ASSISTANT MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELOR, RN/EMERGENCY APPOINTMENTS HOMELESSNESS

TYPE OF RECRUITMENT: OPEN COMPETITIVE - EMERGENCY

EXAM NUMBER: b5276F-EA Applications will be accepted from Tuesday, October 20, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. (PT) until Friday, November 20, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. (PT). All applications must be received before 5:00 p.m. (PT) on Friday, November 20, 2026 to be accepted. The LA County Board of Supervisors recently declared a local state of emergency for homelessness, and the County is working to revise and expand our response to help all who are affected. We are looking for qualified and passionate individuals to help us in the mission of addressing issues like housing, mental health, and substance use. If you are looking for a new career that will directly benefit the population of LA County, this may be the opportunity for you. The Department of Mental Health is seeking qualified candidates to fill emergency Assistant Mental Health Counselor, RN vacancies related to the homelessness crisis. Under the emergency order, applicants who meet the requirements may be hired for an initial period of up to 90 days, with an opportunity for permanent County employment. During your initial work period, you will be assessed on your work performance. This assessment will be weighed 100%. Those who successfully pass the assessment will be considered for permanent appointment to Assistant Mental Health Counselor, RN. About this position: Positions allocable to this class provide mental health nursing services to individuals, families, and groups in a range of mental health care settings. Performs initial and ongoing assessment of client's presenting problems, including mental status, level of functioning, developmental status, social and employment skills, co-occurring substance abuse problems, and mental and physical health educational needs. With client participation, develops a Client Care Coordination Plan including measurable objectives that is designed to address behavioral responses to mental illness. Provides targeted case management to coordinate comprehensive mental health/physical health services and to ensure continuity of care; uses interventions to teach symptom management and relapse prevention, foster recreational activities, and facilitate development of independent living skills; educates client to integrate physical health care management into mental health care management activities. Administers psychotropic medication, monitors drug effectiveness and side effects, and provides drug education to clients and clients' families. Performs periodic and ongoing reassessment of changes in mental and physical health status, nutritional status, and of client's progress toward recovery; evaluates client outcomes to determine necessary modification in the Client Care Coordination Plan. Identifies community agencies and resources to assist clients with rehabilitation and recovery while living in the community and consults with private medical facilities, courts, and governmental agencies to coordinate treatment options. Provides input to multidisciplinary team in core area of expertise in connection with client's diagnosis as impacted by physical health problems, and educates individual clients concerning the physical health problems that impact the client's mental health. Assesses client's suicidal or homicidal tendencies, potential for violence towards self or others, and grave disability and consults with supervisor and/or multidisciplinary team when making judgments concerning client's need for involuntary treatment. Participates in team meetings to discuss caseload, shift activity, and changes to program policies and procedures. Participates in continuing education and training to maintain mental health nursing skills.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

Option 1: Graduation from an accredited Registered Nursing program AND five years of full-time post-licensure experience as a Registered Nurse in a psychiatric setting. Option 2: A Bachelor's degree in nursing from an accredited college or university with specialty coursework in psychiatric nursing. Applicants must meet the above requirement at the time of filing in order to be appointed to fill any vacancies related to this recruitment. Out of class experience will not be accepted.

LICENSE REQUIREMENT:

An active license (without limitations or restrictions) to practice as a Registered Nurse issued by the State of California Board of Registered Nursing. A valid California Class C Driver License or the ability to utilize an alternative method of transportation when needed to carry out job-related essential functions.

PHYSICAL CLASS:

II – Light: This class includes administrative and clerical positions requiring light physical effort that may include occasional light lifting to a 10 pound limit and some bending, stooping, or squatting. Considerable ambulation may be involved.

ACCREDITATION INFORMATION:

It is important to fill out the job application completely as directed. The Department of Mental Health encourages all applicants to submit relevant attachments including resumes and required documents in the Attachments section of the application. Foreign degrees must be evaluated for equivalency to United States accredited institutions standards by an academic credential evaluation agency recognized by The National Association of Credential Evaluation Services or the Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. (AICE). See Employment Information under Accreditation Information. *In order to receive credit for any degree, such as a Associate's, Bachelor's or Master's, you must include a legible copy of the official diploma, official transcripts, or official letter from the accredited institution which shows degree has been conferred and the area of specialization with your application at the time of filing or email within seven (7) calendar days from application submission. We do not accept password-protected documents. Ensure documents are unlocked before attaching to your application or send to the exam analyst. Official Transcript is defined as a transcript that bears the college seal and states "official and/or copy" issued by the school's Registrar Office. A printout of the transcript from the school's website is NOT considered official and; therefore, will NOT be accepted and may result in your application being incomplete or rejected. NOTE: if you are unable to attach the required documents with your application online, you may e-mail them to View email address on click.appcast.io within seven (7) calendar days from application submission. In the "Subject" of the e‑mail please type Exam Title and Exam Number. We do not accept password-protected documents. Ensure documents are unlocked before attaching to your application or sending to the exam analyst. **Registered Nursing Program: Proof of graduation from the required program or degree must indicate the specialized field in order to be evaluated. Candidates whose educational degree does not show the specialty must provide a written statement from their university/college indicating the degree and educational specialty on the university/college letterhead. A legible copy of diploma, official transcript, or written statement from the Registrar's Office must be submitted at the time of filing or within seven (7) calendar days of filing. Registered Nurse License: To receive credit for experience claimed in a state other than the State of California, applicants must provide their complete registered nurse license information from that state. A conditional, provisional, probationary, or restricted license or certification will NOT be accepted. Applications submitted without the required license information will be considered incomplete and will not be accepted. Submission of a copy of the required license/s may be requested at any time during the examination process. ***Option II: In order to qualify, you must include a legible copy of official transcripts showing the completion of the required psychiatric nursing coursework with the corresponding unit credits must be submitted at the time of filing or within seven (7) calendar days of filing. See accreditation and transcript information above for details. During your initial work period, the appointing department will evaluate your performance. Those who achieve a passing score on this evaluation will be considered for permanent County employment.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

Applications may be rejected at any stage of the examination and selection process. FALSIFICATION of any information may result in DISQUALIFICATION or RESCISSION OF APPOINTMENT. Utilizing VERBIAGE from the Class Specification, Minimum Requirements, and/or Special Requirement Information serving as your description of duties WILL NOT be sufficient to demonstrate that you meet the requirements. In doing so, your application will be REJECTED as INCOMPLETE.

ANTI-RACISM, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION (ARDI)

The County of Los Angeles recognizes and affirms that all people are created equal and are entitled to all rights afforded by the Constitution of the United States. The Department of Human Resources is committed to promoting Anti-racism, Diversity, and Inclusion efforts to address the inequalities and disparities amongst race. We support the ARDI Strategic Plan and its goals by improving equality, diversity, and inclusion in recruitment, selection, and employment practices.

DEPARTMENT CONTACT:

Department Contact Name: Arineh Nazari, Exam Analyst Department Contact Phone: View phone number on click.appcast.io or View phone number on click.appcast.io Department Contact Email: View email address on click.appcast.io ADA Coordinator Phone View phone number on click.appcast.io Teletype Phone View phone number on click.appcast.io California Relay Services Phone View phone number on click.appcast.io #J-18808-Ljbffr County of Los Angeles