Patient Rights Advocate IIISenior - Behavioral Health

• Educational Incentive:Incumbents may be eligible for an educational incentive of 2.5 3.5 or 5 based on completion of an Associates Bachelors or Masters degree that is not required for the classification.
• Bilingual Incentive: Incumbents may also be eligible for bilingual incentive depending upon operational needs and certification skills.
• Deferred Compensation:Eligible to participate in the Countys 401(k) Shared Savings Plan and/or the Section 457 Plan. This position is eligible for up to a 3 match on your 401(k) contributions.
• Health Plans:You are afforded a flexible credit allowance for purchasing medical dental and/or vision insurance from a group of authorized plans. For Plan Year 2025: Employee Only $509 Employee 1 $779 and Employee 2 or more $983
• Flexible Spending Accounts:Pretax benefit towards eligible medical dental and vision care expenses.
• Pension Plan:Participation in the Countys 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.

The following are specific to the Patient Rights Advocate I/II:

• Vacation Accrual:Initially approximately 14 days of vacation per year increasing to 19 days at 5 years of services 21 days at 12 years of services 22 days at 13 years of services 23 days at 14 years of services 25 days at 15 years of services and topping out at 26 days per year at 20 years of service.
• Vacation Redemption:After approximately 7 years of services ability to cash in or redeem up to 80 hours of vacation accrued in the current year after using 80 hours in the preceding 12 months.

• Annual Leave 208 hours per year increasing to 288 hours after 5 years of service.
• Annual Leave Redemption The ability to cash in or redeem up to 100 hours of Annual Leave per year after using 80 hours in the preceding twelve months.

VENTURA COUNTY

Ventura County is located on Californias Gold Coast approximately 35 miles northwest of Los Angeles and 20 miles southeast of Santa Barbara. Residents enjoy rolling hills and sweeping ocean views in a nearly perfect Mediterranean climate. The beauty and weather combined with a wonderful quality of life are among the many reasons our residents choose to call Ventura County home.

Ventura County is a general law county governed by a fivemember electedbydistrict Board of Supervisors. The Supervisors appoint a County Executive Officer (CEO) to oversee the County budget daytoday operations and to advise assist and act as an agent for the Board of Supervisors in all matters under the Boards jurisdiction. It focuses on providing excellent services to its residents by promoting engagement strategy and accountability to include diversity equity and inclusion initiatives to ensure that all employees are treated with respect and without discrimination and to improve culturally appropriate outcomes for community members.

THE AGENCY

The Health Care Agency oversees a wide variety of divisions doing extraordinary things where employees continually strive for excellence and innovation.

Ultimately the agencys goal is to be the health system of choice for the community and physicians in Ventura County. Commitment to valuing the diversity of all persons and to being respectful and inclusive of everyone is facilitated by engaging and educating the community to improve the overall health of everyone in our county.

THE DEPARTMENT

The Ventura County Behavioral Health Department (VCBH) provides mental health and substance use treatment services. VCBH plays an important role as an integrated component of the Ventura County Health Care Agency available 24 hours a day 7 days a week providing support for individuals and families who are in crisis; people considering suicide; or those struggling with mental illness substance use or both.

THE POSITION

Under supervision (I) general supervision (II) or direction (Senior) the Patients Rights Advocate provides advocacy support to recipients of mental health services and ensures the observance of statutory regulatory and case law as applied to the rights of individuals with a mental health disorder.

The Patients Right Advocate I is the entry level into the series and is responsible for routine cases and investigations. The Patients Right Advocate II is the journey level handing more complex cases. The Senior Patients Right Advocate is the advanced journey level handling the most complex and sensitive cases. The Senior level also has program management responsibility and may supervise lower levels in the series and other staff within the unit.

APPROXIMATE PAYROLL TITLES AND ANNUAL SALARIES

Patients Right Advocate I: $27.78 $38.96 hourly

Patients Right Advocate II: $31.89 $42.20 hourly

Senior Patients Right Advocate: $3347.07 $4686.36 biweekly

NOTE: If appointed at the lower level incumbent may be promoted to the higher level without further examination upon meeting the minimum requirements demonstrating satisfactory performance and in accordance with the business needs of the department.

The Patients Right Advocate I/II are represented by Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and are eligible for overtime compensation.

The Senior Patients Right Advocate is a management classification and is not eligible for overtime compensation.

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE:

OPENING DATE: March 7 2025

CLOSING DATE: Continuous

Duties may include but are not limited to the following:

• Attends Superior Court hearings to advise and assist mentally disabled individuals involuntarily detained;

• Notifies mental health services recipients of their rights while being treated in a licensed mental health facility;
• Monitors compliance of laws rules and regulations as pertains to patients rights at various licensed facilities in Ventura County;
• Interprets and explains patients rights policies procedures and laws to staff managers and administrators in both public and private facilities;
• Investigates allegations of patients rights violations in all licensed facilities and documents findings;
• Monitors licensed mental health facilities to ensure compliance with laws and regulations pertinent to patients rights;
• Gives telephone directions and written advice to providers throughout the county;
• Interfaces with the public sector to improve the observance of the law decrease potential civil liabilities and upgrade the relationship between the public and private sector;
• Attends Disability Rights annual and supplemental trainings and completes training required by Welfare and Institutions Code 5524;
• Other duties as required.

