Mental Health Program Specialist - East Palo Alto Clinic - Spanish Preferred (Open & Promotional)

Salary : $126,921.60 - $158,620.80 Annually
Location : County of San Mateo, CA
Job Type: Full-Time
Job Number: G081CD
Department: Behavioral Health and Recovery Services
Opening Date: 10/21/2026
Closing Date: 11/4/2026 11:59 PM Pacific
Bargaining Unit: 08

Description
San Mateo County Health is seeking an experienced individual for the position of Mental Health Program Specialist - East Palo Alto Clinic - Spanish Speaking Preferred to coordinate and supervise a specialized program in the Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS) Division; supervise a small staff of professionals; consult with several community groups and agencies on mental health services and awareness; set up service delivery systems; and perform related duties as assigned.

The current vacancy is in the Behavioral Health and Recovery Services Division's East Palo Alto Community Counseling Clinic. The position is located in East Palo Alto but may travel throughout the County to perform duties of the position.
This position supervises clinicians; provides leadership in developing a peer chart review program; assists in coordinating a Utilization Review Process; assists with outreach to community organizations and partners; stands in for Unit Chief in Department and community meetings; assists Unit Chief in devising and implementing clinic procedures; carries a partial caseload; conducts outreach to the African-American, Latino, Pacific Islander communities; and networks/collaborates with community-based organizations, schools and other partners. This Program Specialist reports to the East Palo Alto Clinics Supervising Mental Health Clinician.

The ideal candidate will possess the following skills:

• Proficiency in providing both mental health and substance use treatment services and clinical case management in a clinical setting.
• Knowledge of current best practices in the fields of mental health and co-occurring substance use and mental health conditions.
• Ability to communicate well in groups or community settings and can successfully build relationships with partners, both within and outside of BHRS.
• Assist in program development and quality improvement of services.
• Ability to supervise multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural staff.
• Ability to provide leadership and promote quality improvement process, as well as an ability to negotiate, solve complex problems, and resolve conflict.
• Knowledge of the San Mateo County services and resources for individuals with mental health, substance use and co-occurring disorders.
• Interest and skills in program development and staff training.
• Strong crisis management and supervisory skills including providing clinical supervision.
• Strong organizational skills, with an ability to work with the "big picture" of systems change, while managing many levels of detail in implementation.
• Experience working with both youth and adults, and diverse populations such as Hispanic/Latino, African-American and Pacific Islander communities.
• If applicable, demonstrate ability to provide clinical services using bilingual skills for monolingual Spanish speaking clients.

NOTE: The eligible list generated from this recruitment may be used to fill future extra-help, term, unclassified, and regular classified vacancies.
Examples Of Duties
Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Coordinate assigned program activities with services provided by and responsibilities of the Division's Regional clinics, private service providers, schools, state institutions and other public or community agencies.
• Oversee and coordinate our clinic's Entry to Care (ETC) process, including the management of referrals, initial assessments, and compliance with Timely Access requirements for mental health services.
• Establish and maintain program procedures which are consistent with Federal, State and local laws governing mental health services.
• Monitor and consult with contract providers to ensure compliance with services requested by the County and help determine jointly beneficial solutions to problem areas.
• Research and prepare grant proposals for specific mental health projects.
• Consult with schools and other public agencies regarding the assigned program and provide the proper program supervision and liaison to the contractees.
• Evaluate and integrate changes in legislation into the program procedures.
• Provide clinical consultation to various agencies.
• Evaluate employee performance of subordinates assigned to program.
• Compile data and prepare program evaluations and other reports.
• Perform related duties as assigned.
• Managing Same-Day Assessments (occurs when clients seek services with the clinic and initiate process to see if they meet criteria for services).

Qualifications
Licensure/Certification:
California license as one of the following:

• Clinical Social Worker
• Marriage and Family Therapist
• Clinical Psychologist

Education and Experience:
Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to qualify is:

• Three years of experience as a Mental Health professional.

Knowledge of:

• Principles, techniques and practices of program management and delivery
• Principles and practices of employee supervision and training
• Applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations and County policies and guidelines
• Individual, group and family psychodynamics
• Psychological diagnostic methods and terminology
• Current principles and practices of psychiatric casework
• Human and health services systems in the County including private agencies and other community resources
• Various methods used in individual and group therapies such as role playing, play, art and milieu
• Methods and techniques used in mental health education

Skill/Ability to:

• Plan, assign, supervise, review and evaluate the work of interdisciplinary subordinates
• Train staff in work procedures and provide technical and programmatic assistance to staff and subcontractors
• Analyze, interpret and apply various regulations, requirements and/or clinical approaches
• Prepare grant proposals and written reports
• Set realistic treatment goals and facilitate their attainment
• Evaluate patients/clients' degree of mental disability or emotional distress
• Communicate effectively in writing and orally and make public presentations as needed
• Establish and maintain effective and cooperative relationships with those contacted in the course of the work
• Exercise sound independent judgment within general policy and regulatory guidelines

