GV
Golden Valley Health Centers
Los Banos, California

Behavioral Health Clinician (Los Banos)

Psychologist 8.0 Work-LifeNo weekendsNo nightsFull-Time

Listed compensation

$77K - $112.5K

The week · per this posting · Monday – FridayWeekdays only

Ask the employer about call expectations and time off.

Posted 7mo ago

Job Description

The Behavioral Health Clinician (BHC) will provide direct services to Golden Valley Health Centers (GVHC) patients in the integrated care model, closely working with Medical Providers and other medical and non-medical staff involved in patients’ care. The BHC may work at multiple GVHC sites.

Schedule is Monday – Friday, 8:00am – 5:00pm

This position will work at our Los Banos Clinic.

Compensation

  • ASW $77,000 - $84,000 Annually
  • LCSW $94,000-$112,500 Annually

Golden Valley Health Centers offers excellent benefits including Medical: (0 Deductible / $2,000 Individual; $4,000 Family Out-of-Pocket Max), excellent PPO coverages; Dental; Vision; 403(b) with match, FSA plans, gym discounts, and so much more!

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

  • Communicate in a tactful and professional manner verbally and in writing
  • Demonstrate effective collaboration and problem-solving skills.
  • Conduct Biopsychosocial Assessments, complete treatment plans in collaboration with patients and provide mental health therapy.
  • Maintain confidentiality as it pertains to BH program standards, HIPAA, and CRF 42, Part 2, to include Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) and National Association of Social Workers (NASW) guidelines.
  • Provide direct care to GVHC patients with behavioral health concerns or social service needs during scheduled office hours, through the integrated model. This includes facilitating care through triage related to BH Services and referral to other mental health providers when necessary.
  • Provide Behavioral Health Services via Tele-Health within GVHC clinics for prompt access to services
  • Provide BH Services according to the standards and requirement of the Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) program.
  • Provide patient care utilizing critical thinking skills to analyze social, safety, environmental, psychological and spiritual issues for the patient.
  • Demonstrate compassion and teamwork by impacting the lives of patients, families, colleagues and members of the healthcare team in a positive manner.
  • Provide direct patient services for both GVHC patients and individuals referred from the community seeking to establish care with GVHC.
  • Assist Primary Care Providers (PCPs) in recognizing and treating behavioral health and psychosocial problems through the integrated model. Assesses the clinical status of patients referred by PCPs through brief consultative contacts effectively at the time of the primary care encounter through “warm hand-offs”.
  • Conduct exam room visits to educate patients on the Integrated Care Model BH services provided on site, and may screen patients for BH needs.
  • Provide education on BH concerns for GVHC staff through in-service trainings, consultations, and other informal means.
  • Assist in the setting and attaining program goals and objectives.
  • May assist with managing contract deliverables, reporting requirements for grants for the BH department, help in the development of new and innovative delivery care models (e. g., primary care integration), assist in monthly and annual reports of program activities, contractual, grant, and billing needs.
  • May assist in the recruitment, selection, and training of BH program staff.
  • May serve as an organization or program advocate and/or ambassador within and outside of GVHC.
  • Complete required documentation, and billing within specified time frames as required by the BH program
  • Consistently attend and actively participate in all BH program meetings.
  • Other duties and/or special projects as assigned by supervisor, which are consistent with the position and in compliance with BH program and agency policies and procedures.

Knowledge Of

  • NASW Code of Ethics
  • California Board of Behavioral Sciences Regulations (BBS).
  • Current practices and techniques in psychotherapeutic treatment.
  • Current practices and techniques in the integrated model, including brief intervention and therapy.
  • Community resources for children and their families, homeless, farmworkers, etc.
  • The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text revision (DSM-5-TR)
  • Current issues/problems which negatively impact the community and their relationship to the development and operation of GVHC programs and services.
  • Federal, State and County laws or regulations applicable to providing behavioral health services.
  • Operating policies and general functions of other government agencies that provide behavioral health services.

Ability To

  • Provide cost-effective and efficient behavioral health services to a broad range of patients, through the Integrated Care Model.
  • Work as a member of a team in a consultative role with primary care providers.
  • Establish and maintain cooperative relationships with those contacted during the course of this job description.

