Job Details

Mental Health Program Specialist

Position Number: 7132271
Location: Visalia, CA
Position Type: Counseling

Mental Health Program Specialist

Salary: $30.87 - $41.29 Hourly
Job Type: Classified - Full-time
Job Number: 7100-c-05/26
Closing: 5/20/2026 11:59 PM Pacific
Location: Visalia, CA
Department: Student Health Center
Division:

General Description

Under the direction of the Director of Student Health Center, the Mental Health Program Specialist provides nonclinical social work services to the students and support to the COS Health Center Staff. The Mental Health Program Specialist will be responsible for the peer to peer mental health support program and will assist in set-up and promote of Health Center mental health events.

The Mental Health Program Specialist improves student success by ensuring responsive, culturally-sensitive, support services to students with immediate needs and coordinates with the Health Center mental health staff to promote student success, retention, and completion by removing barriers to higher education.

This position is assigned to the Visalia Campus and is a Full-Time 10-month position.

Monday - Friday, 7:45 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.

Initial placement is at $30.87

College of the Sequoias Community College District serves a diverse community of learners and is a designated Hispanic Serving Institution. COS provides a wide range of opportunities in transfer, general education, career and technical programs for our students. We are dedicated to recruiting employees who are committed to helping a diverse population of students achieve their educational goals. We seek candidates who exhibit an understanding and commitment to the community college mission, and who have a passion for student success.

Job Duties

Job duties of the Mental Health Program Specialist include:

Serve as the point of contact for, and support the management of the COS Health Center's peer to peer mental health support program.
Under the direction of the Director, Student Health Center, the Specialist will recruit and support students serving as peer mentors. The Specialist will facilitate peer mentors, provide ongoing support and feedback before and after sessions.
Maintain accurate and confidential records of every student interaction including in-person visits, phone, and online consultations.
Collaborate with various campus offices and community organizations to develop resource list of services for students.
Implement campus mental health activities/events planned by health center mental health staff to ensure the success of the events.
Collaborate with Mental Health Case Coordinator for referrals to basic needs resources (i.e. Cal Fresh, Medi-Cal, Covered CA, other public benefits) and to mental health counseling.
Utilize District integrated software in performing the required duties of the position.
Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications (Education & Experience):

Any combination equivalent to:

Minimum of Associate's degree in Social Work or related field from an accredited institution AND
Fieldwork or professional experience related to the area of assignment

Knowledge and Abilities

Knowledge of:

Principles and practices of event promotion, and implementation.
Crisis intervention skills.
Principles and practices of leadership, advocacy, collaboration and customer service.
Needs, interests, issues and concerns of diverse community college students.
Gather information on COS Student Services and applicable local community services to serve a resource list for students.
Applicable federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
Communication skills in both one-on-one and group settings.
Analytical and critical thinking skills.
Interpersonal skills using tact, patience and courtesy.
MS Suite to include Word and Excel.

Ability to:

Provide leadership, support, information and guidance to students involved in the Let's Talk program related to mental health services.
Communicate clearly in both oral and written form and follow oral and written instructions.
Work with under-represented populations and the ability to work successfully with students of diverse academic, socio-economic, ethnic, cultural, and disability backgrounds.
Work independently while developing strong collaborative relationships with colleagues, students, student services, academic service units and community agencies.
Organize set priorities and exercise expert, independent judgment within areas of responsibility; manage multiple work priorities.
Represent the District effectively in dealings with students, community groups and the public
Make presentations and present services and proposals clearly, logically and persuasively to diverse audiences

Working Conditions:

Environment

Indoor/Outdoor environment
Travel to various sites to conduct duties of position, including but not limited to the Hanford Center and Tulare Center.
Extensive contact with students
Multi-project, fast-paced working environment.
Some weekend and evening hours may be required

Physical Abilities

Ability to operate a computer and office equipment.
Ability to sit and stand for extended periods of time.
Ability to communicate with students/employees/public in writing, by e-mail, in-person or on the phone.
Ability to read and write various materials.

Application Procedure

To be considered, applicants must submit ALL of the following required material before or by the filing deadline:

An online job application.
Letter of interest, which addresses how the applicant's experience and/or education enables him/her to be able to perform the job duties.
Resume
Unofficial copies of transcripts of all college/university work. Official transcripts required upon employment. Note: Applicants who have completed college or university course work at an institution outside of the United States that is not a post-secondary institution accredited by an accreditation agency recognized by either the US Department of Education or the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) must obtain a complete evaluation of foreign transcripts, degrees, and other relevant documents by either NACES or AICE.

Recruitment Analyst: Nancy Yanes 559-737-4886 or nancyy@cos.edu

The Sequoias Community College District is an equal employment opportunity employer committed to prohibiting unlawful discrimination, harassment, including sexual harassment, intimidation, and bullying based on actual or perceived race or ethnicity, color, creed, national origin, religion, sex or gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, physical and/or mental disability, age, medical condition, genetic condition, pregnancy, reproductive health decision making, marital status, military or veteran status, or ancestry.

College of the Sequoias does not sponsor H-1B Visas

To apply, visit https://www.schooljobs.com/careers/cos/jobs/5329901/mental-health-program-specialist

COLLEGE OF THE SEQUOIAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER: The College of the Sequoias Community College District is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity. It is the District's policy to ensure that all qualified applicants for employment and employees have full and equal access to employment opportunity and are not subject to discrimination in any program or activity of the District on the basis of ethnic group identification, race, gender, color, language, accent, citizenship status, ancestry national origin, age, sex, religion, sexual orientation, transgender, parental status, marital status, veteran status, physical or mental disability or medical condition, or on the basis of these perceived characteristics.