CHIEF, COMMUNICATION DISORDERS, RANCHO

ABOUT THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY:
The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (DHS) is the second largest municipal health system in the nation. DHS operates as an integrated health system, operating 25 health centers and four acute care hospitals, in addition to providing health care to youth in the juvenile justice system and inmates in the LA County jails. Across the network of DHS' directly operated clinical sites and through partnerships with community-based clinics, DHS cares for about 600,000 unique patients each year, employs over 23,000 staff, and has an annual operating budget of 6.9 billion. For additional information regarding DHS please visit www.dhs.lacounty.gov.

Through academic affiliations with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the University of Southern California (USC), and the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Sciences (CDU), DHS hospitals are training sites for physicians completing their Graduate Medical Education in nearly every medical specialty and subspecialty. In addition, to its direct clinical services, DHS also runs the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Agency and the County's 911 emergency response system, as well as Housing for Health and the Office of Diversion and Re-entry, each with a critical role in connecting vulnerable populations, including those released from correctional and institutional settings, to supportive housing.

THE MISSION:
To advance the health of our patients and our communities by providing extraordinary care.

DEFINITION:
Directs a large staff of speech-language pathologists and audiologists in an intensive rehabilitation facility providing comprehensive screening, diagnostic, and therapeutic services to patients exhibiting all types of speech, language, and hearing disorders. Directs all aspects of the communication disorders program including speech-language pathology and audiology, research and professional education, and head trauma/cognitive programs.

Define the scope of professional services provided by the Communication Disorders Department and ensure that clinical speech pathology and audiology assessment and rehabilitation services provided to patients in inpatient and outpatient settings meet accreditation standards and are provided by competent and qualified professionals.

Represents the department in meetings with hospital and medical administration, medical and facility staff, and representatives of other agencies or institutions within or outside the County.

Directs, assigns, and evaluates the work of staff engaged in treating communication disorders, including completion of all performance evaluations.

Recommend, justify, and hire a sufficient number of qualified, competent professional and support personnel to meet the needs of the population served and objectives of the organization.

Coordinate and integrate intradepartmental and interdepartmental services with the Rehabilitation Center’s primary functions.

Plans and directs an interdisciplinary program of comprehensive screening, diagnostic and therapeutic services, rehabilitation, and follow up for the treatment of patients with communication disorders.

Evaluates existing and future needs and services; establishes goals, objectives, and standards of the speech pathology services within the general framework of hospital procedures and established professional standards.

Conducts program evaluations of existing programs to determine if the defined needs are being addressed or whether revision of the goals, objectives, or the program is required.

Develop and implement Department policies and procedures that guide and support the provision of services and effective organizational, management and interdepartmental relationships and communications.

Resolves problems concerning the provision of diagnostic evaluations, the interpretation and analysis of test results, and treatment goals for patients with communication disorders.

Coordinates and reviews the ongoing departmental quality assurance program and evaluates departmental program audits to ensure compliance with new regulations and/or procedures.

Oversee a professional student internship program to facilitate ongoing professional development of clinicians and supervisors as well as serve as a pipeline for recruitment of new staff.

Assesses budgetary needs of the department and prepares budget.

Recommend and complete purchase processes as approved, the space, equipment and other resources necessary to support the clinical, educational, and administrative functions of the Department.

Establishes, fosters, and maintains referral resource relationships with community agencies and individuals to ensure a referral base for departmental clinical programs.

Develops and maintains support from outside philanthropic/grant organizations.

Monitor contracts of specialty clinical staff.

Follow and enforce infection control and patient safety guidelines and policies within the Department for the protection of patients and staff. This applies to using these guidelines and policies with equipment.

Directs and participates in the ongoing orientation and training of physicians, residents, nurses, students and other professionals in medical and allied health disciplines in the recognition of speech-language and hearing disorders.
Minimum Requirements:
A Doctoral degree* from an accredited college or university with specialization in communication disorders - AND – Three (3) years' post-doctoral field experience in the application of communication disorders principles, two (2) years of which must have been at a supervisory level**.

LICENSE:
Current licensure*** by the California Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Board to practice speech pathology or audiology -AND- Current Certificate of Clinical Competence as a Speech Pathologist issued by the American Speech-Language Hearing Association.

No Out-of-Class experience will be accepted.

Desirable Qualifications:Additional credit will be given to applicants who possess the following desirable qualifications:

• Experience in a healthcare setting**** at a supervisory level within the last five (5) years.
• A Specialty Certification in Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders approved by the American Board of Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders.

Physical Class II - Light:
This class includes administrative and clerical positions requiring light physical effort that may include occasional light lifting to a 10-pound limit and some bending, stooping, or squatting. Considerable ambulation may be involved.

Special Requirement Information:
*In order to receive credit for any college course work, or any type of college degree, such as a Doctoral degree, completion of a certificate program, you must include a legible copy of the official diploma, official transcripts, official letter from the accredited institution which shows the area of specialization with your application at the time of filing or email it to the analyst at jsaldana@dhs.lacounty.gov within 7 calendar days from filing online.

