumbents may be eligible for an educational incentive of 2.5%, 3.5%, or 5% based on completion of an Associate's, Bachelor's, or Master's degree that is not required for the classification.
• Bilingual Incentive - Based on agency need, proficiency levels by exam are $.69 per hour (Level I), $1.00 per hour (Level II), or $1.32 per hour (Level III). 
• Health Plans: Biweekly County contribution towards medical, dental, and/or vision insurance from a group of authorized plans.
• Deferred Compensation - Eligible to participate in the County's 401(k) Shared Savings Plan and/or the Section 457 Plan. If you participate in the County sponsored 401(k) plan, the County will match a part of your contribution up to 3% of your salary, on a per pay period basis. 
• Pension Plan - Participation in the County's defined benefit pension plan. If eligible, you may establish reciprocity with other public retirement systems such as CalPERS.
• Holidays - 12 paid days per year which includes a scheduled floating holiday.
• To learn more about the benefits, please click on the following link:  https://vcportal.ventura.org/CEO/HR/MOA/docs/SEIU_MOA_2022-2025.pdf 

Under the general supervision of the Tuberculosis (TB) Manager, this position will mainly support the TB Control Office in providing TB community outreach, education, case coordination and assistance with diagnosing, treating, and preventing the spread of TB in Ventura County.
 
The ideal candidate will have some experience providing community outreach and education to a diverse population, with some experience conducting interviews and contact investigation both in office and in the field; will be able to maintain effective working relationships and communication skills in the workplace. They will have advanced skills in working with federal, state, and private insurance and obtaining authorizations; will have advanced/strong skills working with Microsoft office and/or electronic health records and state reporting databases.   

PAYROLL TITLE: Community Health Worker

AGENCY/DEPARTMENT: Health Care Agency – Public Health/Tuberculosis Clinic 

Community Health Worker is represented by the Service Employees' International Union (SEIU) and is eligible for overtime compensation.  

The eligible list established from this recruitment may be used to fill current and future Regular (including Temporary and Fixed-Term) Intermittent, and Extra-Help vacancies for these and similar positions only. There are currently two (2) Regular vacancies.
 
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE 
OPENING DATE: September 10, 2024
First Application Review: September 16, 2024 and on a scheduled basis thereafter
CLOSING DATE: Continuous and may close at any time; therefore, the schedule for the remainder of the process will depend upon when we receive a sufficient number of qualified applications to meet business needs. It is to your advantage to apply as soon as possible. Duties may include but are not limited to the following:

• Patient/Client Intake: Assists in the initial patient/client assessments and follow ups, including basic intake interviews and screenings, helping individuals and/or families identify and prioritize their needs. Utilizes various resources to locate patients/clients exposed to communicable diseases, which may involve contact with law enforcement, family members, acquaintances, courts, and other connections, as well as using the internet and social media;
  
  
• Provides health education: Utilizing standardized or approved curricula, provides basic information verbally, in writing, and with visual aids. Teaches basic health, living skills, and home safety; instructs on specimen collection for laboratory examination; educates on communicable diseases and conduct follow-up investigations. Evaluates health needs, recommends treatment and immunization programs, and coordinates educational and medical resources;
  
  
• Assists in Implementing Care Plan: Coordinates client follow-ups for immunizations and referrals. Upon completion of training, perform preliminary specimen collection for diagnostic tests (e.g., blood, urine, skin, saliva) to determine exposure to communicable diseases. Monitors and interprets patient/client compliance, actively reinforcing health education and the Care Plan. Assists patients/clients with scheduling and keeping appointments, and promptly report observations and findings to the nurse or clinician;
  
  
• Keeps Appropriate Records: Documents client encounters, progress notes, and findings from individual encounters, focus groups, and community interactions, following agency and program requirements. Conducts investigative interviews to collect historical information on relationships with infected persons, maintaining professionalism and HIPAA compliance. These interviews may occur in various settings, including environments with potential hazards like mold or unsanitary conditions;
  
  
• Addresses and resolves care barriers by connecting patients/clients to community resources and providing care management services. Assists with enrolling them in preventative and treatment programs, ensures compliance through ongoing contact, and monitors communicable disease status, treatment progress, and preventive care; responds to inquiries as needed;
  
  
• Adheres to program guidelines and regulations, including eligibility and billing, and meets productivity and quality goals set by the agency;
  
  
• Participates in care team huddles, meetings, and required training. Communicates with physicians, Public Health Nurses, laboratory personnel, and other medical providers about communicable disease cases, including locations, infected individuals, and demographics;
  
  
• Performs Community Outreach: Acts as Department liaison with community groups and clients to inform them about services. Conducts focus groups and house-to-house interviews on health and social issues, engages with diverse populations and organizations to build trust, and organizes activities on communicable disease symptoms, transmission, testing, treatment, Public Health laws, and available resources;
  
  
• Utilizes Microsoft Office Word, Excel, and PowerPoint to design and deliver presentations on communicable disease prevention, detection, and treatment. Creates various informational materials such as flyers, brochures, pamphlets, and other formats, focusing on training, treatment, contact information, and resources for patients/clients;
  
  
• Advocacy: Assists clients and groups in identifying their strengths to address health and social challenges; supports the development and implementation of action plans for family and community issues and seeks opportunities to acknowledge their efforts in improving health care, both publicly and privately; and
  
  
• Performs other related duties as required.

