Mental Health Specialist 2 (Underfill) - Residential Services

Mental Health Specialist 2 (Underfill) - Residential Services

Salary

$29.54 - $48.00 Hourly

Location

Salem, OR

Job Type

Full-time Regular

Job Number

554-2026-25

Department

Health and Human Services

Division

HHS - HS - Residential and Support Svcs

Opening Date

07/24/2026

Closing Date

8/6/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

FLSA

Non-Exempt

Bargaining Unit

06

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

Marion County requires on-site work. Remote work is not available.

Marion County Health and Human Services is seeking a compassionate, energetic and flexible Program Therapist to work at Horizon House Residential Treatment Facility. The Program Therapist will work collaboratively within an interdisciplinary team to provide Person-Centered mental health treatment services in a 24-hour residential clinical setting. This individual will be serving a caseload of up to 9 adult residents with serious mental illness. Ideal candidates will have direct or related experience working in a therapeutic milieu environment, facilitating therapeutic groups, implementing/writing treatment plans, and managing doctor's orders.

The candidate will collaborate with internal and external resources to assure the best possible treatment for residents. We actively engage our residents in treatment related activities by promoting community integration, and a recovery model approach that emphasizes independent skill development (e.g. cooking, budgeting, shopping, cleaning, nutrition, medications, social skills, communication). Schedule is standard M-F, 0800-1700 with some flexibility based on department need. The program therapist will also maintain clinical documentation, and transport clients as needed - Drivers License is required.

Wages:

Mental Health Specialist 1: $29.54 - $39.58 hr.

Mental Health Specialist 2: $35.83 - $48.00 hr.

GENERAL STATEMENT OF DUTIES

Mental Health Specialist 2:

Provide assessments and treatment of individuals and families, including groups; provides crisis assessment and intervention services and related duties as required. Primary responsibility of this class is to provide assessment and treatment services; crisis intervention, and treatment services, including intensive services, to individuals and their families with complex needs and diagnoses and/or to develop and implement specific services in the community.

Mental Health Specialist 1:

Plans and carries out recreational, social and skills training activities; performs case management and counseling functions with Adults in Custody (AIC); facilitates counseling and/or skills training groups; performs related duties as required. Primary responsibility of this class is case management and counseling, without responsibility for developing and implementing specific programs in the community.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED

Mental Health Specialist 2 and 1:

Works under the supervision of a supervisor who assigns work, establishes goals, and reviews the results obtained for overall effectiveness.

SUPERVISION EXERCISED

Mental Health Specialist 2 and 1:

Supervision of others is not a responsibility of positions in this classification. Crisis Clinician 2 may act as Clinical Supervisor designee when needed. May assist in the supervision of practicum students and/or volunteers

Typical Duties - Duties include, but are not limited to the following

Therapy:

• Will meet with each resident at least once per week, with additional sessions provided as clinically indicated, utilizing both traditional clinical settings and flexible approaches to meet individual needs. Provide independent, in-person individual and group therapy to individuals in residential treatment services using a variety of evidence-based practices as clinically indicated, which may include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS), Collaborative Problem-Solving (CPI), and Motivational Interviewing.
• Meet with individuals annually at minimum to update comprehensive mental health assessments, multi-disciplinary treatment plans, residential service plans, and other related required paperwork per Oregon Administrative Rules (OARs). Provide crisis assessment and specific intervention services, including development of safety/crisis plans.
• Provide and model interventions necessary for residents to achieve their highest level of functioning. Work on development of residents' natural supports.
• Be present in the milieu engaging individuals in milieu therapy. Work collaboratively with staff to provide clinical services, skills training, skills groups, and milieu management.
• Adheres to and support residents' rights as outlined in OARs surrounding Home Community Based (HCBS) services.

Case Management & Consultation:

• Consult with Community Mental Health Provider (CMHP) liaison and Oregon Health Authority (OHA) IQA/Comagine to provide/obtain essential OHA requirements such as assessments for individuals residing in the home as well as the Person-Centered Service Plan (PCSP).
• Determine individual service needs and appropriateness of services. Make referrals and coordinate with other agencies to obtain services, resources, benefits and entitlements-also providing follow-up work as needed, to make certain that residents' needs are being met. Provide case specific consultation to other providers and community partners.
• Work with a team of clinicians for treatment planning, team meetings, and trainings.
• Coordinates with supervisor and centralized scheduler to manage new referrals, screenings, and intakes. Responsible for completing all aspects of the referral screening, and intake process, including required documentation, coordination with ENCCs, community providers, and facilities, and completion of OHA and IQA/Comagine paperwork.
• Work with and supervisor for clinical supervision.

