Supervising Crisis Intervention Specialist

Job Description:

Supervising Crisis Intervention Specialist

Description

The Position

This recruitment is open only to Mendocino County employees with at least six (6) months of regular, full-time continuous employment or equivalent permanent part-time service.

The current vacancy is with BHRS - Mental Health Services in Ukiah, CA. This position provides supervision, oversight, and consultation for Mobile Crisis Response, Mobile Outreach and Prevention Services, Jail Services, Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT), and Mental Health CalWORKs programs.

Under general direction, supervises and coordinates crisis intervention services, including daily program operations, staff supervision, and field-based response. Provides guidance and support to crisis teams, manages complex or high-risk cases, ensures compliance with laws and protocols, and collaborates with community partners. This position is part of a 24/7 on-call response team, responding to behavioral health and substance-related crises throughout Mendocino County.

Supervisor Academy is mandatory for all supervisors and consists of nine courses that must be completed within two years. Participation is required and completed during work hours.

Job Requirements and Minimum Qualifications

Duties may include but are not limited to the following:

• Coordinates and supervises other Crisis Intervention Specialist or Mental Health Rehabilitation Specialist engaged in mental health and behavioral health settings.
• Perform triage to determine crisis intervention priorities; provide crisis counseling and interventions, including mobile crisis intervention.
• Support daily operations of Crisis Intervention Specialists; establish rapport with individuals experiencing behavioral health crisis, co-occurring disorders and/or traumas.
• Participate in a rotating on-call schedule to ensure 24/7 crisis response coverage, providing timely on-site or remote support to individuals in crisis.
• Advise on behavioral health-related service calls pertaining to Welfare and Institutions Code Section 5150 and 5585.
• Serve as a liaison between law enforcement, other county departments, the public, and private community-based organizations that provide behavioral health, crisis intervention, and homeless and supportive housing services.
• Carry and maintain a police radio to ensure real-time communication with dispatch, law enforcement, and emergency personnel during crisis response; perform routine checks on assigned equipment (police radio, smartphone) and promptly report any malfunction or issues to ensure operational readiness.
• Observe and report client's behavior; assess client's psychiatric and psychosocial needs; determine treatment objectives.
• Conduct assessments to determine the need for voluntary and involuntary psychiatric hospitalization in accordance with applicable laws and guidelines; document assessments and maintain statistics related to crisis services.
• Collaborate with hospitals, social service providers and other local agencies to coordinate referrals; ensure effective discharge planning and promote continuity of care countywide.
• Conduct daily briefing and debriefing meetings with Crisis Intervention Specialists.
• Provide guidance and on-scene support to Crisis Intervention Specialists responding to individuals in severe distress due to behavioral health issues, trauma, and/or substance use.
• Participate in regular planning meetings with the Program Manager and other leadership staff.
• Conduct comprehensive bio-psycho-social evaluations addressing client functioning, support networks, housing stability, and behavioral health needs.
• Facilitate and implement supportive practices for Crisis Intervention Specialists to reduce compassion fatigue and secondary trauma.
• Establish, revise, and maintain protocols for Crisis Intervention Specialists, train staff in response standards and procedures.
• Develop case management protocols; train and support staff in maintaining timely, accurate case documentation within the electronic database.
• Support the Program Manager in developing and implementing trauma-informed, equitable policies and protocols that ensure culturally relevant and effective care.
• Respond in the field when Crisis Intervention Specialists are unavailable; participate in after-hours incident response as needed.
• Provide telephone crisis counseling for clients, and crisis consultation for local agencies.
• Create and oversee an internship program to support Crisis Intervention Specialist operations and strengthen workforce development in homeless and behavioral health services countywide.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED

Education and Experience:

Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and five (5) years of experience in a mental health setting, including at least one (1) year of experience in field-based services as a specialist in the fields of mental health and substance use outreach and services.

Up to two (2) years of graduate professional education may be substituted for the experience requirement on a year-for-year basis.

OR

Up to two (2) years of post-associate degree experience may be substituted for the bachelor's degree, in addition to the required five (5) years in a mental health setting.

OR

One (1) year experience as Crisis Intervention Specialist with the County of Mendocino.

Licenses and Certifications:

Valid Driver’s License

5150/5585 Certifications

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge of:

• Principles and practices of leadership, supervision, staff development, and performance management in a behavioral health or crisis intervention setting.
• Methods for fostering a high-performing, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive team environment.
• Advanced crisis intervention, de-escalation, and therapeutic models applicable in diverse community settings.
• Best practices for managing complex, high-risk, or multi-agency crisis response situations.
• Roles, responsibilities, and operational protocols of law enforcement, first responders, and partner agencies.
• Applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and professional standards governing behavioral health services, involuntary holds, and client rights.
• Behavioral health terminology and psychiatric disorders.
• California Welfare & Institutions Code (5150 and 5585) on involuntary behavioral health holds.
• Strategic planning, program development, evaluation, and quality improvement in behavioral health programs.
• Available community resources and systems of care, including strategies for interagency coordination.
• Principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion as applied to service delivery, staff supervision, and policy development.

Skill in:

• Leading, supervising, mentoring, and evaluating multidisciplinary teams in a high-stakes, fast-paced environment.
• Making timely, sound decisions in complex and high-pressure situations.
• De-escalating and resolving conflict effectively.
• Facilitating collaboration among law enforcement, healthcare providers, social service agencies, and community organizations.
• Designing and implementing effective protocols, workflows, and performance metrics.
• Managing sensitive information with discretion, diplomacy, and in compliance with privacy laws.
• Communicating effectively in writing and verbally with diverse audiences, including the public, partner agencies, and governing bodies.
• Analyzing program data to identify trends, gaps, and opportunities for service enhancement.
• Resolving conflicts, mediating disputes, and maintaining professional composure during emergencies.

