SENIOR PSYCHOLOGIST, CORRECTIONAL FACILITY (SPECIALIST)

Job Description and Duties

Effective July 1, 2025in accordance with the applicable Memorandum of Understanding, the Personal Leave Program 2025 (PLP 2025) was implemented in response to the status of the State budget. PLP 2025 requires each full-time employee in Bargaining Unit 19 , and related Excluded, Exempt and Statutory Exempt employees, will have their base salary reduced by 3 percent and will receive 5 hours PLP 2025 leave credits monthly through June 2027 . Salaries do not reflect the recent changes.

Under the general direction of the Chief Psychologist, Clinical Support and Suicide Prevention and in coordination with the Regional Mental Health Administrators, Statewide Mental Health Program (SMHP) the Senior Psychologist, Specialist, will provide clinical support, data analysis, and review of suicide prevention and response practices for institutions within their assigned region. Travel is required.

Please note: Individuals may be eligible to receive a $10,000 one-time recruitment and retention stipend should they meet the eligibility criteria, including but not limited to remaining employed with CCHCS for six months. Additionally, individuals may be eligible to receive a monthly recruitment and retention differential during their first year with CCHCS (totaling $20,000), should they meet the eligibility criteria. 

IMPORTANT : California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) and California Correctional Health Care Services (CCHCS) employees may be eligible for a $5,000 referral bonus should you be selected for hire, and remain employed with CCHCS for 90 days. For a CDCR/CCHCS employee to be considered, a questionnaire must be completed to the best of your knowledge, including the referring employee’s name , classification , PERNR , and work location . The questionnaire will be provided to the selected candidate during the pre-employment process.

This position is located in the Mental Health Program.  The program’s mission is to provide ethical, professional, and effective mental health care services for patients within all of California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s institutions statewide.  With a competent, well-trained staff, they are committed to providing optimal care, promoting patients’ successful reintegration into society, and reducing recidivism.

This advertisement is for a Senior Psychologist, CF (Specialist) position(s) located at HQ in Elk Grove, Sacramento County. Please indicate the position number on your application: 065-923-9287-003.

Note: Main communication for this position will be through email.  Please ensure you have a valid email address on your application.

Please note: A Training and Development (T&D) assignment will not be considered at this time.

You will find additional information about the job in the .

Working Conditions

About the location – Headquarters

Up to 10% travel is required.

The position(s) is eligible for hybrid telework, in accordance with the Statewide Telework Policy and will be required to report to the office as needed/required. The successful candidate must reside in California upon appointment.

Special Requirements

License: Possession of a valid license as a Psychologist issued by the California Board of Psychology and possession of an earned Doctorate Degree in Psychology from an educational institution meeting the criteria of Section 2914 of the Medical Board of California's Business and Professions Code.

Please do not include any confidential information on any documents you submit for a job vacancy, such as your State application, resume, or educational transcripts. Confidential information that should be excluded or removed from these documents includes, but is not limited to, your Social Security Number (SSN), birthdate, student identification number, driver’s license number (unless required), basis of eligibility, examination results, LEAP status, marital status, and age. Confidential information on the first page of applications submitted electronically online, such as Easy ID number, SSN, examination related information, and driver’s license number will automatically be redacted upon submission.

Possession of Minimum Qualifications (MQ) will be verified prior to interview and/or appointment. If you are meeting MQ’s with education, you must include your unofficial transcripts/diploma for verification . Official transcripts may be required upon appointment. If it is determined an applicant does not meet the MQ’s, the candidate will be withheld from the eligibility list, rendering them inactive and ineligible to be hired for the position. Candidates who have been withheld may file an appeal with the State Personnel Board.

Applicants who completed their education outside of the US (with foreign degrees/transcripts) must obtain and submit verification of U.S. course/degree equivalency. Foreign education credential evaluation services can be found at .

Candidates new to CCHCS are required to submit to a background investigation process utilizing Live Scan Fingerprinting.

When submitting supporting documents, PDF file format is preferred.

CCHCS utilizes E-Verify to confirm candidate’s identity and employment authorization. For more information about E-Verify, you may go to .

This advertisement may be used for other vacancies that occur during the life of this recruitment. 

Employment History on the STD. 678  must be complete and include dates, accurate hours per week, total time worked, duties and responsibilities, and contact names and phone numbers of supervisors. To prepare for the State Application process, please visit .

Benefits

Benefit information can be found on the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR) website, , and the CalPERS website, .

Information on benefits afforded by membership in the California Public Employees Retirement System Benefit can be found on the CalHR website at .

Information on the benefits and protections provided to public employees by the State Civil Service Act can be found on the CalHR website at .

This webpage is intended to provide general information. Benefit eligibility may be based on job classification, bargaining unit, time base and length of appointment.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

PRIORITY CONSIDERATION WILL BE GIVEN TO RE-EMPLOYMENT, DEPARTMENTAL RESTRICTION OF APPOINTMENT, STATE RESTRICTION OF APPOINTMENT, AND SURPLUS CANDIDATES.

All methods of appointment may be considered.

EXAMINATION INFORMATION

To obtain list eligibility for the Senior Psychologist, Correctional Facility (Specialist) before applying for the position(s), you must first take and pass the examination.

State Application  Checklist

To prepare for the State application process, please visit .

Interview  Checklist

To prepare for the interview process, please refer to the

Required Application Package Documents

The following items are required to be submitted with your application. Applicants who do not submit the required items timely may not be considered for this job:

• Current version of the State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 (when not applying electronically), or the Electronic State Employment Application through your Applicant Account at All Experience and Education relating to the Minimum Qualifications listed on the Classification Specification should be included to demonstrate how you meet the Minimum Qualifications for the position.
• Resume is required and must be included.
• Statement of Qualifications -

  A Statement of Qualifications is REQUIRED and must be submitted with your Employment Application (STD. 678).  To be considered, applications must include an appropriate Statement of Qualifications following the instructions below. Resumes, cover letters, and other documents will not be considered as a response to the Statement of Qualifications.  Please refer to the “Statement of Qualifications” section below for specific requirements.

  For helpful guidance on writing an effective Statement Of Qualifications or a Supplemental Questionnaire, please visit Work4CA: How to Write a Statement of Qualifications .