Mental Health Worker

Full Job Description

10/20/25, 11/19/25, 12/19/25, 1/20/26, 2/19/26, 3/19/26, 4/20/26, 5/19/26, 6/18/26

* Currently seeking to fill both on-call/intermittent positions as well as full time positions.*

Under general supervision, the Mental Health Worker performs a wide variety of duties to assist professional mental health services staff in coordinating and providing mental health services for individuals with an acute or persistent mental disorder or co-occurring disorders.

Requirements

Knowledge of

Basic social and psychological needs, problems, attitudes and behavior patterns of individuals with acute or persistent mental disorders or co-occurring disordersCommunity resources such as public assistance programs, drug rehabilitation programs, and housing sheltersBasic interviewing techniques and psychiatric terminologyAbility toEstablish and maintain effective working relationships with patients and their families, and with professional, paraprofessional and support staff in the department, in outside agencies, and with the general publicRecognize changes in patient's condition or behavior and take action, as appropriateWork effectively as a member of a multi-disciplinary mental health or alcohol and drug treatment teamCommunicate clearly and effectively both verbally and in writingUnderstand and follow written and verbal instructionsReact effectively in crisis situationsWork effectively in stressful, emotional and/or confrontational situations requiring good judgment, self-control, and persuading and motivating peopleDocument medical records and other relevant documents accurately and thoroughlyUse community resources to assist clientsProtect patient privacy, confidentiality, and adhere to security guidelinesRead, write and speak English at a level necessary for satisfactory job performance Qualifications Minimum Qualifications Either: 1.

Two years of full time paid experience in a private or governmental agency providing direct mental health related services to patients, which included identifying patients' mental health needs, using community resources, and client advocacy.Or: 2.

Possession of an Associate's Degree, or higher, from an accredited college or university in a mental health related field such as Social Work, Rehabilitation Counseling, Psychology, or Counseling; or 60 semester units (90 quarter units), from an accredited college or university, of which 24 semester units (36 quarter units) must have been in Social Work, Rehabilitation Counseling, Psychology, or Counseling.

Or: 3.

Two years of full time paid experience as a Certified Nursing Assistant working with patients with physical disabilities, mental confusion, and/or behavioral disturbances.Note: If the minimum qualifications include an educational or certificate/license requirement, applicants must submit proof of requirements with the application.

Failure to submit proof of requirements may result in disqualification from the examination. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable.

For guidelines on submitting acceptable proof of educational requirements, please click here or speak to someone in our office before the cut-off date listed in this notice.General QualificationsCriminal History and Background Checks: The County may access criminal history information on candidates who have accepted a conditional offer of appointment for this class consistent with the provisions of Board of Supervisors Resolution No.

82-602, Personnel Policies and Procedures, and applicable federal and state laws.

The County shall not consider for employment any candidate who has been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor that relates to or impacts the candidate's ability to perform the job duties of this class unless it is determined that mitigating circumstances exist.

For purposes of accessing criminal history information, the candidate will be fingerprinted.

A subsequent arrest notification may be obtained.The County may also conduct a background check on the candidate prior to appointment to a position within this class.

The background check may include personal and professional reference checks, credit history checks where authorized by Labor Code section 1024.5, Social Security Number verification, professional license/registration verification, military service information and driving history.

Information obtained in the course of this background check will be considered by the appointing authority in the selection process.

In obtaining such information, the County will comply with applicable consent and disclosure practices in the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the California Investigative Consumer Reporting Agencies Act.License Requirement: A valid California Driver License, Class C or higher, is required at the time of appointment.

Failure to obtain or maintain the appropriate California Driver License may constitute cause for personnel action in accordance with Civil Service Rules or applicable bargaining agreement.Individuals who do not meet this requirement due to disability will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.Certificate Requirement: All incumbents in this class will be required to obtain and maintain a valid CPR certificate within three months of appointment to the class.

Failure to obtain or maintain the required certificate may constitute cause for personnel action in accordance with Civil Service Rules or applicable bargaining agreement.Child and Elder Abuse Reporting: Persons selected for employment must, as a condition of employment, sign a statement agreeing to comply with Section 11166 and 11160 of the California Penal Code relating to child and elder abuse reporting.Physical Requirements: Positions in this class require the incumbent to be able to:Restrain and assist in restraining patients.Lift a patient with assistance from other staff.Individuals who do not meet these requirements due to disability will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.Working Conditions: Positions in this class require the incumbent to:Work irregular hours, holidays, and weekends.Work with persons infected with communicable diseases.Work in a locked psychiatric facility around patients with a persistent mental illness that may also exhibit aggressive behaviors.Special Skills: Special skills classes require sufficient knowledge to speak, read and write fluently a language other than Standard English; and/or knowledge of a multi-cultural group encompassing but not limited to: family member roles and living environments; the various characteristics or problems unique to the group in employment, education, health, economics and social customs; and current social movements involving the group.

