Clinical Mental Health Professional (Counselor)

Clinical Mental Health Professional (Counselor)

Salary

$61,942.40 - $77,417.60 Annually

Location

Austin, TX

Job Type

Full Time

Job Number

26-10772

Department

Sheriff

Opening Date

07/10/2026

Closing Date

7/24/2026 11:59 PM Central

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

Job Summary

Do you have a passion for working with underserved communities? Are you excited to start your Clinical career? Do you want to make a difference for someone? Does working in a fast-paced environment excite you? If you answered yes, then you need to apply for the Travis County Sheriff's Office (TCSO) Clinical Mental Health Professional position.

This position is located at either the Travis County Jail or the Travis County Correctional Complex and focuses on supporting inmates who have serious mental illness. Clinical Mental Health Professionals work with our inmate population to assess, observe, and monitor patient status and assist in creating individualized treatment plans.

Our Clinical Mental Health Professionals work 10-hour shifts, 4 days a week, with three days off each week or 8- hour days, five days a week. We have schedules that include 6AM-4PM, 8AM-6PM, and 4PM-2AM. All schedule options may include a weekend shift.

This is a great position for someone who wants to develop their social work or counseling skills in a rewarding and fast-paced environment and wants a competitive Total Rewards Package. Travis County offers one of the highest-rated retirement plans. We also offer vacation and sick leave, medical, dental, vision, short-term disability, personal holidays, 12 company-observed holidays, and longevity pay.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS:

This is the first in a series of three (3) Clinical Mental Health Professional job classifications within the Social Services family and provides professional mental health services to inmates incarcerated in the Travis County Jail. This classification is distinguished from other Correctional Mental Health Professionals in that most activities are conducted under clinical supervision of senior mental health professionals. This classification requires work in a secure facility with inmates who have serious mental health illnesses and requires a flexible schedule in order to meet the needs of the department

Duties and Responsibilities

• Works with clinical autonomy and provides direct care to inmate-patients in the Travis County Jail who have serious mental illness by assessing, observing, and monitoring patient status, developing treatment plans, and reporting and documenting results.
• Works as part of a treatment team to improve, restore, and maintain the patient's level functioning while minimizing symptoms, exacerbation of chronic illness, impairments, and disabilities by utilizing an individualized treatment.
• Maintain safety and security of self, others and facility at all times.
• Completes regularly assigned screening and assessment of patient suicidal behavior, mental illness, substance use and vulnerabilities.
• Observes and monitors patients physical, mental and emotional well-being by looking for behavior patterns and reporting observations to treatment team.
• Develops patient treatment plans.
• Completes daily documentation of patient status.
• Reports and documents any issues, concerns or problems with medications, or changes in patient mental or physical health.
• Participates as a member of the treatment team.
• Communicates patient treatment plans and concerns with mental health and medical staff and corrections officers.
• Performs other job related duties as assigned.

Minimum Requirements

Education and Experience:

Masters Degree in Counseling, Social Work or Psychology AND one (1) year social service experience.

Licenses, Registrations, Certifications, or Special Requirements:

Valid Texas Drivers License.

Applicants are required to attach a resume with the online application.

At least one of the following:

Licensed Masters of Social Worker (LMSW),

Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)

Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)*,

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)*

Psychologist*

• Those with temporary, provisional, associate or intern LPC, LMFT or Psychologist licenses must provide documentation of on-going clinical supervision during employment until full licensure is achieved. Documentation of full licensure must be provided within 2 years of employment.

Preferred:

Two (2) years paid experience in the counseling, social work, human services, education or criminal justice fields providing direct services to individuals.

Certified Correctional Health Professional (CCHP)

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Knowledge of:

• Mental illness, substance use, intellectual & developmental disabilities, head and traumatic brain injuries.
• Treatment and counseling strategies to address maladaptive behaviors.
• Criminogenic risk factors that lead to incarceration.
• Proper documentation practices.
• Preventative management strategies of aggressive individuals.
• Computer equipment to include word processing, spreadsheets, databases and a variety of software packages.
• Knowledge of and adherence to HIPAA and other federal and state laws requiring the confidential handling of certain health information.

Skill in:

• Active listening, critical thinking, active learning, service orientation, assertiveness, sound judgment and decision making.
• Effective communication with those impacted by symptoms of mental illness such as depression, anxiety, mania and hallucinations.
• Development of treatment plans.
• Problem solving.
• Use of Electronic Medical Record, Microsoft Office Suite and other basic computer applications.
• Both verbal and written communication.

Ability to:

• Discern potential problems and involve appropriate staff in problem solving.
• Resolve conflict and work with resistant patients to meet treatment goals.
• Maintain a safe and secure environment.
• Interact with patients in a caring manner.
• Communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with departmental clientele, other County employees and officials, community outreach and other organizations, clinical service providers, law enforcement personnel and the general public.

Work Environment & Other Information

Physical requirements include the ability to lift/carry up to 50 pounds occasionally, visual acuity, speech and hearing, hand and eye coordination and manual dexterity necessary to operate a computer and office equipment. Subject to standing, sitting, walking, climbing stairs, bending, stooping, crouching, kneeling, pushing, pulling, reaching, twisting, balancing, repetitive motion, driving, client/customer contact, and squatting to perform the essential functions.

