Mobile Crisis Response Associate - Day Shift

Salary : $57,168.00 - $72,348.00 Annually
Location : CARES Center, Dallas, OR
Job Type: Full time
Department: Behavioral Health
Opening Date: 05/18/2026
Closing Date: Continuous


Brief Description
ABOUT THE JOB
Polk County has a regular, full-time position available for a mental health associate (QMHA) working on the Mobile Crisis Intervention Services team. This position will staff the walk-in Crisis Clinic in Dallas as well as provide mobile response in the community as part of a team of two.

Crisis response services are committed to providing timely, trauma- informed support to individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. You will coordinate with fellow first responders such as local law enforcement, EMS and other system resources to create a plan to support the safety and well being of the individual in need as well as assisting individuals and their families to create a plan for referral and stabilization.

WORK LOCATION
This position's assigned work location is located at our CARES Center located in Dallas.

WORK SCHEDULE
Working hours and shifts fall between the hours of 7:30 am-7:30 pm Monday through Sunday depending on Departmental needs. Shift will include Saturday and Sunday. Required to perform rotational, on-call services between the hours of 6:30pm-7:30am.

ADDITIONAL BENEFITS
This position is eligible for an additional 4% differential in addition to starting salary.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
High School Diploma or equivalent and three years of responsible and relevant professional experience; OR any equivalent combination of training, education, and experience that provides the required skills and knowledge to perform the essential functions of the job.

REQUIRED SPECIAL QUALIFICATIONS
*Must possess Qualified Mental Health Associate certification, provided through the Mental Health and Addiction Certification Board of Oregon at the time of appointment.
*Must have and maintain a valid driver's license and automobile insurance as a condition of employment.

For information on the requirements to become a QMHA-R, please visit:

General Statement
Polk County, the Organization:

Polk County takes pride in knowing that our employees are what makes the County a great place to work. We have a strong desire for each employee to feel respected; connected to the department they work for as well as other County departments and the community at large; and know that they are critical to County business. We understand that work may be necessary, but not what should define each individual. We all have diverse personalities and interests away from the job, and at Polk County we encourage our employees to be connected to something bigger than work.

Benefits:

• Polk County offers generous employee benefits including, but not limited to:
• 11 paid holidays per year
• 8 hours of vacation earned monthly (increasing with years of service)
• 8 hours of sick leave earned monthly
• 4-5 Personal Leave Days earned each fiscal year (Depends on position; prorated depending on date of hire
• PERS (Public Employees Retirement System) - 100% employer funded contributions
• Full health benefits with employee paying only 10% of the premium which covers all members of the employee's immediate family
• Life Insurance - employer paid
• Qualifying employer for Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness program
• HRSA/NHSC approved site for certain positions

Our Community:

Polk County is located in the Willamette Valley just an hour from the Pacific Coast to the west and an hour from Portland to the north. The population is approximately 87,000 and the county spans about 744 square miles, with two thirds of the western part of the county being forest. National protected areas include the Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge and Siuslaw National Forest.

The County is part of the agricultural richness the Willamette Valley has to offer. In recent decades, the valley has also become a major wine producer, with Polk County being one of the best in the area. The valley is often known as the "Oregon Wine Country". Polk County has over 25 wineries alone.

Polk County also houses the beautiful liberal arts college, Western Oregon University, and is only 30 miles from Oregon State University. Western was an inaugural winner of the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) award. This award recognizes universities and colleges that have demonstrated the highest level of commitment and action towards fostering a campus community that celebrates all the many facets of diversity. WOU is one of the most diverse universities in Oregon and has a higher percentage of Latino students in the Oregon University system.

Qualifications


Please refer to the Class Specification for the full job description and minimum experience, education and training requirements for this position.

Supplemental Information
**Please Note: Applicants who may currently be receiving mental health or addiction treatment services with Polk County Behavioral Health are advised of the following guidelines for employees : "In order to avoid conflicts of interest and maintain confidentiality amongst colleagues, Health Services employees seeking behavioral health services are encouraged to utilize resources outside of the Polk County Behavioral Health system. This does not apply to family members of the employee."

** A cover letter is required. If you are a military veteran and want to apply for Veterans' Hiring Preference, you must attach supporting documentation and complete the Veteran's Preference Form . **

** DO NOT ATTACH ANY OTHER DOCUMENTS (transcripts, letters of recommendation, certificates, etc.) They will not be considered at the application stage. You may bring them to the interview if you are selected to interview. **
Polk County is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. Reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities will be provided upon request.
Benefits Overview:

• Polk County offers a generous benefits package to support employees' physical, financial and emotional well-being. Benefits are available to regular status employees working 20 or more hours per week.
• Part time employees receive pro-rated benefits.
• Benefits will vary according to bargaining unit.
• Temporary employees are not eligible for benefits.

Health Insurance (medical, dental, Rx and vision): We offer Kaiser Permanente and PacificSource. Coverage varies according to bargaining unit. Employee share of the premium will vary according to bargaining unit and full-time or part-time status.

Paid Leave:

• Vacation: New full-time employees generally earn 12 vacation days per year; this increases with years of service. Part-time employees earn a pro-rated amount.
• Holidays: A generous number of paid holidays annually. This will vary according to bargaining unit.
• Personal Leave Days: These are floating holidays. The number of Personal Leave Days varies according to bargaining unit.
• Sick Leave: 8 hours per month (pro-rated for part time) with no maximum accrual.
• Other Leaves: Jury duty, bereavement, military.

Retirement: We participate in the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS). Polk County picks up the employee's share of the retirement contribution (6% of wages.) See the PERS website for more information:

Employee Assistance Program: Provides a variety of counseling options and/or online information for emotional well-being, relationships, financial, health, legal and personal growth.


Optional Benefits Include:

• Deferred Compensation: Employees may elect to participate in a 457(b) deferred compensation plan through convenient payroll deductions. We offer the Oregon Savings Growth Plan and Nationwide.
• Life Insurance: Polk County provides basic life insurance and AD&D at no cost to employees. Additional insurance is available to purchase.
• Flexible Spending Accounts: Option to participate in this pre-tax plan to cover eligible health and dependent care expenses.
• Aflac: Employees have the option of participating in a variety of Aflac plans.

01


This position requires full-time, on-site presence and is NOT open to remote work. Are you able to meet this requirement?

• Yes
• No

02


This position requires a QMHA (Qualified Mental Health Associate) certification provided through MHACBO (Mental Health and Addiction Certification Board of Oregon) at the time of appointment. Do you possess a current QMHA certification?

• Yes
• No

03


In this position, you will be providing mobile response services in the community as a part of a team of two. Please describe your experience in responding to crisis situations in a community-based setting.
04


Describe a situation when you worked collaboratively with multiple community partners to plan for the needs of a mental health client. What was your role and how did you participate in the process?
05


This position requires documentation to be completed by the end of each workday. Please provide an example of a time you had to manage competing priorities, including essential administrative tasks along with other job duty requirements. How did you prioritize and ensure tasks were completed accurately and on time?
Required Question