Behavioral Health Peer Specialist

Behavioral Health Peer Specialist

Print (

Apply



Behavioral Health Peer Specialist

Salary

$49,777.92 - $54,872.64 Annually

Location

Sacramento, CA

Job Type

Permanent Full-Time

Job Number

29646-A

Department

Health Services

Opening Date

12/13/2021

Closing Date

Continuous

• Description

• Benefits

• Questions

The Position

This is a continuous filing exam. Next filing cut-offs are at 5:00 pm on:

1/6/26, 2/10/26, 3/10/26, 4/14/26, 5/12/26, 6/9/26, 7/14/26, 8/11/26, 9/8/26, 10/13/26, 11/10/26, 12/8/26

Under general supervision, provides peer support such as sharing recovery stories, identifying wellness goals, and providing emotional support to consumers of behavioral health services and their families.

Please click one of the links below to learn more about the position:

Behavior Health Peer Specialist Job Flyer on Canva (

Behavior Health Peer Specialist Job Flyer as PDF

Current recruitment includes (but is not limited to) the following positions:

Access Team. Click here ( for more information on this exciting new opportunity.

The following table illustrates the salary range for this position should you be assigned to one of the programs that receives a differential:

ProgramDifferential AmountCombined Salary

Homeless Engagement and Response Team (In the Field/Encampments)5%$52,266.82 - $57,616.27

Community Wellness Response Team (CWRT)10%$54,755.71 - $60,359.90

Examples of Knowledge and Abilities

Knowledge of

• Applicable laws, rules and regulations related to behavioral health services

• Public and private agency services available for families, children, and adults with behavioral health and recovery challenges

• Crisis intervention techniques

• Needs and difficulties faced by ethnically diverse consumers and families/caregivers of consumers of behavioral health services

• Methods and techniques to communicate effectively with behavioral health consumers, families/caregivers, the community, and treatment/care teams

• Cultural and social factors affecting behavioral health and recovery

• Office procedures, methods, and equipment including computers and applicable software applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, databases, and other specialized applications related to area of assignment

• English usage, spelling, grammar, and punctuation

• Principles of effective customer service

Ability to

• Read and understand written and verbal rules, policies, and procedures

• Maintain client confidentiality

• Compose and maintain accurate and appropriate records of services provided

• Meet required timelines for referrals, follow-up, and coordination of care

• Establish and maintain cooperative, effective working relationships with clients, co-workers, other agencies, and the general public

• Communicate clearly and concisely, both verbally and in writing

• Analyze situations accurately and adopt an effective course of action

• Effectively organize and prioritize work assignments

• Interpret and apply applicable federal, state, and local laws, codes, and regulations

• Apply customer service skills, including the identification of customer needs and follow up to ensure customer commitments have been met

Employment Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

Currently or previously a consumer of behavioral health services (such as mental health or substance use), or a parent or family member/caregiver of a behavioral health consumer.

Note: If the word “experience” is referenced in the minimum qualifications, it means full-time paid experience unless the minimum qualification states that volunteer experience is acceptable. Part-time paid experience may be accumulated and pro-rated to meet the total experience requirements.

General Qualifications

Criminal History and Background Checks: The County may access criminal history information on candidates who have accepted a conditional offer of appointment for this class consistent with the provisions of Board of Supervisors Resolution No. 82-602, Personnel Policies, and applicable federal and state laws. The County shall not consider for employment any candidate who has been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor that relates to or impacts the candidate’s ability to perform the job duties of this class unless it is determined that mitigating circumstances exist. For purposes of accessing criminal history information, the candidate will be fingerprinted. A subsequent arrest notification may be obtained.

The County may also conduct a background check on the candidate prior to appointment to a position within this class. The background check may include personal and professional reference checks, credit history checks where authorized by Labor Code section 1024.5, Social Security Number verification, professional license/registration verification, military service information and driving history. Information obtained in the course of this background check will be considered by the appointing authority in the selection process. In obtaining such information, the County will comply with applicable consent and disclosure practices in the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the California Investigative Consumer Reporting Agencies Act.