These are entrance requirements to the exam process and assure neither continuance in the process nor placement on an eligible list. 

Education, Training, and Experience: 
High school diploma, GED or equivalent, plus any combination of education and experience which has lead to the acquisition of the required knowledge and abilities.

Necessary Special Requirements:

• Must be bilingual proficiency in Spanish verbally as verified by Level II proficiency exam.
• Must possess or be able to obtain and maintain a valid California driver license by date of hire.
• Must be willing to work with patients/clients with communicable disease. 
• Proficiency in Windows environment and using Microsoft Word and Excel.

Desired:

• College course work in social sciences, ethnic studies, health sciences, communications, or related fields;
• Previous experience working with Federal (i.e., Social Security) and/or State (i.e., Medi-Cal) programs or private and public health insurances;
• Previous experience working directly with people providing customer service in a case management setting;
• Knowledge of Medi-Cal claims;
• Experience conducting investigative interviews on patients and/or clients;
• Experience providing community outreach and education to a diverse population; 
• Experience with PowerPoint;
• Medical Assistant Certificate OR Six (6) months experience as Medical Assistant
• Possession of Phlebotomy Certificate OR Six (6) months experience in phlebotomy.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
 
Some to thorough knowledge of the following: 

• Community service organizations that provide outreach services to Public Health Department target population, including educational programs to promote health awareness;
• Medical terminology; 
• General knowledge of community agency program policies and procedures; 
• Group and family dynamics; 
• Knowledge of specialized health related topics such as communicable diseases and preventative health maintenance; and,
• General knowledge of Medical guidelines.

Skills in the following: 

• Computer literate in Windows environment and skilled in use of Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; 
• Bilingual in English/Spanish;
• Ability to develop trusting and effective working relationships with a diverse client population; and, 
• Ability to lead and/or work effectively in a team environment.

Abilities to do the following:

• Effectively communicate with individuals and groups from diverse cultural, socio-economic backgrounds; 
• Interview, investigate, teach, and follow up on communicable diseases with clients; 
• Write reports and provide recommendations;
• Maintain case management notes on Nursing computer system; 
• Ability to monitor client compliance with healthcare plans, including federal (e.g., Social Security) and state programs (e.g., Medi-Cal);
• Perform various health screening tests such as blood, urine, skin and/or saliva and blood pressure measurement; 
• Monitor client compliance with health care plans with Federal (i.e., Social Security) and/or State (i.e., Medi-Cal) programs or private and public health insurances.

FINAL FILING DATE:  This is a continuous recruitment and may close at any time; therefore, apply as soon as possible if you are interested. Your application must be received by County of Ventura Human Resources in Ventura, California, no later than 5:00 p.m. on the closing date.
 
To apply on-line, please refer to our web site at www.ventura.org/jobs. If you prefer to fill out a paper application form, please call (805) 654-5129 for application materials and submit them to County of Ventura Human Resources, 800 South Victoria Avenue, L-1970, Ventura, CA 93009.

NOTE TO APPLICANTS: It is essential that you complete all sections of your application and supplemental questionnaire thoroughly and accurately to demonstrate your qualifications.  A resume and/or other related documents may be attached to supplement the information in your application supplemental questionnaire; however, it/they may not be submitted in lieu of the application. 
 
Lateral Transfer Option: If presently permanently employed in another "merit" or "civil service" public agency/entity in the same or substantively similar position as is advertised, and if appointed to that position by successful performance in a "merit" or "civil service" style examination, then appointment by "Lateral Transfer" may be possible.  If interested, please click here for additional information.
 
Supplemental Questionnaire – qualifying: All applicants are required to complete and submit the questionnaire for this exam AT THE TIME OF FILING. The supplemental questionnaire may be used throughout the exam process to assist in determining each applicant's qualifications and acceptability for the position. Failure to complete and submit the questionnaire may result in the application being removed from consideration.
 
APPLICATION EVALUATION – qualifying:  All applications will be reviewed to determine whether the stated requirements are met. Those individuals meeting the stated requirements will be invited to continue to the next step in the screening and selection process.
 
 BILINGUAL EXAM - qualifying
 Applicants passing the application evaluation will be administered a bilingual proficiency level II exam which must be passed to advance to the next step in the screening process.

WRITTEN EXAMINATION - 100%: An un-proctored, internet-based, job-related written examination will be administered to test candidates' knowledge of language usage, interviews/confidentiality, medical knowledge and terminology, interpersonal relations, and filing.  Candidates must earn a score of seventy percent (70%) or higher to qualify for placement on the eligible list.

Examinees must earn a score of seventy percent (70%) or higher to qualify for placement on the eligible list. 

Applicants successfully completing the exam process may be placed on an eligible list for a period of one (1) year.
 
BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION:  A thorough pre-employment, post offer background investigation which may include inquiry into past employment, education, and driving record may be required for this position.

For further information about this recruitment, please contact Ana Salinas by e-mail at ana.salinas@ventura.org or by telephone at (805) 654-2571.  

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY: The County of Ventura is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

Salary : $45,318 - $63,644