Behavioral Health Fellow - San Francisco Department of Public Health (9910)

The Department of Public Health prioritizes equitable and inclusive access to quality healthcare for its community and values the importance of diversity in its workforce. All employees at the Department of Public Health work to advance equity, inclusion, and diversity with a specific lens and focus on race, ethnicity, gender, sex, sexuality, disability, and immigration status.  

• Application Opening – March 28, 2025 

• Application Deadline – Application filing will close on or after June 6, 2025  

• Salary: $49.1705 / hourly 

• Appointment Type: Temporary Exempt 

The Mission of the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) is to protect and promote the health of all San Franciscans. SFDPH strives to achieve its mission through the work of multiple divisions - the San Francisco Health Network, Population Health, Behavioral Health Services, and Administration. The San Francisco Health Network is the City’s only complete system of care and has locations throughout the City, including Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center, and over 15 primary care health centers. The Population Health Division (PHD) provides core public health services for the City and County of San Francisco: health protection, health promotion, disease and injury prevention, and disaster preparedness and response. Behavioral Health Services operates in conjunction with SFHN and provides a range of mental health and substance use treatment services. 

The San Francisco Department of Public Health (DPH) is accepting applications for the second year of the Behavioral Health Fellowship. This is a great opportunity for students in their final semester of a graduate degree program or recent graduates (Master’s degree or higher) that are pursuing a career as a Licensed Social Worker (LCSW), Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), or Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC). The training program provides recent graduates with practical learning experiences and exposes them to a public service career as a Behavioral Health Clinician (2930). 

• LOCATION: Various locations in the SF Health Network, which includes 13 plus community clinics, Laguna Honda Hospital (LHH), Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital (ZSFG) and Jail Health Services. 

• SCHEDULE/SHIFT: Varies depending on the program. 

The Behavioral Health Fellow will be trained to provide clinical and care coordination services. You will be assigned to a work site where you will be part of a team while. You will be provided ongoing training and support as part of a larger cohort of Behavioral Health Fellows to learn and practice the day-to-day work and responsibilities of a DPH Behavioral Health Clinician (2930). The Fellowship Program has a maximum duration of one year. 

Training milestones in the Behavioral Health Fellowship Program will include in-depth work at your assigned location and may include the following:  

• SFDPH New Employee Orientation 

• Standards of Care overview and learning plan 

• Proficiency in documenting clinical services 

• Knowledge of commonly diagnosed mental health disorders 

• Understanding of evidence based and culturally appropriate interventions 

• Provide evidence-based interventions and services 

• Completion of documentation in a timely manner 

• Application to a Behavioral Health Clinician (2930) position with DPH 

Additional information regarding available assignment locations and shifts will be provided during the selection process. 

Must be a recent graduate, within the last three (3) months, or currently enrolled in the last semester of one of the following: 

• Master of Social Work (MSW) program from an accredited school of social work ; OR 

• Master’s degree program for licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) that meets the education requirements as specified by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS); OR 

• Master’s degree program for licensure as a Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) that meets the education requirements as specified by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS 

Applicants will meet minimum qualifications, as described above, if they are within three months from graduation or in their last semester of school either (i) on the date of their application or (ii) on the date the announcement closes. 

NOTE: Within the first month of hire or graduation as applicable, it is expected that the fellow will apply for registration as an Associate Clinical Social Worker (ASW), Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT), or Associate Professional Clinical Counselor (APCC) with the Board of Behavioral Health Sciences (BBS) and maintain registration as a condition of employment.   

Applicants must meet the minimum qualification requirement by the final filing date unless otherwise noted.  

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS: The stated desirable qualifications may be considered at the end of the selection process when candidates are referred for hiring 

• Completion of an internship in a San Francisco Department of Public Health program. 

• At least one internship placement in graduate school consisted of supervised clinical direct services with clients. 

• Fluency in Chinese (Cantonese and Mandarin), Spanish, or Filipino as well as other languages spoken in our medically underserved communities, in addition to English. 

• Candidates from medically underserved communities and those with lived experience in and community involvement with medically underserved communities in San Francisco are strongly encouraged to apply. 

• Experience and knowledge providing racially and culturally responsive behavioral health services.   

• Experience providing services in different modalities (e.g. clinic, telehealth, field-based services such as community, home, school). 

Important Note: Please make sure it is absolutely clear in your application exactly how you meet the minimum qualifications. Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. Please be aware that any misrepresentation of this information may disqualify you from this recruitment or future job opportunities.  

How to apply: 

Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are only accepted online at careers.sf.gov.

Our e-mail communications may come from more than one department so please make sure your email is set to accept messages from all of us at this link.

Applicants may be contacted by email about this recruitment. Please consider using a personal email address that you check regularly rather than a work or school account.

Applicants will receive a confirmation email that their online application has been received in response to every announcement for which they file. Applicants should retain this confirmation email for their records. Failure to receive this email means that the online application was not submitted or received.

Additional information regarding Employment with the City and County of San Francisco:  

• Information about the Hiring Process  

• Conviction History  

• Employee Benefits Overview  

• Equal Employment Opportunity  

• Disaster Service Workers 

• Reasonable Accommodation 

• Right to Work 

• Copies of Application Documents 

• Diversity Statement 

If you have questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the analyst, Katrina Navarro at [email protected] or 628-271-6717.

We may use text messaging to communicate with you on the phone number provided in your application. The first message will ask you to opt in to text messaging. 

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.