Senior Rehabilitation Counselor

YOU MUST BE AN ALAMEDA COUNTY EMPLOYEE TO APPLY

THIS IS A NEW PROMOTIONAL ASSEMBLED EXAMINATION. The eligible list resulting from this examination will cancel any existing list and may last approximately one year but can be extended. Qualified applicants must be current county employees and have completed, by the last day for filing, the equivalent of six months of continuous service following a regular appointment in the Alameda County classified service. A regular appointment does not include provisional, TAP (Temporary Assignment Pool), or STEP-UP appointments.

Applications must be in the possession of the Human Resource Services Department by 5:00 p.m. on the Last Day for Filing. 

Applications will only be accepted on-line

THE COUNTY

Alameda County, located on the east side of San Francisco Bay, is California's seventh-largest county.  The County employs 9,700 full-time employees and operates on an annual budget of $3.4 billion.  Oakland, the County seat, is California's eighth-largest city.  One and a half million people call Alameda County home and live in a variety of incorporated cities, unincorporated communities, and rural areas.  As a major urban county, Alameda provides a full range of services to its citizens.  The County is a blend of culturally and ethnically diverse communities, and its mixture of cosmopolitan and suburban areas provides the perfect environment for families and their active lifestyles.  The County offers extensive cultural resources, countless recreational opportunities, and an array of fine public and private colleges and universities. 

ALAMEDA COUNTY HEALTH

Alameda County Health is the local government agency that promotes and protects the health and well-being of all who live, work, learn, and play in Alameda County. We coordinate services and cultivate partnerships with community organizations and providers to help ensure access, organize, and deliver health care and services to people with Medi-Cal and without insurance, support resilient communities, and improve health for all. We focus on health equity by developing programs and systemic solutions that reduce disparities for the people and communities we serve.

Alameda County Health’s departments and programs focus on services and support that provide care for the whole person.

·       The Behavioral Health Department provides mental health and substance use services for people with Medi-Cal and without insurance and supports people along their path to wellness, recovery, and resilience.

·       The Environmental Health Department works to keep our air, water, and food safe; it regulates, protects, and promotes the health of everyone in Alameda County by enforcing environmental health codes to reduce exposure to toxins and diseases.

·       The Public Health Department focuses on community and population-level health, preventing and addressing root causes of health inequity across a range of communicable and chronic diseases.

·       Alameda County Health also provides services through Housing and Homelessness Services, Emergency Medical Services Agency, HealthPAC, and Healthy Schools and Communities.

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT

As part of Alameda County Health, the Behavioral Health Department supports people with Medi-Cal and without insurance living with serious mental illness and substance use conditions along their path toward wellness, recovery, and resiliency. We provide services through a network of contracted mental health and substance use providers and administer the State’s resources and training for behavioral health providers, case managers, and other healthcare professionals. We advocate for our patients and families and create space for personal engagement in their care.

We are outpatient specialists for mental health services for older adults and youth, substance use providers and treatment program specialists, advocates for quality improvement and patients’ rights, and psychiatric and integrated health care providers.

For more information about the Behavioral Health Department, please visit www.acbhcs.org.

THE POSITION

Under general direction from the Division Director of Vocational Services, to supervise multi-disciplinary staff providing services to Mental Health clients; to personally perform therapeutic, rehabilitative, and related services; and to do related work as required.

This is the first-line supervisory level in the Rehabilitation Counselor series.  Incumbents provide the full range of supervisory duties, including delegating work, scheduling staff, training, evaluating performance, addressing discipline, program planning, and performing limited administrative duties.  Senior Rehabilitation Counselors are responsible for the daily operation of a mental health program and team, such as at the Adult Forensics Mental Health Clinic, at a Mental Health Community Support Center, or at the Vocational Program.  In addition, Senior Rehabilitation Counselors generally have responsibility for only one program and may carry a modified caseload.

THE VACANCY

The current vacancies are in Vocational Services. These positions require minimum six (6) months experience in vocational counseling, vocational care management, or in an employment services related occupation or field in an organization that provides vocational rehabilitation services to the disabled or in substance abuse recovery. However, the eligible list resulting from this recruitment may be used to fill future vacancies in other program areas.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

In addition to the minimum qualifications and knowledge and skills listed below, ideal candidates will have experience working in a vocational or clinical setting, collaborating with partners such as community based and county operated mental health clinics, employers, forensic mental health providers, Department of Rehabilitation, etc., and will also have successfully demonstrated, and exemplify the following critical attributes:

