Mental Health Rehabilitation Specialist

Job Description

The Position

The list developed from this recruitment will be used for a limited period to fill open and promotional, regular full-time, and part-time positions throughout the County, should they occur. Pursuant to current bargaining unit agreements, employees regularly assigned to the coastal region or in Covelo are eligible to receive a 5% assignment premium .

Under general supervision, provides rehabilitative/restorative behavioral health services, designed to assist clients in developing and maintaining functional life skills, emotional stability, and long-term wellness. Services may include rehabilitation, de-escalation, skill-building, case management, system navigation, and coordination with community resources in office, community, or agency-based settings/locations.

C.O.R.E. Program - This position p rovides field-based outreach, engagement, discharge planning, care coordination, and community stabilization for individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness, including individuals transitioning from jail or other institutional settings.

Mobile Team - The Mobile Team Mental Health Rehabilitation Specialist positions provide crisis assessment, intervention, and follow up care to the most vulnerable members of the community. Strong candidates will have experience working with individuals with serious mental health conditions and will have skills in engaging and building rapport and with creative problem solving This position has atypical hours and is predominantly field based.

Immediate Extra-Help Openings - if you are interested in temporary, extra-help work, please check ‘Extra-Help’ as one of the options under Question #7, Agency-Wide Questions, on the application.

Bilingual English/Spanish encouraged to apply. Se buscan personas bilingües en inglés y español. Para recibir una solicitud en español, llame a Recursos Humanos al 234-6600.

Job Requirements and Minimum Qualifications

Duties may include but are not limited to the following:

• Provide rehabilitation treatment services to individuals or groups, offering supportive services that assist clients in improving, maintaining or restoring functional and daily living skills.
• Provide rehabilitative services by providing counseling and rehabilitation, skill-building interventions that help individuals with chronic psychiatric impairments maintain or restore personal independence and achieve their optimal level of functioning in community or residential settings.
• Perform collateral services to provide significant support with the intent of improving or maintaining beneficiary’s behavioral health status.
• Perform assessment evaluation, including clinical analysis of the client’s historical and current mental, emotional and behavioral status, formulation of diagnoses; and application of standardized testing procedures.
• Participate in case conferencing with multiple service providers to develop, approve, and monitor client progress.
• Perform or assist with case management functions by visiting and counseling clients and their families to determine service needs, provide support, and make appropriate referrals. This may include transporting or arranging transportation for clients.
• Recommend therapy services; prepare progress notes, charts and closing or transfer summaries to support psychiatric and psychological evaluations.
• Assist clients in securing board-and-care placements, housing, and financial resources by providing support and referral services.
• Write chart notes in accordance with professional standards, state regulations and department protocol, and ensure proper filing is submitted.
• Accompany clients to appointments to assist with completing paperwork and to support follow-up for intervention or treatment related services.
• Serve as liaison and consultant between department and schools, organizations, parents, children, seniors, probation officers, Juvenile Hall, and other agencies on issues concerning clients, to coordinate treatment and services across departments, organizations, and locations.
• Facilitate groups activities (e.g. cooking, leisure, exercise), including developing and maintaining operating procedures and schedules; documenting participant involvement, resolving issues, planning special events, and ordering related supplies.
• Participate in treatment team, staff and professional meetings to discuss client progress and serve as a member of committees and boards.
• Maintain and provide a safe environment for clients and staff by adhering to department procedures and professional standards.
• Recommend service and program needs and assist in the development of policies and procedures.
• Compose and prepare correspondence in accordance with standard policies.
• Monitor productivity and workflow, identifying and resolving issues to ensure deadlines and performance standards are met.
• Enter information into electronic medical records and retrieve data from the computer system to generate a variety of daily, monthly and yearly reports.
• Disseminate information to various agencies, divisions, or departments as required.
• May perform crisis intervention, as permitted by certification, by conducting one-on-one services such as 5150/5585 assessment, collateral contacts, and therapeutic interventions- to determine if a patient is experiencing acute psychiatric symptoms and to provide an immediate response to reduce imminent risk.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED

Education and Experience:

Must meet California Code of Regulations Title IX, §630 requirements for Rehabilitation Specialist:

Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and four (4) years of experience in a mental health setting as a specialist in the fields of mental health and substance use outreach and services.

