Psychologist II - Behavioral Health Youth Services - Spanish Speaking Req'd (Open and Promotional)

NOTE:  This recruitment schedule was amended on February 6, 2025 to extend the Final Filing Date. This recruitment has been changed to "Continuous."

San Mateo County Health is seeking a well-qualified individual for the position of Psychologist II-Behavioral Health Youth Services to provide professional diagnostic, therapeutic and consultative psychological services in a County program.   

The current vacancy is in the North County Youth Team within Behavioral Health and Recovery Services Division located in Daly City, but some travel throughout the County will be required to conduct Psychological Testing and to perform other duties of the position.  

This Psychologist will work in a community mental health outpatient clinic; will provide specialized outpatient mental health services to youth and their families living in the northern region of San Mateo County. The target population is children and adolescents under 18 years of age presenting with severe emotional and/or behavioral issues and with multiple risk factors including psychiatric hospitalization, out-of-home placement, substance abuse and trauma. Principal duties will include individual, family and group therapy to youth in addition to crisis intervention and case management, collaboration and coordination among schools and agencies involved, and provide psychoeducation to clients and families. This position will provide assessment and/or therapy in a clinic setting however some school, home, or community visits may be appropriate based on client need. Additionally, the Psychologist will provide 10 hours weekly of psychological testing to support teams throughout the Youth System; assess progress of clients on a selected basis and propose treatment plan modifications; utilize knowledge of community resources for mentally or emotionally unstable clients; interview patient and relatives in order to gather case history data; observe, record and report clinically significant changes in the client's condition; participate in individual client and program conferences, staff development, and professional growth activities; provide crisis intervention services; and provide supervision for psychology interns as needed.  

The ideal candidate will have:

• Experience providing assessment and treatment of children with serious emotional disorders and working with their families.
• Experience providing psychological testing, diagnosis, written evaluations and recommendations for children with serious emotional disorders.
• Experience working in a multi-disciplinary team to develop behavioral management plans for children with serious emotional disorders.
• Experience working in a community mental health clinic as well as in the field conducting home and school visits.
• Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships.
• Ability to integrate culturally relevant aspects of clinical work into the treatment of patients.
• Ability to effectively communicate both verbally and in writing.
• Fluency (read, speak, write) in Spanish is required for treatment of patients.

Psychologist II is the fully experienced journey level class in the Psychologist series providing a full range of professional psychodiagnostic, psychotherapeutic, consultant and training and research work in a comprehensive community mental health program with a high degree of skill and independence.

Licensure/Certification:

• Psychologist II: California license in Clinical Psychology.

Knowledge of:

• Principles, methods, techniques, material, devices used and current developments in the field of specialization.
• Standard methods, techniques, materials and devices used in either clinical psychology, community, developmental psychology and psychological research.
• Psychotherapeutic factors relevant to emotional, behavioral, learning, social interaction or social systems problems.
• Techniques of mental health consultation, psychological research and training.
• Various psychological tests available.
• Standard methods of test evaluation and test results interpretations.
• Approved techniques of therapeutic counseling.

• Identify the relevant factors related to emotional, behavioral, learning, social interaction or social systems problems and to select and apply appropriate remedial or consultation techniques and procedures.
• Analyze, interpret and apply the principles, methods, techniques, material and devices used in clinical, child, adult, forensic or developmental psychology depending upon the option.
• Identify the relevant factors related to emotional, behavioral, learning, social interaction or social systems problems.
• Select and apply appropriate remedial or clinical techniques and procedures.
• Diagnosis and treatment of emotional, learning and social interaction problems.
• Consider applicability of innovative treatment or consultation procedures to work problems and experiment with and evaluate the applicability of innovative treatment or consultation procedures to work problems.
• Analyze situations accurately and adopt effective courses of action.
• Maintain records and prepare reports.
• Supervise the work of trainees and junior staff members.
• Establish and maintain objectives and cooperative relationships with clients, other professionals and the public.
• Speak and write effectively.

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.

This is a continuous recruitment which may close at any time. The final filing date will be posted 5 days in advance in the County of San Mateo Human Resources Department.
 
A supplemental application form must be submitted in addition to our regular employment application form. Resume or CV will not be accepted as a substitute for the required employment application and supplemental questionnaire.

The examination process will consist of an application screening (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 San Mateo County, 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.

Apply immediately. This recruitment is open on a continuous basis and selections may be made at any time within the process.  

~ TENTATIVE RECRUITMENT SCHEDULE ~
Final Filing Date: Continuous 

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 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 committed to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion at all levels.