Community Development Specialist

Kern Regional Center; Bakersfield (CA); On-site; USD 35,000 - 49,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous health, dental and vision for

Paid time off increasing with length

Paid holidays

Life, AD&D, Long Term Disability Plans

Flexible Spending Account (FSA)

Voluntary insurance and retirement

Job summary

Kern Regional Center is seeking a dedicated individual to identify barriers and develop strategies to reduce disparity in service purchases with diverse populations in Kern, Inyo, and Mono counties, while increasing referrals to the center. The role focuses on coordinating resources and engaging with community partners to expand access to services.

The ideal candidate will have a relevant bachelor's degree, experience in report writing or community outreach, and bilingual Spanish skills, with a

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in social work, political science, psychology, sociology, business administration, public administration or related human services field from an accredited school.
• 2 years of experience in report writing or working with community-based organizations or outreach.
• Knowledge of basic needs and approaches in working with individuals who have developmental disabilities.
• Bilingual in Spanish highly desired.
• Convey complex information and ideas clearly to diverse groups, verbally and in writing.
• Communicate with vendors and community partners with a broad spectrum of business and professional expertise.
• Interpret guidelines and standards and apply them consistently.
• Evaluate and develop programs and identify and analyze problems.

Responsibilities

• Identify barriers and develop strategies to reduce disparity in the purchase of services with diverse ethnic populations.
• Increase the number of referrals to Kern Regional Center across Kern, Inyo and Mono counties.
• Identify needed resources and facilitate development of identified resources.
• Collaborate with vendors and community partners to improve access and outcomes.

Skills

Report writing

Outreach

Community-based organizations

Bilingual in Spanish

Education

Bachelor’s degree in social work, political science, psychology, sociology, business administration, public administration or related human services field from an accredited school.

Job description

Description

Kern Regional Center is one of 21 private, non-profit regional centers contracted by the State of California through the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) to coordinate community-based services and support for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. Kern Regional Center services over 10,000 individuals in Kern, Inyo and Mono Counties. Our counties cover approximately 22,000 square miles with a population of over 945,000 people.

Kern Regional Center is looking for dedicated individual to identify barriers and develop strategies to reduce disparity in the purchase of services with various ethnic populations in Kern, Inyo, and Mono counties, and to increase the number of referrals to Kern Regional Center to simultaneously identify needed resources and facilitate development of identified resources.

Requirements

The ideal candidate is someone who has:

• Bachelor’s degree in social work, political science, psychology, sociology, business administration, public administration or related human services field from an accredited school. Or any combination of education and experience may be considered.
• 2 years of experience in report writing or working with community-based organizations or outreach is highly preferred or any equivalent combination of relevant work and educational experience
• Knowledge of basic needs and approaches in working with individual who have developmental disabilities.
• Bilingual in Spanish highly desired.
• Convey complex information and ideas (including policies, procedures, regulations and expectations) to diverse groups clearly, concisely, verbally and in writing
• Communicate in front of vendors and community partners with a broad spectrum of business and professional expertise
• Interpret guidelines and standards applying them in a consistent manner
• Evaluate and develop programs
• Identify and analyze problems
• Demonstrate excellent customer service
• Demonstrate empathy, respect and support cultural awareness
• Maintain strict adherence to all confidential laws related to client information
• Adapt to new initiatives and project tasks as assigned
• Must have reliable transportation and be able to work outside of normal business hours.
• Valid driver's license and DMV record

Top Perks and Benefits:

As part of the Kern Regional Center team, you will be able to enjoy:

• Generous health, dental and vision plan for employee and their dependents
• Paid time off increasing with length of service
• Paid holidays
• Life, AD&D, Long Term Disability Plans
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Various voluntary insurance and retirement plans

Salary range for this position $25.37 to $35.70 per hour

Starting salary range $25.37 to $27.97 per hour

Kern Regional Center is an equal opportunity employer and strives to attract qualified applicants from all walks of life without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, military and veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state and/or local law. We aim to create an environment that celebrates and embraces the diversity of our workforce. We welcome you to join our team.