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Posted: February 16, 2026 (4 days ago)

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Behavioral Health Professional 2

State of Iowa

400 Health & Human Services - State Operated Specialty Care

Fresh

Location

Salary

$38.27 - $58.86

per hour

Closes

February 27, 2026

Job Description

Summary

This job involves providing counseling, education, and case management to individuals in a secure facility who have been civilly committed due to risks of reoffending after serving prison time for sex offenses.

It suits someone with a background in mental health who enjoys working in a team, is creative in their approach to treatment, and is eager to learn specialized skills in forensic care.

The role offers training and support for those interested in this unique field.

Key Requirements

  • Master’s degree or higher in a mental health-related field
  • Experience or interest in providing group counseling, psycho-education, and case management
  • Strong verbal and written communication skills
  • Ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary team and independently
  • Professional creativity, good boundaries, and openness to learning forensic treatment skills
  • Obtain Iowa Board for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers Sex Offender Treatment Professional Level 2 certification within three years
  • Pass a background check

Full Job Description

The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Division of State-Operated Specialty Care, Bureau of Civil Commitment Unit for Sex Offenders (CCUSO) is seeking a Behavioral Health Professional 2 to join our dynamic and creative treatment environment!

This is a full-time position with opportunity for advancement, growth, and development.

The Behavioral Health Professional 2 will provide treatment services such as group counseling, psycho-education, and case management services for an assigned caseload.

The successful candidate for this position will be a mental health professional with a master’s degree or higher who is interested in being a member of a dynamic, multidisciplinary team providing comprehensive residential treatment services to sex offenders.

This position best fits someone who is professionally creative, has good boundaries, and is open to learning skills in a dynamic and specialized field of treatment.

This position requires excellent verbal and written communication and the ability to work on a team as well as independently.

We provide extensive training, support, and supervision for employees interested in a forensic treatment career.

This position will be required to obtain Iowa Board for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers Sex Offender Treatment Professional Level 2 certification within three years of appointment.

Applicants will be required to complete a background check to be considered for this position.

CCUSO provides a secure, long-term, and highly structured setting to treat sexual offenders who have served their prison terms, but, in a separate civil trial, have been found likely to reoffend.

The facility provides state-of-the-art treatment to patients to lower their risk of re-offending and to release them from confinement as quickly as possible.

There is a full range of diagnostic, treatment, and rehabilitative services focused on addressing the conditions impacting a patient’s likelihood of re-offending.

For more CCUSO info: https://hhs.iowa.gov/family-community/specialty-care-facilities/civil-commitment-unit-sexual-offenders

Benefits of Joining CCUSO

Working for the State of Iowa comes with its perks. In addition to a competitive salary, you'll enjoy a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your well-being and professional growth.

  • Health, Dental, and Vision Coverage: Health and dental insurance packages to keep you and your family healthy at a low cost with outstanding coverage!
  • Paid Time Off: Take time to recharge with paid time off, including vacation(96 hours/year to begin, increasing with years of service), sick leave (144 hours/year), and paid holidays (9 days/year).
  • Retirement Plans: Participate in retirement plans such as IPERS (employees contribute 6.29% and the State of Iowa contributes 9.44%) as well as our Retirement Investors Club (RIC), Employer Sponsored Retirement Plan (the State of Iowa matches dollar for dollar up to $75/month).
  • Flexible Spending Accounts: Take advantage of flexible spending accounts for medical and dependent care expenses.
  • Insurance Coverage: Benefit from life insurance and free long-term disability insurance for added peace of mind.
  • Employee Assistance Program: Access resources and support through our Employee Assistance Program for personal and professional challenges.
  • Employee Discount Programs: Enjoy discounts on a variety of goods and services through our employee discount programs.

For additional information on benefits click here.

Click here to see how we compare with other employers or offers by using our Total Compensation Calculator.

Cherokee Highlights

CCUSO is located in Cherokee, a city of approximately 5,000 set in the beautiful Little Sioux River Valley in Northwest Iowa.

Residents enjoy fishing and canoeing on the Little Sioux River which winds through town providing a backdrop to a well-developed parks and trails system.

In addition, Cherokee has over 1,000 acres of land devoted to parks and outdoor activities like camping, hiking, and horseback riding.

Cherokee is the home of the first accredited museum and planetarium in Iowa, Sandford Museum and Planetarium, established in 1951.

Cherokee may be the smallest town in the world to have its own symphony orchestra! This 60-member orchestra has been referred to as the “best kept secret in Northwest Iowa.”

Cherokee is home to Western Iowa Tech Community College and 1 hour or less from other educational institutions including Morningside College, Northwestern College, Buena Vista University, and Dordt College.

This quintessential Iowa town is 1 hour from Sioux City and 2 hours from Omaha. Check out these 10 Reasons to Move to Iowa.

The State of Iowa is an EEO/AA Employer

HHS values those with “lived experience” and encourages adults who were fostered as youth, foster parents, and/or parents who were in the HHS system to apply.

Minorities, women, persons with disabilities and veterans are encouraged to apply (Hearing and Speech Impaired – Relay Iowa 1-800-735-2942 TDD).

E-Verify and Right to Work

The State of Iowa participates in E-Verify, a federal program that helps employers confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees.

Within the required timeframe, new hires will be verified through the E-Verify system to ensure authorization to work in the United States.

The State of Iowa also complies with the federal Right to Work laws, which protect employees’ rights to work without being required to join a labor organization.

For more information, please visit www.e-verify.gov.

Qualifications

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Master’s degree in psychology, mental health counseling, applied behavior analysis, clinical social work, behavioral sciences, mental health, or a closely-related field.

For additional information click on this link to view the job description

Additional Information

Within a period of time after hire, as determined by the appointing authority, employees in this class may be required to obtain one or more of the following certificates, licenses, or endorsements:
  • Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC)
  • Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)
  • Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
  • Licensed Clinical Alcohol & Drug Abuse Counselor (LCADAC)
  • Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) 
  • Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW)
  • Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA)
  • Licensed Behavioral Analyst
  • Provisional Licensed Psychologist

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Posted on NEOGOV: 2/16/2026 | Added to FreshGovJobs: 2/17/2026

Source: NEOGOV | ID: neogov-iowa-5238611