Psychiatric Nurse Supervisor

County of Santa Barbara; Santa Barbara (CA); On-site; USD 141,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Retirement reciprocity

Time and service credit for vacation

Job summary

County of Santa Barbara seeks a Psychiatric Nurse Supervisor for the inpatient PHF in Santa Barbara. Responsible for supervising registered nurses, psychiatric technicians, LVNs, and recovery assistants on the nocturnal shift.

Ideal candidate has psychiatric nursing leadership experience, strong communication, and proficiency with electronic health records; comfortable with regulatory compliance and audits.

Qualifications

• Two (2) years of psychiatric nursing experience, including lead worker experience.

Responsibilities

• Directs nursing activities of licensed staff and recovery assistants on multiple locations.

Skills

Staff supervision

Supervisory skills

Microsoft Office

Written & verbal communication

Electronic health records

Mental health expertise

Clinical report writing

Regulatory compliance

Auditing experience

Interagency collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s in Nursing

NurseCertification (PN or related)

Tools

EHR systems

Job description

NOTICE OF CHANGE:

This recruitment will remain open until filled.

Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis with the first review on Friday 3/13/2026

SALARY

$67.66 - $81.69 Hourly
$140,728.64 - $169,913.12 Annually

Shift differential and stand by pay
10% Special Duty pay for Inpatient
Bilingual allowance: bilingual/bi-cultural encouraged to apply

The County of Santa Barbara Department of Behavioral Wellness is seeking an experienced Psychiatric Nurse Supervisor to work the nocturnal shift 7:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. for the inpatient Psychiatric Health Facility (PHF) in Santa Barbara. We are also accepting applications to establish one (1) employment list to fill full-time, part-time, and Extra Help future vacancies for the Department of Behavioral Wellness.

BENEFITS: The County of Santa Barbara offers generous benefits, please visit our website at https://www.countyofsb.org/3085/SEIU-Local-620. In addition, applicants from other public sector employers may qualify for:

• Retirement reciprocity
• Time and service credit towards an advanced vacation accrual rate

Position Description:

The Psychiatric Nurse Supervisor will report directly to the Branch Chief (Inpatient) and will work in conjunction with the additional PHF Psychiatric Nurse Supervisor and PHF Clinical Director to provide collaborative supervision of registered nurses, psychiatric technicians, licensed vocational nurses, and recovery assistants.

The ideal candidate will possess:

• Experience overseeing staff in mental health outpatient and/or inpatient facilities
• Strong supervisory skills
• Have proficient computer skills in Microsoft Office
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Experience working with electronic health records
• Experience working in justice-involved, detox, acute health, or emergency settings (highly desirable)
• Extensive experience in analyzing complex mental health problems, evaluating alternatives and making sound judgements and recommendations for treatment
• Experience preparing clear and complete reports
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships
• Experience with regulatory compliance and taking a lead role in state/federal auditing of a facility

Responsibilities:

• Directs nursing activities of the licensed nursing staff, and recovery assistants in locations throughout the County.
• Plans for floor coverage – short- and long-range scheduling of nursing/recovery assistant staff.
• Participates in and supervises staff in daily patient care activities and planning of patient after-care; plans, assigns, and reviews the work of all nursing staff, student nurses, and recovery assistants; ordering of supplies and equipment and supervises their proper use and maintenance.
• Interviews candidates for nursing positions and makes recommendations for hire. Conducts new employee training, orienting them to departmental policies and procedures and licensing state and federal regulations.
• Completes Employee Performance Reports (EPRs). Evaluates employee performance for the nursing staff and submits Employee Performance Reports (EPRs) to the Medical Director; analyzes and evaluates the need for staff training and provides staff training and corrective action plans as necessary.
• Participates in the Quality Assurance Performance Improvement and Medical Practice Committees to ensure compliance with program regulations.
• Provides expertise in compliance with applicable regulatory requirements and monitoring to ensure with state & federal regulations and laws within the area of responsibility.
• Assist in the development and implementation of policies and procedures related to the area of specialization and update P&P Manual as needed. Makes recommendations regarding changes to nursing services and clinic activities; confers with staff to review and revise policies and procedures; develops and implements policies, procedures, and program objectives; maintains and writes updates to the department policy and procedures manual related to nursing services.
• Oversees the day-to-day treatment administered and operations of the County's Psychiatric Health Facility on assigned shift.
• Confers with medical, mental health and inter-agency staff regarding client needs and ways of improving staff's ability to impact on clients.
• Maintains prescribed standards of mental health treatment and ensures services are rendered in conformance with policy and procedural guidelines.
• Ensures that Physician Orders are followed correctly and keeps the Branch Chief, Medical Director and Pharmacist-In-Charge informed about the activities and problems of unit operation.

