HEALTH PROGRAM SPECIALIST I - Kern Valley State Prison (KVSP)

California Correctional Health Care Services; California (MO); On-site; USD 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

California Correctional Health Care Services is seeking a Health Program Specialist I at Kern Valley State Prison in Delano, CA. The role focuses on policy development, data applications, and performance trends within the Mental Health Services Delivery System to ensure compliance with court orders and regulations.

You will lead a team to establish a robust health care performance management system, including quality improvement committees, performance evaluation, and annual improvement planning

Qualifications

• Experience with health care performance management systems or quality improvement methodologies.
• Knowledge of mental health services delivery systems (MHSDS) is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Act as a subject matter expert in areas such as policy development, data applications, and performance trends within MHSDS.
• Lead a unit coordinating quality improvement activities, performance measurement, and annual improvement planning at an institution.

Job description

Department Information

Vision

We enhance public safety and promote successful community reintegration through education, treatment and active participation in rehabilitative and restorative justice programs.

Mission

To facilitate the successful reintegration of the individuals in our care back to their communities equipped with the tools to be drug‑free, healthy, and employable members of society by providing education, treatment, rehabilitative, and restorative justice programs, all in a safe and humane environment.

CDCR and CCHCS are committed to transforming the correctional landscape to create safer, more professional, and more fulfilling environments for our employees, the incarcerated population, and those supervised in our communities. Through systemwide improvements grounded in proven and emerging practices, we aim to strengthen rehabilitation, enhance workplace satisfaction, and support successful reentry into the community through our institutions, parole, and community partnerships. Our shared mission is to promote safety, wellness, and human dignity while fostering positive change for all those who live and work within our institutions and communities

CDCR and CCHCS are committed to building an inclusive respectful workplace. We are determined to attract and hire candidates from all communities and empower employees from a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and personal experiences. We are proud to foster inclusion and drive collaborative efforts at all levels of the Department.

Across our organization, our programs work cooperatively to provide the highest level of health care possible to a diverse correctional population. We encourage creativity and ingenuity while treating others fairly, honestly, and with respect, all of which are critical to the success of the CDCR and CCHCS mission.

This advertisement is for a Health Program Specialist I position(s) located at Kern Valley State Prison in Delano, CA, located in Kern County.

Department Website: https://cchcs.ca.gov/careers

Job Description And Duties

Effective July 1, 2025, in accordance with the applicable Memorandum of Understanding, the Personal Leave Program 2025 (PLP 2025) was implemented in response to the status of the State budget. PLP 2025 requires each full‑time employee in Bargaining Unit 1 , and related Excluded, Exempt and Statutory Exempt employees, will have their base salary reduced by 3 percent and will receive 5 PLP 2025 leave credits monthly through June 2027. Salaries do not reflect the recent changes. Part‑time employees are subject to the same conditions as full‑time employees, on a prorated basis equivalent to their time‑base. Permanent intermittent employees are subject to the same condition as full‑time employees, based on the number of hours worked in the pay period.

Under the direction of the Health Program Manager III or designee in a licensed facility, the Health Program Specialist (HPS) I acts as a highly skilled technical and subject matter expert in discrete areas of the Mental Health Services Delivery System (MHSDS), such as policy and procedure development, MHSDS-related data applications, performance trends, and local activities to ensure departmental compliance with all court orders, laws, rules, regulations, policies, and procedures governing the Mental Health Program. In addition, the HPS I serves a leadership role within a unit of staff tasked with establishment of a well‑functioning health care performance management system at an institution, including a network of quality improvement committees that oversee improvement activities, a performance measurement and evaluation system, an annual improvement plan that incorporates the highest‑priority improvement initiatives, and application of quality improvement tools and techniques to achieve performance objectives.

Please note: Individuals who are eligible for a Training and Development assignment may also be considered for this position(s).

You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The State of California is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

It is an objective of the State of California to achieve a drug‑free work place. Any applicant for state employment will be expected to behave in accordance with this objective because the use of illegal drugs is inconsistent with the law of the State, the rules governing Civil Service, and the special trust placed in public servants.