Forensic Mental Health Specialist

Introduction

THIS IS A NEW ASSEMBLED EXAMINATION . The eligible list resulting from this examination will cancel any existing list and may last approximately one year but can be extended.

Supplemental Questionnaire: A properly completed Supplemental Questionnaire must be submitted with each application. Applications and Supplemental Questionnaires must be in the possession of the Human Resource Services Department by 5:00 p.m. on the Last Day for Filing. Failure to submit the Application or Supplemental Questionnaire will result in disqualification.

Applications and Supplemental Questionnaires will only be accepted online.

Qualified bilingual persons who speak English and are also fluent in: Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, Korean, Mien, Tagalog, Amharic, Farsi, Dari, Tigrigna, Russian, Romanian or Sign Languages are especially encouraged to apply. There is an additional biweekly compensation for persons in positions designated bilingual. Qualified candidates may be tested to demonstrate language proficiency.

DESCRIPTION

THE COUNTY

Alameda County, located on the east side of San Francisco Bay, is California's seventh-largest county. The County employs 9,700 full-time employees and operates on an annual budget of $3.4 billion. Oakland, the County seat, is California's eighth-largest city. One and a half million people call Alameda County home and live in a variety of incorporated cities, unincorporated communities, and rural areas. As a major urban county, Alameda provides a full range of services to its citizens. The County is a blend of culturally and ethnically diverse communities, and its mixture of cosmopolitan and suburban areas provides the perfect environment for families and their active lifestyles. The County offers extensive cultural resources, countless recreational opportunities, and an array of fine public and private colleges and universities.

ALAMEDA COUNTY HEALTH

Alameda County Health is the local government agency that promotes and protects the health and well-being of all who live, work, learn, and play in Alameda County. We coordinate services and cultivate partnerships with community organizations and providers to help ensure access, organize, and deliver health care and services to people with Medi-Cal and without insurance, support resilient communities, and improve health for all. We focus on health equity by developing programs and systemic solutions that reduce disparities for the people and communities we serve.

Alameda County Health’s departments and programs focus on services and support that provide care for the whole person.

• The Behavioral Health Department provides mental health and substance use services for people with Medi-Cal and without insurance and supports people along their path to wellness, recovery, and resilience.
• The Environmental Health Department works to keep our air, water, and food safe; it regulates, protects, and promotes the health of everyone in Alameda County by enforcing environmental health codes to reduce exposure to toxins and diseases.
• The Public Health Department focuses on community and population-level health, preventing and addressing root causes of health inequity across a range of communicable and chronic diseases.
• Alameda County Health also provides services through Housing and Homelessness Services, Emergency Medical Services Agency, HealthPAC, and Healthy Schools and Communities.

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT

As part of Alameda County Health, the Behavioral Health Department supports people with Medi-Cal and without insurance living with serious mental illness and substance use conditions along their path toward wellness, recovery, and resiliency. We provide services through a network of contracted mental health and substance use providers and administer the State’s resources and training for behavioral health providers, case managers, and other healthcare professionals. We advocate for our patients and families and create space for personal engagement in their care.

We are outpatient specialists for mental health services for older adults and youth, substance use providers and treatment program specialists, advocates for quality improvement and patients’ rights, and psychiatric and integrated health care providers.

For more information about the Behavioral Health Department, please visit www.acbhcs.org .

THE POSITION

Under supervision, provides a variety of paraprofessional mental health, substance use, peer counseling, and education services to incarcerated Alameda County Behavioral Health (ACBH) clients; assists in the development and implementation of treatment and discharge plans and monitors client progress and response to these plans; recommends and provides appropriate referrals; maintains community liaisons to ensure adequate services are made available to consumers, provides case management and care coordination services including direct linkages to community-based services; facilitates a variety of consumer-focused peer counseling, support, and education groups; participates as part of the treatment team; and performs related duties as required.

