Behavioral Health Therapist Jobs in California
Behavioral health therapist jobs in California are among the most active in the country, with strong demand from community mental health centers, county behavioral health departments, large hospital systems, and integrated care organizations at levels from entry-level associate therapist through senior clinician and program supervisor. Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego anchor the bulk of hiring, where established employers such as Kaiser Permanente, Telecare Corporation, and Sutter Health maintain large behavioral health workforces. The most in-demand specialties are substance use disorder treatment, trauma-informed care, and children and adolescent mental health. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Location: Skid Row, 600 San Pedro St, Los Angeles, CA 90014
Position Purpose:
The Associate Behavioral Health Therapist will provide direct mental health services within the interdisciplinary Housing Supportive Services Program (HSSP) for Wesley Health Center/JWCH Institute Inc. The ASW/AMFT is required to assess, treat, coordinate, plan, and link residents experiencing serious mental illness, co-occurring disorders, and medical challenges in a Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) setting to a full-range of resources that meet practical, social, and emotional needs. This role ensures high-quality, collaboration driven, trauma-informed, and housing-first service delivery while ensuring services meet medical necessity, and DMH contract requirements which includes comprehensive mental health services, targeted case management, medication management, and crisis intervention in a residential and field based setting.
Principal Responsibilities:
- Conduct functional and strength-based assessment along with comprehensive diagnosis for mental health, substance abuse, trauma, and psychosocial needs
- Develop client care plans that are coordinated and integrated with a comprehensive range of medical and psychosocial services to address social, emotional, and practical needs
- Provide evidence-based psychotherapy, rehabilitation and case management services through individual, family, and group modalities for clients and their significant others. Focus on building life skills to reduce symptoms and harm, fostering connection, joy, and meaning, and offering access to necessary resources to improve function and positive health outcomes
- Provide clinical guidance to an interdisciplinary team to ensure that the program treatment goals, and clients’ symptoms and behavioral needs are met
- Utilize both short-term and intensive longer-term interventions, as approved by funding source, that target trauma, mental health symptoms, and reduction of substance use
- Consult with medical care providers, psychiatrist, ICMS providers, Substance Counselors, and support persons to enhance understanding of the client and provide a coordinated person centered care
- Advocate for clients within organization and community to ensure access to appropriate care
- Support non-clinical staff, ICMS, substance use providers, and property management staff during working hours with crisis intervention and de-escalation efforts for high-acuity clients
- Provide phone consultation as needed
- Complete all charting in a timely manner and as required by funding sources, including assessments, progress notes, care plans, and billing documentation
- Participate in structured and “as-needed” case conferences
- Assist with provider education for integrated behavioral, substance, and primary care services
- Participate in behavioral health quality assurance/improvement activities to maintain and strengthen standards of care, in accordance with DMH requirements
- Participate in professional development activities
- Support client involvement in planning, implementing, and evaluating services
- Complete data collection forms and prepare reports as required by the program
- Adhere to all organizational safety policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements to ensure a safe environment for patients, staff, and visitors
- Participate in required safety and compliance trainings and apply learned practices in daily work activities
- Identify, report, and help mitigate unsafe conditions, incidents, or hazards in the workplace
- Use equipment, tools, and supplies safely and responsibly in accordance with organizational and regulatory standards
- Maintain awareness of infection control, occupational health, and emergency preparedness procedures appropriate to the role
- Other duties as assigned
Requirements
- Active Registration with BBS as an Associate Clinical Social Worker or Associate Marriage and Family Therapy
- Master’s degree in social work, counseling, or marriage and family therapy from an accredited college or university
- Experience working in the Skid Row community or similar high-need, unhoused, low income, underserved environments
- Knowledge and understanding of the impact of intersectionality and trauma on marginalized communities, and subsequent behavioral, substance and medical conditions
- Experience with evidence-based short-term behavioral health interventions
- Ability to navigate complex systems of care and housing resources
- Experience with Electronic Health Records (EHR) in DMH setting preferred
- Experience working in collaborative models
- Strong documentation, organization and time management skills
- Cultural humility and commitment to serving diverse populations
- Bilingual (English/Spanish) ability preferred
- All JWCH, Wesley Health Centers workforce members are recommended to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Employee Benefits:
At JWCH Institute, Inc., we believe in taking care of those who take care of others. If you work 30+ hours per week, you’ll enjoy competitive pay and a robust benefits package that includes:
- Medical, Dental, Vision
- Monthly employer-sponsored allowance for assistance with health premiums
- Funded Health Savings Account (up to deductible) to assist with carrier-approved medical expenses
- Paid time off (vacation, sick leave) and 13 paid holidays
- 401(k) Safe Harbor Profit Sharing plan
- Mileage reimbursement
- Short- and long-term disability plans (LTD/STD)
- Life insurance policy & AD&D, and more!
Become part of a team where your work matters. Apply today and help us change lives, one patient at a time.
JWCH Institute, Inc + Wesley Health Centers is an Equal Opportunity and Fair Chance Employer.
See All 101+ Behavioral Health Therapist Jobs in California
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Find JobsBehavioral Health Therapist Jobs by City in California
Where California roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Behavioral Health Therapist Job Market in California
A snapshot from current California openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
- LifeStance Health29

