SENIOR PSYCHOLOGIST, CORRECTIONAL FACILITY (SPECIALIST)
- Job ID
- 502922
- Job Type
- SENIOR PSYCHOLOGIST, CORRECTIONAL FACILITY (SPECIALIST)
- Date posted
- 05/01/2026
- Location
- Crescent City, California
- Facility
- Pelican Bay State Prison (PBSP)
Department Information
This advertisement is for a Senior Psychologist (Specialist), CF, position located at Pelican Bay State Prison (PBSP) in Crescent City, CA located in Del Norte County.
You must indicate JC-502922 and position number on your application: 394-220-9287-XXX.
Please Note: Main communication for this position will be through email. Please ensure you have a valid email address on your application.
Located along the Pacific coast, among redwoods and pristine rivers, and just 20 miles from the Oregon border, Pelican Bay State Prison's (PBSP) mission is to provide constitutional medical, dental, and mental health care, in a timely, safe, and efficient manner, while addressing preventative health services, chronic disease management, and public health issues, to reduce unnecessary morbidity and mortality, and protect public health by providing patients timely access to safe, efficient, medical care and coordinate the delivery of medical care with mental health, dental, and disability programs. Primary care services are delivered to the outpatient population through six primary care clinics that operate daily. PBSP has a Correctional Treatment Center (CTC) for inpatient services, and an Urgent Treatment Area (UTA) both operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Vision
We enhance public safety and promote successful community reintegration through education, treatment and active participation in rehabilitative and restorative justice programs.
Mission
To facilitate the successful reintegration of the individuals in our care back to their communities equipped with the tools to be drug-free, healthy, and employable members of society by providing education, treatment, rehabilitative, and restorative justice programs, all in a safe and humane environment.
CDCR and CCHCS are committed to transforming the correctional landscape to create safer, more professional, and more fulfilling environments for our employees, the incarcerated population, and those supervised in our communities. Through systemwide improvements grounded in proven and emerging practices, we aim to strengthen rehabilitation, enhance workplace satisfaction, and support successful reentry into the community through our institutions, parole, and community partnerships. Our shared mission is to promote safety, wellness, and human dignity while fostering positive change for all those who live and work within our institutions and communities.
CDCR and CCHCS are committed to building an inclusive respectful workplace. We are determined to attract and hire candidates from all communities and empower employees from a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and personal experiences. We are proud to foster inclusion and drive collaborative efforts at all levels of the Department.
Across our organization, our programs work cooperatively to provide the highest level of health care possible to a diverse correctional population. We encourage creativity and ingenuity while treating others fairly, honestly, and with respect, all of which are critical to the success of the CDCR and CCHCS mission.
Job Description and Duties
Effective July 1, 2025, in accordance with the applicable Memorandum of Understanding, the Personal Leave Program 2025 (PLP 2025) was implemented. PLP 2025 requires each full-time employee in Bargaining Unit 19, and related Excluded, Exempt and Statutory Exempt employees, will have their base salary reduced by 3 percent and will receive 5 hours PLP 2025 leave credits monthly through June 2027. Salaries do not reflect the recent changes.
Limited Term 12 months; may be extended up to 24 months or become permanent.
Please be advised of the following additional pay benefits individuals may be eligible for:
- Recruitment and Retention Bonus may be available for clinicians newly hired with California Correctional Health Care Services.
- Please note: Individuals may be eligible to receive a $10,000 one-time recruitment and retention stipend should they meet the eligibility criteria, including but not limited to remaining employed with CCHCS for six months. Additionally, individuals may be eligible to receive a monthly recruitment and retention differential during their first year with CCHCS (totaling $20,000), should they meet the eligibility criteria.
- IMPORTANT: California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) and California Correctional Health Care Services (CCHCS) employees may be eligible for a $5,000 referral bonus should you be selected for hire, and remain employed with CCHCS for 90 days. For a CDCR/CCHCS employee to be considered, a questionnaire must be completed to the best of your knowledge, including the referring employee’s name, classification, PERNR, and work location. The questionnaire will be provided to the selected candidate during the pre-employment process.
Under the general direction of the Chief Psychologist, Correctional Facility (CF) or Chief of Mental Health Services, the Senior Psychologist, CF (Specialist), Suicide Prevention, Training and Assessment Coordinator coordinates the institution’s suicide prevention program, including training, suicide risk evaluations, internal reviews of suicide attempts and completed suicides, and institutional audits, reviews, and improvement of suicide prevention practices. The Senior Psychologist, CF, (Specialist) also coordinates and monitors the Mental Health Program’s training activities and has oversight of the psychological assessment program. The Senior Psychologist, CF (Specialist), maintains order and supervises the conduct of the incarcerated and protects and maintains the safety of persons and property. Some travel is required.
Minimum Qualifications
License: Possession of a valid license as a Psychologist issued by the California Board of Psychology and
Education: Possession of an earned Doctorate Degree in Psychology from an educational institution meeting the criteria of Section 2914 of the Medical Board of California's Business and Professions Code.
Individuals who do not qualify for licensure by the California Board of Psychology or who are in the process of securing this license will be admitted into the examination and may be appointed, but must secure a valid license within three years of appointment or the employment shall be terminated. For persons employed less than full time, an extension of a waiver of licensure may be granted for additional years proportional to the extent of part-time employment, as long as the person is employed without interruption in service, but in no case shall the waiver exceed five years.
(Unlicensed individuals who are recruited from outside the State of California and who qualify for licensure may take the examination and may be appointed for a maximum of two years at which time licensure shall have been obtained or the employment shall be terminated. Additionally, they must take the licensure examination at the earliest possible date after the date of employment.) AND
Either I: One year of experience in the California state service performing the duties of a Psychologist Clinical, Correctional Facility, or Staff Psychologist (any specialty);
Or II: Two years of postdoctoral, postinternship experience in the practice of psychology involving assessment and treatment and either training, research, consultation, or program planning in mental health services.
You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement.
Equal Opportunity Employer
The State of California is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.
It is an objective of the State of California to achieve a drug-free work place. Any applicant for state employment will be expected to behave in accordance with this objective because the use of illegal drugs is inconsistent with the law of the State, the rules governing Civil Service, and the special trust placed in public servants.
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