Mental Health Program Specialist - Behavioral Health Services Act (Open & Promotional)

Job Description:

Mental Health Program Specialist - Behavioral Health Services Act (Open & Promotional)

Description

Description

San Mateo County Health is seeking two experienced and dynamic professionals to serve as Mental Health Program Specialists within the Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS) division, supporting implementation of the Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA) and advancing system-wide transformation efforts.

These full-time, permanent positions will play key roles in strengthening behavioral health infrastructure, ensuring regulatory alignment, optimizing Medi-Cal revenue systems, and advancing integrated, evidence-based, whole-person care across BHRS.

Since 2006, BHRS has been committed to building a welcoming, recovery-oriented, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive system of care that addresses the full spectrum of client health, physical, emotional, behavioral, and social. Recent state legislation, regulatory changes, and local innovation efforts have reshaped the behavioral health landscape. These positions will help ensure BHRS remains responsive, compliant, and forward-thinking in this evolving environment.

About the Roles

Depending on experience and organizational need, selected candidates may support one of the following focus areas:

Policy & System Integration

• 
  Strengthening policy review and analysis infrastructure and ensuring alignment with federal, state, and local regulations
  
• Conducting system mapping and organizational assessments to identify service delivery gaps related to integrated behavioral health service delivery
• Supporting organizational culture change needed for continuous quality improvement
• Monitoring and analyzing behavioral health legislative and regulatory developments
• Identifying and standardizing performance metrics to support data-informed decision-making

Evidence-Based Practices & Revenue Optimization

• 
  Leading Medi-Cal billing and revenue cycle improvement initiatives
  
• Oversee initiatives focused on developing certification and billing infrastructure for contracted community-based providers
• Coordinating agency-wide requirements for implementation and fidelity monitoring of Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs)
• Supporting the implementation of Behavioral Health Community-Based Organized Networks of Equitable Care and Treatment (BH-CONNECT) and other EBP and Medi-Cal billing-related initiatives
• Advising leadership on relevant policy changes to support strategic planning for implementation of sustainable, high-quality service delivery

Both positions collaborate closely with clinical teams, administrative leadership, community-based organizations, managed care partners, and state agencies to advance integrated, equitable behavioral health care.

Why Join BHRS?

This is an opportunity to contribute to meaningful, system-level transformation in public behavioral health. These roles directly support BHSA implementation, integrated care advancement, fiscal sustainability, and equitable access to high-quality services for diverse communities across San Mateo County.

If you are a strategic thinker who thrives at the intersection of policy, operations, data, and behavioral health innovation, we encourage you to apply.

The ideal candidate for the Policy & System Integration will demonstrate:

• 
  Deep knowledge of integrated whole-person behavioral health care models and system design principles.
  
• Experience conducting organization-wide assessments, system mapping, and gap analyses to inform strategic transformation.
• Strong ability to interpret and operationalize complex state and federal behavioral health legislation and regulatory guidance.
• Demonstrated success leading cross-functional change management initiatives that shift agency culture and service delivery models.
• Advanced analytical skills to translate performance metrics and assessment findings into system-level policy and recommendations for operational improvements.
• Strong facilitation skills to convene multidisciplinary stakeholders, including leadership, clinical teams, and external partners.
• Commitment to equity-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive organizational practices.

Policy & System Integration duties may include but are not limited to:

• 
  Lead system-level policy review efforts to ensure alignment with evolving behavioral health regulatory requirements.
  
• Monitor relevant behavioral health legislation, regulations and guidance and prepare formal impact analyses and implementation recommendations.
• Establish sustainable policy governance and review processes, including stakeholder engagement.
• Facilitate organizational assessments to inform ongoing integrated whole-person care initiatives.
• Develop agency-wide frameworks for implementation, staff training and technical assistance that advance whole-person integrated care delivery, including evidence-based co-occurring practices and recovery-oriented approaches.
• Present policy analysis and system-level recommendations to executive leadership, advisory bodies and external stakeholders.
• Collaborate with cross-functional behavioral health teams working on performance outcomes, workforce development, billing system integration, and innovative service delivery.

The ideal candidate for the Evidence-Based Practice & Revenue Optimization will demonstrate:

• 
  Knowledge of Medi-Cal billing, managed care contracting, and behavioral health patient care revenue systems.
  
• Demonstrated ability to analyze data and develop system-level recommendations for operational improvements.
• Knowledge of BH-CONNECT and other DHCS initiatives impacting Medi-Cal reimbursement and documentation standards.
• Experience with implementation, readiness assessment, and fidelity monitoring of evidence-based practices (EBPs).
• Strong facilitation skills to convene multidisciplinary stakeholders, including leadership, clinical teams, and external partners.
• Commitment to quality assurance, audit readiness, and continuous improvement in public behavioral health systems.

Evidence-Based Practice & Revenue Optimization duties may include but are not limited to:

• 
  Serve as BHRS subject matter expert on Medi-Cal billing, reimbursement regulations, and revenue optimization strategies.
  
• Lead patient care revenue maximization initiatives focused on improving billing accuracy and maximizing allowable Medi-Cal reimbursement.
• Oversee initiatives focused on developing and implementing streamlined billing infrastructure for community-based organizations to optimize Medi-Caleligible services, peer supports, and community-defined evidence practices (CDEPs).
• Facilitate an Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) Committee to support EBP selection, review, and policy and procedure development.
• Work collaboratively with BHRS Program Managers and Quality Management team to ensure EBP implementation to fidelity in compliance with state and federal guidelines.
• Review EBP revenue-generation, utilization and other relevant data and make recommendations for adjustments as necessary to optimize billing, cost recovery, and compliance.
• Prepare actionable reports, briefs, and presentations to inform executive leadership strategic planning and decision-making.

NOTE: The eligible list generated from this recruitment may be used to fill future extra-help, term, unclassified, and regular classified vacancies.

Qualifications
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 of:

• 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

Skill/Ability to:

• 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

Application/Examination

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, or extra-help/limited term position 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. f you are not on the County's website, please go to https://jobs.smcgov.org/ 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: Monday, March 9, 2026, at 11:59 PM PST
Application Screening: Week of March 9, 2026
Panel Interviews: Week of March 23, 2026

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. We seek to hire, support, and retain employees who reflect our diverse community.

We encourage applicants with diverse backgrounds and lived experiences to apply.

Talent Acquisition Analyst: Priscilla Bermudez (022026) (Mental Health Program Specialist - G081)

Salary:

$121,451.20 - $151,798.40 Annually