Communicable Disease Specialist

This recruitment will close at 5:00 pm on Thursday, July 2, 2020. The eligible list established from this recruitment will expire by the end of the calendar year. Applicants will be eligible to reapply and take an examination if a new recruitment opens the following calendar year.

Applications in this recruitment are screened on a weekly basis. This recruitment may be used to fill both open and promotional vacancies in various County departments as they arise, subject to specific position requirements.

The Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Division, is currently accepting applications for the assignment of extra-help Communicable Disease Specialists (Case Investigators).  Duties include contacting COVID-19 patients, providing counseling on testing and quarantine and providing other necessary resources.  Individuals in the Case Investigator assignment will be required to work weekdays, weekends and/or evening hours.

*Temporary/Extra Help assignments are limited to working 28 hours per week with a cap of 999 hours or 960 hours for CalPERS retired annuitants in a fiscal year and are not eligible for benefits. Extra-help appointments made from this eligible list may transition to permanent status, should vacancies arise.

Upon successful completion of a foreign language proficiency exam, an additional 5% bilingual pay will be paid to employees who use a second language on a regular basis in the normal course of business.

Placer County offers a comprehensive benefits package to employees. The following information represents benefits currently available to permanent Placer County employees and may be subject to change. Applicants should inquire as to the most current benefit package during hiring interviews or by contacting the Human Resources Department

Click here to view General benefits

For more info regarding the benefits Placer County has to offer, please visit Placer County’s Human Resources website.

To monitor, analyze, investigate and report communicable diseases; collect, analyze and disseminate data regarding communicable diseases; and provide information on disease prevention, control and treatment to community members and healthcare providers. The work involves obtaining and utilizing specific information of a confidential and sensitive nature.

This is a journey para-professional level classification assigned to the Public Health Division’s Communicable Disease Program in the Department of Health and Human Services. Employees at this level may independently perform specialized and technical duties related to communicable disease prevention, investigation and control activities. Employees receive only occasional instruction or assistance as new or unusual situations arise and are fully aware of the operating procedures and policies of the work unit.

Receives general supervision from assigned professional or supervisory staff.

May exercise technical and functional supervision over clerical staff.

Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Review and interpret incoming laboratory reports and confidential morbidity reports to determine if reported information is consistent with case definitions for reportable diseases. Interpret, explain and enforce federal, state and local statutes, policies and regulations pertaining to the investigation of communicable disease contacts.
  
• Respond to requests from the general public.
  
• Review and maintain accurate case records and compile statistical data.
  
• Document reportable cases using appropriate computer applications.
  
• Investigate and research reported cases of communicable disease, including HIV or AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), tuberculosis (TB) and vaccine preventable diseases; and conduct inspections as needed.
  
• Recommend and initiate procedures for isolation/quarantine of contacts in order to limit the spread of communicable disease.
  
• Contact physicians or other providers to obtain or clarify information and confirm diagnoses of reportable diseases; and disease reporting requirements.
  
• Conduct interviews to determine location of known contacts and to trace other persons who may be sources or affected by acute communicable diseases.
  
• Confer with and provide recommendations to County staff, healthcare providers and members of the community on communicable disease control principles.
  
• Interview and counsel contacts, encouraging compliance to public health laws and observance of recommended health practices.
  
• Conduct informational and educational presentations on the prevention of communicable diseases using a variety of media platforms.
  
• Attend and participate in staff meetings, training seminars and response teams on communicable diseases and other related topics; serve as a liaison between the Public Health Division and various community groups and regulatory agencies as it relates to communicable disease.
  
• Build and maintain positive working relationships with co-workers, other County employees and the public using principles of good customer service.
  
• Perform related duties as assigned.
  

Work is typically performed in an indoor office environment and controlled temperature conditions.  Tasks may involve extended periods of time at a keyboard or work station. Position may require travel to and from other locations in a variety of outdoor weather conditions and lifting materials and supplies of light weight.

It is the responsibility of applicants to identify in their application materials how they meet the minimum qualifications listed below.

Experience and Training: Any combination of experience and training that would provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying.  A typical way to obtain the required knowledge and abilities would be:

Experience: Two years of experience working with the general public which requires interviewing and obtaining confidential or personal information. Experience working in a public health setting is preferred.

Training: Equivalent to completion of an associate’s degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in healthcare, health science or a closely related field.

Applicants receiving their degree outside the United States must submit proof of accreditation by a recognized evaluation agency.

License or Certificate: 

May need to possess a valid driver's license as required by the position.  Proof of adequate vehicle insurance and medical clearance may also be required.

