Senior Program Specialist (Homeless Program)

HEALTH CARE SERVICES AGENCY

Alameda County's Health Services Program is administered by the Health Care Services Agency and includes the following program areas: Behavioral Health Care, Public Health, Environmental Health, and Agency Administration/Indigent Health. The ultimate mission of the Health Care Services Agency is to provide fully integrated health care services through a comprehensive network of public and private partnerships that ensure optimal health and well-being and respect the diversity of all residents.

PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT

Alameda County Public Health Department has worked for over 80 years to improve the health and safety of its residents and the neighborhoods they live in. Traditional public health concerns such as disease outbreaks, environmental hazards and access to health care have been joined by contemporary concerns: bioterrorism, crime, violence, and substance abuse. Each of these poses a threat to public health and wellness and calls for short and long-term solutions that lie well outside traditional public health boundaries.  For more information about our Alameda County Public Health Department, please visit the Alameda County Public Health Department Website and latest Annual Budget document found on www.acgov.org

THE POSITION

This is a Project position (not to exceed 5 years) located in the Public Health Department's Health Care for the Homeless Program. Alameda County Health Care for the Homeless Program (ACHCHP) is a federally-funded Health Care for the Homeless program that has been providing health care and case management services to persons experiencing homelessness throughout Alameda County since 1988.  In 2014, ACHCHP provided services to over 8,500 people experiencing homelessness.

Under direction of the Health Care for the Homeless Deputy Director, this position plans, supervises, reviews and evaluates the work of County staff and contractors involved in the operations of the Home Stretch program.   Home Stretch is a countywide collaboration focused on linking homeless individuals with disabilities to appropriate supportive services and permanent supportive housing based on established local priorities and preferences.  The incumbent will serve as a County liaison and coordinator among service providers, permanent supportive housing providers, local housing authorities, and other key stakeholders, including funding sources.   The incumbent will ensure that program regulations and procedures are followed and that program outcomes are being achieved and documented, i.e., helping homeless individuals with disabilities obtain and maintain permanent housing.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

In addition to the minimum qualifications and knowledge and skills listed below, ideal candidates for this position will possess technical knowledge related to health care services, homelessness, and permanent supportive housing;  specific knowledge related to Medicaid (Medi-Cal) and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funding sources relevant to serving homeless individuals; and expertise in program development and implementation.

Ideal candidates will also exemplify the following critical attributes for success:

• An effective communicator who clearly conveys information and ideas verbally and in writing to individuals or groups in a manner that meets audience needs and helps them understand and retain the message.
• An effective problem solver who uses sound judgment and quickly identifies and understands issues, problems and opportunities; uses data, logic, and sound judgment to evaluate alternatives and recommends viable solutions; and solves problems consistent with available resources, facts, constraints, and probable consequences to achieve desired organizational or service care goals.
• A collaborative spirit who can effectively work on a diverse team and who believes in and inspires teamwork by being accessible, supportive, open-minded, empathetic and able to effectively manage conflict by building and maintaining constructive relationships that result in diverse work teams that better serve our diverse communities.
• Someone who possesses an air of confidence and creates good first impressions by professionally commanding attention and earning the trust and respect of others.
• Well organized and able to plan and establish a course of action for self and others to ensure that work of Home Stretch is completed efficiently.

Education:

The equivalent to graduation from an accredited four-year college or university (180 quarter units or 120 semester units) with major coursework in business, public administration, social science or a field related to the program area to which assigned.

Education:

(Additional experience in providing direct services to clients or in program planning and evaluation may be substituted for the education on a year-for-year basis.)

AND

Experience:

The equivalent to two years of full-time professional level work with independently planning and evaluating client service delivery programs at a level equivalent to or higher than Program Specialist or Program/Financial Specialist in the Alameda County classified service. (Non-classified includes District Attorney’s Office, Hospital Authority, and the Consolidated Courts.)

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT: This position requires that applicants have at least two years providing services to vulnerable populations (homeless or indigent).

NOTE: The Civil Service Commission may modify the above Minimum Qualifications in the announcement of an examination.

The most suitably qualified candidates will possess the following competencies:

Knowledge of:

• Principles, practices, funding sources and administrative requirements in the program area to which assigned.
• Principles and practices of program planning and evaluation.
• Principles and practices of direct client service delivery.
• Practices and techniques of programmatic analysis and report preparation.
• Applicable federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations.
• Computer applications related to the work.
• Office administrative practices and procedures, including records management and the operation of standard office equipment.
• Basic budgetary and financial record keeping techniques.
• Basic supervisory principles and practices.

