California Health and Human Services

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We’re Hiring: Help us Deliver on our Vision of a Healthy California for All

By: Marko Mijic

We have open positions in departments and offices across CalHHS. Come join our team, roll-up your sleeves, and help us build a Healthy California for All!

Over the last two years, we have expanded access to services, funded new programs, and retooled old programs, all with the idea that we build back stronger from the COVID-19 pandemic and better serve the most vulnerable among us. As Secretary Mark Ghaly likes to remind us, COVID-19 has not only been the greatest unmasker of inequities, but it also has been the greatest accelerant for change.

Who are we at CalHHS?

We are comprised of 12 state departments and 5 offices. We have over 30,000 employees spanning five different generations. We make up roughly one third of the total state budget and we operate programs that are designed to lift-up the most vulnerable in our communities.

Our work is focused on all aspect of the lifespan, from child care to long-term care, and everything in between. Our mission is to work together with counties, cities, and communities, as well as our public, private, faith, and educational partners, to make California a healthy, vibrant, inclusive place to live, play, work, and learn.

Learn more about each of our departments and offices.

What are our priorities at CalHHS?

We have taken great strides to lay the foundation needed to transform our health care delivery systems and our social support systems. Over the last few years, we have begun to construct the building blocks that layer on one another to make meaningful impact. Taken together, our work expands access to health insurance coverage, improves the affordability of health care services, and increases the quality and value of the health care that is delivered. At the same time, we have gone beyond just talking about addressing gaps in health care, to a broader focus on the social drivers of health.

We have made substantial changes to address issues such as access to food, housing, and other support services with a deliberate focus on those in our justice system, our child welfare system and those experiencing homelessness.  We know that social and economic factors are powerful drivers and predictors of health outcomes and disease burden throughout a person’s life. This means the broader conditions in which people are born, grow, and live can exert a powerful influence on health and well-being. To address this, we have prioritized integration of social services with health care to deliver services that are more client centered, efficient, effective, and tailored.

Learn more about our guiding principles and strategic priorities.

What is a Healthy California for All?

Our vision of a Healthy California for All seeks to simultaneously create effective, culturally competent, and efficient safety-net programs that address the whole-person needs of vulnerable Californians while also creating policies and practices that support the creation of inclusive communities where all Californians from diverse backgrounds and with diverse resources and opportunities can be healthy and thrive.

A Healthy California for All is a place where all our children can play and learn, and where we are confident we have done all we can to pass on to them a state they can lead into the future. It is a place where older Californians or those living with disabilities can live with purpose and dignity, and where they are supported and valued.

It is a place where we see equity, inclusion, and diversity as a strength, and where we embrace a joint responsibility to take care of one another. It is a place where we constantly pursue social and racial justice by lifting all boats but especially those boats that need to be lifted farther.  It is a place without barriers to necessities like housing, childcare, and access to physical and behavioral health services. Where we see the whole person, and where programs and services address the social, cultural, and linguistic needs of the people they serve.

Why should you come work at CalHHS?

At CalHHS, we believe that transforming our state into a Healthy California for All is a team sport – it takes each of us doing our part.  It requires the breaking down—the busting down—of stubborn silos between health programs on the one hand and social service programs on the other.  It requires the authentic engagement with communities of all varieties, in all parts of the state, and in all languages across the state.  It requires us to be person-centered, equity-focused, and data-driven. If you want to make a difference and ensure that we leave a better state for the next generation, then CalHHS is the right place for you.

At CalHHS, we are focused on increasing representation from all groups, which requires us to approach our recruiting, selection, hiring and retention activities in new ways. This includes a shift from a department-centric lens to viewing our workforce as an Agency need and asset. It also includes a focus on non-traditional candidate pools, including candidates with lived experience, including those with visible and invisible disabilities, as well as those who currently or formally benefited from our safety-net programs and services. This allows us to not only help address our hiring challenges and enrich our workforce, but more importantly, create ladders of opportunity for those most vulnerable among us.

Why should you work for the State of California?

The State of California offers a wide variety of careers and jobs, ranging from accounting to zoology. The services our employees provide are truly essential to the people of California. In public service, you will spend every day doing work that is vital to your state and your community. Additionally, the State of California offers its employees generous benefits that include retirement and savings plans, health and dental insurance, and access to long-term disability and long-term care insurance. You will also earn vacation and sick leave, and may be able to create a flexible schedule that fits the demands of your life. Finally, we want to help you build a career from the ground up. The state provides on-the-job training and professional development, and many positions do not require previous experience or a degree. Advancement opportunities are open to you, and you maintain your benefits if you switch jobs or state departments.

How do you search for job openings at CalHHS?

There are four easy steps that you can take now to find and apply for a position at CalHHS.

  • Step 1. Visit calcareers.ca.gov
  • Step 2. Search
    • If you are new to working for the state, click the “Get a State Job” icon, where you can browse career fields and see the jobs available. Or you can search by keyword, job title, or department. For example, type in “Department of Public Health” and all the positions with the department will come up.
    • If you currently work for the state, click the “State Employees” icon, to begin your search.
    • If you are a veteran, person with disabilities, or retired state employees, you should click on the appropriate icon to learn about special programs for those groups before choosing one of the two search options above.
  • Step 3. Assessment
    • Once you find the job you want, we need to learn more about you. We will evaluate your education, experience, abilities, and knowledge through an assessment. The assessment process can take many forms, including an interview or exam, depending on the job.
    • Read the job’s bulletin to see the qualifications needed. It will also explain what the job is like, notes the salary range, and gives you an overview of the assessment process.
  • Step 4: Apply
    • You only need to fill out one job application, and you can use the same form to apply for multiple positions. Or you can create two or three applications, tailoring them to different jobs. You can also upload other attachments, if needed, such as resumes and writing samples.

We have a number of helpful video tutorials that might be helpful to you.

What if you apply, but don’t get called?

Do not get discouraged. We have many openings, and the right position is out there for you. It may take you applying for multiple jobs. Also, remember that it may take us some time to review and process the applications, so be patient with us.

We hope you consider a career in public service and with us at CalHHS. Join us in our pursuit of developing programs and services that are person centered, equity focused, and data driven.

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