SENIOR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER / EMERGENCY APPOINTMENTS HOMELESSNESS

This announcement is a re-bulletin to reopen the filing period. The LA County Board of Supervisors recently declared a local state of emergency for homelessness, and the County is working to revise and expand our response to help all who are affected. We are looking for qualified and passionate individuals to help us in the mission of addressing issues like housing, mental health, and substance use.

The Department of Mental Health is seeking qualified candidates to fill emergency Senior Community Health Worker vacancies related to the homelessness crisis. Under the emergency order, applicants who meet the requirements may be hired for an initial period of up to 90 days, with an opportunity for permanent County employment. Before the end of your initial work period, you will be assessed on your work performance. This assessment will be weighted 100%. Those who successfully pass the assessment will be considered for permanent appointment to Senior Community Health Worker.

Responsibilities

• Organizes and coordinates the activities of community groups to assist in identifying community resources and working in partnership with community in developing solutions to a range of community issues including substance abuse, juvenile delinquency, homelessness, and mental illness.
• Receives service referrals from social workers, eligibility workers, medical case workers, other staff, or community stakeholders to assist clients/patients in obtaining food stamps, housing, medical services, mental health services, substance use disorder treatment, or other supportive services as appropriate.
• Manages a caseload to aid clients/patients in obtaining employment training, jobs, housing, and other supportive services.
• Mentors Community Health Workers engaged in providing supportive services to clients/patients.
• Facilitates relations between County departments and programs and the community by communicating County and departmental strategic goals, priorities, policies and procedures to community agencies, clients, patients, and family members.
• Serves as an advocate for client/patient access to County and community resources and services and ensures individuals’ preferences are included in treatment or recovery plans and that consistent, timely review of plans occur with the client/patient to track progress.
• Documents any client/patient services per departmental policies and procedures.
• Facilitates development of independent living skills of client/patients by conducting support groups including, but not limited to, housekeeping, cooking, shopping, budgeting, use of public transportation, reading, and personal hygiene.
• Performs outreach and engages clients to build rapport, identify client needs, and provide available resources and/or linkages.
• Assists clients, patients, and family members in completing forms for benefits, housing, jobs, and other supportive services as appropriate.
• Develops partnerships with diverse community and peer support groups including those with a focus on advocacy, self-help, family alliances, and parents.
• Liaisons with local health care programs, schools, and social service agencies to create coordinated care and resource linkages, when possible.
• Organizes, prepares, and maintains materials needed for community presentations, outreach and community events.
• Provides guidance to clients/patients to assist in the rehabilitation and recovery process and to provide supportive services as needed.

Requirements

• Two years of experience at the level of Community Health Worker* in a public or private community-based organization, public agency, hospital, public health organization or health system. Experience may be cumulative (i.e. part-time experience can be combined to equal two years).

*Community Health Worker is defined as assists professional staff in providing direct health, mental health, or social services to clients and patients.

Qualifications

• A valid California Class C Driver License or the ability to utilize an alternate method of transportation when needed to carry out job-related essential functions.

Schedule

This position is classified as Physical Class II – Light: This class includes administrative and clerical positions requiring light physical effort that may include occasional light lifting to a 10 pound limit and some bending, stooping, or squatting. Considerable ambulation may be involved.