Physical Demands

  • May be occasionally required to lift up to 40 pounds and push up to 100 pounds (on wheels).
  • Must be able to hear staff on the phone and those who are served in-person, and speak clearly in order to communicate information to patients and staff.
  • Must have vision with or without lenses that is adequate to read memos, a computer screen, personnel forms, and clinical and administrative documents.
  • Must have high manual dexterity.
  • Must be able to reach above the shoulder level to work, must be able to bend, squat and sit, stand, stoop, crouching, reaching, kneeling, twisting/turning.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.

The noise level in the work environment is usually average.

Education/Experience Requirements

  • Two (2) years of progressively responsible experience in mental health

Program Services Preferred, And

  • Equivalent to graduation from an accredited institution with a Master’s Degree in Social Work and/or doctorate in Psychology.. Must have a current registration with the BBS.
  • Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Clinical Psychologist (Ph.D.), Registered Associate Clinical Social Worker (ASW), and must be licensed or registered with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.
  • Registered Associate CSW should complete their practicum hours within two years from date of hire and be licensed within one year of the acceptance of their practicum hours by the BBS.
  • Current American Heart Association Basic Life Support Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation certification.

Key Responsibilities

The Behavioral Health Clinician provides direct services to patients within an integrated care model, closely collaborating with Medical Providers and other staff, conducting assessments, completing treatment plans, and providing mental health therapy. Responsibilities also include facilitating care through triage, providing services via Tele-Health, and assisting Primary Care Providers in recognizing and treating behavioral health issues.

Requirements

Candidates must possess a Master’s Degree in Social Work and/or doctorate in Psychology from an accredited institution, along with current registration or licensure with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS). Two years of progressively responsible experience in mental health program services is preferred, and current Basic Life Support certification is required.

Qualifications

Education
Doctoral or professional degree (postgraduate degree)
Experience
2+ years of experience

Certifications

BLS

Key Skills

Treatment PlanningHIPAA ComplianceConsultation

Mental Health Therapy — Psychologist Career Context

Of the 50 active Mental Health Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 34% are remote, 38% have no call, 60% require no weekends.

In California, the Mental Health Therapy weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$89k (32 salary observations; 40 listings), vs ~$77k nationally (279 salary observations; 714 listings). Monthly aggregates cover 2026-01-01 through 2026-05-01; these are not the modal's selected comparable-job medians.

The cost-of-living index for California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$95k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $86k in an average-cost state. 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Golden Valley Health Centers holds silver-tier status on WeekdayDoc's Top Employers work-life index, composite score 76/100, 22 active listings.

Mental Health Therapy pay on WeekdayDoc is up 2.6% vs. the prior quarter (through May 2026).

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Behavioral Health Clinician (Los Banos) at Golden Valley Health Centers a 8.0 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as excellent. This places the position in the top 25% in Mental Health Therapy (Psychologist) — ranked against 44 active Mental Health Therapy (Psychologist) listings on WeekdayDoc. Contributing factors include no weekend requirements, no night shifts.

Top Psychologist Jobs

30 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution30 jobs · 22 employers

6
<$125k
4
$125k-145k
6
$145k-165k
12
$165k-185k
2
$185k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks26 jobs · 22 employers

401k / retirement match
96% this job
CME allowance
42%
Sign-on bonus
31%
Loan repayment
15%
PSLF eligible
12%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

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$129k-$194k
#2

Licensed Psychologist (covering Salinas/Watsonville location)

San Andreas Regional Center · Salinas, California

$143k-$187k
#3

Clinical Psychologist / Neuropsychologist/Outpatient Clinic/Full-Time Employment/Palm Harbor

$150k–$183k
#4

Clinical Psychologist / Neuropsychologist/Outpatient Clinic/Full-Time Employment/Orlando

$150k–$183k
+ 28 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 7.2this job 8.0
Better work-life than 80% of Mental Health Therapy (Psychologist) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 44 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • No weekends
  • No nights
  • On-site

Living in Los Banos

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$426k≈ 5.5× annual pay
Typical market rent
$2,292/mo≈ 36% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
55 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
98.3
State income tax
Up to 13.3%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Aug 2026), Zillow market rents (Aug 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

BEA 2024 · Merced, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

Ratios use this listing’s gross annual pay. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.

GV

About Golden Valley Health Centers

Hospitals and Health Care
Merced, CA
501-1,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

Medical Insurance (0 Deductible)
Dental
Vision
403(b) with match
FSA plans
Gym discounts