The Forensic Mental Health Specialist is a paraprofessional classification located in the Health Care Services Agency, Adult Forensic Behavioral Health Program which provides mental health services to incarcerated clients in the County jail and reports to the Forensic Behavioral Health Clinical Supervisor. Incumbents provide mental health support, substance use counseling, and training/education to incarcerated individuals one-on-one or in groups and participate in care coordination for assigned clients. Incumbents also provide direct case management, socialization activities and services, group support, education, and re-entry planning. Incumbents conduct all their work at Santa Rita Jail (SRJ) and spend the majority of their shift in SRJ housing units. Forensic Mental Health Specialist is distinguished from the next higher class of Forensic Behavioral Health Clinician I in that the latter is part of a professional flexibly staffed series requiring State registration or licensure.

IDEAL CANDIDATES

In addition to meeting the minimum qualifications and knowledge and skills listed below, the ideal candidate for this position will be:

• 
  Someone who clearly conveys information and ideas verbally and in writing to individuals or groups in a manner that meets audience needs and helps them understand and retain the message; and who relates well to people with diverse cultures, interpersonal styles, or abilities.
• A collaborative individual who actively engages as a multidisciplinary team member by being accessible, supportive, and able to maintain constructive relationships that better serve and support clients.
• Familiar with the principles of wellness, recovery, and resiliency; is knowledgeable about behavioral health programs, community organizations, resources, and peer support networks in the local community and able to make appropriate referrals for housing, health care services, financial assistance, and other client needs.
• Someone who can be trusted with confidential records and private information, and who interacts with others in a way that gives them confidence in one’s intentions and those of the organization.
• Attentive to the diverse needs of each client and secure relevant client care data to identify key issues in the management of care, while simultaneously managing high volume client cases and assisting clinicians in developing assessment, treatment and discharge plans, and resolving various administrative, operational, and client care requests and requirements.
• Someone with a sufficient level of knowledge, skill, and experience in mental health, substance use, dual diagnosis, and vocational counseling services including direct experience assisting clinical staff in the development and administration of treatment and discharge plans for clients; responds appropriately to crisis situations; and who strives to keep up with developments and trends in the field.
• An effective problem solver who uses sound judgment and quickly identifies and understands issues, problems, and opportunities; uses data, logic, and sound judgment to evaluate alternatives and recommends viable solutions; and solves problems consistent with available resources, facts, constraints, and probable consequences to achieve desired organizational or service goals.

For a detailed listing of the essential responsibilities and core competency requirements for this position, please click here for the job description.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

The minimum professional requirements for admission to the competitive assessment process include:

EITHER I

Experience :

The equivalent of two (2) years of full-time experience in the classification of Mental Health Specialist II.

OR II

Experience :

The equivalent of three (3) years of experience performing duties comparable to those of Mental Health Specialist I.

Substitution :

Possession of a bachelor’s degree in social work, psychology, counseling, health education, or other health related field may be substituted for two (2) years of experience in pattern II.

OR III

Education :

Possession of a bachelor’s degree in social work, psychology, counseling, health education, or other health-related field.

AND

Experience :

The equivalent of six (6) months of experience performing duties comparable to those of Mental Health Specialist II with justice-involved or at-risk individuals.

License :

Some positions require a valid California Motor Vehicle Operator’s license. Applicants must possess such license prior to appointment to such positions.

Special Requirement :

In compliance with the Administrative Simplification provision of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), employees in this classification are required to possess a National Provider Identifier (NPI) number prior to their first day of employment.

A thorough background investigation will be conducted of all prospective Forensic Mental Health Specialists to ensure they are suitable to work in a jail setting and must be able to obtain and maintain security clearance conducted by the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office. Incumbents may be assigned to workday, evening, night, and rotating shifts, including weekends and holidays.

NOTE : The Civil Service Commission may modify the above Minimum Qualifications in the announcement of an examination.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

NOTE : The level and scope of the following knowledge and abilities are related to duties listed under the "Examples of Duties" section of this specification.

