THIS IS A NEW ASSEMBLED EXAMINATION. The eligible list resulting from this examination will cancel any existing list and may last approximately one year but can be extended.
Supplemental Questionnaire: A properly completed Supplemental Questionnaire must be submitted with each application. Applications and Supplemental Questionnaires must be in the possession of the Human Resource Services Department by 5:00 p.m. on the Last Day for Filing. Failure to submit the Application or Supplemental Questionnaire will result in disqualification.
Applications and Supplemental Questionnaires will only be accepted online.
Qualified bilingual persons who speak English and are also fluent in: Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, Korean, Mien, Tagalog, Amharic, Farsi, Dari, Tigrigna, Russian, Romanian or Sign Languages are especially encouraged to apply. There is an additional biweekly compensation for persons in positions designated bilingual. Qualified candidates may be tested to demonstrate language proficiency.
THE COUNTY
Alameda County, located on the east side of San Francisco Bay, is California's seventh-largest county. The County employs 9,700 full-time employees and operates on an annual budget of $3.4 billion. Oakland, the County seat, is California's eighth-largest city. One and a half million people call Alameda County home and live in a variety of incorporated cities, unincorporated communities, and rural areas. As a major urban county, Alameda provides a full range of services to its citizens. The County is a blend of culturally and ethnically diverse communities, and its mixture of cosmopolitan and suburban areas provides the perfect environment for families and their active lifestyles. The County offers extensive cultural resources, countless recreational opportunities, and an array of fine public and private colleges and universities.
ALAMEDA COUNTY HEALTH
Alameda County Health is the local government agency that promotes and protects the health and well-being of all who live, work, learn, and play in Alameda County. We coordinate services and cultivate partnerships with community organizations and providers to help ensure access, organize, and deliver health care and services to people with Medi-Cal and without insurance, support resilient communities, and improve health for all. We focus on health equity by developing programs and systemic solutions that reduce disparities for the people and communities we serve.
Alameda County Health’s departments and programs focus on services and support that provide care for the whole person.
- The Behavioral Health Department provides mental health and substance use services for people with Medi-Cal and without insurance and supports people along their path to wellness, recovery, and resilience.
- The Environmental Health Department works to keep our air, water, and food safe; it regulates, protects, and promotes the health of everyone in Alameda County by enforcing environmental health codes to reduce exposure to toxins and diseases.
- The Public Health Department focuses on community and population-level health, preventing and addressing root causes of health inequity across a range of communicable and chronic diseases.
- Alameda County Health also provides services through Housing and Homelessness Services, Emergency Medical Services Agency, HealthPAC, and Healthy Schools and Communities.
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT
As part of Alameda County Health, the Behavioral Health Department supports people with Medi-Cal and without insurance living with serious mental illness and substance use conditions along their path toward wellness, recovery, and resiliency. We provide services through a network of contracted mental health and substance use providers and administer the State’s resources and training for behavioral health providers, case managers, and other healthcare professionals. We advocate for our patients and families and create space for personal engagement in their care.
We are outpatient specialists for mental health services for older adults and youth, substance use providers and treatment program specialists, advocates for quality improvement and patients’ rights, and psychiatric and integrated health care providers.
For more information about the Behavioral Health Department, please visit www.acbhcs.org.
THE POSITION
This classification specification describes the journey-level of the Rehabilitation Counselor Classification flexibly-staffed series. Incumbents of this classification under general direction, to provide rehabilitative counseling services in Mental Health, Vocational, Forensics or related programs; to formulate client assessments, treatment plans and provide rehabilitation counseling for assigned clients; to gather and present case history data; and to do related work as required.
This position is the journey-level classification within the Rehabilitation Counselor flexibly-staffed series. This classification requires incumbents to be fully trained and professionally skilled upon entrance into the class. Rehabilitation Counselor II’s provide a full range of rehabilitation counseling services, involving considerable latitude and independence of judgment. Direct supervisory review and guidance is provided only in selected cases. The class of Rehabilitation Counselor I is distinguished from the higher-level class of Rehabilitation Counselor II in that the latter is expected to perform journey-level work.
THE VACANCY
The current vacancy is for positions in Vocational Services which require candidates to have a minimum six (6) months experience in vocational counseling, vocational care management, or in an employment services related occupation or field in an organization that provides vocational rehabilitation services to the disabled or in substance abuse recovery. However, the eligible list resulting from this recruitment will be used to fill future vacancies in other program areas with or without specialty designations.
THE IDEAL CANDIDATE
In addition to the minimum qualifications and the knowledge and skills listed below, the ideal candidate will demonstrate:
- Trustworthiness and the ability to interact with others in a way that builds confidence in both their intentions and those of the organization.
- Strong case management skills, including the ability to gather relevant client information, identify key issues, manage a high-volume caseload, and respond effectively to diverse client needs. They should be able to develop assessment, treatment, and discharge plans and handle administrative, operational, and client care requirements with ease.
- Effective teamwork abilities, including skillful coordination of tasks, people, and functions, and the ability to promote collaboration by being accessible, supportive, open-minded, and empathetic.
- Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to share information clearly, tailor messages to specific audiences, build strong relationships, and work effectively with people from diverse backgrounds, cultures, abilities, and interpersonal styles.
- Passion for the field of rehabilitation and a commitment to investing time, talent, and effort to support consumers in mental health, substance use, dual diagnosis, and rehabilitation counseling services.
- A sense of pride and personal satisfaction in serving Alameda County Behavioral Health while performing the full range of professional rehabilitation counseling responsibilities.
- Technical expertise or journeyman-level knowledge in mental health, substance use, dual diagnosis, and rehabilitation counseling, along with a commitment to continuous learning and staying current with trends and developments in the field.
- Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify issues and opportunities, use data and sound judgment to evaluate options, recommend practical solutions, and make decisions aligned with available resources and organizational goals.
- Understanding of outreach principles, employer engagement, sourcing and job development, with experience aligning employers' workforce needs with clients’ skills, qualifications, and employment requirements.
- Excellent organization and planning skills, including the ability to manage changing schedules, handle multiple tasks simultaneously, and set clear action plans for themselves and others to ensure efficient completion of work.
- A supportive team leader/supervisor knowledgeable of management principles and practices, including work planning, employee supervision and resource allocation; capable of training, coaching, guiding and mentoring to optimize others in accomplishing goals and objectives.
For more detailed information about the job classification, please visit: Rehabilitation Counselor II (#6640).
The minimum professional requirements for admission to the competitive assessment process include:
Education:
Possession of a master’s degree from an accredited college or university in rehabilitation counseling, clinical or educational psychology, or social work/marriage and family counseling/professional counselor.
AND
EITHER I
Experience:
The equivalent of one (1) year of full-time experience in the class of Rehabilitation Counselor I in the Alameda County classified services.
OR II
Experience:
The equivalent of two (2) years of full-time experience in the field of vocational rehabilitation, alcoholic or drug abuse rehabilitation or Mental Health treatment.
AND
License:
Some positions in this class require a valid California Motor Vehicle Operator's license. Applicants must possess such license prior to appointment to such positions. Possession of Marriage and Family Therapist, Social Work, or License Professional Counselor license is desirable.
Special Requirement:
In compliance with the Administrative Simplification provision of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), employees in this classification are required to possess a National Provider Identifier (NPI) number prior to their first day on the job.
In compliance with the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) and the Federal Cures Act, Employees in this classification who are required to render direct specialty mental health services in the course of their assignment must successfully be enrolled in Provider Application and Validation for Enrollment (PAVE) web portal prior to commencing employment.
NOTE: The Civil Service Commission may modify the above Minimum Qualifications in the announcement of an examination.
NOTE: The level and scope of the following knowledge and abilities are related to duties listed under the "Examples of Duties" section of this specification.
The most suitably qualified candidates will possess the following competencies:
Knowledge of:
- Modern principles, methods, materials, trends and literature related to alcohol and drug disorders, mental and emotional illness, personality disorders and their attendant problems.
- Prevention and treatment procedures, techniques, related to alcohol and drug disorders, mental and emotional illness, and personality disorders.
- Social aspects of drug, alcohol, mental and emotional problems.
- Techniques and dynamics of group and individual counseling.
- Scope and activities of health, economic, legal and welfare agencies.
- Techniques and dynamics of assessment and engagement.
Evidence Based Practices used effectively within rehabilitation settings.
-
Ability to:
- Develop and maintain effective and productive relationships with clients and their families.
- Secure pertinent social and personal data and meet documentation requirements.
- Utilize community resources, such as, Department of Rehabilitation, Social Security Administration, various social services agencies.
- Work effectively with others, including family members, employers, benefits counselors, housing programs and site managers.
- Write and speak effectively.
- Interpret data.
- Guide and supervise the work of others.
- Work independently and seek supervision when needed.
- Multi-task and prioritize projects.
- Input and/or access data via a system-wide computer network and personal computers.
The examination will consist of the following steps:
1) A review of candidates' applications to verify possession of minimum requirements. Those candidates who possess the minimum requirements for the classification will move on to the next step in the examination process.
2) A review of candidates' Supplemental Questionnaires to select the best qualified applicants. Those candidates selected as best qualified will move on to the next step in the examination process.
3) An oral interview examination which will be weighted as 100% of the candidate's final examination score. The oral interview examination may contain situational exercises.
CANDIDATES MUST ATTAIN A QUALIFYING RATING ON EACH PORTION OF THIS EXAMINATION.
We reserve the right to make changes to the announced examination components.
Alameda County utilizes a Civil Service Selection System founded on merit. Such a system is competitive and based on broad recruitment efforts and equal opportunity for qualified applicants to test in an examination process designed to determine the qualifications, fitness and ability of competitors to perform duties of the vacant position. Many of our recruitments are targeted and specific to the needs of a current vacant position, in which case, the eligible list may be exclusively used for that current vacant position. Other recruitments may be more broadly used for both current and future vacancies, or for other alternate jobs with comparable scopes of work.
To learn more about our recruitment and selection process, please visit the “What You Need to Know” section of our website, hrs.alamedacountyca.gov.