Requirements:

• Two (2) years of psychiatric nursing experience including one year of experience serving as a lead worker over nursing staff in a psychiatric health facility or inpatient unit;
• One (1) year of experience performing duties equivalent to the class of Psychiatric Nurse, Senior or two years equivalent to Psychiatric Nurse II with Santa Barbara County;
• A combination of training, education, and experience that is equivalent to one of the employment standards listed above and that provides the required knowledge and abilities.

Knowledge of:

principles and practices of effective employee supervision, development, and evaluation; psychiatric nursing treatment and psychotherapeutic interventions; theories, techniques, and practices of professional nursing; principles, practices, and laws of professional nursing; basic occupational therapy and social work; laws and regulations pertaining to psychiatric nursing; the uses and effects of psychotropic drugs and narcotics; patient safety practices and locked-facility security; theories, principles, and techniques of group and individual psychotherapy; symptoms and behavior patterns of emotionally disturbed and mentally ill patients; mental health community resources and services; health education and interviewing and counseling techniques; common mental and physical illnesses, diseases, disabilities, injuries, and nutrition; medical equipment operation.

Ability to:

plan, organize, direct, and evaluate the work of nursing and support staff and facility activities as well as staffing/scheduling for a 24-hour psychiatric unit; identify and make recommendations regarding operational problems; develop and conduct staff training; explain mental health laws and regulations; observe emotional and physical behavior of patients; evaluate and assess the need for mental health services; analyze a situation and adopt a course of action; prepare and maintain medical records and reports; recognize and respect limits of confidential information; communicate with people of diverse socioeconomic and ethnic origins; speak before groups; exercise independent judgment in medical emergencies; demonstrate tact, diplomacy, patience and compassion; establish and maintain working relationships with other mental health professionals, subordinate staff, co-workers, other agencies, and organizations; comply with and enforce nursing policies, protocols, and program regulations; understand and follow instructions, work independently.

Desirable Qualifications:

Possession of a bachelor's or master's degree in nursing, Psychiatric Nurse Certification or other health-related field is highly desirable.

Working Conditions:

Inpatient incumbent works in a locked facility with patients who can be a danger to themselves and others. Inpatient incumbent should have de-escalation knowledge for working with patients in crisis. Inpatient incumbent may be required to work evenings, weekends and/or holidays.

Application & Selection Process:

• Review Applications: Determine those candidates who meet the employment standards.
• Supplemental Questionnaire Ranking: Candidates' response to the required supplemental questionnaire will be evaluated and scored. Candidates' final score and rank on the employment list will be determined by their responses to the supplemental questionnaire. This process may be eliminated if there are fewer than eleven (11) qualified candidates.

Applicants must receive a percentage score of at least 70 on the supplemental questionnaire to be placed on an employment list. An adjustment may be made to raw scores based on factors listed in Civil Service Rule VI. Those candidates who are successful in the selection process will have their names placed on the employment list for a minimum of three months. At the time the employment list is established, all candidates will receive written notice of their score on the exam(s), rank on the employment list, and exact duration of the employment list.

Conditional Job Offer:

• Live Scan and Background Check: Once a conditional offer of employment has been made, the selected candidate's appointment is contingent upon successful completion of a Live Scan and background check which includes a conviction history check, and satisfactory reference checks. A Live Scan is electronic fingerprint scanning that is certified by the State Department of Justice. Further instructions about when and how to complete the Live Scan will be included in the offer letter. Appointee will be subject to a post-offer medical evaluation or examination.
• The appointee must satisfactorily complete a one-year probationary period.

Recruiters will communicate with applicant by e-mail during each step in the recruitment process. Applicants are reminded to check spam filters continuously during the Recruitment & Selection Process steps listed above to ensure they do not miss required deadlines.

Reasonable Accommodations:

The County of Santa Barbara is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to applicants. Qualified individuals with disabilities who need a reasonable accommodation during the application or selection process should contact the recruiter listed on the job posting. We require verification of needed accommodation from a professional source, such as a Medical Provider or a learning institution.

Disaster Service Workers:

Pursuant to Governmental code section 3100, all employees with the County of Santa Barbara are declared to be disaster service workers subject to such disaster service. Activities as may be assigned to them by their superiors or by law.

Vaccination Verification and Testing:

This position may be subject to State Health Officer Orders (SHOOs) or County policy regarding vaccine verification and/or testing. Please contact the hiring department for more information.

Statement of Commitment

The County of Santa Barbara provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants and prohibits discrimination, harassment, and retaliation of any type with regard to any characteristic or status protected by any federal law, state law, or Santa Barbara County ordinance. The County continues to be committed to a merit-based selection process and to eliminating barriers to attracting and retaining top qualified candidates. The County has a long-standing practice of providing a work environment that respects the dignity of individual employees and values their contributions to our organization.

Application and Supplemental Questionnaire Deadline: CONTINUOUS.

Applications and job bulletins can be obtained 24 hours a day at www.sbcountyjobs.com. For recruitment related questions, please contact Erin Kuhn - [e-mail]