Behavioral Health Program Manager

County of San Diego; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

County of San Diego’s Behavioral Health Services seeks a Behavioral Health Program Manager to lead clinical and operational activities at adult outpatient clinics. You will supervise staff, coordinate care across multidisciplinary teams, and ensure service quality and access for adults with serious mental health needs.

Ideal candidates bring strong leadership, communication skills, and a commitment to quality improvement, with a California license in a qualifying mental health profession and a

Qualifications

• Strong leadership and communication skills with a commitment to quality improvement.
• Licensed California professional license in one of the listed behavioral health fields.
• Master’s degree in psychology, counseling, social work, or a closely related field with post-master's experience.

Responsibilities

• Provide clinical and operational leadership at an adult outpatient behavioral health clinic; supervise clinical and administrative staff.
• Provide clinical consultation, implement policies and practice standards, support staff development and oversee access, quality, productivity, and resources.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams and County partners to support coordinated, person-centered care for adults with serious mental health needs.

Skills

Leadership

Communication skills

Quality improvement

Education

Licensed clinician license (LCSW/LMSW, LMFT, LPCC, Psychologist, or Psychiatrist)

Master's degree in psychology, counseling, social work, or related field

Job description

Behavioral Health Program Manager

The County of San Diego, Department of Behavioral Health Services (BHS), iscurrentlyrecruiting for the position of

Interviews will take place the week of November 23, 2026.

Job offers for selected candidates will be made the week of November 30, 2026.

The starting salary for this position will be based on the candidate’s qualifications at time of appointment.

Future Salary Increases:

** June 2027 – 4.7% increase to base pay (3% Across-the- Board + 1.7% Market Adjustment Increase)

The following additional pay incentives and premiums are available:

**3% Behavioral Health Program Manager Classification Premium (applied to time worked)

The County of San Diego Behavioral Health Services (BHS) department is seeking qualified applicants for the position of Behavioral Health Program Manager (BHPM). BHS is seeking to fill multiple BHPM positions with this recruitment, including within Adult Outpatient Mental Health Clinics, Adult Case Management, and Next Move, a County-operated outpatient specialty mental health program serving youth and young adults ages 11 to 21 who are justice-involved or at risk of justice involvement, including those transitioning from juvenile detention to the community. The list established from this recruitment may be used to fill vacancies within other BHS units, including positions within the San Diego Psychiatric Hospital, and Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment (CARE) Court team, and Office of Public Conservator Team.

Adult Behavioral Health Clinics

BHPMs provide clinical and operational leadership at one of the County’s three adult outpatient behavioral health clinics. Responsibilities include supervising clinical and administrative staff, providing clinical consultation, implementing policies and practice standards, supporting staff development, and overseeing access, service quality, productivity, and resources. The position collaborates with multidisciplinary teams, County partners, and community providers to support coordinated, person-centered care for adults with serious mental health needs. Ideal candidates bring strong leadership and communication skills, a commitment to quality improvement, and the ability to build supportive teams while guiding services through an evolving behavioral health system.

Adult Case Management Program

BHPMs provide clinical and operational leadership at one of the County’s case management programs serving adults with serious mental illness, including individuals under LPS conservatorship, experiencing homelessness, and/or requiring intensive community-based support. Responsibilities include supervising case management and direct service staff, providing clinical consultation, overseeing crisis response, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements, and monitoring service quality, productivity, documentation, and outcomes. The position collaborates with County programs, community providers, hospitals, and families to support coordinated, person-centered care. Ideal candidates bring strong leadership and communication skills, experience working with high-acuity populations, a commitment to quality improvement and system coordination, and the ability to build supportive teams while guiding services through an evolving behavioral health system.

Next Move Program

Next Move has Behavioral Health Program Manager openings at the southeastern Live Well Center in san diego and the north coastal live well center in oceanside. Next Move is a County-operated outpatient specialty mental health program serving youth and young adults ages 11 to 21 who are justice-involved or at risk of justice involvement, including those transitioning from juvenile detention to the community. BHPMs provide clinical and operational leadership, including direct supervision, coaching, and development of, multidisciplinary clinical teams, providing clinical consultation, overseeing service delivery, crisis response, and implementation of Functional Family Therapy (FFT), and ensuring compliance with Medi-Cal and regulatory requirements. Responsibilities also include monitoring access to care, productivity, documentation, service quality, and client outcomes. The position works closely with Probation, courts, families, schools, and community partners to coordinate care and support successful transitions. Ideal candidates bring strong clinical leadership and communication skills, experience supervising multidisciplinary teams, the ability to manage competing priorities, and a commitment to staff development, quality improvement, and providing responsive, youth- and family-centered services.

Read additional information for Behavioral Health Program Manager, including required education and experience, essential functions, working conditions, etc.

Interviews and Hiring Process

The timeline for this recruitment is outlined below.

• Job Offer and Background Process begins: Shortly after the interviews. Note: Current County employees may be excluded from additional background screening.


• Pre-employment Medical Screening: Approximately 3 days following successful background investigation results.


• Anticipated Start Date: Start date will be based upon successful completion of medical screening or other mutually agreed upon date.

If you are not selected for this interview process, you may have the opportunity to compete for future vacancies.

Qualifying Education/Experience

1. A current license by the State of California to practice as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Marriage and Family Therapist, Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, Psychologist, or Psychiatrist; AND,


2. A master's degreefrom an accredited U.S. college or university, or a certified foreign studies equivalency in psychology, counseling, social work, or a closely related field; AND,


3. Three (3) years of full-time post-master's degree experience in a mental health program providing case management and/or counseling, and crisis intervention to a particular group or program under clinical supervision.

Blind Applicant Screening

The Department of Human Resources removes personally identifiable information from all new recruitments. This practice, called Blind Applicant Screening, will hide a candidate’s personal information that could influence or bias a hiring decision. Personal information includes name, phone number, address, gender, age and race. This process will help contribute to a fair and equitable selection process leading to a more diverse and inclusive workforce.

Condition of Employment

As part of the County of San Diego’s pre-employment process, prospective candidates will undergo a background check (including fingerprinting) and a pre-employment medical screening prior to beginning County employment. Additional types of background investigations may be conducted based on the job-related activities of the position. Current County employees may be excluded from this process.

Evaluation Process

1. The names of qualified applicants will be placed on a three (3) month employment list based upon scores received during the evaluation of information contained in their employment application and supplemental questionnaire.

Accommodation

Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of a job, on a case-by-case basis.

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The County of San Diego offers preferential credits for military service to assist qualified applicants in transitioning from military to civilian careers with the County of San Diego. Please read the Veteran's Preference Policy for additional information.

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