Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant

Position Information

If you are passionate about making a difference in the lives of young children and their families, we encourage you to apply for this exciting opportunity to help build and implement an important community program!

Starting salary up to $57.39/hour ($119,779/year), a competitive total compensation package*, AND a $15,000 signing bonus**!
Please note that this is a professional-level licensed position. To qualify for this role, you must possess one of the following valid , current licenses i ssued by the State of California Board of Behavioral Science Examiners or Board of Medical Quality Assurance, Psychology Examining Committee:

• Licensed Clinical Social Worker license
• Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist license
• Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor license
• Possession of a valid, current license as a Psychologist
• Possession of a successor licensure recognized as equivalent by the State of California

Program Information
Sonoma County Department of Health Services’ (DHS) Home Visiting Program was awarded funding through the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to start and implement an Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) Program within Home Visiting. DHS currently offers three maternal-child home visiting programs to clients across Sonoma County: Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP), Teen Parent Connections (TPC), and Trauma-Informed Approach in Public Health Nursing (TIA-PHN). Home Visiting is hiring an Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant who will play a leading role in planning, implementing, and delivering mental health consultation services within Home Visiting.

Position Information

We are seeking a passionate and skilled Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultantto contribute to developing a new Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) program within the Department of Health Services' Home Visiting program. This position will support case managers (public health nurses and social workers) in Home Visiting to build their capacity to support the social, emotional, and mental health of infants, young children, and families. They will do this through case conferencing, screening and assessment, training and coaching, and participating in home visits with clients and case managers. Additional responsibilities include:

• Collaborate with the Home Visiting team to develop new protocols and procedures for the IECMHC program
• Support home visitors in identifying and addressing early signs of environmental, relational, and behavioral concerns among clients to prevent escalation and promote healthy relationships
• Conduct screenings, assessments, and referrals to mental health services for clients
• Maintain accurate client records and documentation of consultation services in compliance with performance standards and state regulations
• Collect and report data related to screening, referrals, and services
• Establish and nurture positive working relationships with home visiting program staff, early childhood agencies, and community partners to implement and refine the new program
• Develop and facilitate mental health and child development training, education, or psychoeducation groups for case managers
• Provide brief, short-term "bridge" mental health services to clients waiting for ongoing care

As an ideal candidate to join the team, you will possess a deep commitment to delivering culturally responsive services and centering equity in all aspects of work, and many of the following:

• Extensive knowledge of mental health practices with young children (0-5 years) and their families
• Experience working in childcare settings, conducting screenings and assessments, and providing both direct mental health services and consultation
• Experience working with low-income, multi-cultural, and marginalized communities
• A thorough understanding of the behavioral health system and service landscape, particularly in Sonoma County is helpful
• Excellent ability to facilitate groups, case conferences, and training sessions for both families and professionals
• Experience using electronic health record systems to document activities and track outcomes
• Interest in contributing to program development, including data collection, evaluation, and evidence-based practices to demonstrate the program's impact
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team to foster collaboration with home visiting staff, community members, and agency partners
• Prior experience in mental health consultation, training, and coaching is desired
• English/Spanish conversational bilingual skills are preferred, but not required

What We Offer

Working at the County of Sonoma offers expansive opportunities for growth and development, the ability to be a part of a challenging and rewarding work environment, and the satisfaction of knowing you're working to better our communities. You can also look forward to flexible work arrangements and excellent benefits* including:

• **Hiring Incentives (New Full-Time and Part-Time Hires, Prorated Based on FTE) - The Department of Health Services is currently offering a $15,000 signing bonus paid over three installments during the first two years of service
• Hybrid Telework - A schedule that meets the needs of our staff, department operations, and the communities we serve may be available depending on the assignment
• Salary Advancement - A salary increase after 1,040 hours (6 months when working full-time) for good work performance; eligibility for a salary increase for good performance every year thereafter, until reaching the top of the salary range
• Bilingual Premium Pay - An additional $1.15/1.50/hour on top of the hourly pay rate for basic/fluent bilingual positions
• Paid Time Off - Competitive vacation and sick leave accruals and 12 paid holidays
• County Paid Health Premium Contributions - 100% premium contribution for the majority of employee-only and employee + family health plan options
• Staff Development/Wellness Pay - Annual benefit allowances of up to $850 and ongoing education/training opportunities
• Post-Retirement Health Reimbursement Arrangement - County contributions to help fund post-retirement employee health insurance/benefits
• Retirement - A pension fully integrated with Social Security
• Paid Parental Leave - May be eligible for up to 8 weeks (320 hours) after 12 months of County employment
• Student Loan Debt Relief - County employees may be eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness through the U.S. Department of Education

