Mental Health Specialist

County of Colusa; Colusa (CA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive benefits

Job summary

County of Colusa's Behavioral Health Services seeks a Mental Health Specialist to deliver clinical services to clients with mental health and/or substance use disorders. You will run individual and group sessions, support treatment planning, and respond to crises under supervision, collaborating with a treatment team.

A qualifying combination of education and experience is required. Employment offers include a strong benefits package, work‑life balance, and opportunities for professional

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in psychology, social welfare, social work, or a related field.
• Four years of experience in a behavioral health setting.
• Bachelor's degree plus one year of graduate‑level coursework in psychology, social welfare, social work, or a related field and three years of experience.
• Bachelor's degree plus two years of graduate‑level coursework and two years of experience.
• Associate of Arts degree with major coursework in psychology, social welfare, social work, or a related field and six years of experience, including at least two years post‑degree.
• License or Certificate: Valid California Driver's License.

Responsibilities

• Provide clinical services to individuals diagnosed with mental health and/or substance use disorders.
• Facilitate individual and group sessions to develop skills for improved communication, social functioning, problem-solving, emotional regulation, and recovery.
• Collaborate with clients' therapists and treatment team to monitor progress toward individualized treatment goals and ensure coordinated care.
• Assist with intake/assessment to collect biopsychosocial information and participate in treatment planning.
• Respond to behavioral health crises under supervision and guidance of Clinical Program Manager.
• Support staff with a healthy work‑life balance and opportunities for professional growth.

Education

Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in psychology, social welfare, social work, or a related field

Associate of Arts degree with major coursework in psychology, social welfare, social work, or a related field

Job description

The Department of Behavioral Health Services is seeking a dynamic Mental Health Specialist who is ready to make a difference in our community.

We are a community-based, outpatient behavioral health clinic dedicated to serving our most vulnerable populations. Our leadership team is comprised of dynamic, team-oriented leaders who support staff success with the understanding that successful team members equal outstanding client care.

We want to see our community members become successful in reaching their goals, and we feel fortunate to be in a position to support them in this effort. So be sure to check on whether you’re aligned with our Department values and culture. If you think you can see yourself delivering excellent customer service as a member of the Behavioral Health team, see the summary below & then check out the job description page: 

There are multiple positions available within the Department of Behavioral Health Services.

This recruitment will be used to fill a current vacancy and establish an eligibility list to fill other openings without reposting.

What's this Job All About?

Under the direction of the Clinical Program Manager, this position provides clinical services to individuals diagnosed with mental health and/or substance use disorders. Services include facilitating individual and group sessions focused on developing skills that promote improved communication, social functioning, problem-solving, emotional regulation, and other areas that support recovery and overall well‑being. Interventions may also include behavior modification strategies and harm reduction approaches to enhance clients' daily functioning and treatment outcomes.

This position collaborates closely with clients' therapists and treatment team to monitor progress toward individualized treatment goals and ensure coordinated, client‑centered care. Responsibilities also include assisting with the collection of biopsychosocial information during the intake and assessment process, participating in treatment planning, and responding to behavioral health crises under the clinical supervision and guidance of a Clinical Program Manager.

We take self‑care seriously and believe that a healthy work‑life balance is essential to doing our best work and providing exceptional care to our community. We support our employees’ professional and personal growth through training opportunities and team‑building activities designed to strengthen collaboration, build skills, and foster a positive work environment.

Embracing the Colusa County Work Culture

Our Core Values are more than just words; they’re a way of life here in the Behavioral Health Department. We know that departments with a strong culture & a higher purpose perform better in the long run.

• Deliver WOW Through Service to Others & Our Community
• Embrace and Drive Change
• Be Adventurous, Creative, Open‑Minded
• Pursue Growth and Learning
• Build Open and Honest Relationships with Communication
• Foster a Positive Team and Family Spirit
• Be Passionate and Determined
• Be Humble and Kind

Do our values speak to you?

What are the benefits?

• A beautiful, safe community in which to work and serve.
• A caring, empathetic, & fun work family that you will be welcomed into – where we work hard, but play hard, too!
• A job with WORK-LIFE BALANCE
• Competitive salary commensurate with education & experience
• A LIFETIME PAYCHECK (3% @ 60 for Classic Members and 2% @ 62 for New Members) – As long as you work for 5 years and vest in the CalPERS system, you will receive a retirement paycheck for the rest of your life.
• Amazing health care BENEFITS at NO COST to you – Unless you choose a premium health care plan.
• Authentically kind and engaged leadership who truly enjoy developing staff.
• 457 Deferred Compensation.
• PAID vacation, PAID holidays (15), and PAID leave if you get sick.
• Vacation Parity – Previous service with a public agency counts towards vacation accrual at Colusa County. A public agency includes cities, counties, districts, military and similar entities. To learn more about vacation parity, please see our benefit summary.

Under the direction of the Director of Behavioral Health or designee, the Mental Health Specialist receives technical and functional supervision from the Clinical Program Manager and general supervision from the Clinical Supervisor.

Any combination of experience and training that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be to meet one of the following education and experience patterns, consistent with the minimum qualifications for a Mental Health Rehabilitation Specialist established in the California Code of Regulations Title IX, §630.

OPTION 1:

Training: Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in psychology, social welfare, social work, or a related field.

Experience: Four years of experience in a behavioral health setting.

OPTION 2:

Training: Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in psychology, social welfare, social work, or a related field, and completion of one year of graduate‑level coursework in psychology, social welfare, social work, or a related field.

Experience: Three years of experience in a behavioral health setting.

OPTION 3:

Training: Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in psychology, social welfare, social work, or a related field, and completion of two years of graduate‑level coursework in psychology, social welfare, social work, or a related field.

Experience: Two years of experience in a behavioral health setting.

OPTION 4:

Training: Associate of Arts degree from an accredited college with major course work in psychology, social welfare, social work, or a related field.

Experience: Six years of experience in a behavioral health setting, including at least two years of experience obtained after completion of the Associate's degree.

Qualifying experience must have been obtained in a behavioral health setting as a specialist in the fields of physical restoration, social adjustment, or vocational adjustment. Qualifying behavioral health settings include, but are not limited to, behavioral health treatment, rehabilitation, psychiatric, or similar settings.

License or Certificate (Required for All Options): Possession of, or ability to obtain, a valid California Driver's License.