Senior Community Engagement and Disaster Response Coordinator

The County of Santa Barbara Behavioral Wellness Department is accepting applications to fill one (1) full-time Community Engagement and Disaster Response Manager vacancy. Although this position is based in Santa Barbara, it will have countywide responsibility and will require occasional travel to Lompoc and Santa Maria. Separate lists for different locations will not be established. Therefore, you must check Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, and Lompoc on the application and must be willing to work in all of these locations.

THE POSITION:

Under general direction, performs difficult and complex administrative/analytical functions related to the preparation, review and analysis of a variety of functions pertaining to organizational, operational, and/or budgetary operations within County government and departments; policy and procedure studies in support of assigned department(s) and/or job family; functions as subject matter expert in specific areas of assigned duties; plans, directs, and oversees projects and programs with others in the County and the community; provides advanced level staff assistance to management staff and executives; and performs other duties as assigned.

The Ideal Candidate will have:

• Demonstrated ability to collaborate and guide supervisors/managers to foster an environment that is culturally sensitive.
• Action and results-oriented, innovative, strategic, accepts accountability, energetic, and customer service oriented.
• Effective oral and written communication skills, including outreach activities, public speaking, and media engagement.
• Experience in social media preferred including managing, engaging, and interacting on different social media platforms.
• Demonstrates respect and adaptability when interacting with diverse cultures, understanding and integrating cultural perspectives to foster an inclusive and collaborative work environment.
• Community engagement Skills: Outreach initiatives; Communication with contracting partners; and facilitating events that involve Behavioral Wellness.
• Communication Skills: Ability to speak, read, and write in a clear and cohesive way.
• Crisis Management: Ability to communicate in a calm and professional manner in times of crisis; drafting responses for the public; managing public perception for the department.
• Previous marketing experience highly desirable.
• Bilingual skills in English/Spanish is highly desirable but not required.
• Ability to analyze data in order to inform program recommendations and the public for any related behavioral wellness announcements.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS:

This is the third (advanced journey) level in the Management Professional job family. This class is distinguished from subordinate classes within the series by the greater level of responsibility assumed, complexity of duties assigned, independence of action taken, and by the nature, impact, and scope of the public contact. Incumbents in this job class perform the most difficult and responsible types of duties assigned to classes within this series. Incumbents at this level are required to be fully trained in all policies, procedures, and operations related to assigned areas of responsibility.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED

Reports to a higher-level manager or may report to an executive. Oversees the work of a team or teams of individual contributors through subordinate managers. May exercise direct and indirect supervision over assigned management, professional, technical, and administrative staff.

THE DEPARTMENT

The Department of Behavioral Wellness was founded in 1962 and it is our mission to promote the prevention of and recovery from mental illness and addiction among individuals, families and communities, by providing effective leadership and delivering state-of-the-art, culturally competent services. The Department provides treatment, rehabilitation, and support services to 10,000 clients with mental illness and substance use disorders annually through its professional staff of over 400, in addition to its many contracted Community-Based Organization (CBO) providers.

These examples are not intended to reflect all duties performed within the job and not all duties listed are necessarily performed by each individual.

1. Serves as a resource to assigned department, programs, and projects; provides technical direction, advice, and support; participates in the development of policies, procedures and standards for program development and review; acts as a primary resource regarding County systems, organization, operations, and services.
2. Reviews and analyzes operations, activities and budgets and provides recommendations and alternative solutions; reviews and analyzes policies and procedures; assists in the identification of opportunities for improvement and development of new policies and procedures.
3. Consults on issues related to budget preparation, analysis, presentation, and review.
4. Plans, develops, and implements a variety of programs and projects in accordance with the County's goals and objectives to inform the public; communicates internally with employees and may communicate externally with news media representatives, community and civic groups, public agencies, and private organizations.
5. Assists and supports the department in creating operational strategies, identifying, and resolving operations issues, and monitoring corrective actions.
6. Oversees, coordinates, and participates in special projects and programs and serves as the subject matter expert; develops implementation strategies and monitors the status of assigned programs and projects; provides leadership and direction to interdepartmental team members; prepares reports, correspondence, and memoranda, and makes presentations that include recommended action to various levels of leadership in the organization.
7. Directs and manages the work of consultants; prepares requests for proposals, reviews bids, interviews and selects consultants; manages workflow, establishes expectations and priorities and monitors outcomes; negotiates contracts.
8. Builds and maintains positive working relationships with elected and appointed officials, co-workers, other County employees, and the public using principles of good customer service.
9. Maintains and updates expertise in designated specialty areas; monitors current events and changes to laws, standards, rules, and regulations and analyzes the effect on the County's operations and services; prepares reports with updates, analyses, and recommendations; represents the County's interests.
10. Develops, manages, implements, and maintains major County-wide initiatives, programs, or projects; leads team meetings in a positive and motivational manner; makes decisions and recommendations with the long-term benefit of the County in mind; coordinates interjurisdictional, interdepartmental, and/or interagency activities; communicates to appropriate County entities.
11. Prepares and presents responses to questions, issues or concerns related to assigned projects, programs, and specialty area.
12. Represents the County to the public and to other agencies in a positive and productive manner.
13. May provide direct supervision over professional, technical, and clerical staff including assigning, directing, training, and evaluating subordinates.
14. Oversees, coordinates, and participates in research and analysis on a variety of issues and topics related to designated areas of responsibility; performs extensive review of related issues through interviews, correspondence, readings and other research methods; prepares highly detailed, comprehensive reports relating findings to the specific needs and concerns of the County; provides recommendations to the departments, County Executive Office and Board of Supervisors.
15. Performs other related duties as required.