*Salary is negotiable within the established range. Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice. Additional information can be found in the Engineers and Scientists of California Memorandum of Understanding and our Employee Benefits Directory .

This recruitment is being conducted to fill a Licensed Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant position in the Department of Health Services. This employment list may also be used to fill future full-time, part-time, or extra-help (temporary) positions as they occur during the active status of the list. Qualified County employees who wish to be considered for future positions should consider applying to this recruitment. The Civil Service title for this position is Behavioral Health Clinician.

Application submissions require the Supplemental Questionnaire to be completed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience: Any combination of education, training, and experience which would likely provide the knowledge and abilities listed herein. Normally, this would include a Master's Degree or higher in social work, counseling, psychology, or a related field from an accredited college or university; some post-license experience in Behavioral Health is desirable.

Special Requirement: Possession of either a valid, current Licensed Clinical Social Worker license, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist license, OR Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor license, issued by the Board of Behavioral Science Examiners, State of California; OR possession of a valid, current license as a Psychologist issued by the State of California, Board of Medical Quality Assurance, Psychology Examining Committee, OR possession of a successor licensure recognized as equivalent by the State of California, is required prior to hire.

License: Possession of a valid driver’s license at the appropriate level including special endorsements, as required by the State of California, may be required depending upon assignment to perform the essential job functions of the position.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Working knowledge of: principles and practices of individual, group and family psychodynamics as they relate to adults or children; psychological diagnostic methods and terminology; personality development from infancy through adulthood; current principles, techniques, and practices of psychiatric case work for adults or children; the human and health services systems in the community including private agencies and other community resources; methods used in individual, family, and group therapies for adults as inpatients, outpatients, and in day-treatment centers; psychosocial aspects and characteristics of mental and emotional disorders, terminology, and medications; principles of mental health education, client and community advocacy, and systems theory; principles of crisis intervention; needs, problems, and attitudes of mentally disturbed, socially and economically disadvantaged people, and minorities; client’s legal rights; principles and techniques of clinical supervision.

Ability to: diagnose and treat either adults or children/adolescents with various mental disabilities ranging from dysfunctional behavior to victims of sexual or physical abuse; set realistic treatment goals and facilitate their attainment; evaluate clients’ degree of mental disability or emotional distress; provide therapy services to adults or children individually and in groups; effectively communicate with mentally ill individuals to gather psychosocial histories and to provide therapeutic assistance to chronic, sub-acute, acute and difficult clients; develop and maintain the confidence and cooperation of mentally and emotionally disturbed clients to secure pertinent information and to effectively deliver mental health services; work effectively with a multicultural client and family population with diverse background and needs; establish and maintain effective working relationships on a multi-disciplinary team with peers, supervisors, clients, their families, other agencies, their staffs, and others who have an interest in mental health prevention and treatment; lead and train support staff personnel; analyze situations accurately and make sound decisions; prepare clear, concise, and comprehensive clinical and social case work records; speak and write clearly.

Selection Procedure & Some Helpful Tips When Applying

• Your application information and your responses to the supplemental questions are evaluated and taken into consideration throughout the entire selection process.
• You should list all employers and positions held within the last ten years in the work history section of your application. Be as thorough as possible when responding to the supplemental questions.
• You may include history beyond ten years if related to the position for which you are applying. If you held multiple positions with one employer, list out each position separately.
• Failure to follow these instructions may impact your competitiveness in this process or may result in disqualification.

Please visit Getting a Job with the County of Sonoma to review more detailed information about the hiring process, including the application process, examination steps, and department selection process.

Application submissions require the Supplemental Questionnaire be completed.