- Maxim Healthcare12

- Loma Linda University Health8

- HealthRIGHT 3607

- Sutter Health7

Top Industries Hiring
- Healthcare & Medical Services73
- Education13
- Insurance13
- Consulting & Professional Services3
- Technology & Software2
What California Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in behavioral health therapist jobs across California.
- Active California licensure as an LCSW, LMFT, LPCC, or registered associate status under the BBS
- Master's degree in social work, counseling, marriage and family therapy, or a related clinical field
- Experience delivering individual, group, or family therapy in a community or clinical setting
- Familiarity with Medi-Cal documentation standards, DSM-5 diagnosis, and treatment planning
- Proficiency with electronic health records systems used across California behavioral health programs
- Bilingual Spanish-English skills, strongly preferred across Southern California and Central Valley openings
Behavioral Health Therapist Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a behavioral health therapist in California?
You must earn a master's degree in social work, counseling, or marriage and family therapy, then register as an associate with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. Associates accumulate supervised hours working under a licensed clinician, then pass the California Law and Ethics exam and a clinical exam specific to their license track before the BBS issues a full license as an LCSW, LMFT, or LPCC.
Which companies hire behavioral health therapists in California?
Employers hiring behavioral health therapists in California right now include LifeStance Health, Maxim Healthcare, and Loma Linda University Health, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of June 2026. California's county behavioral health departments, Federally Qualified Health Centers, and large integrated systems like Kaiser Permanente also maintain ongoing pipelines for both licensed clinicians and registered associates.
Which California cities have the most behavioral health therapist jobs?
Redlands, Los Angeles, and Bakersfield have the most behavioral health therapist openings in California. Los Angeles and San Diego carry the volume because of their county behavioral health systems and dense networks of community mental health centers, while San Francisco's concentration of integrated health systems and nonprofit providers sustains consistently high demand even outside the largest county programs.
Are there remote behavioral health therapist jobs in California?
Yes, and more than most clinical fields, because telehealth delivery of therapy sessions has become widely accepted in California. About 27% of behavioral health therapist openings tied to California are remote or hybrid as of June 2026, reflecting the state's early expansion of telehealth parity rules. Individual and group therapy delivered by video is the portion of the role most commonly offered fully remote.
How can I get hired as a behavioral health therapist in California with little or no experience?
Registering as a Board of Behavioral Sciences associate while still completing graduate school is the most realistic entry path, because it lets you begin accumulating supervised hours immediately upon graduation. California county behavioral health departments and Federally Qualified Health Centers routinely hire registered associates into staff therapist roles with built-in supervision. Telecare Corporation and Momentum for Health also run structured associate programs in the public mental health sector. Coming from case management, crisis counseling, or psychiatric technician work gives candidates a meaningful edge when competing for those first associate positions.
Where can I find and apply to behavioral health therapist jobs in California?
You can find and apply to behavioral health therapist jobs in California on Migrate Mate, which lists current California openings across county programs, health systems, and community organizations. Find roles that fit your license status, specialty, and location, and apply directly to the employers posting them.
See All 101+ Behavioral Health Therapist Jobs in California
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