The most suitably qualified candidates will possess the following competencies:

Knowledge of :

• Peer counseling and motivational support techniques for helping behavioral health consumers.
• Representation and understanding of an individual’s lived experiences as it relates to mental health challenges, substance abuse issues and/or involvement with justice system.
• The mental, physical, emotional, and social needs of consumers with mental health, physical health and/or substance abuse issues.
• Principles and techniques of mental health treatment and recovery principles and practices.
• The psychosocial aspects and characteristics of mental illness and severe emotional disturbance.
• Principles of risk assessment, crisis intervention and treatment.
• Harm reduction principles and practices.
• Behavioral health programs, community organizations and resources, and peer support networks in the local community.
• Basic understanding of mental health case management and appropriate coding, charting and documentation requirements for health care providers.
• Elementary psychiatric and medical terminology.
• Familiarity with medications commonly prescribed for consumers.
• Computer applications related to work.

Ability to :

• Relate and communicate effectively with behavioral health consumers.
• Work effectively with staff and consumers in treatment services and as a member of an inter-disciplinary team of behavioral health care providers.
• Provide a variety of behavioral health services to diverse consumers in a jail setting.
• Interview and secure personal health and social information to help determine consumer needs.
• Analyze problems, identify solutions and respond appropriately to crisis situations involving consumers.
• Maintain and monitor records of assigned consumers.
• Communicate effectively orally and in writing.
• Analyze, evaluate, and make sound decisions.
• Organize and prioritize work and meet critical deadlines.
• Interpret, explain, and apply regulations, policies, and procedures.
• Prepare clear, accurate, and effective reports, correspondence, and other written materials.
• Work effectively with a diverse population.

EXAMINATION COMPONENTS

THE EXAMINATION WILL CONSIST OF THE FOLLOWING STEPS:

1) A review of applicants' applications to verify possession of minimum requirements. Those candidates who possess the minimum requirements for the class will move on to the next step in the examination process.

2) A review of candidates’ Supplemental Questionnaires to select the best qualified applicants to continue in the process. Those candidates considered the best qualified will move on to the final step in the examination process.

3) An oral interview/exam which will be weighted as 100% of the candidate's final examination score. The oral interview/exam may contain situational exercises.

CANDIDATES MUST ATTAIN A QUALIFYING RATING ON EACH PORTION OF THIS EXAMINATION.

We reserve the right to make changes to the announced examination components .

Alameda County utilizes a Civil Service Selection System founded on merit. Such a system is competitive and based on broad recruitment efforts and equal opportunity for qualified applicants to test in an examination process designed to determine the qualifications, fitness and ability of competitors to perform duties of the vacant position. Many of our recruitments are targeted and specific to the needs of a current vacant position, in which case, the eligible list may be exclusively used for that current vacant position. Other recruitments may be more broadly used for both current and future vacancies, or for other alternate jobs with comparable scopes of work.

To learn more about our recruitment and selection process, please visit the “What You Need to Know” section of our website,www.acgov.org/hrs.

RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION PLAN

Applicants will be informed via email with reasonable noticein advance of any examination process which will require their attendance. The following dates are tentative and subject to change based on the needs of the Agency:

TENTATIVE RECRUITMENT PLAN:

Deadline For Filing:

5:00:00 p.m., Monday, April 14, 2025

Review of Minimum Qualifications

Review of Supplemental Questionnaire for Best Qualified

April 18, 2025

May 5-9, 2025

Virtual Pre-recorded Civil Service Oral Examination:

Virtual Oral Examination Ratings:

Results Notification:

Promulgation of Eligible List:

May 12-21, 2025

May 23-30 , 2025

Week of June 2, 2025

June 11, 2025

TENTATIVE SELECTION PLAN:

Departmental Hiring Interviews:

TBD

WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE ANNOUNCED RECRUITMENT & SELECTION PLAN

Alameda County and the Human Resource Services Department will make reasonable efforts in the examination and/or selection process to accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities and/or medical conditions in accordance/compliance with the State Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), Federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Alameda County’s Reasonable Accommodation Policy and applicable statues. To request an accommodation due to a disability/medical condition during this or other phases of the examination/selection process, please contact the assigned Human Resources Representative listed on the job announcement before the last date of filing. Alameda County requires applicants to provide supporting documentation to substantiate a request for reasonable accommodation. In order to qualify for a reasonable accommodation, applicants must have a disability/medical condition pursuant to the ADA, FEHA and applicable statutes.

