Nurse Practitioner II

CAREER DESCRIPTION

NURSE PRACTITIONER II

(MENTAL HEALTH AND RECOVERY SERVICES)

Salary may be negotiable within the range listed above, based on position requirements and successful candidate's qualifications, subject to appropriate authorization.

In addition to the hourly salary, eligible applicants may receive premium pay for the items listed below.

Premium Pay

In addition to the hourly salary, eligible applicants may receive premium pay for the items listed below.

• Bilingual pay: Qualified employees who meet the criteria found (page 18) shall receive an additional seventy $0.70 cents per hour for all hours paid.
• Night Shift Differential pay: Employees assigned to a night shift shall be paid a night shift differential for each hour actually worked on the assigned night shift. Pay rate is determined by assigned shift hours found here (page 15).
• Nurse Hiring Incentive: Upon completion of new employee probation, eligible employees shall receive a one-time lump sum incentive of $1,000, within 2 pay periods.
• Nurse Retention: Upon completion of 10,400 service hours (approximately 5 years of service) in a Nurse classification, you will receive 3% of your annual base salary as a one-time lump sum payment.

Other Additional Premium Pays

This recruitment is open to the public for a minimum of five (5) business days and will remain open on a continuous basis until 11:59 PM (PST) on the day the County's needs are met. Applicants are encouraged to apply immediately as this recruitment may close at any time without further notice.

This recruitment is being held to establish an open eligible list to fill current and future Nurse Practitioner II vacancies. The eligible list established may also be used to fill positions in similar and/or lower classifications throughout the County of Orange.

THE AGENCY

The County of Orange, Health Care Agency (HCA) is a dynamic organization dedicated to creating and supporting an environment that promotes the achievement of optimal individual, family and community health. Under the direction of the Agency Director, a new and dynamic executive team with an organizational structure comprised of seven (7) service areas - Correctional Health, Director's Office, Finance & Administrative, Medical Health, Mental Health & Recovery, Public Health, and Strategy & Special Projects - is committed to meeting the health needs of the diverse Orange County community.

THE DEPARTMENT

The Mental Health and Recovery Services (MHRS) Division consists of three (3) service areas Adult and Older Adult , Authority and Quality Improvement Services and Children, Youth & Prevention Services which provide a culturally competent and client-centered system of behavioral health services for all eligible county residents in need of treatment for alcohol and other drug abuse and mental health care.

THE PROGRAM

Adult and Older Adult MHRS provides recovery-based behavioral health services and episodic treatment services through a range of outpatient and residential treatment programs which emphasize individual needs, strengths, choices, and involvement in service planning and implementation. Adults who have a serious mental illness and/or substance use disorder and impairment in their ability to function in the community or who have a history of recurring substantial functional impairment, hospitalization or symptoms can access services.

Services include assessment, evaluation, collateral therapy, individual and group therapy, substance use treatment, medication support, rehabilitation, linkage and consultation, placement, plan development, crisis intervention, drug counseling and testing, and outreach to schools and the general community. Specialized programs include residential care and housing, crisis recovery programs, peer mentoring and consumer-run programs, inmate re-entry services, supported employment, services for pregnant and parenting women, persons who require methadone maintenance and detoxification, persons who have a substance use disorder with co-occurring mental illness, and specific population referred by the Orange County Collaborative Court, Probation and Social Services Agency.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Nurse Practitioner II works under the supervision of a psychiatrist to provide medication assessment and services for clients receiving mental health services with Adult and Older Adult Services. The Nurse Practitioner II provides in office, and sometimes field-based, outpatient mental health services focused on: medication services, metabolic monitoring, and collaborating with behavioral health nurses to ensure linkages and referrals to the primary care physician and specialist doctors are completed. The Nurse Practitioner II is responsible for working collaboratively with the psychiatrist, behavioral health nurse, and clinicians to resolve any pharmacy issues and refill requests. The Nurse Practitioner II also obtains consent for prescribed psychiatric medications for clients. The incumbent will counsel clients on mental health promotion, perform medication management, provide temporary medication refills, order labs, and review lab results.