Responses to supplemental questions will be scored using position-specific criteria. Please provide specific and detailed responses of a reasonable length to allow for a thorough assessment of your qualifications. Responses that state, "See Resume" or "See Application" may be considered insufficient and therefore may not be scored.

The selection procedure will consist of the following examination:

An Application & Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination (weight 100%) will be conducted to evaluate each applicant's application and supplemental questionnaire for satisfaction of minimum qualifications (pass/not pass); and for educational coursework, training, experience, knowledge, and abilities which relate to this position. Each applicant will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Relevance of work history, related experience, and achieved level of education and/or training as described in the application and responses to the supplemental questions.

Candidates demonstrating possession of the minimum qualifications will be placed on an employment list in order of most qualified to least qualified based on the achieved score received in the Application & Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination which evaluates the education, training, experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, and other qualifications that you demonstrate in your application and/or response to the supplemental questionnaire. Please be aware that resumes and cover letters are not typically evaluated in the Application & Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination. Scores may be adjusted based on such factors as the number of candidates, anticipated vacancies, past practice, and natural breaks in the scores achieved by this group of candidates.

Additional Information

A background investigation is required prior to employment. Candidates referred to departments for a selection interview are typically required to sign authorization and release forms enabling such an investigation. Failure to sign prescribed forms will result in the candidate not being considered further for that vacancy. Reference information will not be made available to applicants.

Additional requirements, such as successful completion of a physical exam, drug screen, etc., may apply, depending on the duties and responsibilities of the position. If you receive a conditional job offer for the position, the requirements upon which the offer is contingent will be outlined in the conditional job letter. You may also review the Job Classification Screening Schedule to determine the requirements for this position.

How To Apply

Applications are accepted online at www.yourpath2sonomacounty.org . Paper applications may be submitted by person, fax (707-565-3770), email, or through the mail. All applications and appropriate supplemental information as outlined in the job bulletin must be RECEIVED by the time and date specified on the first page of this job announcement. Applications received after the recruitment closes will not be accepted.

The County of Sonoma values diversity and is dedicated to creating a workplace environment that provides individuals with a sense of belonging. We are committed to having a diverse workforce that is representative of the communities we serve. The County is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer where all aspects of employment are based on merit, competence, performance, and business need.

HR Analyst: SZ

HR Technician: RR

IMPORTANT NOTE: Benefits described herein do not apply to Extra Help positions.

COUNTY OF SONOMA BENEFITS: GENERAL*

These are some of the excellent benefits the County offers:

Paid Time Off : Competitive vacation and sick leave accruals; 12 paid holidays and may be eligible for up to 8 weeks (320 hours) of Paid Parental Leave after 12 months of County employment.

Health Plan : Choose from nine health plans (three HMOs, three deductible HMOs, and three HSA-qualifying plans) with a generousCounty contribution to the premium (the contribution amount varies by bargaining unit). For more information, please see the appropriate MOU.

Retirement :Fully integrated with Social Security.For more information regarding eligibility, retirement contributions, and reciprocity with prior public service, please visit https://scretire.org/active-/-deferred/when-you-are-hired .

IRS 457 Plan : Pre-tax employee contribution up to the IRS annual maximum.

Retiree Medical : County contribution to a Health Reimbursement Arrangement to help fund post-retirement employee health insurance/benefits.

Student Loan Debt Relief :County employees may be eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness through the U.S. Department of Education.

Plus excellent dental, vision, disability, life insurance, professional development, and more.

For answers to specific questions regarding the employment process and more details about benefits or retirement, please contact Human Resources at (707) 565-2331.Additional details about benefit and compensation packages can be found in the MOUs located at https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/administrative-support-and-fiscal-services/human-resources/divisions-and-units/employee-relations/labor-agreements-and-salary-resolution . For specific information about health and welfare benefits including plan options, coverage, and premium amounts go to https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/administrative-support-and-fiscal-services/human-resources or, contact the Human Resources' Risk Management-Benefits Office at benefits@sonoma-county.org or (707) 565-2900.

*IMPORTANT NOTES: Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice.

Closing Date/Time: 4/9/2025 11:59 PM Pacific

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• County of Sonoma

• 707-565-8059

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