The knowledge, skills, and abilities listed below may be acquired through various types of training, education, and experience. A typical way to acquire the required knowledge and abilities would be:

• Equivalent of a bachelor's degree from an accredited four-year college or university in public health administration, public administration, behavioral/mental health, or related field AND,
• Four (4) years of progressively responsible experience involving planning, analysis, coordination, and evaluation in a behavioral health setting.

Licenses and Certificates For specific positions, possession and maintenance of a valid California Driver's License and the ability to meet automobile insurability requirements of the County or the ability to provide suitable transportation needs may be required.

Knowledge of:

• Principles and practices of leadership, motivation, team building and conflict resolution.
• Standard and accepted methods of writing requests for proposals, selecting consultants and negotiating contracts.
• Principles and practices of public administration and principles of organization, management, and staffing.
• Pertinent local, state, and federal laws, guidelines, regulations, and statutes.
• Principles and practices of public finance, budgeting, and fiscal control.
• Principles and practices of public human resources.
• Principles and techniques to plan, develop and coordinate comprehensive local government public relations, communications, and media relations programs.
• Standard research techniques, including the use of surveys and questionnaires.
• Principles and techniques of administrative analysis, including workload measurement, workflow and layout, work simplification and systems and procedure analysis.
• Principles and practices of local government, including county administration, organization, programs, and functions.
• Modern office procedures, methods, and computer equipment.
• Computer software, including word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, and database applications.
• English usage, spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

Ability to:

• Read, analyze, evaluate, and summarize written materials and statistical data including reports, financial reports, and budgets.
• Compose, coordinate, and edit a variety of educational, informational, and promotional materials for dissemination and use by the County, other agencies, news media, and the general public.
• Apply the principles and practices of motivation, team building and conflict resolution.
• Obtain information through interview process; successfully accomplish multiple assignments; deal firmly and courteously with the public.
• Determine effective method of research; compile data and present it in a form most likely to enhance understanding.
• Prepare reports, statistical data, forms, questionnaires, and surveys.
• Analyze problems, identify alternative solutions, project consequences of proposed actions, and implement recommendations in support of goals.
• Interpret and apply pertinent local, state, and federal laws and regulations.
• Analyze situations quickly and objectively, apply appropriate elements of decision making and determine the proper course of action.
• Effectively deal with high levels of ambiguity and possess the ability to navigate through the ambiguity.
• Exercise initiative, sound independent judgment, tact, sensitivity, and discretion and maintain confidentiality within established guidelines.
• Collaborate with various community groups in a tactful and effective manner.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Make effective presentations to the community and the media.
• Understand, interpret, explain, and apply complex rules and procedures.
• Analyze systems and administrative and management practices and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with a diverse range of individuals, including but not limited to coworkers, subordinate staff, supervisors, other managers, professional agencies, and the general public.

May be required to work a varied schedule of hours, which may include evenings, weekends, and holidays.

Completion of a background investigation to the satisfaction of the County may be required for some assignments.

Application & Selection Process

Candidates must pass every step in the selection process and receive a percentage score of at least 70 on the application ranking assessment to be placed on an employment list. An adjustment may be made to raw scores based on factors listed in Civil Service Rule VI. Those candidates who are successful in the selection process will have their names placed on the employment list for a minimum of three months. At the time the employment list is established, all candidates will receive an email notice of their score on the exam(s), rank on the employment list, and exact duration of the employment list.

Recruiters will communicate with applicants by e-mail during each step in the recruitment process. Applicants are reminded to check spam filters continuously during the Recruitment & Selection Process steps listed above to ensure they do not miss required deadlines.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS: The County of Santa Barbara is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to applicants. Qualified individuals with disabilities who need a reasonable accommodation during the application or selection process should contact the recruiter listed on the job posting. We require verification of needed accommodation from a professional source, such as a Medical Provider or a learning institution.

Conditional Job Offer: Once a conditional offer of employment has been made, candidate will be required to successfully complete a background check, which includes a conviction history check, and satisfactory reference checks. Appointee will be subject to a post-offer medical evaluation or examination. The appointee must satisfactorily complete a one-year probationary period.

Disaster Service Workers: Pursuant to Governmental code section 3100, all employees with the County of Santa Barbara are declared to be disaster service workers subject to such disaster service. Activities as may be assigned to them by their superiors or by law.

Statement of Commitment

The County of Santa Barbara is dedicated to cultivating and sustaining an environment that exhibits equity and inclusion everywhere, and at all levels of our organization. The County believes equity is a fundamental principle that must be imbedded in policies, institutional practices and systems. The County recognizes the negative impacts of systemic racism and is committed to eliminating the barriers affecting our Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and Asian community members, as well as people of other diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. We envision a world where society and its systems (e.g. education, criminal justice, and health care, housing the economy) are just, fair, and inclusive, enabling all people to participate and reach their full potential.

We celebrate community and employee diversity, strive for inclusion and belonging, and promote empowered participation. We aspire to build a workforce that is reflective of these values and the communities we serve. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and will resolutely uphold federal, California state law and/or Santa Barbara County ordinances.

We believe equity and inclusion are vital to fulfill the County's mission and to embody a culture of "One County, One Future." Expanding the full range of employee talent allows the County to deliver our best to all our community members.

We believe in the dignity and humanity of all people. We strive for a healthy and prosperous society that promotes all people having equitable access and opportunity.

APPLICATION AND SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE DEADLINE: January 13, 2025, at 4:59 PM PST; Postmarks are not accepted. Applications and job bulletins can be obtained 24 hours a day at www.sbcountyjobs.com.

Leza Patatanian, Talent Acquisition Analyst, lpatatanian@countyofsb.org