Trilingual Outreach and Education Community Services Worker

Job Description:

Trilingual Outreach and Education Community Services Worker

Description

Description

THE POSITION: Under immediate or general supervision, the incumbent will assist staff with communicating information regarding health care services, leveraging existing resources, and programs available to the County of Ventura's Mixteco community. They will engage with health care professionals including doctors, nurses, community-based organizations, and other county agencies and departments while building trusting relationships with our Mixteco community. The incumbent will also assist in providing referral, interpretation, translation support, and program related services. The ideal candidates will have experience explaining laws, rules, policies, etc. to individuals with various socio-economic and cultural backgrounds.

PAYROLL TITLE(S) AND APPROXIMATE SALARIES
Community Services Worker: $21.00 - $23.95 hourly
Senior Community Services Worker: $21.00 - $25.87 hourly

WHAT WE OFFER
The County of Ventura offers an attractive compensation and benefits package that includes:

• 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 - An educational incentive of 2.5% for completion of an associate's degree, 3.5% for completion of a bachelor's degree, OR 5% for completion of a graduate degree.
• 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).
• Vacation Accrual - New regular, full-time employees shall accrue approximately 14 days of vacation a year for the first 10,400 hours or 5 years of service; vacation accruals increase at 5, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 20 years of service topping out at 26 days a year and 400 hours of vacation hours banked.
• Annual Leave Redemption - After 14,560 hours of continuous County service an employee may elect to "cash in" or redeem up to 80 hours of vacation accrued in the same year after using 80 hours of vacation in the preceding 12 months.
• Sick Leave - Full time regular employees accrue 3.08 hours of sick leave per bi-weekly pay period with an advance at hire of 40.04 hours which will be balanced at the completion of 13 bi-weekly pay periods.
• Deferred Compensation - Eligible to participate in the County's 401(k) Shared Savings Plan and/or the Section 457 Plan. This position is eligible for up to a 3.00% match on your 401(k) contributions.
• Health Plans-Medical, dental, and/or vision insurance plans available for you and your dependents.
• Flexible Spending Accounts - Pre-tax benefit towards eligible medical, dental and vision care and/or dependent care expenses.
• Pension Plan - Participation in the County's defined pension plan, which has reciprocity with CalPERS.
• Holidays - 12 paid days per year which includes a scheduled floating holiday.
• Additional Benefits - Tuition Reimbursement, Disability Plans, Employee Assistance Program, Life Insurance, Wellness Program.

DEPARTMENT/AGENCY: Health Care Agency - Ambulatory Care

Community Services Worker and Senior Community Services Worker are represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and are 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 positions only. There is currently one (1) Regular vacancy.

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.

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
OPENING DATE: August 8, 2025 CLOSING DATE: Continuous

Examples Of Duties

Duties may include but are not limited to the following:

• Provides support and answers inquiries, assists with billing issues, enrolls patients in programs, explains health care agency/program policies and resources available to individuals and groups within the Mixteco community;
• Provides interpreter and translation services and/or patient services, schedules appointments, purchases food and supplies for clients and works with clients who are physically or mentally impaired;
• Assists patients/clients enrolling in programs that support preventative health and treatment; Medi-Cal, Covered CA, Sliding Fee Program etc; including keeping up to date on health program guidelines and requirements;
• Keeps records of clients served, payments received and clinic activities; orders supplies and prepares routine reports;
• Addresses barriers to care by linking patients to internal and community resources;
• Refers individuals and families to available community educational, medical, legal and employment resources; follows-up on referrals or appointments scheduled;
• Drives County vehicles to pick up or deliver clients or supplies;
• May conduct community outreach and lead group presentations and workshops to the Mixteco community on specialized health related topics including substance abuse, home management skills, job skills, health and nutrition to help individuals and families develop a healthier or more self-sufficient lifestyle;
• Prepares a variety of reports and correspondence; including, may lead group presentations and workshops on specialized topics: substance abuse, home management skills, job skills or health and nutrition to help individuals and families develop a healthier or more self-sufficient lifestyle;
• Participates in care team huddles, meetings, and required training;
• Meets productivity and quality goals set by agency;
• Serves as a key liaison to the Indigenous Mixteco-speaking community by providing culturally and linguistically appropriate interpretation services in clinical and community settings;
• Supports the development and delivery of a community health podcast aimed at underserved populations. Responsibilities include assisting with podcast planning, translating health education materials, recording and reviewing podcast episodes in Mixteco, and helping promote episodes within the community;
• Collaborates with care teams, public health staff, and community stakeholders to ensure content is relevant, respectful, and accessible to Indigenous listeners. Help build trust and increase engagement by elevating community voices and improving access to vital health information;
• May supervise clients during approved visitations or activities; and
• Performs other related as required.

