Bilingual Public Health Nurse II (English/Spanish)

Bilingual Public Health Nurse II

Join the Trauma-Informed Approach Public Health Nursing program and grow your career in public health! Starting salary up to $75.48/hour ($157,535/year), a competitive total compensation package, AND a fluent bilingual premium!

The Department of Health Services (DHS) is currently recruiting to fill a Bilingual Public Health Nurse position at either the I or II levels. If you are interested in being considered at the different levels of this opportunity, you must apply to the separate concurrent recruitments being conducted for each level.

This position requires qualified candidates to possess a current California State Public Health Nursing Certificate and one year of public health nursing experience obtained after receipt of a California Public Health Nursing Certificate.

The Department of Health Services Public Health Division is seeking a bilingual (English/Spanish) Public Health Nurse II (PHN) to join its Trauma-Informed Approach Public Health Nursing (TIA PHN) program. TIA PHN partners with pregnant people, parents, and caregivers with children under six years old who have experienced trauma. Trauma can include physical or mental health challenges, substance use, Child Protective Services (CPS) or justice system involvement, experiencing racism or inequity, and physical or emotional abuse. Through home visits, the PHN will support the clients in learning about pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, and parenting. This position provides depression and/or anxiety screenings for adults, developmental screening for children, and connects the family with medical, dental, and other relevant community resources to make sure the client, child, and family receive the care they need. This PHN will manage a caseload of up to 25 primary clients and their children, ensuring they receive individualized assessments, ongoing case management, and health education. Other responsibilities will include:

• Deliver client services in home settings or at other agreed-upon locations (e.g., parks, libraries), typically checking in with multiple families per day and collaborating with them to develop and follow individualized action plans
• Conducting routine comprehensive assessments
• Actively coordinating and following up on referrals to other health and social service providers and working with local agencies and community organizations to meet clients' needs
• Delivering culturally responsive health and parenting education
• Maintaining accurate, detailed, and up-to-date records of all client interactions, assessments, action plans, and referrals
• Attending team meetings and regular trainings
• Conducting outreach with referral sources to identify new clients

As the ideal candidate for this position, you will have fluent bilingual (English/Spanish) skills and proven knowledge of public health and population health practices. In addition, you will possess many of the following:

• Knowledge and/or experience with maternal-child health
• Client-facing experience working in community, clinic, and/or public health settings
• Applied understanding of trauma-informed practices and experience working with individuals impacted by substance use, homelessness, mental health challenges, and intergenerational trauma
• The ability to work independently and in close collaboration with a multi-disciplinary team
• Comfort working in the field and engaging with families from diverse household customs and traditions
• The ability to recognize and reinforce clients' strengths, fostering trusting and respectful relationships
• Openness to continual learning
• Certification as an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), experience as a doula, childbirth educator, or similar, is desirable but not required

Schedule and Assignment Information

As a Public Health Nurse in this program, you will work Monday-Friday daytime hours, but occasionally there may be a need to flex hours to meet a client's needs, e.g., at times adjusting the schedule to start and end one hour later than usual. This position may require meeting families outdoors, such as in a park. Some clients may be staying in a shelter, transitional housing, hotel, or encampment, and there can be options to meet clients at the DHS office or alternate safe locations. Most visits are in a client's home, library, coffee shop, or other indoor location. A driver's license is required for this position, as you will primarily conduct visits in the field at clients' homes or in the community. There may also be times when you are needed to transport clients in a county vehicle.

What We Offer

Working at the County of Sonoma offers expansive opportunities for growth and development, the ability to be a part of a challenging and rewarding work environment, and the satisfaction of knowing you're working to better our communities. You can also look forward to flexible work arrangements and excellent benefits including:

• Salary Advancement - A salary increase after 1,040 hours (6 months when working full-time) for good work performance; eligibility for a salary increase for good performance every year thereafter, until reaching the top of the salary range
• Bilingual Premium Pay** - An additional $1.50/hour on top of the hourly pay rate for fluent bilingual positions
• Paid Time Off - Competitive vacation and sick leave accruals and 12 paid holidays
• County Paid Health Premium Contributions - 100% premium contribution for the majority of employee-only and employee + family health plan options
• Staff Development/Wellness - Annual benefit allowances of up to $850 and ongoing education/training opportunities
• Fee Reimbursement - Possible reimbursement for renewal of required licensure
• Post-Retirement Health Reimbursement Arrangement - County contributions to help fund post-retirement health insurance/benefits
• Retirement - A pension fully integrated with Social Security
• Paid Parental Leave - May be eligible for up to 8 weeks (320 hours) after 12 months of County employment
• Additional Benefits - Excellent dental, vision, disability, life insurance, employee assistance program, professional development, and more
• Student Loan Debt Relief - County employees may be eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness through the U.S. Department of Education

The Department of Health Services is currently recruiting to fill a fluent, bilingual Public Health Nurse position at either the I or II levels. Bilingual positions require English and Spanish skills at the fluent (reading, writing, and conversational) level. Applicants who wish to be considered for a bilingual position must indicate their level of skill in the required supplemental questionnaire. An examination will be conducted prior to employment in a bilingual position to confirm the level of skill in this area. Bilingual premium pay is $1.50/hour for fluent skill sets.

This Bilingual Public Health Nurse II employment list may also be used to fill future full-time, part-time, or extra-help bilingual English/Spanish positions as they occur during the active status of the list. Qualified County employees who wish to be considered for future positions should consider applying to this recruitment. The Civil Service title for this position is Public Health Nurse II.

Salary is negotiable within the established range. Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice. Additional information can be found in the Engineers and Scientists of California (ESC) Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) and our Employee Benefits Directory.

Application submissions require the Supplemental Questionnaire to be completed.

Minimum Qualifications

Possession of a California State Public Health Nursing Certificate. AND One year of public health nursing experience obtained after receipt of a California Public Health Nursing Certificate.

License: Possession of a valid driver's license at the appropriate level including special endorsements, as required by the State of California, may be required depending upon assignment to perform the essential job functions of the position.

The position advertised on this announcement requires possession of a valid California Driver's License.

Working Conditions: Duties may require exposure to hostile persons or persons with a mental health condition, and/or confrontational interpersonal situations; intermittently sit at a desk for long periods of time while reviewing patient charts and histories and preparing patient charts and reports; intermittently walk, stand, bend, climb and reach while making field visits, conducting clinics or making educational presentations or demonstrations; twist to reach equipment surrounding desk or treatment areas; perform simple grasping and fine manipulation; use telephone and write or use a keyboard to communicate through written means; see and hear with sufficient acuity to examine and assess patient conditions; lift moderate weight; may work in dangerous, high crime areas of the community; and/or standby, callback and work during non-routine hours.

Specification History 02/26 revisions limited to person-first, gender-neutral language

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Considerable knowledge of: Modern principles, methods, and practices of public health nursing, including preventive medicine, epidemiology, public health