Mental Health Program Specialist - Prenatal to Three (Open & Promotional)

Overview

The San Mateo County Health’s Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS) Division is seeking a compassionate and experienced individual to join our Prenatal to Three Partners for Safe and Healthy Children Program as a Mental Health Program Specialist .

In this vital role, you will provide clinical leadership and coordination for services supporting families and children ages 0–5 who are involved with the court system. You’ll lead a dedicated team of clinicians, carry a small caseload, and help shape the delivery of early childhood mental health services across San Mateo County.

Key Responsibilities

• Supervise and support a team of clinicians providing therapeutic services to families with young children involved with Children and Family Services (CFS).
• Manage referrals, conduct assessments, provide case management, and coordinate care with the court system and CFS.
• Deliver treatment through both clinic-based and home-based visits throughout San Mateo County.
• Collaborate closely with CFS social workers, supervisors, and managers to strengthen family outcomes and service coordination.
• Represent the Prenatal to Three Partners for Safe and Healthy Children team at leadership and collaborative meetings with CFS, Public Health Nurses, Community Workers, Psychiatrists, and other community partners.
• Oversee program development, implementation, and evaluation to ensure services align with federal, state, and local regulations.
• Provide consultation and guidance to community groups and partner agencies on mental health services and awareness.

About the Program

The Partners for Safe and Healthy Children Program ensures that families with infants and young children receive coordinated, trauma-informed care that promotes safety, healing, and healthy development.

There is currently one vacancy in this program. The position is based in San Mateo , with travel throughout the county as needed.

Ideal Candidate

• Experience working with families involved with Children and Family Services (CFS) and an understanding of Child and Family Team (CFT) practices.
• Knowledge of infant and child development, attachment, and trauma-informed care.
• At least one year of home-visiting experience.
• Training or certification in one or more of the following:
  • Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
  • Child Parent Psychotherapy (CPP)
  • Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)
  • Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
  • Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT)
• At least one year of supervisory or clinical coordination experience.
• Licensed for at least two years in a relevant discipline.
• Bilingual proficiency in Spanish and English is highly desirable.

This position offers a meaningful opportunity to make a lasting difference in the lives of families during their earliest and most formative years. Join us in supporting San Mateo County’s commitment to helping every child and family thrive.

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

• 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.
• Individual, group and family psychodynamics.
• 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.

Skills / Abilities

• 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

Open & Promotional. Anyone may apply. Current County of San Mateo and County of San Mateo Superior Court employees with at least six months 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 to apply. Responses to the Supplemental Questionnaire must be submitted in addition to the standard County employment application form. A resume will not be accepted as a substitute for the required application materials. Online applications must be received by the Human Resources Department before midnight on the final filing date.

TENTATIVE RECRUITMENT TIMELINE
Final Filing Date: Wednesday, November 5, 2025, by 11:59PM PST
Application Screening: Week of November 5, 2025
Panel Interviews: Week of November 17, 2025

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 is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to advancing equity to ensure that all employees are welcomed in a safe and inclusive environment. We encourage applicants with diverse backgrounds and lived experiences to apply.

HR Contact: Priscilla Bermudez ) (Mental Health Program Specialist - G081)

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