• An effective supervisor able to provide leadership, training, and exercise management control.  
• A change agent that can comfortably address program needs to be in-line with funders and program reviewers, such as, Medi-Cal, CARF, DOR and IPS.
• A team player able to skillfully coordinate tasks, functions and people, who inspires team spirit and collaboration by being accessible, supportive, open-minded, and empathetic.
• An effective communicator who clearly conveys information and ideas verbally and in writing to individuals or groups in a manner that meets audience needs and helps them understand and retain the message; who develops and maintains effective relationships with others; and who relates well to people with diverse cultures, interpersonal styles, abilities, motivations, or backgrounds.
• Passion about the field of rehabilitation and a willingness to invest one’s time, talent, and best efforts to advocate for and engage consumers in mental health, substance use, dual diagnosis, and rehabilitation counseling services.
• Someone who will take personal satisfaction and pride in serving the interests of the Behavioral Health Care Services Agency while performing the full range of professional rehabilitation counseling responsibilities.
• A problem solver capable of identifying and understanding issues, problems and opportunities; who uses data, logic, and sound judgment to evaluate alternatives and recommend viable solutions; and who solves problems consistent with available resources, facts, constraints, and probable consequences to achieve desired organizational or service goals.
• Someone who understands outreach concepts, principles, and practices of community employer sourcing and job development; and is experienced at aligning human capital needs of employers with the qualifications, skills and specialized employment needs of clients. 
• Someone who is well organized and able to plan activities, manage a frequently changing schedule, multi-task, and manage several activities at once; and who is able to establish a course of action for self and others to ensure that work is completed efficiently, and is able to assist with preparation and quality improvement planning.

For a detailed listing of the essential responsibilities and core competency requirements for this position, please click here for the job description.

The minimum professional requirements for admission to the competitive assessment process include:

EITHER I  

Experience:

A minimum of one year in the class of Rehabilitation Counselor II in Alameda County Mental Health Service.  

OR II  

Education:  

Possession of a master's degree in rehabilitation counseling, psychological counseling, clinical social work, or a closely related psychotherapeutic field.

AND

Experience:  

The equivalent of three years of post-masters' experience as a clinician, or Rehabilitation Counselor in a psychiatric setting or other clinical setting emphasizing the mental health needs of clients with psychiatric problems.  (Note:  Previous experience involving lead or supervisory responsibility is desirable.)

License:  

Must be license eligible candidate for Marriage, Family Child Counseling, Clinical Social Work, Professional Counselor or Clinical Psychology with relevant experience.

Some positions in this class require a valid California Motor Vehicle Operator's license.  Applicants must possess such license prior to appointment to such positions.

Special Requirements:  

Must be a license eligible professional of the Healing Arts (i.e. eligible for LMFT, LCSW, LPCC, PhD, PsyD) and registered with the BBSE.  

In compliance with the Administrative Simplification provision of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), employees in this classification are required to possess a National Provider Identifier (NPI) number prior to their first day on the job.

NOTE: The Civil Service Commission may modify the above Minimum Qualifications in the announcement of an examination.

NOTE: The level and scope of the following knowledge and abilities are related to duties listed under the "Examples of Duties" section of this specification.

The most suitably qualified candidates will possess the following competencies:

Knowledge of:

• Psychosocial factors relevant to mental health such as personality, human growth and development, interpersonal relationships, group processes, family dynamics, community integration and socioeconomic resource provisions, substance abuse, including the relevance of these as related to plan development and establishing wellness and recovery goals.
• Dynamics of personal and social adjustment, normal and abnormal behavior and current psychiatric diagnostic techniques appropriate to rehabilitative work.
• Vocational Rehabilitation principles and methods particularly as they relate to mental health clients; understanding of current, evidenced based, innovations related to good rehab practices.
• Principles and practices of effective supervision, training, program planning and community mental health consultation.
• Specific content of community, mental health and criminal justice mental health laws and procedures governing confidentiality, involuntary treatment, conservatorship and patient rights.
• Various mental health facilities and levels of treatment, vocational rehabilitation programs, and public and private community agencies concerned with mental health.
• Modern hospital, community and criminal justice mental health system organizations and functions.
• Statistical research and evaluative methods pertinent to mental health programs and Evidenced Based Practices in the field.
• Psychopharmacology.
• Multi-social, ethnic and cultural groups.  

Ability to:

• Communicate orally and in writing.
• Make decisions.
• Analyze and problem solve.
• Exercise management control.
• Provide leadership.
• Demonstrate inter-personal sensitivity.
• Collaborate on a team.
• Have good time management skills.
• Work in the field as needed.
• Engage in public speaking.
• Meet deadlines.

THE EXAMINATION WILL CONSIST OF THE FOLLOWING STEPS:

1) A review of applicants' applications to verify possession of minimum requirements. Those candidates who possess the minimum requirements for the class will move on to the next step in the examination process.

2) An oral interview/exam which will be weighted as 100% of the candidate's final examination score. The oral interview/exam may contain situational exercises.

CANDIDATES MUST ATTAIN A QUALIFYING RATING ON EACH PORTION OF THIS EXAMINATION.

We reserve the right to make changes to the announced examination components. 