Travis County employees play an important role in business continuity. As such, employees can be assigned to business continuity efforts outside of normal job functions.

Work Hours: Shift work required. Hours can vary by shift 24 hours a day. Works some holidays, works some nights, works some weekends.

Location: Austin, TX

Department: Sheriff

Criminal background check, Credit Check, Driving Record, Drug Test, Alcohol Test, Education, and Employment History

For updates or questions on this position, contact:

This job description is intended to be generic in nature. It is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. The essential duties, functions and responsibilities and overtime eligibility may vary based on the specific tasks assigned to the position.

Benefits

Employment at Travis County comes with a full array of benefits. We offer comprehensive health insurance, a no-cost, on-site Health and Wellness clinic, longevity pay, paid vacations, sick time and personal holidays, not to mention an industry competitive salary structure and a friendly, stable work environment.

FY2026 Travis County Benefit Guide

In this valuable Travis County Benefits Guide you will find benefit summaries, eligibility requirements, costs, contact numbers and addresses as well as other general information on the benefits available to Travis County Employees and Retirees.

Credit Union

Employees may join the Travis County Credit Union which offers low-interest loans, savings plans through payroll deduction, safe deposit boxes and other benefits.

Deferred Compensation

Employees may enroll in a tax- free sheltered investment plan through payroll deduction.

Direct Deposit

Employees may sign up for direct bank deposit.

Employee Assistance Program

Travis County provides a confidential counseling and referral service free of charge to county employees and their family.

Employee Organizations

Membership in the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Union is available through payroll deduction.

Employee Health & Wellness Clinic

Employees may access the clinic for a variety of wellness program and health care services with no co-pay, no deductible and no co-insurance costs.

Holidays

An average of eleven paid holidays are designated by the Travis County Commissioners Court at the beginning of each fiscal year.

Insurance

Employees may select from four plans: an Exclusive Physician Organization (EPO), Choice Plus Preferred Physician Organization (PPO), Consumer Choice or a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) with a Health Savings Account (HSA). All four options include a Pharmacy Plan. Travis County's current policy is to pay 100% of the employee's health insurance premium for the Consumer Choice and HDHP. Employees will pay a premium for both the EPO and PPO. Other insurance benefits include $50,000 Basic Life and AD&D paid by the County.

The following benefits are employee paid:

• Dental
• Vision
• Supplemental Life, AD&D
• Dependent Life
• Short Term Disability
• Long Term Disability
• Long Term Care

New employees are covered on the first day of the month following 28 calendar days of employment.

Longevity

Longevity pay is paid for each year completed after three years of continuous service. Peace Officers in a law enforcement activity, whose job requires state peace officer certification, receive pay after one year of certification.

On the regular payday on or after the employees fourth and subsequent adjusted service dates, he or she receives a single payment for the previous year.

Parking

A limited number of assigned parking spaces are available to employees in the Courthouse Complex.

Personal Holidays

Regular, full-time employees are eligible for up to three paid personal holidays each calendar year. Part-time employees shall be granted personal holidays on a prorated basis. New employees earn personal holidays for the calendar year in which he/she begins employment, based on the month in which employment begins:

January - March

3 personal holidays

April - June

2 personal holidays

July - September

1 personal holiday

October - December

None

New employees are eligible to take personal holidays after 90 days of employment.

Retirement

Travis County is a member of the Texas County & District Retirement System with mandatory participation by certain classes of employees. Seven percent (7%) of the gross salary is deducted each pay period. An employee is fully vested after eight years of service. Benefits are prorated for part-time employees.

Sick Leave

Regular employees earn sick leave at a rate of eight hours per month with unlimited accrual during employment. Part-time employees earn sick leave on a pro-rated basis.

Parental Leave

Each Full-time Paid Parental Leave Eligible (PPL) Employee is entitled to a total of 320 hours of Paid Parental Leave in a 12 month period. Paid Parental Leave for Part-time PPL Eligible Employees is prorated based on the number of hours that they are regularly scheduled to work.

Tuition Refund

Certain classes of full-time employees may receive reimbursement for fees associated with pre-approved, job related course work completed satisfactorily.

Vacation

Based on years of county service, regular, full-time employees earn vacation time at the following rates:

0 to 5 years

4.0 hours per pay period

6 to 10 years

4.5 hours per pay period

11 to 15 years

5.0 hours per pay period

16 to 20 years

5.5 hours per pay period

21 plus years

6.0 hours per pay period

Part-time employees earn vacation leave on a pro-rated basis.

Workers Compensation

The county provides all employees workers compensation coverage with benefits in accordance with state statute, if the employee sustains an injury out of, or in the course of work.

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A detailed resume is required for the application to be considered. Have you attached your resume with the online application?

• Yes
• No

Required Question

Employer Travis County

Address 700 Lavaca Street

Austin, Texas, 78701

Website https://www.traviscountytx.gov/human-resources/jobs