Mental and Physical Abilities:

• Ability to work evenings, nights, weekends, holidays, and on-call during emergencies as needed; Schedule/hours availability vary depending on the department’s needs.
• Ability to maintain mental capacity, which allows the ability to exercise sound judgment and rational thinking under varied circumstances.
• Maintain effective audio-visual discrimination and perception required for making observation and judgment regarding client behavior.
• Requires the ability to exert physical effort in an emergency as well as sedentary to light work involving moving from one area of the office to another.
• Effectively deal with personal danger; think and act quickly in emergencies.
• Capable of building and maintaining collaborative working relationships with public safety personnel to support joint operations and response efforts.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with others.
• Deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.
• While performing the essential functions of this job, the incumbent is regularly required to: stand, walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects; reach with hands and arms; speak and hear; and push, pull, move, or lift above and below the neck objects weighing up to 30 pounds.

Selection Procedure & Other Important Information

Important Application Information:

• It is your responsibility to demonstrate through your application materials how you meet the minimum qualifications of the position/s for which you apply.
• You must complete all sections of the application. A résumé or other information you feel will help us evaluate your qualifications may be attached to your completed application, but will not be accepted in lieu of completing any part of the application. Blank applications that contain only a résumé or those that reference “see résumé” will be rejected as incomplete.
• Check your application before submitting to ensure it is complete and correct; no new or additional information will be accepted after the closing date.
• Inquiry will be made of your former and current employers; please provide the names and telephone numbers of supervisors on your application.
• You must provide the names and contact information of at least three (3) references (not relatives) that have knowledge of your job skills, experience, ability and/or character.
• Application materials are the property of Mendocino County and will not be returned.
• It is your responsibility to keep your NEOGOV profile updated, including any changes to your telephone number or address. Failure to do so may result in missed notification of exams or interviews.
• The exam process listed on this flyer is tentative. Mendocino County reserves the right to make necessary modifications to the examination plan. Such revisions will be in accordance with approved personnel standards. Should a change be made, applicants will be notified.
• The provisions of this job bulletin do not constitute an expressed or implied contract.

Examination Process: All complete applications will be reviewed; incomplete applications will not be considered. Based on the number of qualified candidates, applicants meeting the job requirements and qualifications will be invited to participate in an oral examination (weight 100) or an application appraisal exam, consisting of an evaluation of education and experience as stated on the application form. The examination process will test the knowledge and abilities described above. A minimum score of 70 must be attained for placement on the employment list.

Special Testing: The County of Mendocino is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), if special accommodations for a disability or religious conviction are necessary at any stage of the application and/or testing process, please notify the Human Resources Department in advance at (707) 234-6600. Reasonable notice is required to allow adequate time for review and evaluation of your request.

Special Requirements: Employment in some County departments or positions may require the successful completion of a pre-employment criminal background, which may include fingerprinting, and/or a medical examination, which may include drug screening.

This announcement is a synopsis of duties and requirements of this job. To review the complete classification specification and benefits, please see the HR website. Applications must be submitted to the Human Resources Department by the final filing date.

The County of Mendocino participates in the E-Verify program to confirm employment eligibility. If hired, the information you provide on your Form I-9 will be used to verify your authorization to work in the United States.

Learn more:

• E-Verify Notice of Participation (Download PDF reader)
• Right to Work (Download PDF reader)

The County of Mendocino is an Equal Opportunity Employer

This information is a summary of general benefits. Benefits listed in Mendocino County Resolutions or Memorandums of Understanding prevail over this listing. This information is not legally binding, nor does it constitute a Contract.

SALARY
Compensation is based on a five-step salary range, with annual merit-based increases within the salary range.

RETIREMENT
Covered under Social Security and the 1937 act; both employees and the County pay into the retirement fund. For the most current information regarding County Retirement please go to:
https://www.mendocinocounty.org/retirement

HOLIDAYS AND PERSONAL LEAVE
Mendocino County observes 11 paid holidays per year. Employees are granted 24 - 48 hours of personal leave annually, depending upon Bargaining Unit.

VACATION
Accrues at the rate of two weeks per year for three years. Three weeks per year after three years, four weeks after eight years and five weeks after 15 years.

SICK LEAVE
Paid sick leave accrues at the rate of 1.25 days per month, or 15 days per year. Accruals are pro-rated for part-time employees working at least 20 hours per week. Part-time employees working less than 20 hours per week, and extra-help employees receive up to 24 hours (or 3 days) of paid sick leave annually.

MEDICAL, DENTAL, VISION, AND LIFE INSURANCE
The County and the employee share the cost of an employee selected health care plan; enrollment in the plan includes $20,000 Life Insurance.

HEALTH INSURANCE
For the most current information regarding Health Insurance please go to:
http://www.mendocinocounty.org/hr/ehb

EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
For the most current information regarding Employee Assistance please go to:
http://www.mendocinocounty.org/hr/eap

EMPLOYEE WELLNESS PROGRAM
For the most current information regarding Employee Wellness please go to:
http://www.mendocinocounty.org/hr/mcwow

LABOR CONTRACTS
For the complete list of most current labor agreements please go to:
http://www.mendocinocounty.org/hr/labor

Closing Date/Time: 7/9/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

Salary:

$75,920.00 - $92,268.80 Annually