Supervising Mental Health Clinician-Primary Care Interface Team (Departmental Promotional Only)

San Mateo County Health's Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS) Division is seeking a well-qualified individual for the position of Supervising Mental Health Clinician – Primary Care Interface Team.

About the Role

Join BHRS as a Supervising Mental Health Clinician and lead an innovative, high-impact program that serves as a key entry point to behavioral health services for thousands of individuals each year. This role is central to integrated care, bridging behavioral health and primary care to ensure patients receive timely, evidence-based, and trauma informed services while remaining connected to their medical home. 

This position provides clinical and administrative oversight across six embedded primary care clinics and leads a team that includes psychiatrists, social workers, marriage and family therapists, case managers, medical office assistants, health counselors, community workers/peer specialists with lived experience and clinical interns. The role also requires close collaboration with internal BHRS programs and external partners, including San Mateo Medical Center (SMMC) and the Health Plan of San Mateo (HPSM).

As a leadership role overseeing approximately 2,600 referrals annually, this position plays a pivotal role in shaping integrated care workflows and advancing community health outcomes across San Mateo County. This position is part of the BHRS Medical Team that reports to the BHRS Medical Director.

This role offers meaningful opportunities for professional growth and leadership development within a mission-driven, community focused environment. 

Program Overview

This Primary Care Interface Program uses a brief treatment model to provide rapid access to behavioral health services, improve engagement, and support positive clinical outcomes while keeping patients connected to their primary care providers. 

The program operates across two electronic health record systems (Avatar and EPIC) to support seamless coordination between behavioral health and medical providers.   Through this multidisciplinary, integrated approach, the program serves individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) and co-occurring disorders and functions as a key entry point to the broader behavioral health system.   

Key Responsibilities

As the Supervising Mental Health Clinician, responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Provide clinical and administrative supervision to clinicians embedded in six primary care clinics.
• Oversee direct and indirect reports, ensuring high-quality care and adherence to clinical standards.
• Plan, implement and coordinate all unit related activity.
• Manage an entry-to-care program with approximately 2,600 referrals annually using a brief treatment model.

• Foster cross-collaboration across clinics, behavioral health programs, and SMMC and HPSM partners.
• Facilitate development of training programs for staff and interns and support clinicians in delivering evidence-based interventions for common mental health conditions.
• Facilitate case consultations, team meetings, and training sessions.
• Conduct therapy for individuals, couples and families; make diagnoses.
• Ensure accurate documentation and compliance across Avatar and EPIC EHR systems adhering to state and division policy and procedures.
• Monitor program performance and contribute to workflow and quality improvements efforts.
• Conduct annual or as-needed performance evaluations for supervisees.
• Track and report data for established and pilot programs to leadership.

The ideal candidate will bring:

• At least two (2) years of post-licensure clinical experience providing direct mental health services, with crisis-related work preferred.
• Strong supervisory skills, including at least two (2) years of experience providing administrative and clinical supervision to mental health clinicians and paraprofessionals, including team development and support for complex client needs.
• Knowledge of program management techniques and practices.
• Expertise in clinical work with youth and adults with serious mental illness, including co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders.
• Knowledge of system of care principles and crisis continuum of care, including inpatient and outpatient clinical settings.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with consumers, families, professionals, primary care partners, BRHS programs, Psychiatric Emergency Services (PES), homeless services providers, and community partners.
• Ability to make sound, timely decisions, often in high pressure or crises situations.
• Knowledge of evidence-based clinical practice modalities, such as motivational interviewing, solution-focused brief treatment, cognitive behavioral therapy, wellness and recovery principles, and trauma informed care.
• Knowledge of Medi-Cal and Medicare regulations and managed mental health care.
• Strong working knowledge of Avatar, EPIC and other tools or databases used by BHRS for information and charting.

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