Documentation:

• Maintains resident's records and documents services provided to reflect progress in services as well as service needs.
• Complete clinical record documentation in a timely fashion. Meets performance expectations for time and billing standards

Medication:

• Assist Horizon House team with the medication administration record (MAR) by being a backup for the weekly and monthly MAR audit, maintaining doctors' orders, coordinating with medical facilities, and communicating any medical changes with Horizon House staff/supervisors.

Misc.:

• Must be able to drive county vehicles to provide services to individuals including driving residents to appointments/outings, attend meetings, or run small errands for facility purposes such as grocery shopping.
• Maintains Qualified Mental Health Professional (QMHP) certification or license of similar measure.
• Other duties as assigned by your supervisor.

Response Level 2: In the event of an emergency, employee makes a reasonable effort to report to work. Employee may be required to perform duties outside of their regularly assigned duties. Employee may be requested to work an extended or flexible schedule. Staff at this response level must complete Incident Command System 100 and 700 on-line or in-person training.

Requirements for the Position

EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING

• Possession of a Masters degree in Psychology, Social Work, Recreational Therapy, Music Therapy, Art Therapy or a behavioral science field, or possession of a bachelors degree in Nursing and licensed by the State of Oregon, or possession of a bachelors degree in Occupational Therapy and licensed by the State of Oregon; OR second year graduate students waivered as QMHPs by the Oregon Health Authority.
• Mental Health Therapist 2 Only: In addition to the educational requirements above, the Mental Health Therapist 2 must have at least one year of full-time, post-Masters degree experience in the behavioral health field.

AUTO-PROMOTE AND SPECIAL CONDITIONS OF CLASSIFICATION

Individuals hired as a Mental Health Specialist 1 will auto-promote, as noted in Article 4 in the Marion County personnel rules, to the classification of Mental Health Specialist 2 upon satisfactorily completing one-year, post masters degree, of service as a Mental Health Specialist 1. (One-year of work experience is equal to 2080 hours)

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Must be either1) licensed by the Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors, 2) licensed by the Oregon Board of Licensed Social Workers or 3) credentialed or registered through the Mental Health and Addiction Counseling Board of Oregon (MHACBO) as a Qualified Mental Health Professional (QMHP) within the first 30 days of employment. Applicants may be required to pass a practical knowledge and skills assessment as part of the interview process.
• This position may be subject to the following: Must not be excluded from participation in the federal health care programs (Medicaid, Medicare and other federally funded programs that provide health benefits); AND must not be excluded from participating in federal procurement (Federal Acquisition Regulation) and non-procurement activities (Executive Order No. 12549).
• Must possess a current drivers license in the applicants state of residence and an acceptable driving history. Marion County will obtain a copy of the driving record for all qualified applicants from Driver and Motor Vehicle Services and review the driving record according to the Marion County policy and procedure for Driving on County Business. The policy can be found at: http://apps.co.marion.or.us/APAP/.
• The finalist for this position will be required to pass a criminal history background check; however, conviction of a crime may not necessarily disqualify an individual for this position.
• This is a safety sensitive/special needs position. Final candidates selected for this position will be required to pass a pre-employment drug screen, including testing for marijuana. The Marion County Drug and Alcohol Use and Testing Policy can be found at: http://apps.co.marion.or.us/APAP/policy.aspx?p=policy&pid=518.
• This assignment is represented by a union.
• This is a full-time position, which is eligible for overtime.
• Typical Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. with flexibility depending upon the needs of the department and program

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

Working knowledge of community mental health concepts or chemical dependency case management and treatment services; individual assessment, treatment planning and treatment protocols; mental health disorders and diagnostic classifications.

