Mental Health Clinician

Los Angeles County Superior Court

$103K — $128K *
Healthcare
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Master's degree in social work, psychology, marriage and family counseling, or related behavioral science required.
  • Three years of full-time post-master's experience in family counseling or clinical assessment.
  • Active California licensure in marriage and family therapy, clinical social work, or clinical psychology.
  • Experience working with high-conflict families and issues like domestic violence or child abuse is highly desirable.
  • Fluency in Spanish is a plus.

Responsibilities

  • Conduct confidential mediations to craft child custody agreements focusing on the child's best interests.
  • Perform assessments and interviews to evaluate family dynamics and recommend custody arrangements.
  • Conduct sensitive interviews with children regarding custody matters, compiling findings into reports.
  • Identify and report risks such as domestic violence and child abuse, ensuring compliance with legal standards.
  • Deliver education on child development and co-parenting strategies to parents.
  • Maintain detailed case records and prepare evaluations for judicial review.

Benefits

  • Flexible telework options available post-training.
  • Comprehensive insurance options including medical, dental, disability, and life insurance.
  • Generous leave benefits, including vacation and sick leave, plus 14 paid holidays annually.
  • Tuition reimbursement up to $2000 per fiscal year for eligible degree-related courses.
  • Employer contributions to Dependent Care Spending Accounts and a deferred compensation retirement plan.
Full Job Description
Salary : $103,750.92 - $128,898.60 Annually
Location : Los Angeles, CA
Job Type: Full-Time
Job Number: R9892I
Department: 35A* - Family Mediators
Opening Date: 09/11/2026
Closing Date: 10/12/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

Position Description
The Superior Court of Los Angeles County is the largest unified trial court in the United States. The Court's 582 judicial officers and its dedicated workforce of over 4,600 full-time employees serving across 36 facilities work purposefully and seamlessly to achieve the mission to provide equal access to justice to all of Los Angeles County. At the heart of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County is commitment and collaboration between team members who contribute professional skill sets and meaningful work experiences toward the goal of serving the community at large.
ABOUT THE POSITION
Mental Health Clinicians perform highly responsible professional duties in resolving high-conflict child custody disputes arising from divorce, legal separation, paternity actions, or domestic violence cases. Clinicians use two primary methods to assist parties-mediation, which leads to agreements that become court orders, and evaluation, which results in formal custody recommendations to the court. These emotionally charged cases require clinicians to operate within strict ethical boundaries while demonstrating a deep understanding of family law, court procedures, and mental health practices. The role demands strong skills in counseling, interviewing, evaluation, and referral, as well as the ability to navigate complex family dynamics with professionalism, empathy, and sound judgment.
Key Responsibilities:

  • Child Custody Mediation - Conduct confidential mediations in cases of separation, parentage, divorce, and domestic violence to develop child custody/visitation agreements prioritizing the child's best interests.
  • Child Custody Evaluations (Brief Parenting Plan Assessments) - Perform in-depth assessments, interviews, and home visits to evaluate family dynamics, recommend custody arrangements, and deliver findings through formal reports or court testimony.
  • Child Interviews -Conduct sensitive, age-appropriate interviews with children to gather input relevant to custody decisions, sharing observations via written reports or testimony
  • Risk Assessment & Mandatory Reporting - Identify and assess risks such as domestic violence and child abuse; make mandated reports and referrals to appropriate agencies, ensuring compliance with legal and ethical standards.
  • Parent Education - Provide parents with information on child development, communication techniques and co-parenting strategies to support healthier family dynamics.
  • Documentation - Maintain detailed case records, input data into court databases, and prepare formal evaluations and reports for judicial review..


The responsibilities above illustrate the general scope of work for this classification. Individual positions may not perform all listed duties, and the responsibilities described are not intended to be exhaustive. The official classification for this role is Family Court Services Specialist. For a detailed job description, please click here. Please note the requirements in the job description may vary from the requirements in this bulletin.
THIS IS A TELEWORK ELIGIBLE OPPORTUNITYThis position may be eligible for full or partial telework following an initial training period and contingent upon the needs of the Court.
SELECTION REQUIREMENTS
To qualify, you must meet ALL the following requirements at the final filing date of this bulletin:

  • A master's degree* from an accredited college, university, or program in social work, psychology, marriage, family and child counseling, or other behavioral science substantially related to marriage and family relationships
  • Three (3) years of PAID, VERIFIABLE, FULL-TIME post-master's degree experience, within the last 7 years, in the field of family counseling or clinical assessment
  • A current license from the California Board of Behavioral Sciences in marriage and family therapy, clinical social work, or clinical psychology


*To qualify for opportunities that require educational credentials, you must attach the required documentation to your application. For more information, please visit the Applicant Support page.
Note: Credit for experience is given based on a 40-hour workweek. Part-time experience is credited on a part-time ratio, i.e., working 20 hours per week for two months equals one month of experience. No additional credit is given for overtime.
DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

The ideal candidate will possess the following desirable qualifications:
  • Knowledge of effective interview methods and techniques to assess adults and children.
  • Knowledge of medical and mental health terminology, including understanding of medical diagnoses.
  • Ability to work independently and consult with supervisor regarding cases as appropriate.
  • Ability to interview and communicate with a variety of people from different backgrounds.
  • Experience working with high conflict parents and children including blended family issues.
  • Experience working with persons who have problems with drugs, alcohol, child abuse, domestic violence and mental health issues.
  • Experience working in a Court environment demonstrating familiarity with legal procedures.
  • Experience providing timely assessments to the Court.
  • Ability to communicate fluently in Spanish.