License Requirement: A valid California Driver License, Class C or higher, shall be required at the time of appointment. Failure to obtain or maintain the appropriate California Driver License may constitute cause for personnel action in accordance with Civil Service Rules or applicable bargaining agreement. Individuals who do not meet this requirement due to disability will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Certification/Training Requirement: Incumbents in this class will be required to complete Federal or State required training and/or certification upon written notice from the appointing authority. Failure to obtain or maintain the appropriate certification or training may constitute cause for personnel action in accordance with Civil Service Rules or applicable bargaining agreement.

Child and Elder Abuse Reporting: Persons selected for employment in this class must, as a condition of employment, sign a statement agreeing to comply with Section 11166 of the California Penal Code and Section 15630 of the Welfare and Institutions Code relating to child and elder abuse reporting.

Physical Requirements : Positions in this class require the incumbents to be able to lift boxes of outreach materials or other items weighing up to 25 pounds without assistance.

Individuals who do not meet this requirement due to disability will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Working Conditions: Positions in this class require the incumbents to:

• Be exposed to emotionally disturbed or mentally ill persons and/or confrontational interpersonal situations.

• Work in dangerous, high crime areas of the community.

• Work during non-routine hours, including evenings, holidays, and weekends.

• Work outside in all types of climatic conditions including inclement, very hot or very cold weather.

Probationary Period

The probationary period for this classification is six (6) months.

Application and Testing Information

APPLICATION

Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply immediately. All applicants must complete and submit an online County of Sacramento employment application by 5:00 PM on the posted cut-off date. Click here ( to apply.

County of Sacramento

Department of Personnel Services

Employment Services Division

700 H Street, Room 4667

Sacramento, CA 95814

Phone View phone number on click.appcast.io; 7-1-1 California Relay Service

Email View email address on click.appcast.io

Inter-Office Mail Code: 09-4667

• Employment applications and all documentation requested in this announcement must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on the cut-off date.

• Employment Services is not responsible for any issues or delays caused by an applicant's computer or web browser. Applicants will be automatically logged out if they have not submitted their applications and all documentation prior to 5:00 p.m. on the cut-off date.

• Your application should highlight all relevant education, training, and experience, and clearly indicate how you meet the minimum qualifications for the position as of the cut-off date.

• Application information must be current, concise and related to the requirements in this job announcement. You may only apply for this recruitment once. Duplicate and incomplete applications will be disqualified.

• A resume may be included with your application, however it will not substitute for the information requested on the application.

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE

Applicants are required to provide a full and complete response to each supplemental question. The Supplemental Questionnaire is located in the tab marked "Supplemental Questions". Please be descriptive in your response.

Note: Responses of "See Resume" or "See Application", or copy and paste of work experience are not qualifying responses and will not be considered.

• Supplemental Questionnaires must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on the cut-off date. Employment Services is not responsible for any issues or delays caused by an applicant's computer or web browser. Applicants will be automatically logged out if they have not submitted their applications and all documentation prior to 5:00 p.m. on the cut-off date.

• The supplemental questions are designed to elicit specific information regarding a candidate's experience, education, and training. Responses should be consistent with the information on your application and are subject to verification.

• Please provide place of employment, pertinent dates, and concise, descriptive and detailed information for each question.

• If a job included responsibilities applicable to several questions, separate the different functions of the job to answer all the questions completely.

• Resumes or referral to the application or other questionnaire responses will not be accepted in lieu of completing each question.

• If you have no experience, write "no experience" for the appropriate question.

• For many individuals, it is more efficient to develop responses to the supplemental questions in a word processing document and then paste them into the final document to be submitted. Changes or corrections to your Supplemental Questionnaire cannot be made once your application packet has been submitted.

• If the Supplemental Questionnaire is used in the Formula Rate exam, failure to complete all of the questions or incomplete responses will result in a lower score. While scoring the Supplemental Questionnaire, the candidate's application and/or attachments will not be reviewed, therefore, a candidate's responses to the questions should be accurate, thorough, detailed, and complete.

FORMULA RATE EXAMINATION (Weighted 100%)

All candidates meeting the minimum qualifications by the cut-off date will have their Supplemental Questionnaire scored in the Formula Rate Examination.

