PSYCHIATRIC TECHNICIAN RECOVERY LIFESTYLE PROGRAM COUNSELOR

Job Description and Duties

Patton State Hospital, Human Resources Department, is accepting applications for at least (1) Permanent, Full-Time appointment to the Psychiatric Technician (Safety), Recovery Lifestyle Program Counselor. This position is under the direct supervision of the Program Assistant- Structured Treatment Program of Enhancement Services (PA-STP). The position will perform the Level of Care Nursing duty, primarily focusing on facilitating substance recovery treatment in the Recovery Lifestyle Program (RLP), a hospital-wide day treatment program for patients diagnosed with Substance Use Disorders (SUD). As a Recovery Lifestyle Program (RLP) Counselor, the Psychiatric Technician (PT) will work under the direct supervision of the Program Assistant- Structured Treatment Program of Enhancement Services and within a team of other counselors directing primarily group treatment to dually diagnosed patients.

The successful candidate will work as an RLP team member to provide substance recovery treatment to dually diagnosed patients across a range of cognitive abilities and stages of change. As a member of the RLP Team, the selected applicant will collaborate with treatment teams to determine the most appropriate substance recovery treatment activities for each patient. The position is crucial for the facility to continue to provide substance recovery treatment and care to patients within the structured safe and secure environment to reach the optimal outcome.

The successful candidate shall have excellent people skills with experience in group facilitation and positive experience working with patients both individually and in groups. Candidates should be collaborative team players and evidence solid clinical judgment and professional boundaries with patients and co-workers. The candidate shall have knowledge and experience not limited to Co-Occurring disorders, Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)/Relapse Prevention, and 12 Step Programs.

Additionally, the qualified person must be a clear and direct communicator, possess excellent writing skills for progress notes/report writing and proficient in the usage of common office computer applications such as Outlook and MS Word. Knowledge of Excel is preferable. Other desired qualities include being patient-oriented, a collaborative team player, open to learning and taking feedback, awareness of safety/security, patience, adaptability, attention to detail, organizational ability, and the ability to manage a large and varying caseload.

In order to gain list eligibility and be appointed to the Psychiatric Technician (Safety) classification, please follow the link below to the exam bulletin. Failure to take the exam will result in your application not moving forward in our process. Please follow the directions carefully: .

The position(s) require(s) a Drug Screening be passed prior to being hired.

All applicants may be pre-screened for breadth and depth of experience. Only the most qualified applicants may be interviewed based on screening criteria. For this reason, it is especially important that applicants take special care in thoroughly and accurately completing the application.

Applicants that meet the recruitment criteria should submit an application to Human Resources- Employment Unit no later than Monday, April 20, 2026.

You will find additional information about the job in the .

Working Conditions

Patton is a forensic psychiatric hospital and was established in 1890 and opened in 1893. DSH-Patton provides treatment to forensically and civilly committed patients within a secure treatment area. The hospital does not accept voluntary admissions.

Special Requirements

• The position(s) require(s) a Drug Screening be passed prior to being hired.
• The position(s) require(s) a Background Investigation be cleared prior to being hired.
• The position(s) require(s) Medical Clearance prior to being hired.
• The position(s) require(s) a(n) Psychiatric Technician License. You will be required to provide a copy of your license prior to being hired.

Unless there is a specific request to be notified via USPS mail, our main contact will be via email. Email correspondence regarding this job posting will primarily come from [email protected] . It is the applicant’s responsibility to check their email inbox, including junk/spam emails for any correspondence regarding their application status. In addition, applicants are encouraged to keep their CalCareers profile updated with a current telephone number, mailing address, and email.

For experience/education to qualify during the application screening process, and to ensure that minimum qualifications can be determined, applicants should include all employment history on the Examination/ Employment Application (STD. 678) including detailed job descriptions, hours worked per week , and start/end dates (MM/DD/YYY). Application packages without this information will experience delayed processing times and your eligibility for this position may be impacted.

A completed STD. 678 and any other relevant documents (e.g., unofficial transcript, copy of degree, resume, etc.) should be submitted electronically via your CalCareers account. Please reference Job Control #514151 and indicate the basis of your eligibility in the Examination(s) or Job Title(s) section. SROA and surplus candidates should submit a copy of their letter with their application. Please remove any confidential information (i.e., social security number, date of birth) from your documents prior to submission.

Complete Application Packages (including your STD. 678 and applicable or required documents) must be submitted to apply for this Job Posting. Application Packages may be submitted electronically through your CalCareers account at . Submitting an electronic application through your CalCareers account is strongly recommended since electronic applications will be received/processed faster than other methods of filing. Please submit only one application.

**Click on the link to complete the Department of State Hospitals Recruitment Survey: DSH Recruitment Survey **

Desirable Qualifications

In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:

• Knowledge of substance use treatment methods and certifications pertaining to substance use.

• Known for personal initiative, flexibility, strong work ethic, ability to communicate effectively in written and verbal formats, as well as being comfortable speaking publicly in a group setting.

Benefits

Please review the that may also be found on the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR) website. You will find information on the benefits afforded by membership in the Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS), benefits and protections provided to public employees by the State Civil Service Act, and salary ranges and a summary of the Psychiatric Technician (Safety)classification.

Statement of Qualifications

Please address the following questions:

1. What knowledge/experience do you have with group and individual treatment/counseling with patients with severe and persistent mental illness.

2. What knowledge/experience do you possess in treatment for co-occurring disorders, including but not limited to the transtheoretical model, 12-Step programs and Cognitive-behavioral therapy ( CBT).

3. Describe what interpersonal characteristics you possess to be a good candidate working with patients that have both a severe mental illness and substance use disorder(s).

4. Please discuss, if applicable, certifications or specialized training in substance use provided and discussed.

Required Application Package Documents

The following items are required to be submitted with your application. Applicants who do not submit the required items timely may not be considered for this job:

• Current version of the State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 (when not applying electronically), or the Electronic State Employment Application through your Applicant Account at All Experience and Education relating to the Minimum Qualifications listed on the Classification Specification should be included to demonstrate how you meet the Minimum Qualifications for the position.
• Resume is required and must be included.