Psychiatric Nurse I/II

Salary: See Position Description
Location : Santa Barbara, CA
Job Type: Full-time
Job Number: 26-6147-02 (O/BW)
Department: Behavioral Wellness
Opening Date: 10/22/2026
Closing Date: 11/12/2026 4:59 PM Pacific

Description
Psychiatric Nurse I/II

Job posting# 26-6147-02 (O)

SALARY:

Psychiatric Nurse I: $108,996.16 - $131,193.92 Annually

Psychiatric Nurse II: $114,133.76 - $137,465.12 Annually

Bilingual allowance, when applicable

Special Duty Assignment allowance of 10%, when applicable

Night Shift and Weekend differential, when applicable
We are accepting applications to fill one full-timePsychiatric Nurse I/II vacancy in Santa Barbara. The current vacancy is in the Behavioral Wellness Department.

The Behavioral Wellness Department is also accepting applications to establish an employment list for future Full-Time, Part-Time, and Extra Help (temporary) and *1414 vacancies for Psychiatric Nurse I/II positions in multiple locations including but not limited to Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, and Lompoc. Therefore, you must check the Individual Location(s) on the application where you would be willing to accept an assignment. Some positions may need to travel between different sites within Santa Barbara County. The operational area may include Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, Goleta, Lompoc, Los Olivos, Santa Maria, and Santa Ynez. *1414 vacancies may occur as a result of a leave of absence (Civil Service Rule 1414) and the duration of the appointment shall be subject to the return of the individual who is on leave. A person who is appointed to a position under Civil Service Rule 1414 may be able to transition into a regular position in the classification without re-application or re-testing, depending on the performance of the appointee and the needs of the department.

Benefits: The County of Santa Barbara offers generous benefits, click here to view more information. In addition, applicants from other public sector employers may qualify for:

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

THE POSITION: Under general supervision, provides professional psychiatric nursing care to acutely and chronically ill patients; performs related duties as required. Below are the different programs this position supports:

The current vacancy works within the Adult Outpatient Clinic: Work schedule Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Staff work as part of multidisciplinary treatment team at the Outpatient Clinics. Behavioral Wellness also has Outpatient Clinics for Children/Transitional Age Youth. Services include individual, family, and group rehabilitation and skill-building interventions, with an emphasis on trauma-informed care, co-occurring/harm reduction, Assessment and screening along with treatment planning, crisis intervention, and collaboration with community partners. This position will be a countywide position to support with coverage for the various Adult and Children outpatient clinics.

The Psychiatric Health Facility (PHF): is a free standing Acute Psychiatric Inpatient Hospital. PHF is a 16-bed, locked facility that provides 24-hour, 7 day a week inpatient care to individuals 18 and older requiring psychiatric hospitalization. Incumbents in this class work as a member of an interdisciplinary team providing assessment, prevention, intervention, treatment to people with mental illness, and/or co-occurring conditions.

The Quality Care Management team (QCM): Under general direction, conducts and coordinates quality and utilization review activities of mental health inpatient and outpatient services for the Behavioral Wellness Department and for contracted providers; and performs related duties as required.

Incumbents in this class work in a system of interdisciplinary departmental teams and/or contract service agencies providing assessment, prevention, intervention, treatment, and related ancillary support services via an integrated service delivery system to people with alcohol and other drug-related problems, mental illness, and/or co-occurring conditions.
DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS: Psychiatric Nurse I/II is a flexibly staffed series. Psychiatric Nurse I is the entry-level class in this series. Psychiatric Nurse II is the journey-level class in this series. Incumbents perform the full range of psychiatric nursing duties. Work assignments require a thorough knowledge of mental health practices and procedures, laws and regulations, and the ability to work independently. Classes in this series are distinguished from Staff Nurse by the specialization in psychiatric nursing.
ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT: Founded in 1962, it is the mission of the Department of Behavioral Wellness to promote the prevention of and recovery from mental illness and addiction among individuals, families and communities, by providing effective leadership and delivering state-of-the-art, culturally competent services. The Department provides treatment, rehabilitation, and support services to 10,000 clients with mental illness and substance use disorders annually through its professional staff of over 400, in addition to its many contracted Community-Based Organization (CBO) providers. The Department's decisions and service delivery are guided by the following values:

• Quality services for persons of all ages with mental illness and/or substance abuse
• Integrity in individual and organizational actions
• Dignity, respect, and compassion for all persons
• Active involvement of clients and families in treatment, recovery, and policy development
• Diversity throughout our organization and cultural competency in service delivery
• A system of care and recovery that is clearly defined and promotes recovery and resiliency
• Emphasis on prevention and treatment
• Teamwork among department employees in an atmosphere that is respectful and creative
• Continuous quality improvement in service delivery and administration
• Wellness modeled for our clients at all levels, i.e., staff who regularly arrive at the workplace healthy, energetic and resilient
• Safety for everyone

