Mental Health Counselor -Licensed/Registered

Job Description:

Mental Health Counselor -Licensed/Registered

Description

The Napa Valley

Napa County is home to 140,000 residents who share a strong sense of community and a legacy of preserving and protecting our rich agricultural heritage.

Located in the heart of California's preeminent wine region, the Napa Valley is also part of the dynamic San Francisco Bay Metropolitan Area. With its sunny Mediterranean climate and proximity to the mountains and ocean, the Valley offers residents easy access to virtually unlimited shopping, dining, cultural and recreational opportunities.

The Napa Valley's strategic location, natural and cultural resources, history of responsible land use planning and attractive quality of life provide the ideal mix of small town living and big city amenities.

Napa County as an Employer

As an organization, Napa County is dedicated to improving the lives of our citizens and reflecting the best of the community's values: Respect, Accountability, Dedication, Integrity and Innovation. Learn more HERE.

The Position

It’s an exciting time to join Napa County Health and Human Service Agency's (HHSA) Behavioral Health Division. Alcohol and Drug Services is seeking a licensed clinician (or Unlicensed Registered Associates, depending on qualifications). This role supports the Alcohol and Drug Services Outpatient Program in providing individual and group counseling, assessment, care coordination between interagency parters, and individualized client care.
Mental Health Counselor - Register is the unlicensed, journey level position in the professional Mental Health Counselor series. This class is distinguished from the Mental Health Counselor-Licensed class in that the latter is licensed and is the technical lead for the Mental Health Counselor-Unlicensed class in the series.

Mental Health Counselor - Licensed is the licensed, advanced journey level clinician, in the professional Mental Health Counselor series. This class performs work in accordance with the licensing requirements as a licensed mental health professional with full exercise of authority to approve and make professional clinical decisions.

Click here to learn more about HHSA's commitment to learning and serving!

This recruitment is being conducted to fill one full-time vacancy. The list established by this recruitment may also be used to fill current and future full-time, part-time, limited term, and extra help vacancies for up to one year. Bilingual Spanish preferred but not required. This position may be filled with the Licensed or Unlicensed Registered Associate classification, depending on qualifications.

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Agreed Winter Time Off:
32 hours of Winter Time Off

POSITION REQUIREMENTS

Experience and Education:
Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge, skills, and abilities would be:
Mental Health Counselor - Register ( $ 50.33 - $60.01/HOURLY )
Experience:
Two years experience in the provision of mental health counseling services.

AND

Education:
Possession of a Master's degree from an accredited college or university in Social Work, Marriage and Family Counseling, clinical psychology, counseling, or a field of study approved by the California State Board of Behavioral Science Examiners.

License or Certificate:*
Incumbent in this position is expected to operate automotive vehicles in the performance of assigned duties. Due to assignments and hours worked, public transportation may not be an efficient method for traveling to required locations. Individuals appointed will be required to maintain a valid California Driver's License while employed.

Registration: Current Registration by the State of California Board of Behavioral Science Examiners as either an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT), Associate Clinical Social Worker (ACSW), or Associate Professional Clinical Counselor (APCC). For candidates who have recently graduated and are in process of submitting their registration to the BBS, they need to be in compliance with the “90 Day Rule” ( Don't Lose Your Hours: Know the 90-Day Rule ).

Mental Health Counselor - License ( $52.12 - $62.27/HOURLY )
Experience:
Two years supervised experience in a mental health setting providing direct services to mentally or emotionally disabled persons, including dual diagnosis and addiction concerns for those assigned to the substance abuse setting.

AND

Education:
Possession of a master's degree from an accredited college or university in social work, clinical or counseling psychology, or a closely related field.

Licensure:
Current license by the State of California Board of Behavioral Science Examiners as either a Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT), Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), or Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC); OR current license by the State of California as a Licensed Psychologist.

Loss of the required State licensure may result in termination or reassignment.

License or Certificate:*
Incumbent in this position is expected to operate automotive vehicles in the performance of assigned duties. Due to assignments and hours worked, public transportation may not be an efficient method for traveling to required locations. Individuals appointed will be required to maintain a valid California Driver's License while employed.

. *Any license, certification, or registration required for this position shall be maintained (i.e. active and in good standing) at all times during employment with Napa County. For continued employment with Napa County, you must maintain such license, certification, or registration to meet the minimum qualifications of this position.

Loss of the required State licensure may result in termination or reassignment.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:
Incumbents in this classification may work after hours, evenings, and/or weekends, as required

THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS
Application Deadline By 5:00 PM, PST, July 21, 2026 Application Screening & Supplemental Question Scoring
Tentatively scheduled for the week of July 20, 2026

Supplemental questions will be scored by subject matter experts. The most qualified applicants from the scoring of the supplemental questions will be invited for an Oral Panel Interview.
Oral Panel Interview Tentatively scheduled for the week August 3, 2026

The most qualified candidates from the oral panel interview will be placed on the eligibility list and may be considered for current and future vacancies for this position for up to one year.

Human Resources Department reserves the right to make changes to the recruitment process and schedule at any time.

Example of Duties

View the full job description including the example of duties for Mental Health Counselor (Registered) and Mental Health Counselor (Licensed) .

Benefits
Learn more about the benefits package for this position HERE.

ADA Accommodation
Applicants requiring accommodation during the application and/or selection process pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities (ADA) Act should contact County of Napa Human Resources at (707) 253-4303.
Napa County employees automatically become Disaster Service Workers. This means that when Napa County experiences emergencies (earthquake, wildfire, power outage, etc.) you may be asked to pivot from your regular duties to provide critical services to those affected by the emergency (CA Govt Code § 3102).

Napa County is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

PUBLIC SERVICES EMPLOYEES BENEFITS INFORMATION

SALARY -
Salaries are based on a five-step range. Appointments are usually made at the beginning step with advances occurring at six months and the completion of each year thereafter. Salary rates are reviewed annually.

ADDITIONAL BENEFITS INFO -
Click here for additional benefits information forPublic ServicesEmployees:
https://www.countyofnapa.org/DocumentCenter/View/25886/Benefits-Summary---Public-Service-Employee-PSE

THESE BENEFITS DO NOT APPLY TO EXTRA HELP POSITIONS

EMPLOYMENT INFORMATION

PHYSICAL STANDARDS -
Certain designated County positions require a candidate to pass a physical examination prior to appointment. Offers of employment are conditional upon successful completion of this examination.

FINGERPRINTING -
All employees hired into allocated positions or extra help positions will be fingerprinted.

SELECTION PROCESS -

FOR POSITIONS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS AND THE PROBATION DEPARTMENT - The selection process will include an oral board interview, psychological assessment, background investigation, and a pre-employment physical exam.

Closing Date/Time: 7/21/2026 5:00 PM Pacific

Salary:

$104,686.40 - $129,521.60 Annually