Alameda County utilizes a Civil Service Selection System founded on merit. Such a system is competitive and based on broad recruitment efforts and equal opportunity for qualified applicants to test in an examination process designed to determine the qualifications, fitness and ability of competitors to perform duties of the vacant position. Many of our recruitments are targeted and specific to the needs of a current vacant position, in which case, the eligible list may be exclusively used for that current vacant position. Other recruitments may be more broadly used for both current and future vacancies, or for other alternate jobs with comparable scopes of work.

To learn more about our recruitment and selection process, please visit the “What You Need to Know” section of our website, www.acgov.org/hrs.

Applicants will be informed via email with reasonable notice in advance of any examination process which will require their attendance. The following dates are tentative and subject to change based on the needs of the Agency:  

WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE ANNOUNCED RECRUITMENT & SELECTION PLAN

Alameda County and the Human Resource Services Department will make reasonable efforts in the examination and/or selection process to accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities and/or medical conditions in accordance/compliance with the State Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), Federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Alameda County’s Reasonable Accommodation Policy and applicable statues.  To request an accommodation due to a disability/medical condition during this or other phases of the examination/selection process, please contact the assigned Human Resources Representative listed on the job announcement before the last date of filing. Alameda County requires applicants to provide supporting documentation to substantiate a request for reasonable accommodation. In order to qualify for a reasonable accommodation, applicants must have a disability/medical condition pursuant to the ADA, FEHA and applicable statutes.

For more information regarding our Reasonable Accommodation procedures, please visit our website, www.acgov.org/hrs/divisions/ps/application.htm

Alameda County offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that affords wide-ranging health care options to meet the different needs of a diverse workforce and their families. We also sponsor many different employee discount, fitness and health screening programs focused on overall well being.  These benefits include but are not limited to*:

For your Health & Well-Being

• Medical – HMO & PPO Plans
• Dental – HMO & PPO Plans
• Vision or Vision Reimbursement
• Share the Savings
• Basic Life Insurance 
• Supplemental Life Insurance (with optional dependent coverage for eligible employees)
• Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance 
• County Allowance Credit
• Flexible Spending Accounts - Health FSA, Dependent Care and Adoption Assistance
• Short-Term Disability Insurance
• Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Voluntary Benefits - Accident Insurance, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity and Legal Services
• Employee Assistance Program

For your Financial Future

• Retirement Plan - (Defined Benefit Pension Plan)
• Deferred Compensation Plan (457 Plan or Roth Plan)

For your Work/Life Balance

• 12 paid holidays
• Floating Holidays
• Vacation and sick leave accrual
• Vacation purchase program
• Management Paid Leave**
• Catastrophic Sick Leave
• Pet Insurance
• Commuter Benefits Program
• Guaranteed Ride Home
• Employee Wellness Program (e.g. At Work Fitness, Incentive Based Programs, Gym Membership Discounts)
• Employee Discount Program (e.g. theme parks, cell phone, etc.)
• Child Care Resources
• 1^st United Services Credit Union 

*Eligibility is determined by Alameda County and offerings may vary by collective bargaining agreement.  This provides a brief summary of the benefits offered and can be subject to change.

** Non-exempt management employees are entitled to up to three days of management paid leave. Exempt management employees are entitled to up to seven days of management paid leave.

All notices related to County recruitments for which you have applied will be sent/delivered via email. Please add @jobaps.com, @acgov.org, nonreplyalamedacountyhr@acgov.org, and Noreply@jobaps.com as accepted addresses to any email blocking or spam filtering program you may use. If you do not do this, your email blocking or spam filtering program may block receipt of the notices regarding your application for recruitments. You are also strongly advised to regularly log into your County of Alameda online application account to check for notices that may have been sent to you. All email notices that will be sent to you will also be kept in your personal online application account. You will be able to view all of your notices in your online application account by clicking on the "My applications" button on the Current Job Openings page.

Please take the steps recommended above to ensure you do not miss any notices about a recruitment for which you have applied. The County of Alameda is not responsible for notices that are not read, received or accessed by any applicant for a County recruitment.

NOTE: All notices are generated through an automated email notification system. Replies to the email boxes Noreply@jobaps.com and nonreplyalamedacountyhr@acgov.org, are routed to unmonitored mailboxes. If you have questions, please go to our website at hrs.alamedacountyca.gov. You may also contact the Human Resources Analyst listed on the job announcement for the recruitment for which you have applied.

Nicole Lewis-Bolton, Human Resources Analyst

Human Resource Services, County of Alameda

(510) 272-6468 • nicole.lewis-bolton@acgov.org

hrs.alamedacountyca.gov

Disaster Service Worker

All Alameda County employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state and local law.  Employment with the County requires the affirmation of a loyalty oath to this effect.  Employees are required to report to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Alameda County has a diverse workforce, that is representative of the communities we serve, and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All aspects of employment are based on merit, competence, performance and business need. Alameda County does not discriminate in employment on the basis of: race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors protected under federal, state and local law. Alameda County celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive, and welcoming workplace environment.