At the Senior level also performs the following duties:

• Reviews involuntary detentions for compliance and state reporting requirements;
• Assists mental health facility administrators with patients rights policies;
• Plans and directs inservice training and tests those individuals seeking county authorization to initiate 72hour detentions for evaluation; conducts trainings on patients rights for mental health treatment staff at various licensed facilities in Ventura County;
• Plans directs and supervises the activities of the unit;
• Assist in mediation of clinical disputes between clinicians and/or between clinicians and clients;
• Other related duties as required.

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

EDUCATION TRAINING and EXPERIENCE:

Patients Rights Advocate I

Any combination of education and experience which has led to the acquisition of the required knowledge skills and abilities.

The required knowledge skills and abilities may also be obtained by working as a licensed Mental Health Professional with three 3 years of experience in a public agency.

Patients Right Advocate II

Some experience in patients rights advocacy which has led to the acquisition of the required knowledge skills and abilities.

The required knowledge skills and abilities may also be obtained by one 1 year of experience as a Patients Rights Advocate I with the County of Ventura

Senior Patients Rights Advocate

Considerable experience in patients rights advocacy which has led to the acquisition of the required knowledge skills and abilities.

The required knowledge skills and abilities may also be obtained by three 3 years of experience as a Patients Rights Advocate II with the County of Ventura.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

Possession of and the ability to maintain a California Driver License

Demonstrated:

• Knowledge of applicable state and federal laws and regulations including case law related to patients rights;
• Knowledge of investigation techniques and practices;
• Ability to analyze data and apply results to situations to resolve problems;
• Ability to maintain effective working relations with clients staff providers administrators community groups and the judicial systems;
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and professionalism.

NOTE: The ability to communicate effectively in writing must be demonstrated in the completion of the employment application and supplemental questionnaire.

DESIRED

• Knowledge of judicial due process proceedings
• Knowledge of outpatient mental health care service systems

Knowledge Skills and Abilities

Some (I) considerable (II) or thorough (Sr. knowledge of: applicable state and federal laws and regulations including case law; judicial due process proceedings; investigation techniques and practices; outpatient mental health care service systems; and Welfare and Institutions Code.

Ability to: understand and apply laws rules and regulations concerning patients rights; investigate and document complaints; communicate effectively in a verbal and written manner; interpret and explain laws and regulations pertaining to patients rights; analyze data and apply results to situations; resolve problems; maintain effective working relations with clients staff providers administrators community groups and the judicial systems; maintain confidentiality and professionalism.

FINAL FILING DATE

This is a continuous recruitment and may close at any time; therefore apply as soon as possible if you are interested in it. 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.

FIRST REVIEW of applications will commence on or around March 14 2025.

To apply online please refer to our web site atwww.ventura/jobs. A paper application can be obtained by calling. Our address is County of Ventura Human Resources Division 800 South Victoria Avenue L1970 Ventura CA 93009.

Note to Applicants: Sufficient information must be provided under the Education/Work Experience portions of the application and supplemental questionnaire to thoroughly and accurately demonstrate your qualifications to determine eligibility. A resume may be attached to supplement your responses in the above sections; however it may not be submitted in lieu of the application.

NOTE: 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 clickhere(Download PDF reader)for additional information.

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE qualifying

All applicants are required to complete and submit the questionnaire for this exam at the time of filing. This questionnaire and may be used throughout the examination process to assist in determining each applicants qualifications and acceptability for the position.

APPLICATION EVALUATION qualifying

All applications will be reviewed to determine whether the stated requirements are met. Applicants meeting the stated requirements will be invited to continue to the next step in the recruitment process.

TRAINING and EXPERIENCE EVALUATION

The Training and Experience Evaluation (T&E) is a structured evaluation of the job application materials submitted by a candidate including the written responses to the supplemental questionnaire. The T&E is NOT a determination of whether the candidate meets the stated requirements; rather the T&E is one method for determining who are the better qualified among those who have shown that they meet the stated requirements. In a T&E applications are either scored or rank ordered according to criteria that most closely meet the business needs of the department. Candidates are typically scored/ranked in relation to one another; consequently when the pool of candidates is exceptionally strong many qualified candidates may receive a score or rank which is moderate or even low resulting in them not being advanced in the process.

NOTE:The selection process will likely consist of an Oral Exam which may be preceded by or replaced with the score from a Training and Experience Evaluation (T&E) contingent upon the size and quality of the candidate pool. In a typical T&E your training and experience are evaluated in relation to the background experience and factors identified for successful job performance during a job analysis. For this reason it is recommended that your application materials clearly show your relevant background and specialized knowledge skills and abilities. It is also highly recommended that the supplemental questions within the application are completed with care and diligence.

ORAL EXAMINATION 100

A jobrelated oral examination will be conducted to evaluate and compare participating examinees knowledge skills and abilities in relation to those factors which job analysis has determined to be essential for successful performance of the job. Examinees must earn a score of seventy percent 70 or higher to qualify for placement on the eligible list.

NOTE:If there are three 3 or fewer qualified applicants an examination may not be conducted. Instead a score of seventy percent 70 will be assigned to each application and each applicant will be placed on the eligible list.

ELIGIBLE LIST

Applicants successfully completing the exam process may be placed on an eligible list for a period of one 1 year.

The eligible list established from this recruitment may be used to fill present and future Regular (Temporary or Fixedterm) Intermittent or Extra Help vacancies for this and similar positions only. There are currently two 2 Regular vacancies within the Health Care Agency Behavioral Health Department.

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION

The selected candidate may be subjected to a thorough postoffer preemployment background investigation which may include inquiry into past employment education criminal background information and driving record.

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.