Typical Qualifications

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

Any combination of education and experience which has led to the acquisition of the required knowledge and abilities. The required knowledge and abilities also can be obtained by:

Community Services Worker
One (1) year of public service experience in providing services to the general public or equivalent experience/education.

Substitution: Fifteen (15) semester units of college course work in social sciences, ethnic studies, communications, or a closely related field may be substituted for six months of experience up to a total of one year.

Senior Community Services Worker
Three (3) years of public service experience or one year of experience equivalent to that of a Community Services Worker II.

Substitution: Fifteen (15) semester units of college course work in social sciences, ethnic studies, communications, or a closely related field may be substituted for six months of experience up to a total of one year.

NOTE: If you are substituting education for experience (up to one year), verification of the college-level coursework is required.

• Submit your transcripts or grade reports from an accredited college or university which shows your name and reflect passing grades in the required subject; attach education verification documents to your online application or submit to erin.niemi@venturacounty.gov soon as possible or within 3 days of the closing date of this recruitment.
• If you need additional time to submit transcripts, contact the analyst conducting the recruitment for an extension at erin.niemi@venturacounty.gov
• Unofficial transcripts are acceptable.
• Degree(s) from a foreign institution require an academic credential evaluation to determine the U.S. equivalency.
• If the name is different on the transcripts from your application, documentation needs to be submitted showing the name change.

NOTE: By "public service," we mean those services provided to the general public by a public non-profit community service organization or a governmental entity.

To qualify, an applicant must submit a college transcript for verification.
NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Must be Trilingual: English/Spanish/ Mixteco
• Possession of and ability to maintain a valid California driver license at the time of hire
• Ability and willingness to drive to multiple work locations and offsite meetings
• Ability and willingness to work flexible hours that fall outside an 8-hour day or on weekends

DESIRED

• Experience explaining laws, rules, and policies to people of various socio-economic and cultural backgrounds
• Experience serving as a resource and/or liaison for individuals and groups with diverse priorities
• Ability to utilize active listening and interpersonal communication skills; exercise sound judgment, tact, and sensitivity in interactions with Mixteco community members
• Experience serving as a language interpreter and translator
• Proficiency in Word and Outlook
• Skilled in case documentation, basic writing skills for logging interactions or assisting in documentation.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:Some to thorough knowledge of (depending on level within the series):

• Agency and program policies and procedures;
• Community structure and resources;
• Group and family dynamics;
• Mixtec cultural norms, values, and traditions;
• Challenges faced by Indigenous migrant communities (e.g., immigration, language barriers, discrimination);
• Privacy laws (e.g., HIPPA if working in health contexts);
• Appropriate boundaries in client relationships and confidentiality.

Skilled in:

• Content development, including use of applicable software such as Garageband, Adobe Audition, etc.
  

Some to working ability to (depending on level within the series):

• Effectively communicate with individuals and groups from diverse cultural, social, economic backgrounds and with the Mixteco community;
• Transport passengers in a safe and timely manner;
• Write case chronologies, field entries and other reports regarding clients;
• Administer various health screening tests;
• Translate, interpret, and speak Mixteco/Spanish/English with accuracy and clarity;
• W ork under pressure and interpret in high-stress or emotionally intense situations;
  

Recruitment Process

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 Health Care Agency 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) 677-5184 for application materials and submit them to County of Ventura Human Resources, Health Care Agency 646 County Square Drive, Ventura, CA 93003.

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.

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 and supplemental questionnaire; however, it/they may not be submitted in lieu of the application.

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 qualifications for the position. Failure to complete and submit the questionnaire may result in removal of the application from further consideration.

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 examination process.

TRAINING & EXPERIENCE EVALUATION (100%) : A 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.

The eligible list established will be created from the scores resulting from a Training and Experience Evaluation (T&E). 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. Response such as "See Resume" or "Refer to Resume" are not acceptable and may disqualify an applicant from further evaluation. Applicants must earn a score of seventy percent (70%) or higher to qualify for placement on the eligible list.

If there are three (3) or fewer qualified applicants, a T&E will 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.

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

ORAL EXAMINATION: A job-related 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.

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: A thorough pre-employment, post offer background investigation which may include inquiry into past employment, education, criminal background information and driving record may be required for this position.

For further information about this recruitment, please contact Erin Niemi by e-mail at erin.niemi@ventura.org or by telephone at (805) 654-2568.

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.

YOUR BENEFITS AS A COUNTY OF VENTURA EMPLOYEE

Service Employees International Union (LOCAL 721)

(SEIU)

To learn more about Benefits, Retirement, and the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), see links below.

• Benefits website or you may call (805) 654-2570.
• Retirement FAQ's
• Memorandum of Agreement

Union Codes: UPA, UPC, UPE, UPH, UPI, UPJ,UPT, UWS

Salary:

$43,680.00 - $53,809.60 Annually