Mental Health Specialist

The Job

Be an agent of change and make a difference in delivering health and wellness to millions of residents.

Join a team who is passionate about the services they provide and is committed to making a difference throughout San Bernardino County.

T he San Bernardino County Department of Behavioral Health invites qualified individuals to apply for the position of Mental Health Specialist. Mental Health Specialists assist licensed and pre-licensed professional staff in assessing, planning, and providing mental health services in clinic, institutional, field, and community settings. Mental Health Specialists provide crisis intervention and case management services; link clients to community resources; help clients solve problems with employment, housing and education; make placement arrangements; and advocate for client needs. They also may collaborate with target community, agencies, and individuals to inform them about and promote the use of mental health education programs and services; assist individuals and groups with recognizing and improving personal, home, family, or community environments contributing to mental health and/or substance use struggles; lead activity and task groups; and conduct individual/group counseling sessions.

The Department of Behavioral Health is also accepting applications for Mental Health Specialist Trainee . Please click on the job title to be redirected to the corresponding application. Each position requires its own application.

For additional details, please refer to the Mental Health Specialist job description.

The Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) is responsible for providing mental health and substance use disorder services to county residents who are experiencing major mental illness or substance use related issues. DBH provides mental health and substance use disorder prevention and treatment services to all age groups, with a primary emphasis on treating children/youth who may be seriously emotionally disturbed, adults who are experiencing a serious and persistent mental illness, and individuals who are experiencing substance use disorders. DBH also provides an array of outreach/engagement, prevention, and early intervention services. DBH's core values are service, integrity, accountability, and trust.

DBH is a unique County Department comprised of eight (8) direct service areas: Community Outpatient and Transitional Age Youth Services; Children and Youth Collaborative Services; Substance Use Disorder and Recovery Services; 24-Hour and Specialty Services; Adult Justice Involved and Diversion Services; Medical Services; Community Engagement and Equity Services; Office of Patients' Rights and five (5) indirect service areas: Administrative and Fiscal Services; Public Relations and Outreach Services; Program Support Services; Disaster and Safety Unit; Office of Compliance. The Department currently has a workforce in excess of 1000 positions and an approximate $700 million-dollar annual budget.

Click HERE to learn more about the Department of Behavioral Health

Click HERE to learn more about San Bernardino County

The list established from this recruitment may be used to fill current and future vacancies as they occur throughout the Department.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

Pre-Employment Process: Prior to appointment, applicants must pass a background investigation, which includes fingerprinting, credit check, and/or medical exam, which may include drug and/or TB testing. Applicants must be a U.S. Citizen or a permanent U.S. resident. For positions within a law enforcement/probation co-located setting, an additional background check with these entities is required.

Travel: Travel throughout the County may be required. Employees may be required to make provision for transportation (mileage reimbursement is available at current IRS rates). A valid California Class C driver license and proof of automobile liability insurance must be maintained for the individual providing the transportation.

Availability: Some programs offer 24-hour services; some assignments may require employees to work evenings, weekends, holidays, and on-call.

Sponsorship: Please note San Bernardino County is not able to consider candidates who will require visa sponsorship at the time of application or in the future.

Minimum Requirements

EDUCATION: Must meet one (1) of the following options:

Option 1: Thirty (30) semester (45 quarter) units of completed coursework from an accredited college in behavioral or social science.
Option 2: Sixty (60) semester (90 quarter units) of completed coursework from an accredited college, which includes 15 semester (23 quarter) units in behavioral or social science.

Note: A list of coursework or copies of transcripts MUST be submitted with the application for applicants who do not possess a Bachelor's degree in behavioral or social science. Psychiatric Tech courses and Alcohol and Drug Certificate courses completed as part of a vocational program are acceptable and will be evaluated for equivalent units.

Note: Applicants who have completed a Bachelor's degree in behavioral or social science may list their degree on the application in lieu of providing coursework.

--AND--

EXPERIENCE: Must meet one (1) of the following options:

Option 1: One (1) year of experience providing mental health or related services, including interviewing and referring clients and performing crisis intervention.
Note: Applicants who have completed a Bachelor's degree in a behavioral or social science may qualify with six (6) months experience as described above.
Option 2: Three (3) years of experience in a behavioral health program or department, which involved working with clients/client contact (e.g., receiving/checking in clients, advocating for clients, scheduling appointments for clients, etc.).
Option 3: Completion of a paid, formal internship in the Department of Behavioral Health's Social Work Intern Program with the County of San Bernardino. Internship experience MUST be included in the work history section of the application to be considered.

Desired Qualifications

Applicants fluent in American Sign Language, Arabic, Korean, Mandarin, Spanish, Tagalog, and/or Vietnamese are strongly encouraged to apply. Additional compensation is associated with positions requiring the use of bilingual skills. Testing of bilingual skills may be required to receive additional compensation.

Applicants with consumer advocacy backgrounds are also encouraged to apply.

Selection Process

Application Procedure : There will be a competitive evaluation of qualifications based on the information provided in the Application and the Supplemental Questionnaire. You are encouraged to include detailed descriptions of your qualifying experience , as only the most highly qualified applicants will be referred to the Department. Please ensure all relevant experience is indicated in the Application and responses to the Supplemental Questionnaire, as resumes and other attachments will not be reviewed for the competitive evaluation.

Completing your application with statements such as "see/refer to resume" or "see attached" rather than completing your work history may affect your eligibility or competitive evaluation score. Be sure to clearly describe your experience in meeting the minimum requirements.

If you require technical assistance, please click HERE to review the Government Jobs online application guide , or contact their Toll-Free Applicant Support line at (855) 524-5627. Please note that Human Resources is not responsible for any issues or delays caused by computer or browser used to submit the application.

EEO/ADA: S an Bernardino County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant employer, committed to providing equal employment opportunity to all employees and applicants.

ADA Accommodation: If you have a disability and require accommodations in the testing process, submit the Special Testing Accommodations Request Form (Download PDF reader) within one week of a recruitment filing deadline.

Veterans’ Preference: Eligible veterans and their spouse or widow(er) who are not current County employees may be awarded additional Veterans’ Preference points. Click HERE for information and instructions to request Veteran's Preference points.

Please click HERE for important Applicant Information and the County Employment Process .

Administrative Services Unit

The County of San Bernardino offers a range of benefit programs for employees and their eligible dependents. These include health, dental, vision, and life insurance, as well as a variety of voluntary benefits. Programs and benefit amounts vary and are based on bargaining unit, family size, hire date, plan selection, and number of hours worked.

For a summary of benefits, please click here .

Refer to the appropriate MOU, contact the County's Employee Benefits and Services Division at (909) 387-5787 or visit the Benefits website for more detailed information at hr.sbcounty.gov/employee-benefits/ .

Closing Date/Time: 11/29/2024 5:00 PM Pacific

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• San Bernardino County

• 9093878304

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