2011 California Code
Welfare and Institutions Code
DIVISION 8.5. MELLO-GRANLUND OLDER CALIFORNIANS ACT [9000 - 9757.5]
ARTICLE 2. General Provisions
Section 9712

(a) (1) The State Ombudsman shall possess at least a bachelor s degree, and have a minimum of five years professional experience that shall include at least three of the following four areas:

(A) Gerontology, long-term care, or other relevant social services or health services programs.

(B) The legal system and the legislative process.

(C) Dispute or problem resolution techniques, including investigation, mediation, and negotiation.

(D) Organizational management and program administration.

(2) The professional experience described in paragraph (1) requires any reasonable combination of the fields described in subparagraphs (A) to (D), inclusive, of that paragraph for a total of five years, and does not require five years experience in each area. At the discretion of the director, a master s or doctorate degree relevant to a field described in paragraph (1) may be substituted for one or two years, respectively, of professional experience. However, the applicant s professional experience and field of study leading to the master s or doctorate degree shall, nevertheless, include all of the fields described in paragraph (1).

(b) The State Ombudsman may not have been employed by any long-term care facility within the three-year period immediately preceding his or her appointment.

(c) Neither the State Ombudsman nor any member of his or her immediate family may have, or have had within the past three years, any pecuniary interest in long-term health care facilities.

(Amended by Stats. 1999, Ch. 943, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2000.)