Mental Health Counselor I/II – Correctional Health (Open & Promotional)

Full Job Description

San Mateo County Health’s Correctional Health Services Division is seeking experienced candidates for the position of Mental Health Counselor I/II – Correctional Health.

There is currently one regular vacancy serving both the Maguire Correctional Facility and Maple Street Correctional Center in Redwood City, CA.

In this role, you will work under the guidance of a Program Supervisor as part of a multidisciplinary team, providing trauma-informed and culturally responsive care to adults with serious mental illness, co-occurring substance use disorders, and complex medical needs.

This is a unique opportunity to support individuals at a critical point in their lives, delivering impactful care that promotes stabilization, recovery, and successful re-entry into the community.

The work is dynamic and fast-paced, requiring strong clinical judgment, adaptability, and the ability to navigate complex and multifaceted client needs.

Key Responsibilities

The Mental Health Counselor for Correctional Health will:

• Conduct substance use disorder assessments for newly incarcerated adults
• Provide individual and group counseling for clients with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders
• Develop and implement treatment and re-entry/discharge plans
• Complete CalAIM documentation to support Medi-Cal billing
• Maintain accurate and timely clinical documentation, including progress notes
• Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team while also working independently with minimal supervision

What Sets This Role Apart

• Meaningful impact: Support individuals at a critical turning point, helping stabilize and connect them to care
• Clinical autonomy: Apply your expertise with a high level of ownership in a dynamic environment
• Complex, fast-paced work: Navigate diverse client needs that require strong judgment, adaptability, and prioritization

The ideal candidate will bring:

• Alcohol and Other Drug certification (e.g., CADC, CCAPP) – highly desirable
• Experience with CalAIM services and Medi-Cal documentation
• Experience conducting ASAM assessments
• Experience working in correctional or other locked settings
• Demonstrated experience supporting adults with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders
• Strong skills in treatment planning and re-entry/discharge coordination
• Ability to provide individual and group counseling services
• Experience working with diverse populations using culturally responsive approaches
• Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills

NOTE: The eligible list generated from this recruitment may be used to fill future extra-help, term, unclassified, and regular classified vacancies.

Requirements

Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Conduct diagnostic evaluations and contribute to clinical assessments
• Develop and modify treatment plans in collaboration with licensed staff
• Provide individual and group counseling services
• Coordinate referrals and discharge planning
• Maintain psychosocial case histories and clinical documentation
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary team members and community partners
• Support relapse prevention and continuity of care through follow-up services
• Participate in program development, case conferences, and professional development activities

Qualifications

Security Clearance:
This position requires that the applicant obtain and maintain a security clearance as a condition of employment.

Education and Experience:
Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities is qualifying.

A typical way to qualify is:

• Mental Health Counselor I ($36.95 - $46.20 Hourly): One year of experience in a community mental health setting, performing crisis intervention or related counseling services or completion of 60 semester units from an accredited college or university with emphasis in one of the behavioral sciences.
• Mental Health Counselor II ($41.75 - $52.20 Hourly): Two years of experience in a community mental health setting, performing individual or group therapeutic counseling services to clients and developing therapeutic assessment and treatment plans.

Knowledge of:

• Mental health needs and problems of the general population.
• Rehabilitative counseling techniques including role playing, behavioral modification and recreational therapy.
• Social aspects of mental and emotional disturbances.
• Basic techniques and dynamics of individual and group therapy.
• Community resources available for treatment of clients.
• Problems, needs, attitudes and behavior patterns of clients having basic emotional and/or social adjustment problems.
• Individual, couple, family and group counseling principles.

Skill/Ability to:

• Apply the techniques used in individual and group therapy.
• Develop and evaluate creative approaches to the assessment, treatment and rehabilitation of mental disorders.
• Obtain and record social, physical, educational and work histories.
• Write clear, accurate and concise reports.
• Interpret data.
• Conduct group and individual counseling.
• Establish and maintain the confidence and cooperation of clients including those of varied ethnic and social backgrounds.
• Speak effectively before groups.
• Exercise tact.
• Function as a team member.

Additional Information

Open & Promotional. Anyone may apply.

Current County of San Mateo and County of San Mateo Superior Court of California employees with at least six months (1040 hours) of continuous service in a classified regular, probationary, extra-help/limited term positions prior to the final filing date will receive five points added to their final passing score on this examination.

The examination process will consist of an application screening (weight: pass/fail) based on the candidates' application and responses to the supplemental questions.

Candidates who pass the application screening will be invited to a panel interview (weight: 100%).

Depending on the number of applicants an application appraisal of education and experience may be used in place of other examinations or further evaluation of work experience may be conducted to group applicants by level of qualification.

All applicants who meet the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement through any subsequent phase of the examination.

All examinations will be given in the County of San Mateo, California and applicants must participate at their own expense. IMPORTANT: Applications for this position will only be accepted online.

If you are currently on the County's website, you may click the "Apply" button. If you are not on the County's website, please go to https://jobs.smcgov.org/ to apply.

Online applications must be received by the Human Resources Department before midnight on the final filing date.

Tentative Recruitment Timeline
Final Filing Date: Friday, April 10, 2026, at 11:59 PM PST
Application Screening: Week of April 13, 2026
Panel Interviews: Week of April 27, 2026

About the County
San Mateo County is centrally located between San Francisco, San Jose, and the East Bay. With over 750,000 residents, San Mateo is one of the largest and most diverse counties in California and serves a multitude of culturally, ethnically, and linguistically diverse communities.

The County of San Mateo, as an employer, is committed to advancing equity in order to ensure that all employees are welcomed in a safe and inclusive environment. The County seeks to hire, support, and retain employees who reflect our diverse community. We encourage applicants with diverse backgrounds and lived experiences to apply. Eighty percent of employees surveyed stated that they would recommend the County as a great place to work.

The County of San Mateo is an equal opportunity employer. We seek to hire, support and retain employees who reflect our diverse community.
We encourage applicants with diverse backgrounds and lived experiences to apply.