Knowledge of:

• Principles and practices of communicable disease prevention and investigation.
• Principles and practices of work safety, especially as related to communicable diseases.
• Differing cultural, religious, economic and social groups and their relationships to the delivery and acceptance of health care services.
• Risk factors, symptoms, communicability, transmission, diagnosis, and treatment of infectious diseases.
• Best practices, methodology and theories of behavior change used in health education, health promotion or disease prevention.
• Strategies and techniques for disease prevention and communicable disease control.
• Laws and regulations pertaining to surveillance, reporting, and control of infectious and communicable diseases, medical records (including privacy and security of protected health information), and other related public health matters.
• Methods and practices for conducting medical case investigations and disease outbreak investigations.
• Interview techniques for communicable disease cases and contacts.

Ability to:

• On a continuous basis, know and understand all aspects of the job; intermittently analyze work papers, medical records, reports and special projects; identify and interpret technical and numerical information; observe and problem solve operational and technical policies and procedures.
• On an intermittent basis, sit at desk for long periods of time; intermittently walk, stand, bend, squat, twist and reach while retrieving and/or returning files; perform simple grasping and fine manipulation; use telephone and use a keyboard to communicate through written means, review information and enter/retrieve data; see and read characters on computer screen; and lift light weight.
• Arrange, conduct and participate in group meetings related to communicable disease prevention and investigation.
• Work independently on assignments.
• Work with various cultural and ethnic groups in a tactful and effective manner.
• Obtain confidential and sensitive information through interviews; and deal fairly and courteously with the public.
• Analyze situations quickly and objectively and determine course of action.
• Use general office equipment, such as a computer, calculator, telephone, photocopy machine, etc.
• Organize, prioritize and coordinate communicable disease work activities.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Establish and maintain positive working relationships with co-workers, other County employees and the public using principles of good customer service.
• Understand, interpret and apply federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations.

Training & Experience Rating (100%)

Based upon responses to the supplemental questionnaire, the applicant’s education, training, and experience will be evaluated using a pre-determined formula. Scores from this evaluation will determine applicant ranking and placement on the eligible list.

Length of Probation: 

• All permanent appointments from open eligible lists to open positions in the classified service shall serve a probationary period of twelve (12) months or two thousand eighty (2,080) hours, whichever is more.  

Bargaining Unit:

• General

Prior to the date of hire, applicants must undergo a fingerprint test by the Department of Justice, pass a medical examination (which may include a drug screening and possibly a psychological evaluation), sign a constitutional oath, and submit proof of U.S. citizenship or legal right to remain and work in the U.S.  For some positions, applicants may also be required to submit proof of age, undergo a background investigation (which may include a voice stress analysis and/or a polygraph), and/or be bonded. Additionally, positions in law enforcement classifications and those supporting law enforcement functions will be required to complete a conviction history questionnaire prior to or during the interview process. Applicants for positions with access to Medi-Cal billing software or who are licensed providers must clear the Federal Exclusion List, credentialing, and social security verification. Failure to clear these requirements may result in an employment offer being withdrawn.

The eligible list resulting from this recruitment may be certified as a substitute list for a substantially similar classification.  For this purpose, a substantially similar classification is one at a lower level in the same classification (example: entry level vs. journey level) and/or a similar classification (similar work performed, similar training and experience qualifications required). If you are contacted for an interview by a County department, you will be informed of the classification and other relevant information. If you choose not to interview for a substantially similar classification, you will remain on the eligible list for which you originally applied.

Placer County offers an expedited process for qualifying certain applicants for interviews. Candidates currently employed, or employed within the last year, by a public agency operating under a personnel civil service or merit system may be eligible to be placed on a Public Agency Eligible List and certified as eligible for appointment to a similar job assignment without going through the examination process. For more information on the Public Agency Eligible List, to download forms, or to apply, please click here.

Thank you for your interest in employment with Placer County. Placer County is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to an active nondiscrimination program. It is the stated policy of Placer County that harassment, discrimination, and retaliation are prohibited and that all employees, applicants, agents, contractors, and interns/volunteers shall receive equal consideration and treatment. All terms and conditions of employment, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, transfer, and promotion will be based on the qualifications of the individual for the positions being filled regardless of gender (including gender identity and expression), sexual orientation, race, color, ancestry, religion, national origin, physical disability (Including HIV and AIDS), mental disability, medical condition (cancer or genetic characteristics/information), age (40 or over), marital status, military and/or veteran status, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions), or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local law. Please contact the Human Resources Department at least 5 working days before a scheduled examination if you require accommodation in the examination process. Medical disability verification may be required prior to accommodation.