Mental Health Specialist/Trainee

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.

TheSan Bernardino County Department of Behavioral Healthinvites qualified individuals to apply for the position of Mental Health Specialistor Mental Health Specialist Traineein Needles California. Mental Health Specialists/Trainees 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/Trainees 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.

For additional details, please refer to theMental Health SpecialistorMental Health Specialist Traineejob descriptions.

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 abuse 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 six (6) service areas: Outpatient Clinics and Youth Services; Substance Use Disorder and Recovery Services; 24-Hour and Emergency Services; Forensic and Homeless Services; Administrative Services; and Program Support Services. The Department currently has a workforce in excess of 1000 positions and an approximate $700 million-dollar annual budget.

ClickHERE to learn more about the Department of Behavioral Health

ClickHEREto learn more about San Bernardino County

The list established from this recruitment will be used to fill current and future vacancies as they occurin Needles California.

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 produced and 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

MENTAL HEALTH SPECIALIST 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 orcopies of transcripts MUSTbe 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 areacceptable 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.

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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 involvedworking withclients/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.

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MENTAL HEALTH SPECIALIST TRAINEEREQUIREMENTS:

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 orcopies of transcripts MUSTbe 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 areacceptable 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.

Option 3T: Two (2) years of work experience as a Peer and Family Advocate or equivalent position.Applicants qualifying under Option 3T will have six (6) years from hire date to obtain one (1) of the education requirements for the Mental Health Specialist classification.

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.