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Job Description
Position/Program Information
TYPE OF RECRUITMENT :
OPEN COMPETITIVE - EMERGENCY
EXAM NUMBER :
b1497C-EA
FILING START DATE :
The application filing period will begin on January 20, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. (PT). This examination will remain open until the need of the service are met and is subject to close without prior notice
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 Department of Mental Health is seeking qualified candidates to fill emergency Senior Deputy Public Guardian 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.During 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 Senior Deputy Public Guardian.
Essential Job Functions
Develops care plans for the most complex clients in collaboration with the treatment team, and ensures that plans are properly implemented and monitored.
Determines and authorizes appropriate living arrangements; and arranges for and authorizes physical, mental health, and substance use treatments, including the specific authority to require involuntary placement and treatment.
Investigates the social, medical, and financial background of individuals referred for conservatorship or guardianship, including interviewing prospective conservatees and wards, their relatives, neighbors, landlords, treatment providers, police, and others to assess service needs and determine eligibility for public conservatorship or guardianship.
Conducts investigations to determine whether a Lanterman-Petris Short (LPS) or Murphy conservatorship is appropriate for justice-involved individuals in forensic cases. This includes individuals found incompetent to stand trial. .
Makes regular visits to clients to assess the quality of care, identify special needs, and either provide or coordinate personal services, such as obtaining clothing and other essential items.
Establishes and monitors budgets and authorizes the expenditures of funds to meet conservatees needs in accordance with Probate Code, fiduciary responsibilities, and applicable policies and procedures.
Locates, safeguards, inventories, and arranges for appraisals of all known assets, and prepares court documents to notify the course that the assets have been properly marshaled and protected.
Identifies all financial resources to meet conserved client's needs and secures and maintains benefits and income sources to which the estate is entitled.
Negotiates debt collection favorable to estate; secures property; procures health insurance coverage; and authorizes expenditures and payment of liabilities in favor of conserved clients.
Notifies family members or concerned parties of conservatee deaths, and makes funeral arrangements according to burial instructions, cultural and faith-based requirements, and available resources.
Prepares and negotiates pre-need funeral and burial arrangements when no prior instructions exist, while ensuring they align with cultural and faith-based practices and available resources.
Prepares and assists County Counsel in the preparation of petitions for conservatorship.
Prepares annual court reports to support the continuation of conservatorships and responds to promptly to court-ordered inquiries.
Testifies in court on issues related to the need for conservatorship, estate litigation, dependency cases, criminal matters, and civil court proceedings involving conserved clients or their dependent children.
Ensures timely entry of documentation related to the investigation and administration of conservatorships, guardianships and trusts.
Serves as the Court Deputy in the Mental Health Court, representing the Public Guardian.
Serves as the Private Conservator Liaison, providing information on conservatorships, linking conservators to services, and assisting private conservators in navigating the mental health and conservatorship court systems.
Travels out of county in personal vehicle to conduct periodic visits and annual reviews.
Requirements
SELECTION REQUIREMENTS:
OPTION I: Two years as a Deputy Public Guardian* in the County of Los Angeles. -OR-
OPTION II: A bachelor's degree** from an accredited college or university with a major in social sciences, behavioral sciences, business administration, or accounting or a closely-related field -AND- three years of experience administering conservatorships, guardianships or trusts in a public agency. A Master's Degree** from an accredited college or university with a major in social sciences, behavioral sciences, business administration, or accounting may be substituted for one year of the required experience.
You MUST meet the above requirement(s) at the time of filing in order to be appointed to fill any vacancies related to this recruitment.
SPECIALTY REQUIREMENTS:
Certification from the California State Association of Public Administrators, Public Guardians and Public Conservators.*** Members of the Association are required to be in a good standing status.
Ability to use personal vehicle to travel both within the county and out of county to conduct periodic visits, annual reviews and to conduct investigations.
LICENSE:
A valid California Class C Driver License.
PHYSICAL CLASS:
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 REQUIREMENTS INFORMATION:
*Deputy Public Guardian is defined as u nder general supervision, administers conservatorships, guardianships and trusts that are referred to and fall under the jurisdiction of the Office of the Public Guardian.
**In order to receive credit for any college or university course, or any type of college or university degree, or any certificates, such as Bachelor's or higher, you must include a legible copy of the official diploma, or official transcripts from the accredited institution which shows the area of specialization with your application at the time of filing or within 7 calendar days of filing. Please submit documentation to Exams@dmh.lacounty.gov and indicate your name and, Senior Deputy Public Guardian, b1497C-EA. Unofficial transcripts will not be accepted to meet the educational requirement . We do not accept password-protected documents. Ensure documents are unlocked before attaching to your application or sending to the exam analyst.
Official transcripts must show the date of graduation and conferral of degree to be accepted as Proof of Education. The document should be in English; if it is in a foreign language, it must be translated and evaluated for equivalency to U.S. standards. For more information on our standards for educational documents, please visit: https://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/dhr/070812_PPG123.pdf (Download PDF reader) and https://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/dhr/205105_PPG_123_ACE_Resource_Guide.pdf
*** Certification from the California State Association of Public Administrators, Public Guardians and Public Conservators Certification status will be verified directly.
Additional Information
EXAMINATION CONTENT:
During your initial work period, 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:
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.
Many important notifications will be sent electronically to the email address provided on the application. It is important that you provide a valid email address. Please add exams@dmh.lacounty.gov , cyeung@dmh.lacounty.gov , Recruitment@dmh.lacounty.gov , selections@dmh.lacounty.gov , noreply@governmentjobs.com and info@governmentjob.com to your email address and list of approved senders to prevent email notifications from being filtered as spam/junk/clutter mail.
Plan to submit your online application well in advance of the 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.
Applicants 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.
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.
DEPARTMENT CONTACT:
Department Contact Name: Celia Yeung, Exam Analyst
Department Contact Phone: 323-705-4249 or 213-972-7034
Department Contact Email: cyeung@dmh.lacounty.gov or exams@dmh.lacounty.gov
California Relay Services Phone: (800) 735-2922
Teletype Phone:800-899-4099
For detailed information, please click here -
ABOUT THE COMPANY
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Los Angeles County
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