Clinical Counselor

State of California; California (MO); On-site; USD 41,000 - 58,000; Part time

Job summary

California Correctional Health Care Services seeks a Clinical Counselor at North Kern State Prison (NKSP) in Delano, Kern County. The role is part-time (20 hours/week) with a monthly salary range of $3,647 to $5,189.

This position will provide counseling services within the Mental Health Services unit under the Senior Psychologist/Supervising Psychiatric Social Worker I. Salary reflects PLP 2025 adjustments and HAM considerations; apply by the specified deadlines or Until Filled.

Qualifications

• Valid Associate Professional Clinical Counselor license issued by the California Board of Behavioral Science is required.

Responsibilities

• Applies counseling interventions and psychotherapeutic techniques to improve incarcerated individuals' mental health.
• Works preventatively with the incarcerated population to provide access, outreach, and prevention wellness strategies.

Education

Associate Professional Clinical Counselor license

Job description

Job Posting:CLINICAL COUNSELOR - North Kern State Prison (NKSP)

California Correctional Health Care Services

JC-531873 -

JC-531873 - CLINICAL COUNSELOR - North Kern State Prison (NKSP)
Clinical Counselor

$3,647.00 - $5,189.00 per Month
New to State candidates will be hired into the minimum salary of the classification or minimum of alternate range when applicable.

Final Filing Date: Until Filled

Job Description and Duties

Effective July 1, 2025, in accordance with the applicable Memorandum of Understanding, the Personal Leave Program 2025 (PLP 2025) was implemented in response to the status of the State budget. PLP 2025 requires each full-time employee in Bargaining Unit 19, and related Excluded, Exempt and Statutory Exempt employees, will have their base salary reduced by 3 percent and will receive 5 PLP 2025 leave credits monthly through June 2027. Salaries do not reflect the recent changes. Part-time employees are subject to the same conditions as full-time employees, on a prorated basis equivalent to their time-base. Permanent intermittent employees are subject to the same condition as full-time employees, based on the number of hours worked in the pay period.

This Job Control is listed Until Filled, Applications will be reviewed on the following dates:
9/18/26, 10/2/26,10/16/26, 10/30/26, 11/13/26, 11/27/26, 12/11/26
This classification is subject to Section 5, Hiring-Above-Minimum (HAM) Authorization of the California State Civil Service Pay Scales. The authorized HAM rate for this classification is: P $4,339, Q $4,659.50.

Please note: Individuals may be eligible to receive a $10,000 one-time recruitment and retention stipend should they meet the eligibility criteria, including but not limited to remaining employed with CCHCS for six months. Additionally, individuals may be eligible to receive a monthly recruitment and retention differential during their first year with CCHCS (totaling $20,000), should they meet the eligibility criteria.

IMPORTANT : California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) and California Correctional Health Care Services (CCHCS) employees may be eligible for a $5,000 referral bonus should you be selected for hire and remain employed with CCHCS for 90 days. For a CDCR/CCHCS employee to be considered, a questionnaire must be completed to the best of your knowledge, including the referring employee’s name, classification, PERNR, and work location. The questionnaire will be provided to the selected candidate during the pre-employment process.

Under the general direction of the Senior Psychologist (Supervisor) / Supervising Psychiatric Social Worker I, the Clinical Counselor (CC), works in Mental Health Services. The CC applies counseling interventions and psychotherapeutic techniques within the scope of applicable Business and Professions Code(s) and license, for the purpose of improving an incarcerated individual’s mental health and the effectiveness of preventative skills and behaviors developed for wellness. The CC works preventatively with the incarcerated population including those not in the mental health delivery system to provide incarcerated patient access, outreach, and prevention wellness strategies.

You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement .

Working Conditions

Minimum Requirements

This position does not have a Classification Specification. Requirements and qualifications for this position can be found in this announcement. For additional questions, please contact the hiring department listed below.

• Clinical Counselor

CLINICAL COUNSELOR - North Kern State Prison (NKSP)

Classification:

Clinical Counselor $3,647.00 - $5,189.00 New to State candidates will be hired into the minimum salary of the classification or minimum of alternate range when applicable.

# of Positions:

Multiple

Work Location:

Kern County

Telework:

In Office

Job Type:

Permanent, Part Time - 1/2 Time

Facility:

North Kern State Prison

Department Information

Vision

We enhance public safety and promote successful community reintegration through education, treatment and active participation in rehabilitative and restorative justice programs.

Mission

To facilitate the successful reintegration of the individuals in our care back to their communities equipped with the tools to be drug-free, healthy, and employable members of society by providing education, treatment, rehabilitative, and restorative justice programs, all in a safe and humane environment.

CDCR and CCHCS are committed to transforming the correctional landscape to create safer, more professional, and more fulfilling environments for our employees, the incarcerated population, and those supervised in our communities. Through systemwide improvements grounded in proven and emerging practices, we aim to strengthen rehabilitation, enhance workplace satisfaction, and support successful reentry into the community through our institutions, parole, and community partnerships. Our shared mission is to promote safety, wellness, and human dignity while fostering positive change for all those who live and work within our institutions and communities

CDCR and CCHCS are committed to building an inclusive respectful workplace. We are determined to attract and hire candidates from all communities and empower employees from a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and personal experiences. We are proud to foster inclusion and drive collaborative efforts at all levels of the Department.

