Mental Health Program Specialist - Correctional Health Services (Departmental Promotional Only)

Full Job Description

San Mateo County Health is seeking an experienced Mental Health Program Specialist to lead and coordinate forensic mental health services within the Correctional Health Services (CHS) Division.

This role oversees program operations and supervises a small team of professionals providing mental health and substance use services to incarcerated individuals.

The Specialist partners with internal teams, the Sheriff’s Office, courts, and community providers to ensure high-quality, coordinated care.

This position is based in Redwood City at the Maguire Correctional Facility and Maple Street Correctional Center.

About Correctional Health Services (CHS):CHS delivers integrated medical, dental, mental health, and substance use treatment services to incarcerated adults, as well as care for youth in juvenile hall.

CHS offers a meaningful opportunity to support patient health, safety, and stability during incarceration.

Key Responsibilities

The Mental Health Program Specialist will:

• Lead the planning, implementation, and evaluation of forensic mental health services
• Develop and maintain policies and procedures aligned with NCCHC, Title 15, Title 24, CalAIM, and other regulatory standards
• Supervise, train, and support multidisciplinary staff, including providing clinical and group supervision
• Deliver direct mental health services, including crisis intervention and 5150 evaluations
• Coordinate care across multidisciplinary teams, including medical staff, psychiatry, courts, contractors, and community providers
• Support CalAIM implementation, staff training, and system improvements
• Monitor program performance by compiling data, tracking outcomes, and preparing reports
• Participate in leadership meetings to support program strategy, operations, and continuous improvement
• Assist with recruitment, hiring, onboarding, and staff development
• Provide on-call support as needed

The ideal candidate will bring:

• Experience providing mental health and substance use treatment in a correctional or forensic setting
• Strong knowledge of co-occurring disorders and evidence-based practices
• Demonstrated ability to supervise and support multidisciplinary, diverse teams
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to drive quality improvement, solve complex problems, and manage conflict
• Experience in program development, staff training, and systems-level thinking
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to build partnerships across agencies, including law enforcement and community organizations
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to balance strategic priorities and operational details
• Knowledge of San Mateo County systems of care, community resources, and regulatory requirements (e.g., HIPAA, CFR 42, NCCHC, CalAIM)
• Experience with Medi-Cal documentation and charge capture
• Ability to maintain accurate data and track program outcomes
• Experience working with diverse populations
• Bilingual Spanish skills (preferred)
• Experience working with law enforcement and/or in correctional settings

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:

• Coordinating services with internal programs, contract providers, and community agencies
• Ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local regulations governing mental health services
• Monitoring contract providers and resolving service delivery challenges
• Providing consultation to public agencies and community partners
• Evaluating program effectiveness and integrating changes in legislation into operations
• Preparing reports, program evaluations, and grant proposals
• Supervising and evaluating staff performance

Qualifications

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

Licensure/Certification:California license as one of the following: 1) Clinical Social Worker; 2) Marriage and Family Therapist; or 3) Clinical Psychologist 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 three years of experience as a Mental Health professional.

Knowledge of:

• Principles, techniques and practices of program management and delivery.
• Principles and practices of employee supervision and training.
• Applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations and County policies and guidelines.
• Psychological diagnostic methods and terminology.
• Current principles and practices of psychiatric casework.
• Human and health services systems in the County including private agencies and other community resources.
• Various methods used in individual and group therapies such as role playing, play, art and milieu.
• Methods and techniques used in mental health education.

Skill/Ability to:

• Plan, assign, supervise, review and evaluate the work of interdisciplinary subordinates.
• Train staff in work procedures and provide technical and programmatic assistance to staff and subcontractors.
• Analyze, interpret and apply various regulations, requirements and/or clinical approaches.
• Prepare grant proposals and written reports.
• Set realistic treatment goals and facilitate their attainment.
• Evaluate patients/clients’ degree of mental disability or emotional distress.
• Communicate effectively in writing and orally and make public presentations as needed.
• Establish and maintain effective and cooperative relationships with those contacted in the course of the work.
• Exercise sound independent judgment within general policy and regulatory guidelines.

Additional Information

Departmental Promotional Only. Only current County of San Mateo employees in San Mateo County Health with at least six months (1040 hours) of continuous service in a classified regular, probationary, or extra-help/limited term position prior to the final filing date may apply.

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 PSTApplication Screening: Week of April 13, 2026Panel 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.

Talent Acquisition Contact: Priscilla Bermudez (032726) (Mental Health Program Specialist – G081)