Patient Rights Advocate I/II/Senior - Behavioral Health

Job Description:

Patient Rights Advocate I/II/Senior - Behavioral Health

Description

Description

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:

• 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: Incumbents may also be eligible for bilingual incentive depending upon operational needs and certification skills.
• 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% 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: Pre-tax benefit towards eligible medical, dental, and vision care expenses.
• 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.

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.

The following are specific to the Senior Patient Rights Advocate:

• 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 California’s “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 five-member, elected-by-district Board of Supervisors. The Supervisors appoint a County Executive Officer (CEO) to oversee the County budget, day-to-day operations, and to advise, assist, and act as an agent for the Board of Supervisors in all matters under the Board’s jurisdiction. It focuses on providing excellent services to its residents by promoting engagement, strategy, execution 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 agency's 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.

PAYROLL TITLES AND APPROXIMATE RATES OF PAY

Patients’ Right Advocate I: $27.78 - $38.96 hourly

Patients’ Right Advocate II: $31.89 - $42.20 hourly

Senior Patients’ Right Advocate: $3,347.07 - $4,686.36 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
First review of applicants anticipated to begin on or around March 10, 2025



Examples Of Duties

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 in-service training and tests those individuals seeking county authorization to initiate 72-hour 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.

Typical Qualifications

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.

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 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 on-line, please refer to our web site at www.ventura.org/jobs . A paper application can be obtained by calling (805) 654-5129. Our address is County of Ventura Human Resources Division, 800 South Victoria Avenue, L-1970, 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 click here (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 applicant's 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 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.

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 Fixed-term), 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 post-offer, pre-employment 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.

For further information about this recruitment, please contact Katie Reynolds by e-mail at katie.reynolds@ventura.org or by telephone at (805) 654-2629.

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

Closing Date/Time: Continuous

Salary:

$57,780.49 - $121,845.27 Annually