Ability to establish positive working relationships with other employees, individuals and their families, other agencies, and the public; prepare concise and complete clinical documentation related to individual treatment and progress in services in a timely and professional manner; work within a team and collaborate with team members; knowledge of and ability to act professionally with regard to a code of ethics and confidentiality.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

Operates a motor vehicle; sees using depth perception; sits; stands; moves about the work area; climbs 1 floor of stairs; operates a keyboard; lifts, pushes, pulls, and carries up to 15 lbs. for up to 50 yards; speaks with a clear and audible voice; reads a 12 pt. font; hears a normal speech level; works in areas that may be exposed to heat, cold, humidity, dust, second-hand smoke, noise, blood/body fluids, or household cleaning chemicals such as bleach or cleansers; may work in areas that are uneven or wet.

PUBLIC SERVICE LOAN FORGIVENESS

Marion County is a qualifying public employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. Through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, full-time employees working at the County may qualify for forgiveness of the remaining balance on Direct Student Loans after 120 qualifying monthly payments under a qualifying repayment plan. Questions about your student loan eligibility should be directed to your loan servicer or the US Department of Education.

VISA SPONSORSHIP

Marion County does not offer VISA sponsorship. Within three days of hire, you will be required to complete the US Department of Homeland Security's I-9 form confirming authorization to work in the United States. Marion County is an E-Verify employer and will use E-Verify to confirm that hires are authorized to work in the United States.

VETERANS' PREFERENCE

Applicants are eligible to use Veterans' Preference when applying with Marion County in accordance with ORS 408.225, 408.230, and 408.235 and OAR 105-040-0010 and 105-040-0015. Preference will be awarded only if the applicant meets the minimum requirements of the position and attaches the required documentation at the time of application.

DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR VETERANS' PREFERENCE

• One of the following:

• MEMBER COPY 4 of the Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD Form 214 or 215); OR

• Letter from the US Department of Veterans Affairs indicating receipt of a non-service connected pension; OR

• Certification that discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions will take place not later than 120 days after the submission of the certificate.

• In addition to one of the above documents, Disabled Veterans must also submit one of the following:

• A copy of their Veterans disability preference letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs; OR

• Certification that medical separation from active duty under honorable conditions will take place not later than 120 days after the submission of the certificate.

You can request copies of your military service record through the National Archives website at http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/

Marion County is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action, Veteran and Disability employer committed to increasing the diversity of its workforce.

Applicants with a disability may request reasonable accommodation, through Human Resources, in any step of the process to assist them in demonstrating their qualifications to perform the duties of the position for which they are applying. Please e-mail Human Resources if you wish to request an accommodation.

Marion County offers a generous benefits package to regular employees working 50% or more of the regularly scheduled work week and their eligible dependents. Temporary employees and part-time regular employees working less than 50% of the regularly scheduled work week are not eligible for benefits.

Most regular positions in this classification are represented by Marion County Employees Association (MCEA). For a summary of benefits, click here. For a complete and detailed overview of the MCEA benefits package, click here, and select MCEA Benefits from the left menu or Marion County Employees Association (MCEA) from the page links. Regular and temporary employees are represented by MCEA.

Salary and benefits are subject to union contract negotiations and may change as a result.

01

To receive credit for your supplemental questions, your answers must be supported by details in the education and/or work experience section of your application form. "See resume" is not an acceptable answer. Do you understand this statement?

• Yes
• No

02

Are you, or have you been, credentialed by the Mental Health & Addictions Certification Board of Oregon (MHACBO) as a Qualified Mental Health Professional (QMHP) or another credentialling board?

• Yes
• No

03

Indicate how many years of full-time work experience you have working with adults with serious mental illness (i.e., Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, etc.). (One year of work experience is equal to 2080 hours.)

• Less than 1 year
• 1 year to less than 3 years
• 3 years to less than 5 years
• 5 years or more
• None of the above

04

Please specify the place(s) of employment where you gained the work experience listed in the previous question. Write NA in the box if this question does not apply to you. Experience listed in this answer must be supported by the work experience section of your application.

05

Indicate how many years of full-time work experience you have providing case management for adults diagnosed with a mental illness (One year of work experience is equal to 2080 hours.)

• Less than 1 year
• 1 year to less than 3 years
• 3 years to less than 5 years
• 5 years or more
• None of the above

06

Please specify the place(s) of employment where you gained the work experience listed in the previous question. Write NA in the box if this question does not apply to you. Experience listed in this answer must be supported by the work experience section of your application.

Required Question

Employer Marion County

Address PO BOX 14500

Salem, Oregon, 97309

Phone (503) 566-3949

Website https://www.co.marion.or.us/HR/Pages/jobs.aspx