Mental Health Clinician for High Risk Youth (Bilingual Spanish)

WestCoast Children’s Clinic, located in Oakland, California, is a non-profit community psychology clinic that provides mental health services to Bay Area children, youth and families. Working at WestCoast Children’s Clinic means being part of an organization that is client-centered, trauma-informed, collaborative, and committed to justice and equity. 

Position Details 

Title: C-Change Clinician

Classification: Regular Full Time (1.0 FTE), Exempt 

Location: Oakland, CA / Hybrid (availability to provide client services in-person and complete documentation remotely)

Regular Work Schedule: Full time, M-F 

Compensation:

• Salary for bilingual clinicians is $79,200 per year for ​those collecting hours toward licensure​ (Master's level), and licensed starting at $90,200. Rate inclusive of 10% Spanish language differential


• Signing Bonus: $4,000 for bilingual (Spanish) candidates

C-Change, Transforming the Lives of Sexually Exploited Minors, provides mental health screening and support to sexually exploited youth and high-risk youth. Clinicians provide community-based, intensive strategies to address any current need for stabilization, crisis intervention, and individual trauma-focused treatment.

As a Bilingual C-Change Clinician, you will provide:

• Community-based trauma-informed psychotherapy and intensive clinical case management in English and Spanish to youth who are at risk of, have a history of or are being sexually exploited or have experienced gender violence.


• Mental health screening to assess cognitive, emotional and social functioning and needs; facilitate the identification and engagement in mental health services 


• Individual or family intensive mental health services and clinical case management as part of a collaborative wrap service team. 


• Risk assessments, crisis intervention, stabilization, and create safety plans. 


• Assistance for youth in developing and executing their transition to adulthood plan. 


• Coordinated services with other agencies and resources to address youth's needs, including housing, medical/physical health, mental health, education, employment, independent living skills, advocacy, placement stability, and age-appropriate enrichment activities. 


• Our clinical services have expanded and we now provide services in San Francisco 


• Services are provided via Telehealth or in-person within the 90 mile radius 


• Provide stabilization support services to children and TAY in an in-person milieu environment.


• On weekly shifts, provide stabilization and comprehensive care to Alameda County foster youth and young adults in a milieu environment as they await and prepare for transition to foster placements.

What will you gain?

• Receive individual clinical supervision by a dedicated supervisor and participate in a case conference


• Enhanced training and professional development support for recent graduates


• Be part of a compassionate, driven team that is social justice-focused: We have several Staff Affinity Groups: BIPOC council, LGBTQIA+, Alianza Latine, Equity and Inclusion, and more!


• Serve vulnerable kids and their families and create positive changes in their lives


• Exciting professional development opportunities for experienced clinical staff, including WCC’s Supervisor in Training Program. 


• As a Joint Commission-accredited agency, we provide the highest standard of care and offer extensive clinical training and seminars led by field experts. Training includes CSEC, Telehealth, Complex Trauma/Trauma-Informed Care, Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS), Supervisor in training program, and much more!

Position Requirements:

• A Master's or Doctoral degree in psychology, counseling, marriage, and family therapy or social work (required)


• Current and valid license or registration with the CA BBS or BOP (open to recent graduates in the process of registering) 


• Bilingual in English and Spanish (spoken and written)*


• At least 1-2 years of direct clinical experience working with transition age, high-risk, and system-involved youth in a community-based setting. For C-Change Clinician candidates, specific experience with CSEC youth. 


• Knowledge of Alameda County community resources for TAY youth.


• Demonstrate clinical skill in assessment/evaluation and treatment, crisis intervention while working with complex, multiple diagnosis histories.


• Well-organized, efficient, and excellent time management


• A trauma-informed and relational approach to working with youth


• Work with Medi-Cal reimbursement procedures and billing


• Ability to assess needs, strengths & provide crisis intervention and de-escalation in small and large group settings


• Ability to travel by car to meet with clients, generally within a 90 mile radius of WCC's Oakland office. Alternative forms of transportation may be accommodated based on the needs of the program and clients. Employees must have a clean CA DMV record. When driving for WCC, current vehicle insurance is .

*Spanish Language Proficiency Requirement

This is a bilingual Spanish/English position. Candidates must demonstrate advanced Spanish language proficiency in order to effectively provide services to Spanish-speaking clients and families.

Final candidates will be required to complete an ALTA Language Proficiency Test administered by WestCoast Children’s Clinic and must achieve a minimum score of Level 9 (Advanced) to qualify for the position.

A Level 9 proficiency indicates the ability to:

• Participate in in-depth conversations in Spanish across a broad range of topics at a normal rate of speech


• Understand most spoken Spanish in professional and conversational contexts, using context to interpret unfamiliar slang, idioms, or complex grammar


• Communicate clearly and effectively on a wide range of subjects, even if some grammatical errors or a noticeable accent are present


• Be readily understood by native Spanish speakers without causing misunderstanding

WestCoast Children’s Clinic will provide the ALTA language assessment to eligible candidates during the hiring process.

Benefits:

• $4,000 Signing Bonus (qualified Spanish-speaking candidates only)


• 100% Employer-paid medical and a variety of different plans (base plan, Kaiser HMO), dental, vision, life insurance, and long-term disability coverage for full-time employees. 50% paid coverage for dependent medical and dental.


• Bilingual pay differential for qualified candidates (10% of yearly salary)


• Quarterly and annual incentive compensation plans, generous retirement plan contribution


• 403b retirement plan with ROTH and 403b contribution options


• Flex-spending options - Medical, Dependent Care and Commuter Plans


• Three weeks of paid time off per year (additional PTO accrual with increased years of service)


• 12 Paid Holidays per year, and Self-Care Leave


• Wellness Stipend ($100 per month), which can be used on a variety of expenses related to self-care and wellness


• Professional development stipend


• Weekly supervision and case conference


• CEUs for trainings

Join us and make a difference in the lives of vulnerable children and families in the Bay Area.  

WCC is passionate about leading and encouraging open conversations around race, gender, power, and privilege and how these impact community mental health. We are an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to diminishing the influence of privilege and discrimination in our field and our workplace, whether due to differences concerning age, citizenship, color, disability, marital or parental status, race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation.