Mental Health

Salary : $46,550.40 - $57,241.60 Annually

Location : County of San Diego, CA

Job Type : Regular - Full time

Job Number : 25483906

Department : Health & Human Serv Agcy

Division : Inpatient Health Services

Opening Date : 06 / 27 / 2025

Closing Date : Continuous

Job Summary

The County of San Diego is now hiring for

Mental Health Aide

Interviews will be held on Thursdays. Job offers will take place shortly after the interviews.

Qualifying applicants will be invited via email to schedule an interview. Candidates should be prepared to immediately complete background paperwork following the interview.

Future Salary Increases

• June 2026 - 4.0% increase to base pay (3.5% Across-the-Board + 0.5% Market Increase)
• June 2027 - 3.5% increase to base pay (3.0% Across-the-Board + 0.5% Market Increase)

In addition to base salary, Mental Health Aides at the San Diego County Psychiatric Hospital earn a 5% location premium.

Mental Health Aides at the Psychiatric Hospital are assigned to one of two shifts :

Morning (7 a.m. to 7 p.m.) or Night (7 p.m. to 7 a.m.)

Mental Health Aides perform routine, non-technical, para-professional work in caring for patients admitted to the San Diego County Psychiatric Hospital. Work includes observing and monitoring the behavior and whereabouts of patients in order to maintain their safety and interacting with and providing directions to patients when patients require assistance with daily living activities or when patients demonstrate high-risk behaviors. In addition, Mental Health Aides ensure patients receive appropriate diet by reviewing patients' dietary restrictions, food allergies, and preferences; obtain a wide range of information from nursing, physicians, and other support services about patient conditions, treatment plans, and suggested activities; conduct (technical piece) and record vital signs including blood pressure, pulse, temperature, and respiration rate as requested; note observations of patient behavior including complaints or physical symptoms to nurses; provide environmental rounding to ensure a safe and clean environment on patient care unit(s) and courtyard(s); when patients go out of the facility for court, tests, treatments, or appointments, may accompany and assist them in any manner necessary; may participate in observing, facilitating and document group activities; and when crisis occurs, must be able to intervene and calm patients down.

Click here for the complete Mental Health Aide job description, including examples of qualifying education / experience, essential functions and working conditions.

The San Diego County Psychiatric Hospital is a fast paced and challenging work environment providing enormous personal rewards. The hospital assists adult patients in dealing with a mental health crisis, become stabilized, and move ahead to less restrictive levels of care. The position is located at 3853 Rosecrans St., San Diego, CA, 92110. Please click to learn more about The San Diego County Psychiatric Hospital.

The ideal candidate will be team oriented, exercise good judgment under stressful situations, able to assess and identify solutions quickly and communicate effectively.

INTERVIEWS AND HIRING PROCESS

Job offers for selected candidates will be made shortly after the interviews. Candidates should be prepared to immediately complete background paperwork, upon receipt of a job offer.

The timeline for this recruitment is outlined below. Please note that dates are approximate and are dependent upon the successful completion of each step of the process.

If you are not selected for this interview process, you may have the opportunity to compete for future vacancies.

Required Education and Experience

The Department of Human Resources removes personally identifiable information from all recruitments. This practice, called Blind Applicant Screening, hides a candidate's personal information that could influence or bias a hiring decision. Personal information includes name, phone number, address, gender, age and race. This process helps contribute to a fair and equitable selection process leading to a more diverse and inclusive workforce.

The most highly qualified candidates, based on the evaluation results, will be referred for an interview. Be sure to include your experience in meeting the minimum requirements in both the Work Experience section and the Supplemental Questionnaire section of the Application.

Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of the application Work History and / or supplemental questionnaire.

Condition of Employment

As part of the County of San Diego's pre-employment process, prospective candidates will undergo a background check (including fingerprinting) and a pre-employment medical screening prior to beginning County employment. Additional types of background investigations may be conducted based on the job-related activities of the position. Current County employees may be excluded from this process.

Evaluation Process

Qualified candidates will be placed on a three (3 ) month employment list based on scores received during the evaluation of information contained in their employment and supplemental applications. Please ensure all information is complete and accurate as the responses you provide on the supplemental application questionnaire will be reviewed using an automated evaluation system. If you are successful in the initial screening process your application will be reviewed individually to confirm that the information you provided is accurate and qualifying.

Note : Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable a qualified individual with a disability to perform the essential functions of a job, on a case-by-case basis.

The County of San Diego and its employees embrace the vision of : a just, sustainable, and resilient future for all. Our values include : integrity, equity, access, belonging, excellence, and sustainability. Each of which are infused throughout our operations. While also embracing a mission of strengthening our communities with innovative, inclusive, and data driven services through a skilled and supported workforce. Click here for more information on our as well as our commitment to serve everyone, to build a that will create a County that works for all.

As an employer of over 19,000 employees, the County of San Diego is an organization committed to veteran hiring, retention, and professional development. We recognize the contributions and sacrifices made by our veterans and value the unique expertise and leadership qualities they bring to our workforce. We strive to provide veterans with the resources and tools necessary to maximize their employment opportunities, and to assist veterans with their transition into civilian life by applying the valuable skills, knowledge and training acquired in service to positions and career paths at all levels within our large organization. Click on the resource links below to learn more about how the County of San Diego supports its veterans.

Veteran's Preference Policy The County of San Diego offerspreferential credits for military service to assist qualified applicants in transitioning from military to civilian careers with the County of San Diego.

Military Skills Translator Do you need assistance translating your military experience into civilian experience? This tool can help!

Under California Government Code Sections 3100 - 3109, public employees are designated as disaster service workers . The term "public employees" includes all persons employed by the state or any county , city, state agency, or public district. Disaster service workers are required to participate in such disaster service activities as may be assigned to them by their employer or by law.

The County of San Diego is committed to valuing diversity and practicing inclusion because our diverse workforce is our greatest asset and our customers are our number one priority.

Click here to see the Non-Management Benefits Summary (NMG-NHS)

01

Please indicate how you meet the minimum qualifications for Mental Health Aide. Note : If you are using your education to qualify, you must provide a copy of your degree, transcripts or certificate of foreign studies equivalency at time of application.

02

Please describe your experiences working with patients who are mentally ill. In your response, please include the following : A) Name of employerB) Job titleC) Brief description of dutiesIf you do not have this experience, please indicate "N / A."Please do NOT indicate "See Resume" or "See Application" as these are not acceptable answers.

03

How many years of full-time experience do you have working in a psychiatric hospital?

04

If you indicated having experience in Question #3 above, in the Work history section of your online application , please provide the name of the facility, or facilities where you gained this experience, employment dates, hours worked per week, and indicate whether or not the patients were at the facility under a 72-hour hold due to their being a danger to themselves. Do you understand this information?

05

Check all duties you performed at an inpatient mental health facility on a daily basis.

06

Are you willing to work with patients that exhibit hostile, abusive, or aggressive behavior? (if no, application will be denied)

07

Do you have experience or any formal training in de-escalation techniques and crisis prevention and intervention techniques?

08

In this position, work may involve exposure to patients with communicable diseases. Are you willing to work under these conditions if given appropriate protection? (if no, application will be denied)

09

Do you have a current America Heart Association CPR card? NOTE : A Healthcare Provider Basic Life Support (BLS) CPR card is required at the time of appointment.

10

Where did you first hear about this job opportunity?

11

If you answered "Other" in question #10, please describe where you first heard of this job opportunity.

Required Question