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HEALTH SERVICES / PERSONNEL - Interim Executive Director Michelle Schmidt
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Requested Action(s)
recommendation
a) Request approval of new classification specifications of Community Health Worker I/II and Peer Support Specialist within the Joint Council bargaining unit, effective 6/30/26
b) RESOLUTION - Request adoption of a Resolution amending the FY 25/26 Position Allocation List (PAL), (Reso #2025-074) by deleting nine (9.00 FTE) Psychiatric Aide I/II allocations, deleting two (2.00 FTE) Drug/Alcohol Aide allocations, adding five (5.00 FTE) Community Health Worker I/II allocations, and adding six (6.00 FTE) Community Health Worker I/II or Peer Support Specialist allocations effective 6/30/26
c) Request approval to reclassify one (1.00 FTE) Drug/Alcohol Aide incumbent as a Community Health Worker II, five (5.00 FTE) Psychiatric Aide II incumbents to Community Health Worker II, and one (1.00 FTE) Psychiatric Aide II incumbent to Community Health Worker I, effective 6/30/26
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Financial Impact:
The total approximate increase for reclassifying one (1.00 FTE) Drug/Alcohol Aide to a Community Health Worker II, five (5.00 FTE) Psychiatric Aide II incumbents to Community Health Worker II, and one (1.00 FTE) Psychiatric Aide II incumbent to Community Health Worker I, would be approximately $80,403.84. There is no impact to the General Fund.
Background Information:
The Tehama County Health Services Agency (TCHSA) is requesting approval for new classifications of Community Health Worker I/II and Peer Support Specialist. The creation of the new classifications is predicated on the necessity to increase the minimum wages for staff in the healthcare industry as required by SB 525 that was effective for small counties on January 1, 2025.
The Legislation of SB 525 (Chapter 890, Statutes of 2023), SB 828 (Chapter 12, Statutes of 2024), and SB 159 (Chapter 40, Statutes of 2024, added sections 1182.14, 1182.15, and 1182.16 to the Labor Code, increasing the minimum wage for workers of certain health care employers. To receive the higher minimum wage, employees must, (1) work for certain “health care facilities” that are covered in the new law and (2) provide health care services or support the provision of health care.
The health care facilities that are covered include the following: A county mental health facility; clinics providing primary care; or a clinic operated by a city, county, other political subdivision of the State or the University of California.
“Health care services” or “services supporting the provision of health care” mean patient care-related services including nursing; caregiving; services provided by medical residents, interns, or fellows; and services supporting patient care including technical and ancillary services; janitorial work, housekeeping; groundskeeping; guard duties; business office clerical work; food services; laundry; medical coding and billing; call center and warehouse work; scheduling; and gift shop work.
As of January 1, 2025, these classifications were required to be paid at a minimum of $18.00 per hour, and $19.28 per hour by July 1, 2026.
In addition to ensuring compliance with SB 525, the Agency views this as an opportunity to expand the scope of work performed within these classifications. In recent years, the complexity of work in health care settings has increased significantly due to the use of electronic health records and expanding regulatory requirements. The proposed classification series is intended to align broader job responsibilities with compensation that is commensurate with those duties.
TCHSA has experienced ongoing challenges in recruiting and retaining employees in the Drug and Alcohol Aide and Psychiatric Aide classifications, due in part to compensation levels for the essential functions these employees perform. After reviewing comparable positions in surrounding counties and evaluating internal alignment for this series, the Agency has developed recommended salary range placements that satisfy the requirements of SB 525. The requested range placements are as follows:
• Community Health Worker I - Range 17 ($19.51 - $23.72)
• Community Health Worker II - Range 19 ($20.50 - $24.92)
• Peer Support Specialist - Range 21 ($21.54 - $26.18)
These changes will affect nine currently funded allocations and two currently unfunded allocations that may be flexibly staffed in the future. Six (6) of these allocations will be flexibly allocated as Community Health Worker I/II or Peer Support Specialist, depending on Departmental need, employee experience, and applicable certifications. The remaining five (5) allocations will be designated as Community Health Worker I or II. If approved, all current staff (seven incumbents) will be reclassified into either Community Health Worker I or Community Health Worker II. A subsequent recruitment will be conducted for Peer Support Specialist positions, and qualified individuals may apply.
The Agency requests to reclassify seven current incumbents as follows: one (1.00 FTE) Drug/Alcohol Aide incumbent as a Community Health Worker II, five (5.00 FTE) Psychiatric Aide incumbents to Community Health Worker II, and one (1.00 FTE) Psychiatric Aide II incumbent to Community Health Worker I, effective 6/30/26, with pay retroactive to January 1, 2025.
In connection with these newly proposed classifications, the classifications of Case Resource Specialist I and Drug & Alcohol Counselor I/II were also updated to reference the new titles of Community Health Worker.
The Joint Council bargaining unit has been notified of the requested changes and an agreement has been reached.