County of Alameda

Under general direction, plans, organizes and directs the work activities and staff of the centralized Medical Leaves & Accommodation Services Unit; counsels and advises County Human Resources Personnel Officers and liaisons, County managers/supervisors and Alameda County employees on Federal and State disability laws, leave provisions, other applicable statutes, and County policies and procedures; develops and establishes Countywide policies and procedures, rules, regulations guidelines designed to eliminate disability discrimination practices and reduce liability issues; and to actively develop and promote a centralized disability management program.      

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES  

This single management/supervisory class is located in the Medical Leaves & Accommodation Services Unit of the Human Resource Services Department and reports to the HR Division Manager, Employee Benefits, Medical Leaves & Accommodation Services of Human Resource Services. It is distinguished from the lower supervisory classification in the Medical Leaves & Accommodation Services Unit in that this position is responsible for the overall managing, designing, implementing and operating of the County’s Medical Leaves & Accommodation Services programs while the supervisory classification is directly responsible for supervising the day-to-day functions of the Unit and staff.

NOTE:   The following are the duties performed by employees in this classification.  However, employees may perform other related duties at an equivalent level.  Each individual in the classification does not necessarily perform all duties listed.  

1. Plans, organizes, and directs the County’s centralized Medical Leaves & Accommodation Services Unit pursuant to local, state, and federal disability laws, leave provisions and applicable statues which includes Reasonable Accommodation, Family and Medical Leaves, Temporary Modified Work, Non-industrial/Personal Disabilities Fitness for Duty and other County medical leaves and accommodation leave provisions.
2. Secures management commitment; articulates and interprets state and federal disability laws and leaves consistently as applied to the County’s medical leaves and reasonable accommodation related program areas.
3. Reviews agency/department requests for Fitness for Duty/Independent Medical Evaluations (CS Rule 1488) for appropriate action and attends CSC meetings, including closed sessions.  
4. Provides leadership, consultation, advice, and training to Agency/Department disability coordinators on effective medical leaves and reasonable accommodation management, overlapping disability laws/leaves, County policies, procedures, leave provisions, roles and responsibilities and new legislation to ensure compliance with local, state, and federal laws and makes presentations to County departments, including the Board and Department Heads.
5. Creates partnerships with all relevant stakeholders to streamline the County’s medical leaves and reasonable accommodation management processes to improve response time and improve case management.
6. Conducts medical leaves and reasonable accommodation  case management meetings, provides consultation, confidential information, interprets, explains and advises on leaves as they overlap with other leaves and employee performance issues; makes recommendations for appropriate plan of action; and serves as a resource for strategizing appropriate reasonable accommodations with agencies/departments, disability coordinators, health providers, County Counsel, and Risk Management in compliance with local, state and federal laws.
7. Monitors legislative activity that impacts medical leaves and reasonable accommodation program areas; identifies and makes recommendations for legislative changes and/or the County’s position on pending legislation.
8. Creates new Board policies and countywide medical leaves and reasonable accommodation management programs and procedures for the County’s Medical Leaves & Accommodation Services.
9. Designs, develops, and implements countywide curriculum; conducts training for County managers and supervisors on EEO disability laws and leaves, County policies, procedures, and provisions, to ensure disabled employees’ rights and benefits and to comply with medical leaves and reasonable accommodation laws related to disabled employees and applicants.
10. Develops medical leaves and reasonable accommodation management forms, guidelines, policies, procedures, handbooks, and technical manuals.
11. Develops the centralized Medical Leaves & Accommodation Services Unit goals and objectives, provides oversight and monitors medical leaves and reasonable accommodation management teams’ performance measures and establishes future goals to meet the centralized Medical Leaves & Accommodation Services Unit mission and vision and evaluates the County’s Medical Leaves & Accommodation Services to ensure program goals are met and problem areas are identified and corrected.
12. Monitors and analyzes the County’s medical leaves and reasonable accommodation management activities and development needs of the operating departments; prepares reports to ensure compliance, provides periodic audits and conducts medical leaves and reasonable accommodation case management review to identify high risk cases to ensure the most appropriate, effective, and efficient handling of each case.
13. Research technology, software, equipment, assistive devices, and other possibilities to accommodate disabled employees and applicants.
14. Speaks at meetings and conferences and participates as a trainer in the County’s Annual Disability Employment Awareness Conference.
15. Responsible for the administration, planning and evaluation of work performed by the centralized Medical Leaves & Accommodation Services Unit, which includes professional, para-professional, and clerical staff through subordinate supervisors.
16. Recommends selection of staff and any necessary disciplinary actions that will ensure a courteous, efficient, accurate and timely service approach to disabled employee/applicants, supervisors, and managers.  
17. Personally, handles the most sensitive and complex disability management cases such as senior management or other special cases.