Up to two (2) years of graduate professional education may be substituted for the experience requirement on a year-for-year basis.

Up to two (2) years of post-associate degree clinical experience may be substituted for the bachelor's degree, in addition to the required four (4) years in a mental health setting.

Licenses and Certifications:

Valid Driver’s License

Incumbents must successfully meet and maintain the California Code of Regulations WIC Section 5150 requirements and must successfully complete a training course on 5150/5585 procedures within 12 months of appointment to this classification. Failure to meet this requirement within the 12-month timeframe shall be considered failure to meet a condition of employment and may result in termination of employment.

Incumbents must possess and maintain, or obtain and maintain, all licenses, certifications, registrations, and/or other requirements identified in the minimum qualifications, as applicable, and within the timeframes specified. These requirements are conditions of continued employment and minimum qualifications for the position. Failure to possess, obtain, or maintain any required license, certification, registration, or other requirement within the specified timeframe may result in rejection during the probationary period, or disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge of:

• Behavioral illness and applicable treatments.
• Medi-Cal regulations regarding scope of practice and documentation.
• Modern methods, techniques and procedures used in marriage, family and child counseling.
• DSM IV Diagnostic Criteria.
• Medical chart documentation procedures.
• Philosophy and history of therapeutic recreation.
• Various therapeutic models.
• Psychological theory.
• Uses and effects of psychotropic medications.
• Interviewing techniques.
• Applicable codes, laws, ordinances, regulations and legal forms and procedures.
• Child and adolescent development.
• Juvenile justice system.
• History, theory, and new trends in serious behavioral health conditions.
• Ethical and legal management practices, including confidentiality and client’s legal rights.
• Community resources, services and organizations.
• Internal departmental policies and procedures .

Skill in:

• Counseling and adherence to established therapeutic processes and procedures.
• Providing assessment evaluation.
• Performing case management.
• Observing and documenting psychiatric behavior.
• Writing clear and concise chart notes in accordance with professional standards, state regulations and department protocol.
• Using tact, discretion, initiative and independent judgment within established guidelines.
• Organizing work, set priorities, meet critical deadlines, and follow up assignments with a minimum of direction.
• Communicating clearly and effectively, orally and in writing.
• Using a computer to accurately and rapidly enter and retrieve data and information.

Mental and Physical Abilities:

• Analyze, evaluate and diagnose situations and adopt effective courses of action.
• Assess physical and behavioral health concerns.
• Assess and intervene in high-risk situations (suicide, aggression).Read, analyze and interpret professional periodicals and journals, technical procedures and government regulations.
• While performing the essential functions of this job the employee is regularly required to sit and to use hands to finger, handle, or feel, to speak and hear, to use color, odor, shape and sound perception and discrimination.
• While performing the essential functions of this job the employee occasionally required to move up to 30 pounds and/or apply a physical exertion in restraining overactive or hostile clients.

Selection Procedure & Other Important Information

Important Application Information:

• It is your responsibility to demonstrate through your application materials how you meet the minimum qualifications of the position/s for which you apply.
• You must complete all sections of the application. A résumé or other information you feel will help us evaluate your qualifications may be attached to your completed application, but will not be accepted in lieu of completing any part of the application. Blank applications that contain only a résumé or those that reference “see résumé” will be rejected as incomplete.
• Check your application before submitting to ensure it is complete and correct; no new or additional information will be accepted after the closing date.

• If you are using education to meet the minimum qualifications for this classification, please submit unofficial transcripts with your application. Applicants who completed their education outside of the United States (with foreign degrees/transcripts) must provide an education evaluation. The education evaluation must state the number of units to which foreign coursework is equal. Foreign education evaluation services can be found at https://www.naces.org . This education evaluation is the responsibility of the applicant and must be submitted with the application.

