Clinical Supervisor

County of Santa Barbara • Santa Barbara, CA

20d • Onsite

About The Position

The County of Santa Barbara’s Behavioral Wellness Department is hiring a full-time Clinical Supervisor, classified as a Behavioral Health Practitioner II. The position may be based in Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, or Lompoc, but has countywide responsibility and requires routine travel to offices and partner agencies. The department is also establishing an employment list for current and future full-time, part-time, extra-help (temporary), and Civil Service Rule 1414 vacancies in these locations. Rule 1414 appointments may last until the employee on leave returns and, depending on performance and departmental needs, may transition to a regular position without reapplication or retesting.

The Clinical Supervisor serves on the Training Team under the Training Manager in the Compliance Branch. The role provides clinical supervision to department trainees and associate-level clinicians accruing hours toward graduation from a master’s program or professional licensure. The Supervisor supports clinicians’ development, ensures adherence to professional standards and regulatory requirements, and may perform clinical assessment, diagnosis, counseling, psychotherapy, rehabilitation, and care coordination under direction. The position may serve children and adolescents with serious emotional disturbances and adults with serious and persistent mental illness.

Work assignments may be associated with the department’s Psychiatric Health Facility, adult or children’s outpatient clinics, SPIRIT Full Service Partnership, Crisis Services, Co-Response Teams, or the Mental Health Student Services Act Mental Wellness Education & Linkages program. These programs provide services including inpatient case management, outpatient assessment and therapy, family and group rehabilitation, crisis response and evaluation, care coordination, community outreach, and linkage to mental health and other community services. Specific schedules and duties vary by program; some programs may require on-call, weekend, overnight, or alternative schedule coverage.

The listed salary range is $95,571–$114,868 annually. A bilingual allowance is available when applicable.

Requirements

• Possess a current license as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC), or Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) issued by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences at the time of application.
• Have either two years of post-master’s mental health counseling experience or one year performing duties equivalent to Behavioral Wellness Practitioner I with Santa Barbara County.
• For LPCC applicants, complete at least six hours of continuing education specific to marriage and family therapy during each license renewal cycle.
• Possess a valid California Class C driver’s license at the time of appointment if required for the assignment.
• Working knowledge of assessment, diagnosis, prognosis, counseling, and psychotherapy for marriage, family, and child relationship dysfunctions; treatment-plan development and implementation; the human service delivery system; current mental-health trends; applicable laws and regulations; and basic math.
• Ability to provide effective counseling and psychotherapy to individuals, families, and groups.
• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative relationships with clients’ families, other professional disciplines, social-service agencies, and coworkers.
• Ability to relate professionally to people with serious mental disorders, identify and use community resources, and prepare and present clear, concise oral and written reports.
• Finalists must pass a pre-offer, job-related background investigation. Following a conditional offer, appointment is contingent on successful Live Scan and background checks, including conviction-history and reference checks; the appointee is also subject to a post-offer medical evaluation or examination and must complete a one-year probationary period.

Nice To Haves

• Fluency in English and Spanish is preferred for some positions, particularly at the Santa Maria and Lompoc adult outpatient clinics.
• Experience working with clients diagnosed with severe and persistent mental illness.
• Experience working as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and experience with electronic health records.
• Strong understanding of licensing, certification, and registration requirements.
• Skill in evidence-based practices, assessment, and clinical documentation.
• Ability to provide constructive feedback and support clinician growth.
• Experience in a psychiatric facility or community mental health program for applicants seeking a psychiatric health facility position.
• Licensed practitioner credentials (LMFT, LCSW, LPCC, or Psychologist) are sought for Co-Response Team vacancies.

Responsibilities

• Provide individual and group clinical supervision to trainees and associate-level clinicians, ensuring compliance with state licensing board requirements and departmental standards.
• Collaborate with the Training Manager on onboarding, skill development, and competency-based training for clinical staff.
• Act as the department’s point of contact with state licensing, certification, and registration bodies, and monitor regulatory updates and communication changes affecting clinical practice.
• Support the development and implementation of training initiatives, supervision structures, and quality-improvement activities.
• Interview potential clients to assess mental health service needs and determine whether referral elsewhere is appropriate.
• Counsel clients and provide psychotherapy and rehabilitation services to individuals, couples, and families.
• Document clinical activity, including diagnostic and interview findings, evaluations, and recommendations.
• Review clinical staff diagnoses and treatment plans as part of an interdisciplinary team, and coordinate services when acting as a case manager.
• Provide crisis counseling in the field or office, evaluate patients, and arrange voluntary or involuntary admission for observation and treatment when appropriate.
• Communicate with clients’ relatives to support their understanding of and cooperation with treatment and rehabilitation programs.
• Coordinate with other agencies and practitioners regarding shared clients.
• Educate clients and families about diagnoses, prognoses, treatment, and rehabilitation.
• Assess clients’ needs, refer them to public and private providers, and monitor their progress.
• Assist clients with housing, physical health care, benefits and entitlements, and basic living skills.
• Develop, conduct, or participate in quality-assurance and program-evaluation studies.
• Develop and present training programs for departmental staff.
• Depending on program assignment, provide inpatient case management, outpatient assessment and therapy, group services, crisis response, outreach, referrals, and linkage to community or ongoing behavioral health services.

Benefits

• Bilingual allowance when applicable
• Retirement reciprocity and time and service credit toward an advanced vacation accrual rate may be available to applicants from other public-sector employers.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level