**Supervisory level is defined as: provides direct supervision to planning, assigning, and reviewing work of staff of the unit, evaluating employee performance, counseling and recommending discipline.

***Applicant must include a legible copy of the license issued by the California Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Board to practice speech pathology or audiology -AND- a Current Certificate of Clinical Competence Speech as a speech pathologist, issued by the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association.

****Healthcare Setting includes but are not limited to: acute care hospitals, urgent care centers, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, specialized outpatient services (e.g., hemodialysis, dentistry, podiatry, chemotherapy, endoscopy, and pain management clinics), and outpatient surgery centers.Examination Content:
This examination will consist of an evaluation of experience and education based upon application information, desirable qualification, and supplemental questionnaire, weighted 100%.

Candidates must achieve a passing score of 70% or higher on the examination in order to be placed on the eligible register.

Eligibility Information:
Applications will be processed on an "as-received" basis and those receiving a passing score will be promulgated to the eligible register accordingly.

The names of candidates receiving a passing score on the examination will be added to the eligible register and will appear in the order of their score group for a period of twelve (12) months following the date of eligibility.

No person may compete in this examination more than once every twelve (12) months.

SPECIAL INFORMATION:

FAIR CHANCE INITIATIVE:
The County of Los Angeles is a Fair Chance employer. Except for a very limited number of positions, you will not be asked to provide information about a conviction history unless you receive a contingent offer of employment. The County will make an individualized assessment of whether your conviction history has a direct or adverse relationship with the specific duties of the job, and consider potential mitigating factors, including, but not limited to, evidence and extent of rehabilitation, regency of the offense(s), and age at the time of the offense(s). If asked to provide information about a conviction history, any convictions or court records which are exempted by a valid court order do not have to be disclosed.

Vacancy Information:
The eligible register resulting from this examination will be used to fill a vacancy at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center.

Available Shift: Appointees may be required to work any shift, including evenings, nights, weekends and holidays.

APPLICATION AND FILING INFORMATION:

Applications must be submitted online only. Applications submitted by U.S Mail, Fax, or in person will not be accepted.

Apply online by clicking on the "Apply" green button at the top right of this posting. You can also track the status of your application using this website.

Plan to submit your online application well in advance of the 5:00 p.m. (PT) deadline on the last day of filing, as you may be required to verify your email address. This only needs to be done once per email address, and if you already have a job seeker account on www.governmentjobs.com/careers/lacounty, you can verify at any time by logging in and following the prompts. This is to enhance the security of your online application and to ensure you do not enter an incorrect email address.

Applications electronically received after 4:59 p.m., PT, on the last day of filing will not be accepted.

For the foreseeable future, all notices including invitations letters and notices of non-acceptance will be sent electronically to the email address provided on the application. It is important that you provide a valid email address. Please add jsaldana@dhs.lacounty.gov as well as noreply@governmentjobs.com, and info@governmentjobs.com to your email address and list of approved senders to prevent email notifications from being filtered as spam/junk/clutter mail.

The acceptance of your application depends on whether you have clearly shown that you meet the Requirements. Fill out your application completely and correctly to receive full credit for related education, and/or experience in the spaces provided so we can evaluate your qualifications for the position. Please do not group your experience. For each position held, give the name and address of your employer, your position title, beginning and ending dates, number of hours worked per week, and description of work performed. If your application is incomplete, it will be rejected.


IMPORTANT NOTES:

• ALL information in the application materials is subject to VERIFICATION.
• We may reject your application at any point during the examination hiring process, including after the appointment has been made.
• FALSIFICAITON of any information may result in DISQUALIFICATION.
• Utilizing VERBIAGE from the Class Specifications and Selection Requirements serving as your description of duties WILL NOT be sufficient to meet the requirements. Doing so may result in an INCOMPLETE APPLICATION and you may be DISQUALIFIED.
• Fill out your application completely. The acceptance of your application depends on whether you have clearly shown that you meet the Selection Requirements. Provide any relevant education, training, and experience in the spaces provided so we can evaluate your qualifications for the job. For each job held, give the name and address of your employer, your job title, beginning and ending dates, number of hours worked per week and description of work performed. If your application is incomplete, it will be rejected.

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER:Please include your Social Security Number for record control purposes. Federal law requires that all employed persons have a Social Security Number.

COMPUTER AND INTERNET ACCESS AT PUBLIC LIBRARIES:
For Candidates who may not have regular access to a computer or the internet, applications can be completed on computers at public libraries throughout Los Angeles County. For hours of operations, you may visit their website at https://lacountylibrary.org/reopening/.

NO SHARING OF USER ID AND PASSWORD:
All applicants must file their application online using their own user ID and password. Using a family member's or friend's user ID and password may erase a candidate's original application record.

ADA COORDINATOR PHONE: (323) 914-7111
TELETYPE PHONE: (800) 899-4099
CALIFORNIA RELAY SERVICES PHONE: (800) 735-2922

DEPARTMENT CONTACT:
Jaquelyne Saldana, Exam Analyst
jsaldana@dhs.lacounty.gov (Best way to contact due to telework)
(213) 288-7000