ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SPECIALIST I (TEMPORARY) / EMERGENCY APPOINTMENT HOMELESSNESS

Position/Program Information

TYPE OF RECRUITMENT:
OPEN COMPETITIVE - EMERGENCY

FILING DATE:
Friday, October 11, 2024 at 8:30 a.m. , Pacific Time (PT)

This examination will remain open until the needs of the service are met and is subject to closure without prior notice.

EXAM NUMBER:

PH5670I-EA
The LA County Board of Supervisors recently declared a local state of emergency for homelessness, and the County is working to revise and expand our response to help all who are affected. We are looking for qualified and passionate individuals to help us in the mission of addressing issues like housing, mental health, and substance use. If you are looking for a new career that will directly benefit the population of LA County, this may be the opportunity for you.

The County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health is seeking qualified candidates to fill emergency Environmental Health Specialist I vacancies related to the homelessness crisis.

Under the emergency order, applicants who meet the requirements may be hired for an initial period of up to 90 days, with an opportunity for permanent County employment.

Before the end of your initial work period, you will be assessed on your work performance. This assessment will be weighted 100%.

Those who successfully pass the assessment will be considered for permanent appointment to Environmental Health Specialist I (Temporary) .

DEFINITION:
As a trainee, learns techniques for conducting environmental health inspections and investigations.

CLASSIFICATION STANDARDS:
Under close administrative and technical supervision, positions allocable to this class receive a maximum of two years of extensive formal and on-the-job training in techniques and procedures for conducting environmental health inspections, investigations, and enforcement, as well as application of these techniques and procedures in the field, in compliance with Federal, State, and County public health laws, and with policies and procedures governing the environmental health program.

ABOUT LOS ANGELES COUNTY:
With more than 10 million residents, Los Angeles County (County) is the most populous county in the nation. As the largest employer in Southern California, over 112,000 employees in more than 38 Departments provide vital public services as diverse as law enforcement, property assessment, public health protection, water conservation, cultural activities and many more.

WHY THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH:
Los Angeles County offers one of the strongest public-sector benefits packages in the nation. The County provides each employee with a monthly "benefit allowance" they can use to pay for benefits, allowing employees to choose among a variety of pre-tax and after-tax benefits. The County offers robust retirement packages and boosts 13 paid holidays per year. The County of Los Angeles is a qualifying employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program.

CAREER PATH:
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SPECIALIST II
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SPECIALIST III
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SPECIALIST IV
CHIEF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SPECIALIST

Essential Job Functions

• Attends formal training sessions to receive instruction in environmental management principles, methods, and techniques and orientation to the organization, departmental policies, and procedures of the Environmental Health Program.
• Learns to conduct periodic inspections of food establishments and restaurants for proper sanitary conditions by reviewing and observing to ensure that food is unspoiled, properly labeled, stored, handled, and protected from contaminants.
• Reviews and observes utensil washing and sanitizing procedures by testing water temperatures and cleaning agents and facilities to ensure that these meet Federal, State, and local legal requirements.
• Ensures that food equipment, such as stoves, and refrigerators, and other cooking equipment and appliances are clean and in good repair.
• Learns to conduct investigations of complaints concerning the infestation of rodents, and inspects by examining premises for evidence of infestation such as telltale signs and avenues of entry and placing poisons.
• Learns to conduct investigations of complaints regarding improper disposal of garbage, rubbish and sewage, and other unsanitary conditions in buildings, dwellings and retail food or other establishments by conducting inspections of premises for adequate disposal facilities.
• Learns to conduct investigations concerning the disposal of garbage, rubbish and sewage under public health laws by inspecting the collection trucks, sanitary landfills, recycle sites, and refuse transfer stations used by private residential refuse collectors operating in unincorporated areas and contract cities to ensure that collection trucks are in good repair, properly covered and no spillage, and that landfills, recycle sites, and refuse transfer stations do not provide insect or rodent harborage or emit excessive odors or dust.
• Meets with community groups within an assigned area and attempts to establish rapport for the purpose of solving problems related to environmental health.
• Learns to participate in prosecution of environmental sanitation cases of non-compliance with public health laws and regulations by preparing evidence such as meat samples and the findings of laboratory technicians who conducted the tests, completing inspection forms, attending office hearings, conferring with city or the district attorney, and testifying in court as a representative of the Department of Public Health.
• Maintains records of work performed.
• Drives to various locations to receive training on conducting inspections of multi-family housing and associated swimming pools, restaurants, and food markets.
• Drives to various locations to inspect multi-family housing and associated swimming pools, restaurants, and food markets.
• Drives to various locations to conduct investigations of complaints regarding habitability at single and multi-family housing.
• Drives to various locations to conduct complaint investigations of restaurant and food markets.

