Mental Health Coach

Job Description

Job Description

Company: Key Collective
Location: San Marcos, CA
Job Type: Contract / Part-Time
Compensation: $40 – $50 per hour (based on experience and education)
Schedule: Flexible (choose your own hours)
Reports to: Executive Director

About Key Collective

Key Collective has served the community for over a decade, dedicating itself to supporting individuals navigating mental health and substance use challenges through personalized mentorship and skill-building. Our approach focuses on empowering clients to build independence, develop emotional regulation, and create meaningful, sustainable change in their lives. We primarily work with clients using a goal-oriented and action-based approach, teaching them effective skills and strategies to help them reach their goals.

Position Overview

Key Collective is seeking a thoughtful, emotionally intelligent, and growth-oriented Therapeutic Mentor to provide one-on-one support to a young adult client in San Marcos, CA.

This role is ideal for an individual who is passionate about behavioral health and enjoys helping clients apply therapeutic concepts and coping strategies in real-world settings. Mentors help clients translate therapeutic concepts and coping strategies into practical skills and behavioral change in everyday environments. Mentors also provide support through relationship-building, coaching, accountability, community engagement, and skill development.

Successful mentors are warm, engaging, and authentic while also maintaining clear professional boundaries and consistency. They are able to remain calm and steady during difficult moments while helping clients develop greater confidence, self-awareness, and independence.

Mentors typically support clients for a minimum of four to six months and work closely with both families and multidisciplinary treatment teams. Mentors typically meet with clients a minimum of 2 days per week (approximately 4 hours weekly per client) and must be willing to commute to and from clients.

Key Responsibilities:

Mentorship & Support

• Build strong, trust-based relationships with clients while maintaining clear professional boundaries.
• Provide consistent one-on-one support aimed at improving each client’s current level of functioning
• Serve as a positive role model and source of encouragement
• Collaboratively identify solutions with your client for real-life challenges
• Implement individualized techniques and strategies during sessions
• Support clients in building emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and coping skills.
• Help clients identify goals and create practical strategies for achieving them.
• Serve as a consistent source of encouragement, accountability, and guidance.
• Model healthy communication, problem-solving, and interpersonal effectiveness.

Life Skills Development

Support clients in developing essential daily living skills, including:

• • Time management
  • Organization and planning
  • Task initiation and follow-through
  • Budgeting and financial literacy
  • Meal planning and self-care routines
  • Managing transitions and responsibilities
  • Support social skill development and healthy peer relationships.
• Help clients build independence and long-term self-sufficiency
• Support individuals with executive functioning challenges
• Provide accountability and structure when client's motivation decreases
• Engage clients in the real-world by going out into the community with them and doing purpose-driven activities

Collaboration & Care Planning

• Work collaboratively with a multidisciplinary team to support individualized care plans
• Attend monthly team meetings and trainings, contributing insights on client progress
• Maintain clear, timely, and professional documentation

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s preferred in Psychology, Social Work, Counseling, or a related field
• Minimum of 2 years of experience in mentoring, coaching, or a related role in the field of mental health and substance use
• Experience working with individuals facing mental health and/or substance use challenges
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• High level of empathy, patience, and professionalism
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and appropriate boundaries
• Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation - must be willing to commute to and from clients
• Ability to commit to a client for a minimum of four to six months.

Preferred Experience

Candidates with experience or training in the following areas are strongly encouraged to apply:

• Somatic practices
• Life coaching
• Evidence-based modalities such as DBT, ACT, and CBT
• Master's Degree in psychology or related social sciences
• Adolescent mental health
• Trauma-informed care
• Emotional dysregulation and distress tolerance coaching
• Experience supporting adolescents navigating interpersonal challenges, attachment difficulties, and intense relationship dynamics.
• ADHD and executive functioning support
• Neurodiversity, including autism spectrum support
• Family systems work
• Substance use recovery support

What We Offer

• Flexible scheduling with control over your availability
• Mileage reimbursement
• Weekly supervision from a clinician
• Ongoing professional development opportunities
• A supportive, collaborative team environment

Why Join Key Collective

• Make a direct and meaningful impact in clients’ lives
• Gain hands-on, high-quality mentorship experience
• Ideal for graduate students and early-career professionals pursuing clinical work
• Be part of a mission-driven organization that values growth, integrity, and connection

Apply Today

If you are passionate about helping others build independence, strengthen life skills, and navigate mental health and substance use challenges, we encourage you to apply. This unique opportunity lets you fit a specific role that is neither a therapist nor an authoritative figure. Instead, you serve as an ally and advocate for the client, helping them improve their day-to-day life.