This examination will evaluate the relevance, level, recency, progression and quality of candidate's education, training and experience. The candidate's application or other materials will not be included in this examination. Therefore, the candidate's responses to the supplemental questionnaire should be thorough, detailed and complete. The score from the Formula Rate Examination will determine the ranking on the eligible/employment list for this job.

All candidates competing in the testing process will receive written notice of their examination results by email. Notices can also be accessed in their governmentjobs.com inbox. Applicants achieving a passing score will be placed on the eligible list in rank order. The rank is determined by the test score attained from the examination.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Click here ( for Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

For information regarding County jobs:

Sacramento County is about enriching communities to thrive. We strive to create inclusive workplaces that reflect the communities we serve. We value and celebrate the unique perspectives, backgrounds, abilities, and diverse dimensions of our employees and residents. Through transparency, courage, innovation, and trust we are committed to advance equity and transformational change.

We are a proud equal opportunity employer. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability for any phase of the hiring process, please contact our Disability Compliance Office at View email address on click.appcast.io or View phone number on click.appcast.io, CA Relay 711. For more information, visit: Reasonable Accommodation Requests - Job Applicant Instructions (

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS

As an employee of the County of Sacramento, there will be a variety of benefits available to you. These benefits currently include: health, dental and life insurance; flexible spending account options for dependent care and unreimbursed dental and/or medical cost; and an employee assistance program (EAP).

GENERAL BENEFITS:

Most employee benefits are similar to the following for all County employees. However, some benefits differ, depending on the employee representation unit to which the employee's job classification is assigned. Information about the exact benefits applicable to a particular job classification may be obtained from the Sacramento County Department of Benefits or by visiting

TEMPORARY POSITIONS:

Most benefits do not apply to temporary positions. The explanations of benefits applies to employees in regular positions.

SALARY STEP INCREASES:

The beginning salary and the top of the salary range are usually shown on the job announcement. Upon satisfactory service, salary increases of approximately 5% are given annually until the top of the salary range has been attained.

PAY:

All employees are paid bi-weekly via direct deposit into the employee's bank account. The pay period covers fourteen (14) calendar days, starting on a Sunday and ending on the second Saturday thereafter. Salaries are generally paid on the Friday following the end of the pay period. Employees can set up their direct deposit and access their pay information via Employee Self Service in MySacCounty.

VACATION:

Generally, vacation with pay begins at 10 days annually. With increase over a period of years, the maximum annual vacation with pay is 25 days.

HOLIDAYS:

14.5 holidays per year as recognized.

SICK LEAVE:

Equivalent to 15 days annually, unlimited accumulation. Upon retirement, unused sick leave is converted to retirement service credit.

PARENTAL LEAVE:

Entitles a regular County employee, with at least one year of continuous employment, to schedule a paid parental leave of up to 160 hours upon the birth or during the process of an adoption of a minor child. Parental leave shall be approved by the employee's appointing authority, except where the granting of the parental leave request would unduly interfere with or cause severe hardship upon department operations.

TUITION REIMBURSEMENT:

Dependent upon union agreements, regular County employees may be eligible to receive Tuition Reimbursement. The costs for course tuition/registration fees and required books/supplies are eligible for reimbursement. Tuition reimbursement amounts may vary depending upon union agreement.

RETIREMENT:

Social Security and Sacramento County Employees' Retirement System coverage.

HEALTH INSURANCE:

The County offers a variety of health plan design options to fit individual needs.

DENTAL INSURANCE:

The County provides a comprehensive dental benefit program for regular full-time and part-time employees and their eligible dependents. This plan pays on a set fee schedule that varies by procedure. Any amount over the fee schedule is the employee's responsibility. The yearly maximum is $2,000 per person, not including orthodontia. The orthodontic benefit is 50% of covered charges with a lifetime maximum of $1,000 per person.

LIFE INSURANCE:

The County of Sacramento provides a basic life insurance benefit of $15,000 to all eligible employees at no cost. Additional coverage may be purchased through payroll deduction.

DEFERRED COMPENSATION:

The County offers a Deferred Compensation Program which enables employees to save in a systematic way without paying income tax on either the payroll deduction or the earned interest, prior to withdrawal.

EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM:

The County of Sacramento provides an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for employees and their eligible dependents. The EAP offers confidential, professional counseling services in areas such as:

• Legal Advice/Difficult Decisions

• Marriage or Family Relationships

• Financial or Credit Worries/Elder Care

• Alcohol and Drug Abuse

WELLNESS INCENTIVE PROGRAM:

The County will recognize and award time off to eligible employees who maintain an excellent attendance record.

FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNT:

The County offers regular employees two separate Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA's). These accounts allow employees to set money aside, on a pre-tax basis via payroll deduction, to pay for medical, dental or dependent care expenses.

• DEPENDENT CARE REIMBURSEMENT ACCOUNT:

Employees may set aside pre-tax dollars to pay for qualified childcare or dependent care expenses that are necessary for the employee and/or spouse to continue working.

• MEDICAL REIMBURSEMENT ACCOUNT:

The Medical Reimbursement Account allows pre-tax dollars to be set aside to pay for out-of-pocket expenses that are not paid by insurance or reimbursed by any other benefit plan.

WORKERS' COMPENSATION:

In case of injury while on the job, each employee is protected under the Workers' Compensation laws of California.

SACRAMENTO CREDIT UNION:

The credit union offers loan facilities and systematic saving plans through payroll deduction.

SELECTION AND PLACEMENT

Sacramento County encourages applications from all persons regardless of race, color, ancestry, religious creed, national origin, gender, disability, political affiliation, or age.

Certain age limits may be required by law, ordinance, or Civil Service direction for specific classifications such as those identified with hazardous occupations.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Please read carefully the "Minimum Qualifications" section of your announcement. You must meet those qualifications by the application deadline date unless otherwise specified. Your application must clearly show you meet the minimum qualifications by the application deadline date, or it will not be accepted. All statements are subject to verification.

"Experience" means full-time paid experience unless the announcement states that volunteer experience is acceptable. Part-time paid experience may be accumulated and pro-rated to meet the total experience requirements.

PROMOTIONAL EXAMINATIONS:

If the announcement indicates the examination is given on a promotional basis, candidates must hold permanent status in Sacramento County Civil Service by the application deadline date and must meet the minimum qualifications.

OPEN EXAMINATIONS:

Any person who meets the minimum qualifications may apply.

CONTINUOUS FILING EXAMINATIONS:

Applicants are eligible to reapply to and retake a continuous filing exam after 6 months from the date the previous exam results was received.

ELIGIBLE LISTS:

Names of qualified persons who made a passing score on an examination are entered, in order of their final grades, on an eligible list. To fill each vacancy, the hiring department will make a selection from among the top three ranks on the employment lists.

EXAMINATION RATINGS:

Unless otherwise stated on the announcement: To be successful, candidates must obtain a rating of at least 70% on each part of the examination. This may be an adjusted score or an arithmetic 70% of the total possible score as determined by the Director.

APPEAL PROCESS:

Persons who believe their applications have been improperly rejected may request the Employment Services Division to review its decision to reject the application. If the applicant desires to submit additional proof of qualifications, such proof must be received by Personnel Services not less than two (2) calendar days prior to the scheduled date for the examination.

Persons who are disqualified in any phase of the examination may appeal such adverse action, in writing, to the Civil Service Commission, 700 H Street, Room 2640, Sacramento, CA 95814, telephone: View phone number on click.appcast.io. Such appeals must be filed within thirty (30) calendar days after notice of the adverse action was mailed to the candidate.

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT OUR FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs):

OTHER INFORMATION

VETERAN'S PREFERENCE:

Military veterans who have served during wartime shall be given preference in initial appointment to County service. Such preference shall apply, provided the veteran has first achieved a minimum passing score in the examination. The passing score of a veteran shall be annotated to indicate the veteran's score shall be regarded as 5 points or higher, OR 10 points higher for disabled veterans, only for the purpose of determining the three ranks along with which the veteran's name shall be certified. No score shall actually be changed and no new rank shall be created as a result of application of veteran's preference for certification purposes.

"Disabled Veteran" means any veteran who has served during wartime and, who, as of the final filing date for an examination is declared by the United States Veterans Administration or military service department to be 10% or more disabled as a result of his/her military service. Persons claiming eligibility for disabled veteran's preference must submit to the employment office, on or before the application deadline date, a certification from the United States Veterans Administration or a military service department, dated within 1 year, which certifies the present existence of a service related disability of 10% or more, or other acceptable proof of such disability as a result of his/her military service.

Persons claiming eligibility for veterans preference must submit a copy of Form DD 214 or other acceptable proof of veteran's status on or before the final filing date for the examination. For purpose of this rule "reserve" status does not constitute active duty.

CITIZENSHIP OR AUTHORIZED ALIEN REQUIREMENT:

As required by the Immigration Reform and Control Act, all County employees must be United States citizens or aliens lawfully authorized to work in the United States. Proof of citizenship or authorized status will be required prior to appointment.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST CODE:

Some County Civil Service positions are covered by financial disclosure requirements intended to identify potential conflicts of interest.

CONCURRENT EMPLOYMENT:

No employee may concurrently occupy more than one County position.

SPECIAL SKILL QUALIFICATIONS (WHEN SPECIFIED ON THE APPLICATION):

Persons who have special skills required by some (but not all) positions in a class may be certified ahead of others provided that:

Such special skills are based on the duties and requirements of the positions and are in conformance with merit system and equal opportunity principles, and

The certification of eligibles who possess special skills have been approved by the Civil Service Commission.

PRE-EMPLOYMENT MEDICAL EXAMINATION & DRUG TESTING:

The County of Sacramento is committed to maintaining a drug and alcohol free workplace. All persons selected for appointment to positions must pass a medical examination and a drug test, administered by the County at no cost to the applicant.

DRIVER LICENSE:

Possession of a valid California Driver License may be required for some positions.

PROBATIONARY PERIOD:

Regular positions are subject to a probationary period which is an extension of the selection process. Unless otherwise indicated on the announcement, the probationary period is six (6) months.

FINGERPRINTING AND CRIMINAL RECORD CHECKS:

Fingerprinting and criminal record checks are required for some positions.

01

The following Supplemental Questionnaire is the Civil Service Exam for this position and will be used to determine your exam score.

All experience, education, and/or training used to answer the supplemental questions must be included on your application.

In order to receive every consideration in the selection process, you must complete all questions with concise but detailed answers and provide all requested information. Each answer will be scored separately. References such as 'See Resume' as a response will not be scored.

By continuing in the exam process, you are certifying that all information provided in the Supplemental Questionnaire is true to the best of your knowledge.

• I have read and understood the above instructions

02

Select the box which best describes how you meet the minimum qualification for Behavioral Health Peer Specialist.

Current or previous experience as a consumer of behavioral services (such as mental health or substance abuse), or a parent or family member/ direct caregiver of a behavioral health consumer.

• I have read, understood, and meet the minimum qualification above

• I do not meet the minimum qualification

03

Working Conditions: Positions in this class require the incumbents to:

• Be exposed to emotionally disturbed or mentally ill persons and/or confrontational interpersonal situations.

• Work in dangerous, high crime areas of the community.

• Work during non-routine hours, including evenings, holidays, and weekends.

• Work outside in all types of climatic conditions including inclement, very hot or very cold weather.

• I have read and understood the working conditions above

04

Select all boxes which best describe your training, education, and/or certificates in a field specifically relating to the job of Behavioral Health Peer Specialist. If applicable, please provide a copy of your training, certificates, and/or education with this application.

• None

• Cultural Competency

• Family Dynamics

• Active Listening

• Mental Health First Aid

• Crisis Intervention/De-escalation

• Trauma Informed Care

• Case Management

• Impact of Addiction (e.g. substance use, gambling, food)

• Social Rehabilitation

• Motivational Interviewing

• Recovery Principles

• Other training related to the role of a peer in a mental health system

• Less than 60 semester/90 quarter units in Behavioral Health

• 60 semester/90 quarter or more units in Behavioral Health

05

One of the Behavioral Health Peer Specialist's duties is to provide families, children/youth, adults, or older adults a voice and perspective regarding service needs and organizational/system planning. (e.g. behavioral health, recovery) Please select one box which describes your experience.