The position provides services during the normal business days Monday through Friday.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS & CORE COMPETENCIES

The ideal candidate will have experience providing preventive health services and acute care to an underserved population. Bilingual skills in Spanish are highly desirable for this position.

In addition, the ideal candidate will have knowledge and/or experience in the following areas:

Professional & Technical Expertise

• Managing and prescribing psychiatric medications in a behavioral health setting

Customer Focus

• Delivering high quality, stigma-free client-centered care and services to a diverse population of patients

Critical Thinking | Decision Making

• Using continuous improvement tools to solve problems
• Making appropriate decisions when caring for patients and families

Writing | Oral Communication

• Using technology to facilitate communication effectively

Relationship Building

• Collaborating with people from all cultures, socio-economic levels, ethnic background, and others
• Working collaboratively with clients and staff with a positive attitude

Minimum Qualifications

Click here to learn more about the minimum qualifications for the Nurse Practitioner II classification as well as the physical and mental requirements and the environmental and working conditions.

Recruitment Process

Human Resource Services (HRS) will screen all application materials to identify qualified applicants. After screening, qualified applicants will be referred to the next step and notified of all further procedures applicable to their status in the competition.

Veterans Employment Preference

The County is committed to providing a mechanism to give preferential consideration in the employment process to veterans and their eligible spouses and will provide eligible participants the opportunity to receive interviews in the selection process for employment and paid internship opening. Please click here to review the policy.

Application Screening | (Refer/Non-Refer)

Applications and supplemental responses will be screened for qualifications that are highly desirable and most needed to successfully perform the duties of this job. Only those applicants that meet the qualifications as listed in the job bulletin will be referred to the next step.

Structured Oral interview (Weighted 100%)

Applicants will be interviewed and rated by a panel of job knowledge experts. Each applicant's rating will be based on responses to a series of structured questions designed to elicit the applicant's qualifications for the job.

Based on the Department's needs, the selection procedures listed above may be modified. All candidates will be notified of any changes in the selection procedures.

Eligible List | Score Groups

Once the assessment process has been completed, HRS will establish an eligible list of candidates. Candidates placed on the eligible list may be referred to a selection interview to be considered for present and future vacancies.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Please see below for important information regarding COVID-19 related requirements.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, and laws, regulations, and policies regarding COVID-19 are subject to change. The County of Orange is required to comply with all applicable State or County Public Health Orders, some of which require vaccination and boosting as follows:

• Workers, who provide services in certain Health Care Facilities or in a correctional facility or detention center where health care is provided, will be required to provide proof that they are fully vaccinated and boosted in accordance with applicable state orders. (Workers may be exempt from this requirement based on religious beliefs or a qualifying medical reason)
• In addition, depending on assignment and COVID-19 Community Level, workers in certain high-risk settings may be required to wear masks regardless of vaccination status.

The position for which you are applying may be required to adhere to any applicable State or County Public Health Orders. You will receive notification of any requirement as it applies to a position.

EMAIL NOTIFICATION:

Email is the primary form of notification during the recruitment process. Please ensure your correct email address is included in our application and use only one email account.

NOTE: User accounts are established for one person only and should not be shared with another person. Multiple applications with multiple users may jeopardize your status in the recruitment process for any positions for which you apply.

Candidates will be notified regarding their status as the recruitment proceeds via email through the GovernmentJobs.com site. Please check your email folders, including spam/junk folders, and/or accept emails ending with "governmentjobs.com" and "ocgov.com." If your email address should change, please update your profile at www.governmentjobs.com.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Click here for additional Frequently Asked Questions.

QUESTIONS:

For specific information pertaining to this recruitment, please contact Rasika Wijayaweera at (714) 834-7877 or RWijayaweera@ochca.com. EEO INFORMATION

Orange County, as an equal employment opportunity employer,

encourages applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply.