CLINICAL COUNSELOR - Wasco State Prison

California Correctional Health Care Services; California; On-site; USD 104,000 - 112,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Recruitment stipend

Monthly recruitment differential

Referral bonus

Job summary

California Correctional Health Care Services seeks a Clinical Counselor to apply counseling interventions and psychotherapeutic techniques in Mental Health Services for incarcerated individuals. You will support preventive wellness and outreach efforts to improve overall mental health outcomes.

The role works under the Senior Psychologist (Supervisor) / Supervising Psychiatric Social Worker I and uses licensed practice in accordance with state codes and regulations. A valid license is required.

Qualifications

• Counseling interventions and psychotherapy within applicable license scope.
• Eligibility to practice under the referenced Business and Professions Codes.

Responsibilities

• Provide counseling services to incarcerated individuals to improve mental health.
• Engage in outreach and prevention wellness strategies within Mental Health Services.

Job description

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.

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

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: 10/23/2026, 11/6/2026, 11/20/2026, 12/4/2026, 12/18/2026, 1/1/2027, 1/15/2027, 1/29/2027, 2/12/2027, 2/26/2027, 3/12/2027, 3/26/2027.

• 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 $8,678, Q $9,319.

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.

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.