TheIdeal Candidate will have:

• Three years of clinical experience as a Registered Nurse as defined by California Code of Regulations, Title 9, Chapter 11, 71770, including some experience planning, organizing, and evaluating program operations and staff
• Experience with patients diagnosed with severe and persistent mental illness
• Experience working with electronic health records

• Experience working in forensics, detox, acute health and/or emergency settings
• Experience working within a multi-disciplinary team
• Ability to work with hostile or challenging patients
• Excellent oral and written communication
• Ability to read, write, converse fluently in English. Spanish preferred but not required

Examples of Duties

1. Observes assigned patients on a daily basis to identify, interpret, and document physical and emotional status and/or patterns, such as assaultive or suicidal behavior, and response to treatment or medication; as part of a multi-disciplinary team, assists in formulating a diagnosis and developing and implementing individualized patient treatment plans based on observations; provides crisis intervention to those individuals experiencing acute episodes.

1. Participates in or leads nursing educational based groups; participates in departmental and team meetings to discuss patient care and progress, shift activity, and program policies and procedures.

1. Administers psychotropic medications to patients, monitors use, and documents reactions; instructs patients on the purpose, dosage, and side effects of medication, and explains the legal process related to the patient's refusal to take prescribed medication.

1. Obtains medical, psychiatric, social, and family histories of new admissions; takes and records vital signs; obtains lab specimens; assists physicians with exams; schedules and arranges for special tests; develops discharge plans; maintains charts and logs; monitors supplies.

1. Interacts with other agencies to promote continuity of patient care.

QCM Example of Duties:

1. Develops and implements policies and procedures for the utilization review function to assure the effective utilization of medical or psychiatric services, and appropriate service reimbursement; reviews requests for authorization of services to determine whether the diagnosis and proposed treatment fall within the criteria for service reimbursement and authorizes treatment or refers the request to a higher medical authority; and authorizes reimbursement of contracted inpatient and outpatient services.

1. Collects and reviews statistics of services provided using automated systems to determine effectiveness and quality of care provided and to assess whether changes in the program are necessary to provide optimum health or psychiatric care in the most cost-effective manner; and generates reports from automated system.

1. Works with beneficiaries, providers, co-workers, and other public agencies to discuss or explain services provided or denied, give direction or authorization for specialized treatments, and establish eligibility of beneficiaries for services.

1. Collaborates with fiscal intermediaries, medical staff or mental health professionals, and others to review and interpret patient records and documentation when requests/claims for reimbursements are denied; writes narrative and statistical reports on utilization reviews; and prepares correspondence using word processing software.

1. Reviews state regulations; reviews policies and procedures and makes recommendations to management on methods to conform to regulations; educates staff on regulation changes; meets regularly with care providers to identify and address utilization review issues; and conducts training sessions for clinical and support staff on utilization review and documentation.

1. Assigns, reviews, and evaluates the work of professional, technical, and clerical staff.

Employment Standards
Psychiatric Nurse I

1. Possession of a valid Registered Nurse license issued by the California State Board of Registered Nursing.

Knowledge of: the principles, practices, and laws of professional nursing; health education, interviewing, and counseling techniques; common illnesses, diseases, disabilities, injuries, and nutrition; use and effects of general medications and immunizations; community health and social services.

Ability to: understand and explain mental health laws and regulations; learn the various methods, techniques, and procedures used in psychiatric nursing; learn the uses and effects of psychotropic drugs and narcotics; learn patient safety practices and facility security; observe and learn to recognize the behavior patterns of emotionally disturbed and mentally ill patients; learn the theories, principles, and techniques of group and individual psychotherapy; 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 co-workers, other agencies, and organizations; comply with nursing policies, protocols, and program regulations; understand and follow instructions; work independently.

Psychiatric Nurse II

Possession of a valid Registered Nurse license issued by the California State Board of Registered Nursing and;

1. one year of experience in an acute psychiatric care or outpatient community mental health facility; or,

1. one year of experience performing duties equivalent to those of Psychiatric Nurse I with Santa Barbara County; or,

1. 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: the laws and regulations pertaining to psychiatric nursing; the various methods, techniques, and procedures used in psychiatric nursing; the uses and effects of psychotropic drugs and narcotics; patient safety practices and facility security; symptoms and behavior patterns of emotionally disturbed and mentally ill patients; theories, principles, and techniques of group and individual psychotherapy; mental health community resources and services; the principles, practices, and laws of professional nursing; health education; common illnesses, diseases, disabilities, injuries, and nutrition.

Ability to: explain mental health laws and regulations; observe emotional and physical behavior; 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; direct and advise other nursing staff; 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 co-workers, other agencies, and organizations; comply with nursing policies, protocols, and program regulations; understand and follow oral and written instructions; work independently.

Working Conditions:

• Work in both office and clinical settings.
• Maybe required to work evening, night, or weekend shifts for specific assignments.