Ability to:

• Plan, supervise, review and evaluate the work of others.
• Train others in work procedures.
• Plan, monitor and evaluate program and service delivery effectiveness in the programmatic area to which assigned.
• Identify programmatic and operational problems, investigate and evaluate alternatives and implement effective solutions.
• Interpret, explain and apply complex regulations, policies and procedures.
• Prepare clear, accurate and effective reports, correspondence, policies, informational brochures and other written materials.
• Represent the department and the County in meetings with others and make effective presentations to diverse groups.
• Organize and prioritize work and meet critical deadlines.
• Maintain accurate records and files.
• Exercise sound independent judgment within established policies and guidelines.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of the work.

Licenses:

Specified positions may require possession of a valid California driver's license. Specified positions may also require licensure or certification in the programmatic area to which assigned.

THE EXAMINATION WILL CONSIST OF the following steps:

1)  A review of candidates' applications to verify possession of minimum requirements. Those candidates who possess the minimum requirements for the class will move on to the next step in the examination process.

2)  A review of candidates’ Supplemental Questionnaires to select the best qualified applicants to continue in the process. Only the most suitably qualified candidates will move forward in the exam process.

3)  An oral interview which will be weighted as 100% of the candidate's final examination score. The oral interview may contain situational exercises. 

CANDIDATES MUST ATTAIN A QUALIFYING RATING ON EACH PORTION OF THIS EXAMINATION. 

We reserve the right to make changes to the announced examination components.

Alameda County utilizes a Civil Service Selection System founded on merit.  Such a system is competitive and based on broad recruitment efforts and equal opportunity for qualified applicants to test in an examination process designed to determine the qualifications, fitness and ability of competitors to perform duties of the vacant position.  Many of our recruitments are targeted and specific to the needs of a current vacant position, in which case, the eligible list may be exclusively used for that current vacant position.  Other recruitments many be more broadly used for both current and future vacancies, or for other alternate jobs with comparable scopes of work. To learn more about our recruitment and selection process, please visit the “What You Need to Know” section of our website, www.acgov.org/hrs.

Alameda County offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that affords wide-ranging health care options to meet the different needs of a diverse workforce and their families. We also sponsor many different employee discount, fitness and health screening programs focused on overall well being.  These benefits include but are not limited to*:

For your Health & Welfare Benefits

• Medical – HMO & PPO Insurance
• Dental – PPO & DHMO Insurance  
• Vision
• Basic Life Insurance 
• Supplemental Life Insurance (with optional dependent coverage) 
• County Allowance (Employer Credit)
• Health Flexible Spending Account
• Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account
• Accident, Critical Illness & Hospital Indemnity
• Long Term Care Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program

For your Financial Future

• Short-term Disability Insurance
• Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Retirement Plan – (Defined Benefit Pension Plan)
• Deferred Compensation Plan

For your Work/Life Balance

• 11 paid holidays
• Vacation and sick leave accrual
• Vacation purchase program
• Management Paid Leave**
• Group Auto/Home Insurance
• Commuter Benefits Program
• Group Legal
• Guaranteed Ride Home
• Employee Wellness Program (e.g. At Work Fitness, Incentive Based Programs, Gym Membership Discounts)
• Employee Discount Program (e.g. theme parks, cell phone, etc.)
• Child Care Resources
• 1^st United Services Credit Union 

*Eligibility is determined by Alameda County and offerings may vary by collective bargaining agreement.  This provides a brief summary of the benefits offered and can be subject to change.

** Non-exempt management employees are entitled to up to three days of management paid leave. Exempt management employees are entitled to up to seven days of management paid leave.

All notices related to County recruitments for which you have applied will be sent/delivered via email. Please add @acgov.org and alamedacountyHR@acgov.org as accepted addresses to any email blocking or spam filtering program you may use. If you do not do this, your email blocking or spam filtering program may block receipt of the notices regarding your application for recruitments. You are also strongly advised to regularly log into your County of Alameda online application account to check for notices that may have been sent to you. All email notices that will be sent to you will also be kept in your personal online application account. You will be able to view all of your notices in your online application account by clicking on the 'My applications' button on the Current Job Openings page.

Please take the steps recommended above to insure you do not miss any notices about a recruitment for which you have applied. The County of Alameda is not responsible for notices that are not read, received or accessed by any applicant for a County recruitment.

NOTE: All notices are generated through an automated email notification system. Replies to the email box alamedacountyHR@acgov.org are routed to an unmonitored mailbox. If you have questions please go to our website at www.acgov.org/hrs. You may also contact the Human Resources Analyst listed on the bulletin for the recruitment for which you have applied.

Shelisa Jackson, Human Resources Analyst II
Human Resource Services Division, County of Alameda
shelisa.jackson@acgov.org
510-208-3954
www.acgov.org/hrs

Alameda County is an Equal Opportunity Employer