DIVISION CHIEF, PUBLIC GUARDIAN, MENTAL HEALTH/EMERGENCY APPOINTMENTS HOMELESSNESS

JOB TYPE:OPEN COMPETITIVE- EMERGENCY
DIVISION CHIEF, PUBLIC GUARDIAN, MENTAL HEALTH/EMERGENCY APPOINTMENT HOMELESSNESS
EXAM NUMBER:
b1489A-EAFILINGDATES

We will be accepting online applications from Tuesday, May 5, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. (PT) until Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. (PT). All applications must be receivedbefore5:00 p.m. (PT) on May 19, 2026, to be accepted.
TYPE OF RECRUITMENT: OPEN COMPETITIVE- EMERGENCY
The LA County Board of Supervisors recentlydeclared 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 Division Chief, Public Guardian Mental Health 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 Division Chief, Public Guardian Mental Health

DEFINITION:
Directs the planning, policies and objectives of the Office of Public Guardian in the Department of Mental Health.

CLASSIFICATION STANDARDS:
The one position allocable to this class has administrative responsibility for overseeing the Public Guardian Program. The incumbent reports to the Deputy Director, Mental Health over the Office and has responsibility for the planning and directing a division through subordinate supervisors for accomplishing major departmental objectives related to services provided to the public through the Office of Public Guardian. Incumbents must exercise a through knowledge of the principles of management and the legal process and requirement of the Office of Public Guardian.

• Plans, organizes and directs a division responsible for a consevatorship program in the Office of the Public Guardian.
• Resolves policy and problems as they arise.
• Formulates policies and procedures as necessary for implementation of changes in laws and regulations.
• Participates in development of objectives and planning for the Office of the Public Guardian.
• Oversees development and implementation of new data systems programs.
• Reviews and analyzes proposed legislation to determine impact on operations and make recommendations.
• Represents the program in meetings with other County departments, State and Federal representatives, and other public/private agencies.
• Maintains liaison with a variety of officials and agencies on matters relating to the division's activities.
• Assists the Deputy Director in the preparation, review, negotiations and approval of the Operations Agreement with the Treasurer/Tax Collector on accounting and property related services.
• Oversees investigations of complaints about the program from patients, the public and private agencies.
• Advises top departmental management on problems involving the work of the division.
• Coordinates the work of the division with other divisions and departments.
• Has responsibility for the preparation of the division's annual budget.

SELECTION REQUIREMENTS:

TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE:
Graduation from an accredited* college and four years of experience in a responsible administrative staff capacity analyzing and making recommendations for the solution of problems of organization, systems and procedures, programs, facilities planning, budget or personnel.

*Accredited is defined as a college who has met certain quality standards set by an external, recognized accrediting agency, providing a form of assurance that the institution is reputable and provides quality education.

*In order to receive credit for any college or university course, or any type of college or university degree, you must include a legiblecopyof theofficial diploma or official transcriptsfrom the accredited institution which shows the area of specialization with your application at the time of filing or within 15 calendar days of filing to exams@dmh.lacounty.gov

-OR-

Three years as anAssistant Division Chief, Public Guardian

-OR-

Four years as aSupervising Deputy Public Guardian

You must meet the above requirement(s) in order to be appointed to fill any vacancies related to this recruitment.

LICENSE:
A valid California Class C Driver License or the ability to utilize an alternative method of transportation when needed to carry out job-related essential functions.

PHYSICAL CLASS:
2 - Light: This class includes administrative and clerical positions requiring light physical effort that may include occasional light lifting to a 10-poind limit and some bending, stooping, or squatting. Considerable ambulation may be involved.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 submitted 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.

Applications must be filed online by clicking on the green "Apply" button located on the top right corner of the screen.

Applicants must complete and submit their online applications and upload required documents (e.g. Official Transcripts, Resume, etc.) as attachment(s) during application submission, or send by email to exams@dmh.lacounty.gov within 7 calendar days from date of application submission. Indicate the Exam Title on the subject line when sending required documents by email.

Fill out your application completely. The acceptance of your application will depend 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, provide the name and address of your employer, your job title, beginning and ending dates, and description of work performed. If your application is incomplete, it will be rejected.

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 anazari@dmh.lacounty.gov as well as noreply@governmentjobs.com andinfo@governmentjob.com to your email address and list of approved senders to prevent email notification 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 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 ongovermmentjobs.com/careers/lacounty.govyou 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 LANGUAGE 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 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.

NO SHARING USER ID AND PASSWORD All applicants must file their applications 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.

DEPARTMENT CONTACT:
HR Examinations Unit:(213) 972-7034
HR Examinations Unit Email:exams@dmh.lacounty.gov
Analyst Contact Phone: Arineh Nazari (323) 705-4534
Analyst Contact Email: ANazari@dmh.lacounty.gov

ADA COORDINATOR PHONE:(213) 972-7034
TELETYPE PHONE: (800) 735-2922
CALIFORNIA RELAY SERVICES PHONES: (800) 735-2922