Applicants will be informed via email with reasonable notice in advance of any examination process which will require their attendance. The following dates are tentative and subject to change based on the needs of the Agency:
TENTATIVE RECRUITMENT PLAN:
5:00:00 p.m., Monday, July 6, 2026
Review of Minimum Qualifications
Review of Supplemental Questionnaire for Best Qualified
July 7, 2026
July 21-24 2026
Virtual Pre-recorded Civil Service Oral Examination:
Virtual Oral Examination Ratings:
Results Notification:
Promulgation of Eligible List:
July 29-August 7, 2026
August 10-14, 2026
Week of August 17, 2026
September 2, 2026
TENTATIVE SELECTION PLAN:
Departmental Hiring Interviews:
WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE ANNOUNCED RECRUITMENT & SELECTION PLAN
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION
Alameda County and the Human Resource Services Department will make reasonable efforts in the examination and/or selection process to accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities and/or medical conditions in accordance/compliance with the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and Alameda County’s Reasonable Accommodation Policy and applicable statutes. To request an accommodation due to a disability/medical condition during this or other phases of the examination/selection process, please contact the assigned Human Resources Representative listed on the job announcement no later than the recruitment filing deadline. If this is a continuous open recruitment without a filing deadline, please contact the assigned Human Resources Representative listed on the job announcement within ten (10) business days of submitting your application. Unless your disability is readily apparent (for example, you use a wheelchair and need wheelchair-accessible spaces), Alameda County requires applicants to provide supporting documentation to substantiate a request for reasonable accommodation. In order to qualify for a reasonable accommodation, applicants must have a disability/medical condition pursuant to the ADA, FEHA and applicable statutes.
For more information regarding our Reasonable Accommodation procedures, please visit our website, https://hrs.alamedacountyca.gov.
The County offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that affords wide-ranging health care options to meet the different needs of a diverse workforce and their families. We also sponsor many employee discount, fitness and health screening programs focused on overall wellbeing. These benefits include but are not limited to*:
For your Health & Well-Being
- Medical – HMO & PPO Plans
- Dental – HMO & PPO Plans
- Vision or Vision Reimbursement
- Share the Savings
- Basic Life Insurance
- Supplemental Life Insurance (with optional dependent coverage for eligible employees)
- Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance
- County Allowance Credit
- Flexible Spending Accounts - Health FSA, Dependent Care and Adoption Assistance
- Short-Term Disability Insurance
- Long-Term Disability Insurance
- Voluntary Benefits - Accident Insurance, Critical Illness, Long-Term Care, Hospital Indemnity and Legal Services
- Employee Assistance Program
For your Financial Future
- Retirement Plan - (Defined Benefit Pension Plan)
- Deferred Compensation Plan (457 Plan or Roth Plan)
For your Work/Life Balance
- 12 paid holidays
- Floating Holidays
- Vacation and sick leave accrual
- Vacation purchase program
- Catastrophic Sick Leave
- Pet Insurance
- Commuter Benefits Program
- Guaranteed Ride Home
- Employee Wellness Program (e.g. At Work Fitness, Incentive Based Programs, Gym Membership Discounts)
- Employee Discount Program (e.g. theme parks, cell phone, etc.)
- Child Care Resources
- 1st United Services Credit Union
- Eligibility is determined by Alameda County and offerings may vary by collective bargaining agreement. This provides a summary of the benefits offered and can be subject to change.
All notices related to County recruitments for which you have applied will be sent/delivered via email. Please add @jobaps.com, @acgov.org, [email protected], and [email protected] as accepted addresses to any email blocking or spam filtering program you may use. If you do not do this, your email blocking or spam filtering program may block receipt of the notices regarding your application for recruitments. You are also strongly advised to regularly log into your County of Alameda online application account to check for notices that may have been sent to you. All email notices that will be sent to you will also be kept in your personal online application account. You will be able to view all of your notices in your online application account by clicking on the "My applications" button on the Current Job Openings page.
Please take the steps recommended above to ensure you do not miss any notices about a recruitment for which you have applied. The County of Alameda is not responsible for notices that are not read, received or accessed by any applicant for a County recruitment.
NOTE: All notices are generated through an automated email notification system. Replies to the email boxes [email protected] and [email protected], are routed to unmonitored mailboxes. If you have questions, please go to our website at hrs.alamedacountyca.gov. You may also contact the Human Resources Analyst listed on the job announcement for the recruitment for which you have applied.
Nicole Lewis-Bolton, Human Resources Analyst
Human Resource Services, County of Alameda
(510) 272-6468 • [email protected]
hrs.alamedacountyca.gov
Disaster Service Worker
All Alameda County employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state and local law. Employment with the County requires the affirmation of a loyalty oath to this effect. Employees are required to report to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Alameda County has a diverse workforce, that is representative of the communities we serve, and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All aspects of employment are based on merit, competence, performance and business need. Alameda County does not discriminate in employment on the basis of: race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors protected under federal, state and local law. Alameda County celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive, and welcoming workplace environment.