For more information regarding our Reasonable Accommodation procedures, please visit our website , https://hrs.alamedacountyca.gov/reasonable-accommodation/

BENEFITS

Alameda County offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that affords wide-ranging health care options to meet the different needs of a diverse workforce and their families. We also sponsor many different employee discount, fitness and health screening programs focused on overall well being. These benefits include but are not limited to*:

For your Health & Well-Being

• Medical - HMO & PPO Plans
• Dental - HMO & PPO Plans
• Vision or Vision Reimbursement
• Share the Savings
• Basic Life Insurance
• Supplemental Life Insurance (with optional dependent coverage for eligible employees)
• County Allowance Credit
• Flexible Spending Accounts - Health FSA, Dependent Care and Adoption Assistance
• Short-Term Disability Insurance
• Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Voluntary Benefits - Accident Insurance, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity and Legal Services
• Employee Assistance Program

For your Financial Future

• Retirement Plan - (Defined Benefit Pension Plan)
• Deferred Compensation Plan (457 Plan or Roth Plan)

For your Work/Life Balance

• 12 paid holidays
• Floating Holidays
• Vacation and sick leave accrual
• Vacation purchase program
• Catastrophic Sick Leave
• Pet Insurance
• Commuter Benefits Program
• Guaranteed Ride Home
• Employee Wellness Program (e.g. At Work Fitness, Incentive Based Programs, Gym Membership Discounts)
• Employee Discount Program (e.g. theme parks, cell phone, etc.)
• Child Care Resources
• 1 st United Services Credit Union

*Eligibility is determined by Alameda County and offerings may vary by collective bargaining agreement. This provides a brief summary of the benefits offered and can be subject to change.

Conclusion

All notices related to County recruitments for which you have applied will be sent/delivered via email. Please add @jobaps.com , @acgov.org , nonreplyalamedacountyhr@acgov.org , and Noreply@jobaps.com as accepted addresses to any email blocking or spam filtering program you may use. If you do not do this, your email blocking or spam filtering program may block receipt of the notices regarding your application for recruitments. You are also strongly advised to regularly log into your County of Alameda online application account to check for notices that may have been sent to you. All email notices that will be sent to you will also be kept in your personal online application account. You will be able to view all of your notices in your online application account by clicking on the "My applications" button on the Current Job Openings page.

Please take the steps recommended above to ensure you do not miss any notices about a recruitment for which you have applied. The County of Alameda is not responsible for notices that are not read, received or accessed by any applicant for a County recruitment.

NOTE: All notices are generated through an automated email notification system. Replies to the email boxes Noreply@jobaps.com and nonreplyalamedacountyhr@acgov.org , are routed to unmonitored mailboxes. If you have questions, please go to our website at hrs.alamedacountyca.gov . You may also contact the Human Resources Analyst listed on the job announcement for the recruitment for which you have applied.

Nicole Lewis-Bolton,Human Resources Analyst

Human Resource Services, County of Alameda

(510) 272-6468 • nicole.lewis-bolton@acgov.org

hrs.alamedacountyca.gov

Disaster Service Worker

All Alameda County employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state and local law. Employment with the County requires the affirmation of a loyalty oath to this effect. Employees are required to report to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Alameda County has a diverse workforce, that is representative of the communities we serve, and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All aspects of employment are based on merit, competence, performance and business need. Alameda County does not discriminate in employment on the basis of: race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors protected under federal, state and local law. Alameda County celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive, and welcoming workplace environment.

Closing Date/Time: 4/14/2025 5:00:00 PM

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• County of Alameda

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