• Inquiry will be made of your former and current employers; please provide the names and telephone numbers of supervisors on your application.
• You must provide the names and contact information of at least three (3) references (not relatives) that have knowledge of your job skills, experience, ability and/or character.
• Application materials are the property of Mendocino County and will not be returned.
• It is your responsibility to keep your NEOGOV profile updated, including any changes to your telephone number or address. Failure to do so may result in missed notification of exams or interviews.
• The exam process listed on this flyer is tentative. Mendocino County reserves the right to make necessary modifications to the examination plan. Such revisions will be in accordance with approved personnel standards. Should a change be made, applicants will be notified.
• The provisions of this job bulletin do not constitute an expressed or implied contract.

Examination Process: All complete applications will be reviewed; incomplete applications will not be considered. Based on the number of qualified candidates, applicants meeting the job requirements and qualifications will be invited to participate in an oral examination (weight 100) or an application appraisal exam, consisting of an evaluation of education and experience as stated on the application form. The examination process will test the knowledge and abilities described above. A minimum score of 70 must be attained for placement on the employment list.

Special Testing: The County of Mendocino is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), if special accommodations for a disability or religious conviction are necessary at any stage of the application and/or testing process, please notify the Human Resources Department in advance at (707) 234-6600. Reasonable notice is required to allow adequate time for review and evaluation of your request.

Special Requirements: Employment in some County departments or positions may require the successful completion of a pre-employment criminal background, which may include fingerprinting, and/or a medical examination, which may include drug screening.

This announcement is a synopsis of duties and requirements of this job. To review the complete classification specification and benefits, please see the HR website. Applications must be submitted to the Human Resources Department by the final filing date.

The County of Mendocino participates in the E-Verify program to confirm employment eligibility. If hired, the information you provide on your Form I-9 will be used to verify your authorization to work in the United States.

Learn more:

• E-Verify Notice of Participation (Download PDF reader)
• Right to Work (Download PDF reader)

The County of Mendocino is an Equal Opportunity Employer

This information is a summary of general benefits. Benefits listed in Mendocino County Resolutions or Memorandums of Understanding prevail over this listing. This information is not legally binding, nor does it constitute a Contract.

SALARY
Compensation is based on a five-step salary range, with annual merit-based increases within the salary range.

RETIREMENT
Covered under Social Security and the 1937 act; both employees and the County pay into the retirement fund. For the most current information regarding County Retirement please go to:
https://www.mendocinocounty.org/retirement

HOLIDAYS AND PERSONAL LEAVE
Mendocino County observes 11 paid holidays per year. Employees are granted 24 - 48 hours of personal leave annually, depending upon Bargaining Unit.

VACATION
Accrues at the rate of two weeks per year for three years. Three weeks per year after three years, four weeks after eight years and five weeks after 15 years.

SICK LEAVE
Paid sick leave accrues at the rate of 1.25 days per month, or 15 days per year. Accruals are pro-rated for part-time employees working at least 20 hours per week. Part-time employees working less than 20 hours per week, and extra-help employees receive up to 24 hours (or 3 days) of paid sick leave annually.

MEDICAL, DENTAL, VISION, AND LIFE INSURANCE
The County and the employee share the cost of an employee selected health care plan; enrollment in the plan includes $20,000 Life Insurance.

HEALTH INSURANCE
For the most current information regarding Health Insurance please go to:
http://www.mendocinocounty.org/hr/ehb

EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
For the most current information regarding Employee Assistance please go to:
http://www.mendocinocounty.org/hr/eap

EMPLOYEE WELLNESS PROGRAM
For the most current information regarding Employee Wellness please go to:
http://www.mendocinocounty.org/hr/mcwow

LABOR CONTRACTS
For the complete list of most current labor agreements please go to:
http://www.mendocinocounty.org/hr/labor

Closing Date/Time: 10/23/2026 11:59 PM Pacific