This is public health case management work at the advanced level. Employees in this class monitor the treatment of severely impaired substance abuse offenders or persons with a communicable disease. This class is distinguished from the lower level by the increased difficulty and volume of the assigned caseload, responsibility for reviewing the work of lower level outreach workers, and for developing and maintaining systems for the exchange of information with other agencies involved in the treatment of clients. Employees may supervise lower level outreach workers engaged in monitoring the treatment of persons with a communicable disease. Contact with clients, representatives of treatment facilities, and educational programs to coordinate the placement and treatment of clients is a significant aspect of the work. Work is performed under the direction of a technical superior.

ALLOCATING FACTORS: (The following conditions must be met for a position to be allocated to this class.)

• Positions must be located in the Coordinating Office of Drug and Alcohol Abuse Programs (CODAAP) or the Infectious Disease Control Division of the Health Department.
• The position must manage a large caseload of severely impaired substance abusers or assign and review the work of lower level outreach workers engaged in observing and reporting on client progress.

Bilingual Specialty

• Performs the duties below with members of a non-English language-speaking community.

Both Specialties

• Arranges for placement and monitors the progress of substance abuse offenders directed by the court to attend educational and treatment programs; reviews case files and conducts interviews with clients to determine type and extent of substance abuse.
• Arranges for placement of clients in educational and treatment programs; locates clients who have failed to attend programs; ascertains reasons for absence and attempts to warn of consequences of actions and persuade client to return to program; prepares detailed descriptions of outreach attempts for clients who have violated treatment or program requirements and submits information to probation department, courts and/or medical staff; testifies before judge regarding client's actions in violation of court ordered substance abuse education and treatment program or failure to adhere to prescribed therapy.
• Provides information and direction to clients in obtaining medical or special financial assistance for treatment services; makes site visits to various treatment facilities and becomes familiar with the type of services delivered; provides information to agency personnel regarding placement procedures.
• Maintains records on client data and activities including evaluation results, treatment progress and completion, incidents of non-compliance and court status changes; establishes contacts in other jurisdictions for exchange of information regarding tracking and status of residents arrested for substance abuse in other counties or states; answers inquiries and provides information to attorneys and court officers on program procedures and caseload status.
• Assigns and reviews the work of lower level outreach workers engaged in conducting home visits to tuberculosis patients; makes field visits to clients to ensure that lower level staff members have performed assigned tasks; advises staff on complex cases; resolves case problems that lower level outreach workers are unable to resolve; ensures that case activities are documented in case records; prepares reports on unit activities.
• Presents information pertinent to assigned program to community groups, students and other public and private agencies; participates in training programs designed to aid citizens in eliminating neighborhood problems related to substance abuse.
• Performs related work as required.

KNOWLEDGE OF:
• the functions and resources of the public health program to which assigned.
• the methods and techniques of public health case management.
• the habits, milieu, and behavior of substance abusers if required by work assignment.
• the criminal justice system as it applies to the processing of persons arrested for crimes related to substance abuse if required by work assignment.
• the various types of treatment programs for substance abusers if required by work assignment.
• the functions and resources of private and public agencies which provide services for substance abusers or persons with a communicable disease.
• the methods of communicable disease transmission if required by work assignment.
• the practices and techniques of working with individuals with health problems.
• case record preparation methods.

ABILITY TO:

• communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
• establish a rapport with and obtain the trust of substance abusers or persons with a communicable disease.
• deliver presentations to judicial officials, other representatives of the criminal justice system and community groups.
• plan, assign and review the work of lower level employees.
• evaluate treatment programs for consistency with client's abuse or health problems.
• determine the appropriate type of treatment program for various types of substance abusers if required by work assignment.
• maintain records and prepare reports.
• use a computer for data entry and retrieval.
• maintain effective working relationships with clients and their families, contracted agency personnel, community groups, criminal justice system representatives and officials of state and local agencies.
• speak, read and write in a specified non-English language and in English fluently for the Bilingual Specialty.

EDUCATION
• Education equivalent to completion of the twelfth school grade.

AND

GENERAL EXPERIENCEE

• Two years of public contact or community health work experience in a substance abuse or infectious disease control program which has included, as an aspect of the work, advising or interviewing clients.

AND

SPECIFIC EXPERIENCE

• One year of public health case management experience arranging for and monitoring the treatment of substance abusers who have been arrested or the treatment of persons with a communicable disease who require ongoing preventive treatment.

Or any equivalent combination of education and experience determined to be acceptable by the Personnel Department which has included the specific experience.

NOTE:
For the first holding only, an additional year of community health work in an infectious disease control program can be substituted for the specific experience.

PHYSICAL AND MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Ability to physically perform the duties and to work in the environmental conditions required of a position in this class.

PAY RANGE: 17