EITHER I

Experience:  

The equivalent of two (2) years full-time experience overseeing the disability management functions of subordinate staff in the class of Departmental Human Resources Manager or in an equivalent or higher classification in the Alameda County classified service.  

OR II  

Experience:  

The equivalent of three (3) years full-time experience in the class of Departmental Human Resources Officer that included two (2) years of having managed disability-related cases in the Alameda County classified service.      

OR III  

Education:  

Possession of a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in Business Administration, Public Administration, Human Resources or in a related field.  

AND

Experience:  

The equivalent of four (4) years recent full-time experience in a public or private organization working in professional level personnel work involving disability management and reasonable accommodation and the use of the knowledge and abilities described in this specification. Two (2) years of the required experience should have been at a Supervisor or Manager level.   

Substitution:  

Four (4) additional years of work experience may substitute for the degree requirement.  

NOTE:    The Civil Service Commission may modify the above Minimum Qualifications in the announcement of an examination.

NOTE:   The level and scope of the following knowledge and abilities are related to duties listed under the “Examples of Duties” section of this specification.  

Knowledge of:

• Principles and practices of public and personnel administration.
• State and Federal disability laws, leave provisions, and regulations.
• County policies and procedures, Administrative Code, CS Rules, Personnel Procedures, Memoranda of Understanding (MOU’s) and personnel administration.
• EEO concepts and guidelines for compliance related to employee/applicant disabilities.    
• Principles and practices of management, supervision, and training. 
• Effective techniques of interpersonal relations, negotiation, strategies, conflict resolution and problem solving.
• Statistical methods used to analyze data.

Ability to:

• Provide effective and efficient leadership to staff.
• Analyze, problem solve, and make sound judgments and appropriate recommendations.
• Demonstrate interpersonal sensitivity.
• Establish effective working relationships and conferring at all levels.
• Negotiate and strategize.
• Plan and organize.
• Effectively communicate, orally and in writing.
• Coordinate and supervise the processing of disability management cases.
• Develop and conduct training in related areas of disability management and reasonable accommodation.
• Make presentations to individuals and groups.
• Read, interpret and apply laws, rules, regulations, standards and procedures.
• Use applicable State and Federal provisions as well as Charter and Civil Service Rules and Regulations.

Newspecs   0463

RE:cs  

CSC Date:  4/9/13

RE:sa Revised/Retitled 07/16/2021

Old Title: Disability Program Administrator

CSC Date: 07/28/2021

Alameda County offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that affords wide-ranging health care options to meet the different needs of a diverse workforce and their families. We also sponsor many different employee discount, fitness and health screening programs focused on overall well being.  These benefits include but are not limited to*:

For your Health & Well-Being

• Medical – HMO & PPO Plans
• Dental – HMO & PPO Plans
• Vision or Vision Reimbursement
• Share the Savings
• Basic Life Insurance 
• Supplemental Life Insurance (with optional dependent coverage for eligible employees)
• Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance 
• County Allowance Credit
• Flexible Spending Accounts - Health FSA, Dependent Care and Adoption Assistance
• Short-Term Disability Insurance
• Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Voluntary Benefits - Accident Insurance, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity and Legal Services
• Employee Assistance Program

For your Financial Future

• Retirement Plan - (Defined Benefit Pension Plan)
• Deferred Compensation Plan (457 Plan or Roth Plan)

For your Work/Life Balance

• 12 paid holidays
• Floating Holidays
• Vacation and sick leave accrual
• Vacation purchase program
• Management Paid Leave**
• Catastrophic Sick Leave
• Group Auto/Home Insurance
• Pet Insurance
• Commuter Benefits Program
• Guaranteed Ride Home
• Employee Wellness Program (e.g. At Work Fitness, Incentive Based Programs, Gym Membership Discounts)
• Employee Discount Program (e.g. theme parks, cell phone, etc.)
• Child Care Resources
• 1^st United Services Credit Union 

*Eligibility is determined by Alameda County and offerings may vary by collective bargaining agreement.  This provides a brief summary of the benefits offered and can be subject to change.

** Non-exempt management employees are entitled to up to three days of management paid leave. Exempt management employees are entitled to up to seven days of management paid leave.