Application/Examination
Open & Promotional. Anyone may apply. Current County of San Mateo and County of San Mateo Superior Court of California employees with at least six months (1040 hours) of continuous service in a classified regular, probationary, extra-help/limited term positions prior to the final filing date will receive five points added to their final passing score on this examination.
The examination process will consist of an application screening (weight: pass/fail) based on the candidates' application and responses to the supplemental questions. Candidates who pass the application screening will be invited to a panel interview (weight: 100%). Depending on the number of applicants, an application appraisal of education and experience may be used in place of other examinations or further evaluation of work experience may be conducted to group applicants by level of qualification. All applicants who meet the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement through any subsequent phase of the examination. All examinations will be given in the County of San Mateo, California and applicants must participate at their own expense. All applicants who meet the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement through any subsequent phase of the examination. All examinations will be given in the County of San Mateo, California and applicants must participate at their own expense.
IMPORTANT: Applications for this position will only be accepted online. If you are currently on the County's website, you may click the "Apply" button.If you are not on the County's website, please go to https://jobs.smcgov.org/ to apply. Responses to the Supplemental Questionnaire must be submitted in addition to the standard County employment application form. A resume will not be accepted as a substitute for the required application materials. Online applications must be received by the Human Resources Department before midnight on the final filing date.

TENTATIVE RECRUITMENT TIMELINE
Final Filing Date: Wednesday, November 4, 2026, at 11:59PM PSTApplication Screening: Week of November 9, 2026Panel Interviews: Week of November 16, 2026

Talent Acquisition Analyst: Priscilla Bermudez (051526) (Mental Health Program Specialist - G081)
We invite you to explore our page for a snapshot of the comprehensive and competitive benefits available to eligible employees of the County of San Mateo. From health and wellness to financial security, our benefits are designed to support you at every stage of your career. (Please note that benefits are subject to change.)

In addition to core benefits, the County is proud to offer a variety of wellness and professional development programs to help you grow both personally and professionally. Most of these enriching opportunities are available during work hours and come at no cost to you.

As a County employee, you'll also be covered by the federal Social Security system, earning valuable retirement benefits based on your salary and years of service.
01

IMPORTANT NOTE: Applicants must submit responses to the supplemental questions below. These responses are a critical part of the evaluation process and will be carefully reviewed by subject matter experts. Responses should be clear, detailed, and concise, describing your relevant work experience, training, and education as they relate to this position. Please address all parts of each question and provide specific examples that reflect your individual experience and expertise. Strong responses are authentic, well-organized, and demonstrate attention to detail, clarity of expression, and the ability to follow instructions. A resume will not be accepted in place of the required responses.

• I have read and understand this important information. Proceed to supplemental questions.

02

This position requires ppossession of a valid California license as one of the following: 1) Clinical Social Worker; 2) Marriage and Family Therapist; or 3) Clinical Psychologist. Do you possess a valid California clinical license in psychology, social work or marriage and family therapy? (Please include information on the Certificates & Licenses section of the application. A "No" answer will disqualify you from this recruitment.)

• Yes
• No

03

How long have you been licensed as a Clinical Social Worker, Marriage & Family Therapist, or Clinical Psychologist?

• Two years or more
• One year or more but less than two years
• Six months or more but less than one year
• Less than six months

04

Describe your direct clinical experience with clients having a) serious mental health, b) serious emotional disturbance, c) substance use, and d) co-occurring issues in acute psychiatric settings or in crisis assessment and management. Be specific.
05

Describe your experience providing clinical supervision to mental health staff and/or interns. Additionally, include an example of addressing a performance issue. Be specific.
06

Describe your experience providing clinical services for culturally diverse clients, including using your bilingual skills, if any. Be specific.
07

Fluency (speak, read, write) in Spanish is preferred but NOT required for this position. Are you fluent in Spanish? (A "No" answer to this question will NOT disqualify you from this recruitment.)

• Yes
• No

08

How did you learn about this position?

• County of San Mateo Website
• County of San Mateo Job Interest Card Notification
• County Hosted Virtual Event
• County Hosted Job Fair
• CalOpps.org
• College/University Career Center
• Community-based Organization Posting
• Facebook/Instagram
• Friend or Relative
• GovernmentJobs.com
• Indeed
• Job Fair
• LinkedIn
• Professional Publication/Website (Please specify in next question)
• X (formerly called Twitter)
• Zip Recruiter
• Other (Please specify in next question)

09

If you answered, "Professional Publication/Website" or "Other" to the above question, please indicate below how you learned about this position. Your response to this question will help us in better marketing County jobs. Type NA if not applicable.
Required Question