• I do not have personal or caregiver experience with service needs

• I have personal or caregiver experience with service needs

06

Please select all boxes which describe your knowledge navigating through complex systems related to behavioral health. (e.g. public mental health system, criminal justice systems, special education, child welfare, physical healthcare, regional center).

• I am not aware nor am I familiar with navigating systems related to behavioral health or public mental health

• I am aware and familiar with navigation related to behavioral health

• I am aware and familiar with navigation related to public mental health

07

Please select all boxes which describe your experience facilitating or co-facilitating support group(s). If you have no experience, select none.

• None

• Lead facilitator by myself

• Co-facilitator with someone else

08

Select all the boxes for which you have experience and are proficient. If you do not have work experience or are not proficient with any of the selections, select none. Please note that you may be required to demonstrate your proficiency during the hiring process.

• None

• Database program (e.g. Access)

• Microsoft Word

• Microsoft Excel

• CalWIN

• Child Welfare System (CWS-CMS)

• Medi-Cal Eligibility Data System (MEDS)

• LEAPS

• Case Management, Information and Payrolling System (CMIPS)

• AVATAR

• Jail Info Match System (JIMS)

• Advertising/graphics design software (e.g. Canva, Gravit Designer, Pagemaker, etc.)

• Other proprietary software

09

Select the one box which describes your current valid California Driver License

NOTE: Failure to maintain a valid California Driver License, class C or higher, constitutes cause for termination from the class in accordance with Civil Service Rule 11.4.

• I do not possess or have the ability to obtain a California Class C Driver License

• I have the ability to immediately obtain a California Class C Driver License

• I possess a California Class C Driver License or higher

10

Please describe your experience, training, and/or education which qualifies you for Behavioral Health Peer Specialist. If you have no qualifying experience, training, nor education, write none.

11

NOTE: If you meet the minimum qualifications (via the information you provided on your application), your exam score (based on your supplemental questionnaire responses) places you within the reachable ranks on the resulting eligible list and you are invited to interview; you will be asked to expand on, clarify, and/or provide examples to support your responses on this exam (supplemental questionnaire).

• I have read and understood the above instructions

12

I have read the General Requirements and Other Requirements as stated on the job announcement.

• Yes

13

The County of Sacramento is committed to maintaining a drug and alcohol free workplace. All persons selected for appointment must pass a drug test administered by the County and at no cost to the applicant.

I understand, if offered conditional employment, I will be subject to a drug test administered by the County as described in Sacramento County Personnel Ordinance Section 2.78.030.

• Yes

• No

14

I understand, for the purpose of the County drug test, Marijuana is considered an impermissible drug, and a positive test result which includes Marijuana, will result in rescission of the conditional employment offer and removal of my name from the eligible list for this position. Disqualification for failure to pass pre-employment drug test is for the life of the applicable eligible list or, for a two-year period if there is no applicable list.

• Yes

• No

15

The County of Sacramento is committed to maintaining a drug and alcohol free workplace. All persons selected for appointment must pass a drug test administered by the County and at no cost to the applicant.

I understand, if offered conditional employment, I will be subject to a drug test administered by the County as described in Sacramento County Personnel Ordinance Section 2.78.030.

• Yes

• No

16

Select the one box that best describes whether you have attended a career fair and/or job event where you have interacted with representatives from Sacramento County.

• Attended in the last one (1) – three (3) months.

• Attended in the last four (4) – six (6) months.

• Attended in the last seven (7) months – one (1) year.

• Attended an event more than one (1) year ago.

• Have attended a career fair and/or job event but did not interact with Sacramento County representatives.

• Have not attended a career fair and/or job event.

17

List the following for the career fair and/or job event you attended: • Name of event • Location of event • Month and year of event If you have not attended an event where you interacted with representatives from Sacramento County, please type "None".

Required Question

Employer

County of Sacramento

Address

700 H Street, Room 4667 Sacramento, California, 95814

Phone

View phone number on click.appcast.io

Website

Apply

Please verify your email address Verify Email