Across our organization, our programs work cooperatively to provide the highest level of health care possible to a diverse correctional population. We encourage creativity and ingenuity while treating others fairly, honestly, and with respect, all of which are critical to the success of the CDCR and CCHCS mission.

This advertisement is for aClinical Counselorposition(s) located at North KernState Prison(NKSP) in Delano,KernCounty.Please indicate the position number on your application: 182-220-0050-XXX.
Note: Main communication for this position will be through email.Please ensure to have a valid email address on your application.

This part-time position will be working 20hours per week. The monthly part-time salary range for this position is $3,647to $5,189.

Please do not include any confidential information on any documents you submit for a job vacancy, such as your State application, resume, or educational transcripts. Confidential information that should be excluded or removed from these documents includes, but is not limited to, your Social Security Number (SSN), birthdate, student identification number, driver’s license number (unless required), basis of eligibility, examination results, LEAP status, marital status, and age. Confidential information on the first page of applications submitted electronically online, such as Easy ID number, SSN, examination related information, and driver’s license number will automatically be redacted upon submission.

Possession of Minimum Qualifications (MQ) will be verified prior to interview and/or appointment. If you are meeting MQ’s with education, you must include your unofficial transcripts/diploma for verification. Official transcripts may be required upon appointment. If it is determined that an applicant does not meet the MQ’s, the candidate will be withheld from the eligibility list, rendering them inactive and ineligible to be hired for the position. Candidates who have been withheld may file an appeal with the State Personnel Board.

Applicants who completed their education outside of the US (with foreign degrees/transcripts) must obtain and submit verification of U.S. course/degree equivalency. Foreign education credential evaluation services can be found at

Work4CA: State Application Checklist .

Candidates new to CCHCS are required to submit to a background investigation process utilizing Live Scan Fingerprinting.

Tuberculosis (TB) testing is required for candidates new to CCHCS prior to appointment followed by department annual TB testing/evaluation thereafter.

If using academic education above the twelfth grade to meet minimum qualifications, include a copy of your degree and/or Informal (Unofficial) School Transcripts.

When submitting supporting documents, PDF file format is preferred.

CCHCS utilizes E-Verify to confirm candidate’s identity and employment authorization. For more information about E-Verify, you may go to www.e-verify.gov .

This advertisement may be used for other vacancies that occur during the life of this recruitment.

Employment History on the STD. 678 must be complete and include dates, accurate hours per week, total time worked, duties and responsibilities, and contact names and phone numbers of supervisors. To prepare for the State Application process, please visit Work4CA: State Application Checklist .

Dates printed on Mobile Bar Codes, such as the Quick Response (QR) Codes available at the USPS, are not considered Postmark dates for the purpose of determining timely filing of an application.

Who May Apply
Individuals who are currently in the classification, eligible for lateral transfer, eligible for reinstatement, have list or LEAP eligibility, are in the process of obtaining list eligibility, or have SROA and/or Surplus eligibility (please attach your letter, if available). SROA and Surplus candidates are given priority; therefore, individuals with other eligibility may be considered in the event no SROA or Surplus candidates apply.

Desirable Qualifications

In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:

Possession of a valid Associate ProfessionalClinical Counselor license issued by the California Board of Behavioral Science.

This webpage is intended to provide general information. Benefit eligibility may be based on job classification, bargaining unit, time base and length of appointment.

Contact Information

The Human Resources Contact is available to answer questions regarding the application process. The Hiring Unit Contact is available to answer questions regarding the position.

Department Website: https://cchcs.ca.gov/careers

Please direct requests for Reasonable Accommodations to the interview scheduler at the time the interview is being scheduled.You may direct any additional questions regarding Reasonable Accommodations or Equal Employment Opportunity for this position(s)to the Department's EEO Office.

EEO Contact:
CCHCS EEO Office
(000) -
[e-mail]

California Relay Service: 1-800-735-2929 (TTY), 1-800-735-2922 (Voice)TTY is a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf, and is reachable only from phones equipped with a TTY Device.

Additional Information

To obtain list eligibility for the Clinical Counselor, before applying for the position(s), you should first take and pass the examination here Clinical Counselor .

Examination Information

PRIORITY CONSIDERATION WILL BE GIVEN TO RE-EMPLOYMENT, DEPARTMENTAL RESTRICTION OF APPOINTMENT, STATE RESTRICTION OF APPOINTMENT, AND SURPLUS CANDIDATES.

All methods of appointment may be considered.

CCHCS accepts electronic applications. If interested, please submit an electronic application (STD 678) through your CalCareer account at www.calcareers.ca.gov/ . Your application must be submitted on or before the above Final Filing Date .

Paper App (If unable to submit an electronic application): To apply for this position, you may submit a Standard State Application (STD 678) along with copies of your most recent performance report, college transcripts/college diploma (if applicable) and license/certification (if applicable) to the contact person listed above.

Resumes will be accepted in addition to the required STD. 678 .

This advertisement may be used for other vacancies that occur during the life of this recruitment .

VAR and/or XXX in the position number indicates that multiple vacancies may exist for this classification.

The position(s) require(s) a Drug Screening be passed prior to being hired .

Equal Opportunity Employer

The State of California is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

It is an objective of the State of California to achieve a drug-free work place. Any applicant for state employment will be expected to behave in accordance with this objective because the use of illegal drugs is inconsistent with the law of the State, the rules governing Civil Service, and the special trust placed in public servants.