APPLICANT SUPPORT & INFORMATION

Applications must be submitted online. Before submitting your application, carefully review ALL the information detailed on our APPLICANT SUPPORT page linked

WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER APPLYING

This recruitment process will take up to 4-6 weeks to complete. We will notify you of the outcome after each step of the recruitment process, detailed below:
EVALUATION: Qualifying evaluation of education, training and experience based upon submitted application and supplemental questionnaire.
ELIGIBILITY: Applicants who best meet job-related qualifications will be placed on an eligible list which will remain active for approximately six (6) months and may be invited to participate in a selection interview. Other vacancies may be filled using this list.
Questions regarding this posting may be e-mailed to

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Choices Benefit Plan
Benefits may be purchased using a tax-free monthly benefits allowance between $1,149.21 - $2,476.90 for the 2025 plan year (based on number enrolled in medical coverage). If the monthly cost of the benefits selected is less than the monthly allowance, the employee receives the difference as additional taxable pay, up to a maximum of $244.00. For detailed plan information, click here.

Insurance
The Choices plan includes a robust range of insurance options, including medical, dental, disability, life, and AD&D insurance.

Flexible Spending Accounts
Employees may contribute up to $266 per month into a tax-free Health Care Spending Account and up to $400 per month tax-free into a Dependent Care Spending Account. The Court contributes up to $375 per month to the Dependent Care Spending Account.

Leave Benefits
Vacation - All permanent and other designated categories of employees are eligible to earn paid vacation based on years of service. Vacation is based on continuous service and credited at the completion of each consecutive six-month period of employment.

Sick leave - Depending on the length of service and employment categories, up to one day of full pay per month of service is accrued monthly for qualifying service.

Holidays - 14 days per year.

Bereavement leave.

Retirement
Deferred Compensation Plan (457) - Optional tax-deferred supplemental retirement plan that includes a County match of up to 4% of employee's salary.

Retirement Pension Plan administered by the Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association (LACERA).

If the candidate is a "new member" of the County's defined benefit plan (LACERA) on or after January 1, 2013, that person's pension will be limited under the Public Employees' Pension Reform Act (PEPRA). For these purposes, a "new member" is someone who first becomes a member of LACERA on or after January 1, 2013 - that is, someone first employed by the County on or after December 1, 2012 - unless she or he established reciprocity with another public retirement system in which she or he was a member before January 1, 2013. For further information, visit lacera.com.

Other Benefits
The Commuter Benefit Plan (CBP) - Allows employees to pay for eligible public transit expenses using pre-tax dollars (up to IRS limits).

Tuition Reimbursement - The Tuition Reimbursement Program provides eligible employees with tuition assistance (maximum $2000 per fiscal year) for courses toward a degree program at an accredited college and/or university. The program is intended to support the ongoing development of a highly effective workforce at the Court.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
The information contained herein concerning the benefit package available to incumbents in this classification is based on an employee's appointment to a full-time, permanent position in the Court service in this class. The specific benefit package any individual employee may receive is subject to change based on that employee's particular employment status and payroll title.
01

INSTRUCTIONS: The information you provide on this application and supplemental questionnaire will be evaluated to determine your eligibility to participate in the next phase of the recruitment process. Please be as specific as possible and include all information as requested. A resume or a reference to a resume will not be accepted in lieu of a complete application and questionnaire, or considered in determining your eligibility to participate in the next phase of the recruitment process. Incomplete responses, false statements, omission of a material fact, or partial information can result in disqualification from the examination process.
  • Please check the box to indicate you have read and understand the instructions.

02

EDUCATION REQUIREMENT: This position requires graduation from an accredited college or university with a master's degree. Which of the following best describes your highest level of education completed?

  • Doctorate degree in social work, psychology, marriage, family and child counseling or other behavioral science substantially related to marriage and family relationships.
  • Master's degree in social work, psychology, marriage, family and child counseling or other behavioral science substantially related to marriage and family relationships.
  • None of the above.

03

If the degree identified in question #2 was in "other behavioral science substantially related to marriage and family relationships," please provide your major. If not applicable indicate N/A.

04

What date was your master's degree awarded/conferred?
05

EDUCATION VERIFICATION: Applicants must attach a copy of their diploma or transcript showing the conferred degree at the time of application. Failure to provide this documentation will result in disqualification.
  • Please check the box to indicate you have read and understand these instructions.

06

The position requires an active license - Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Licensed Marriage/Family Therapist (LMFT), Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC), or Licensed Clinical Psychologist) - with the California Board of Behavioral Science or the Board of Psychology.

Please provide your license number below. If you do not possess an active license, indicate N/A.
07

Are you fluent in any language(s) other than English?
  • Yes
  • No

08

If you answered "Yes" to question #8, please indicate the language(s) and your level of fluency (i.e. speak, read, and write).
09

Please indicate which of the following tasks you have experience in. Select all that apply:

  • Giving testimony in court
  • Creating or writing court reports
  • Presenting client educational classes, such as parent education, domestic violence, substance abuse
  • Giving professional lectures and training
  • None of the above

10

Please indicate which of the following topics you have completed continuing educational courses in. Select all that apply:

  • Court process and legal procedures
  • Child abuse and neglect and the effect of domestic violence on children
  • High conflict divorce
  • Mediation
  • Access to and use of criminal-record information, confidentiality, ethics, and conflicts of interest
  • Interviewing children and adults
  • None of the above

11

FAMILY COUNSELING and/or CLINICAL ASSESSMENT EXPERIENCE

Please select the options listed below that best describe your PAID, VERIFIABLE, FULL-TIME post-master's degree experience within the last 7 years. Select all that

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