Incumbents use the specific language and multi-cultural knowledge in the performance of typical duties, incorporating this knowledge to appropriately serve clients and families in a manner that is culturally competent and affirming.

In addition, incumbents translate and interpret using Standard English and a language other than Standard English, and act as a consultant to others regarding the specific multi-cultural group.Probationary Period: The probationary period for this classification is six (6) months.

Additional Information APPLICATIONQualified applicants are encouraged to apply immediately.

All applicants must complete and submit an online County of Sacramento employment application by 5:00 PM on the posted cut-off date.

Click here to apply.County of SacramentoDepartment of Personnel ServicesEmployment Services Division700 H Street, Room 4667Sacramento, CA 95814Phone (916) 874-5593; 7-1-1 California Relay ServiceEmail EmployOffice@Saccounty.netInter-Office Mail Code: 09-4667www.SacCountyJobs.netEmployment applications and all documentation requested in this announcement must be submitted by 5:00 p.m.

on the cut-off date.

Employment Services is not responsible for any issues or delays caused by an applicant's computer or web browser. Applicants will be automatically logged out if they have not submitted their applications and all documentation prior to 5:00 p.m. on the cut-off date.

Your application should highlight all relevant education, training, and experience, and clearly indicate how you meet the minimum qualifications for the position as of the cut-off date.

Application information must be current, concise and related to the requirements in this job announcement. You may only apply for this recruitment once. Duplicate and incomplete applications will be disqualified.

A resume may be included with your application, however it will not substitute for the information requested on the application.

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE

Applicants are required to provide a full and complete response to each supplemental question. The Supplemental Questionnaire is located in the tab marked "Supplemental Questions". Please be descriptive in your response.

Note: Responses of "See Resume" or "See Application", or copy and paste of work experience are not qualifying responses and will not be considered.

Supplemental Questionnaires must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on the cut-off date. Employment Services is not responsible for any issues or delays caused by an applicant's computer or web browser.

Applicants will be automatically logged out if they have not submitted their applications and all documentation prior to 5:00 p.m. on the cut-off date.

The supplemental questions are designed to elicit specific information regarding a candidate's experience, education, and training. Responses should be consistent with the information on your application and are subject to verification.

Please provide place of employment, pertinent dates, and concise, descriptive and detailed information for each question.

If a job included responsibilities applicable to several questions, separate the different functions of the job to answer all the questions completely.

Resumes or referral to the application or other questionnaire responses will not be accepted in lieu of completing each question.

If you have no experience, write "no experience" for the appropriate question.

For many individuals, it is more efficient to develop responses to the supplemental questions in a word processing document and then paste them into the final document to be submitted.

Changes or corrections to your Supplemental Questionnaire cannot be made once your application packet has been submitted.

If the Supplemental Questionnaire is used in the Formula Rate exam, failure to complete all of the questions or incomplete responses will result in a lower score.

While scoring the Supplemental Questionnaire, the candidate's application and/or attachments will not be reviewed, therefore, a candidate's responses to the questions should be accurate, thorough, detailed, and complete.

FORMULA RATE EXAMINATION (Weighted 100%)

All candidates meeting the minimum qualifications by the cut-off date will have their Supplemental Questionnaire scored in the Formula Rate Examination.

This examination will evaluate the relevance, level, recency, progression and quality of candidate's education, training and experience. The candidate's application or other materials will not be included in this examination. Therefore, the candidate's responses to the supplemental questionnaire should be thorough, detailed and complete. The score from the Formula Rate Examination will determine the ranking on the eligible/employment list for this job.

All candidates competing in the testing process will receive written notice of their examination results by email. Notices can also be accessed in their governmentjobs.com inbox. Applicants achieving a passing score will be placed on the eligible list in rank order. The rank is determined by the test score attained from the examination.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Click here for Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

For information regarding County jobs:

• www.saccountyjobs.net

Sacramento County is about enriching communities to thrive. We strive to create inclusive workplaces that reflect the communities we serve. We value and celebrate the unique perspectives, backgrounds, abilities, and diverse dimensions of our employees and residents. Through transparency, courage, innovation, and trust we are committed to advance equity and transformational change.

We are a proud equal opportunity employer. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability for any phase of the hiring process, please contact our Disability Compliance Office at dco@saccounty.gov or 916-874-7642, CA Relay 711. For more information, visit: Reasonable Accommodation Requests - Job Applicant Instructions