Requirements

SELECTION REQUIREMENTS:
The following documents must be provided during hiring process: A Bachelor's degree* such as but not limited to in Physiological Science, Nutrition and Food Sciences, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Public Health, Environmental Studies, Environmental and Occupational Health, Environmental Biology, Biology, Health Science from an accredited college, university, or educational institution approved by the California State Department of Public Health or an educational institution of collegiate grade approved by the American Council on Education.A letter** from the California State Department of Public Health verifying eligibility to work as an Environmental Health Specialist Trainee, dated no earlier than 30 months from the date of application. LICENSES:
A valid California Class C Driver License*** is required to carry out job-related essential functions.

PHYSICAL CLASS:
3 - Moderate. Includes standing or walking most of the time, with bending, stooping, squatting, twisting, and reaching; includes working on irregular surfaces, occasionally lifting objects weighing over 25 pounds, and frequent lifting of 10-25 pounds.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENT INFORMATION:
*A legible copy of one of the following: Official Diploma, Official Transcript(s), or Official Letter from the accredited institution, which shows the date the degree was awarded, with Registrar's signature and school seal must be attached to the application at the time of filing, emailed to HRExams@ph.lacounty.gov or provided during the hiring process.

• Foreign degrees must be evaluated for equivalency to United States accredited institutions standards by an academic credential evaluation agency recognized by The National Association of Credential Evaluation Services or the Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. (AICE). (see Employment Information under Accreditation Information)

**A legible photocopy of the letter from the CSDPH, dated no earlier than 30 months from the date of application, verifying eligibility to work as an Environmental Health Specialist Trainee must be attached to the application at the time of filing, emailed to HRExams@ph.lacounty.gov or provided during the hiring process.

• For information on how to obtain the letter from the California State Department of Public Health (CSDPH) verifying eligibility to work as an Environmental Health Specialist Trainee, you may call (916) 449-5662 or click on the link below: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CEH/DRSEM/Pages/EMB/REHS/REHS.aspx

***A legible photocopy of the required valid California Class C Driver License must be attached to the application at the time of filing, emailed to HRExams@ph.lacounty.gov or provided during the hiring process.

• Successful applicants for positions that require driving must obtain and present a copy of their driving record from the California State Department of Motor Vehicles before final appointment. Applicants should not present a copy of their driving history until asked to do so by the hiring department. The County will make an individualized assessment of whether an applicant's driving history has a direct or adverse relationship with the specific duties of the job. Driver license must not be currently suspended, restricted, or revoked.

Additional Information

EXAMINATION CONTENT:
Under the emergency order, applicants who meet the requirements may be hired for an initial period of up to 90 days, with an opportunity for permanent County employment.

Before the end of your initial work assignment, the appointing department will evaluate your performance. Those who achieve a passing score on this evaluation will be considered for permanent appointment.

_______________________________________________________________

Application and Filing Information

HOW TO APPLY:

Applications must be filed ONLINE ONLY and will be reviewed for interview consideration on an ongoing basis. If you have not been contacted within 60 days and the recruitment remains open or reopens for filing, we encourage you to submit a new application. This will allow you to reaffirm your interest and update any relevant information. Applicants are required to complete and submit an online Los Angeles County Employment Application AND Supplemental Questionnaire in order to be considered for this examination. Paper applications, resumes, or any unsolicited documents will not be accepted in lieu of completing the online application and Supplemental Questionnaire. Application filing may be suspended at any time without advance notice.

Many important notifications will be sent electronically to the email address provided on the application, so it is important that you provide a valid email address. Please add hrexams@ph.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.

You have the ability to opt out of emails from LA County. If you unsubscribe, you will not receive any email notification for any examination for which you apply with Los Angeles County. Regardless of whether you choose to unsubscribe, you can always check for notifications by logging into governmentjobs.com and viewing your profile inbox, which saves a copy of all emailed notices.

Plan to submit your online application well in advance of the 5:00 p.m. PT deadline 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.



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. Check the website for updated information at https://lacountylibrary.org .
FAIR CHANCE EMPLOYER:
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, recency 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.

DO NOT SHARE USER ID AND PASSWORD:

All applicants must file their application online using their OWN user ID and password. Using a family member or friend's user ID and password may erase a candidate's original application record.
ANTI-RACISM, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION (ARDI):
The County of Los Angeles recognizes and affirms that all people are created equal and are entitled to all rights afforded by the Constitution of the United States. The Department of Human Resources is committed to promoting Anti-racism, Diversity, and Inclusion efforts to address the in equalities and disparities amongst race. We support the ARDI Strategic Plan and its goals by improving equality, diversity, and inclusion in recruitment, selection, and employment practices.

Department Contact Name: Exam Analyst

Department Contact Phone: (323) 659-6546

Department Contact E-mail: HRExams@ph.lacounty.gov

Exam Number: PH5670I-EA

California Relay Services Phone: (800) 735-2922

ADA Coordinator Phone: (323) 659-6546

Teletype Phone: (800) 899-4099

Alternate Teletype Phone: (800) 897-0077

For detailed information, please click here

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• Los Angeles County

• (800) 970-5478

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