Mediator/Child Custody Recommending Counselor, (PART-TIME)

Mediator/Child Custody Recommending Counselor, (PART-TIME)

Salary

$8,659.73 - $11,051.73 Monthly

Location

Monterey, 1200 Aguajito Road, Monterey, CA

Job Type

Part Time

Job Number

26/2018A/07DG

Department

Civil

Opening Date

07/07/2026

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

Description

The Superior Court of California, County of Monterey is recruiting for the position of Mediator/Child Custody Recommending Counselor, Bilingual (PART-TIME). First consideration will be given to applications received on or before Sunday, July 26, 2026, at 11:59 P.M. After July 26th, applications will be reviewed and considered on a competitive basis weekly, until the position has been filled.

To be eligible for consideration, interested candidates must submit the following documents:

1. Court Application

2. Proof of the equivalent to a masters or doctoral degree and License as a: Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Marriage Family Child Counseling (LFMT) or Clinical Psychologist issued by the State of California (if applicable)

3. Cover Letter

4. Resume

5. Responses to the Supplemental Questions.

Failure to post all required documents will automatically result in being eliminated from the recruitment. After a thorough review, those candidates who best exhibit the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities in their application materials will be invited to continue the recruitment process, which may include:

1. Pre-Interview Exercise or Exam

2. Panel Interview(s).

Part-time will consist of 24 to 32 hours per week.

DEFINITION

Under general direction, serve as a Mediator and Child Custody Recommending Counselor (CCRC) for the Superior Court in a variety of child custody and visitation disputes arising from cases filed with the court; conduct domestic violence assessments in cases involving parties with children; conduct child observations, evaluate social, family, and environmental dynamics and other aspects of parental responsibilities which directly relate to formulating child custody recommendations; perform related duties.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

This is a highly specialized, experienced and professional job classification for positions which perform brief conflict interventions, confidential mediation, child custody recommending counselling, at-court interventions, and associated other activities for Family Court proceedings.

Examples of Duties

Positions in this class may perform any or all of the below listed duties. These should be interpreted as examples of the work and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

• Review assigned court case files to prioritize conducting interventions, mediations and/or recommending counselling, and completion of reports.
• Conduct at-court intervention sessions as needed; meet with parties to explain process and explore options; refer inquiries from clients, attorneys, parents, community agencies and others to appropriate staff or outside agencies; educate clients about the court system and mediation process and procedures; encourage parental involvement in the mediation process, report agreements or summarize disagreements on record in court following session.
• Conduct confidential mediation of assigned cases, conduct interviews of parties involved and facilitate and encourage negotiations between involved parties during the mediation process to construct mutually acceptable resolution of disputes, use his or her best efforts to affect a settlement of the custody or visitation dispute that is in the best interest of the child; where needed, develop, complete and submit parent agreements in a formal court order format.
• Conduct recommending counseling of assigned cases; work with various parties and agencies such as the Department of Social Services (DSS), parents, children (as directed by the hearing officer), attorneys and county counsel; conduct conferences and interviews with parties to obtain a clear understanding of the diverse views, perspectives and legal positions; examine the needs of involved children; facilitate negotiations; encourage and obtain significant input from involved parties during the process and in the absence of a parental agreement prepare solution-focused, developmentally and psychologically appropriate recommendations to the Court that are in the best interest of the child.
• Perform investigations in Stepparent Adoption, Termination of Parental Rights, and Marriage of Minor cases and submit completed investigation reports to the court in a timely manner. Investigations include making contact with outside agencies and professionals, reviewing extensive paperwork, interviewing parties, including minors, and viewing the home of the party(ies) via remote means.
• During sessions, observe and assess risk factors, including domestic violence, child abuse issues and potential for danger to self and others and take appropriate action; report child abuse and neglect cases to appropriate authorities in accordance with statutory requirements; when intensive or continued counseling is appropriate, identify and make referrals to appropriate community resources; complete necessary reports and contact pertinent agencies including DSS, attorneys, mental health agencies and law enforcement personnel as necessary and required by law.
• Provide expert professional psycho-educational information and/or make appropriate referrals to community service providers depending upon the need and circumstances in each individual case to clients, attorneys, the Court and the public; keep abreast of current developments in family law and clinical studies, trends and requirements pertaining to child development, parenting plans, social service policies and regulations, clinical studies and other information and trends in healthy family relationships, mediation and alternative dispute resolution and mental health.
• Perform specialized administrative duties related to areas of responsibility; compose and maintain up-to-date case histories and summaries, effectively manages a caseload and provide agreements and/or reports and recommendations to the Court in a timely manner, participate in Family Court Services staff or case conferencing meetings, and keep and submit statistics and records.
• Participate in training institutes and recurring training sessions including domestic violence and mediation training to meet continuing education requirements as set forth in Rules of Court 5.210 - 5.225.

Minimum Qualifications & Examples of Experience and Training

Any combination of education, training and/or experience as outlined in the Family Code and which substantially demonstrates the following knowledge, skills and abilities:

• Possession of the equivalent to a masters or doctoral degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in clinical psychology, social work, marriage, family and child counseling, behavioral science or a related field.

AND

• Possession of a License as a: Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Marriage Family Child Counseling (LFMT) or Clinical Psychologist issued by the State of California is desirable.

AND

• Two (2) years of full-time paid, professional experience in counseling or psychotherapy, preferably with emphasis in family interpersonal relationships.

AND

• English/Spanish bilingual skills are required for this position.

Other Information

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Knowledge of

1. Principles, practices and theories of adult and child psychology.

2. Child development theory.

3. Principles, techniques and practices of crisis intervention and court mediation.

4. Legal terminology, legal documents and court procedures relevant to family court services.

5. Interviewing principles and techniques.

6. Mental health issues.

7. Domestic violence, child abuse, substance abuse, and other related issues and their effect on children and families.

8. Relevant Federal, State and local laws, codes and regulations.

9. Basic computer applications and technological processes.

Skill and Ability to:

1. Interpret, explain and apply a variety of codes, statutes, policies, rules, procedures, instruction and regulations related to mediation and recommendations in Family Court Services sessions.

2. Negotiate inclusive agreements for child custody, visitation and co-parenting plans.

3. Analyze complex problems and evaluate alternative solutions and their potential consequences.

4. Prepare clear, concise and accurate reports, parenting plans and records.

5. Conduct interviews in a composed and neutral manner even when working with upset and hostile clients.

6. Interview children, as directed by the hearing officer, in a nonthreatening manner in order to elicit information necessary information to assist in the resolution of the case.

7. Maintain confidentiality as required by legal or ethical standards.

8. Establish and maintain effective working relationships, rapport, and relate well with individuals from varying socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds often under difficult, emotional, and stressful circumstances.

9.Communicate clearly and effectively both orally and in writing.

10.Recognize child abuse, substance abuse and domestic violence issues and report as required by law.

11.Operate modern office equipment including copiers, computers, word processors, fax machines and printers.

Other: Candidate should possess good self-care management skills due to the emotional and sometimes disturbing nature of the information disclosed in sessions and court filings.

The Superior Court of California, County of Monterey offers a comprehensive benefits program including:

• Retirement: Public Employees Retirement System (PERS)
• Holidays: 13 possible days per year
• Annual Leave: Accrues at the rate of 13 days per year. The accrual rate increases after 2, 6, 10, 15, 18, 20 and 25 years of service.
• Professional Leave: 5 days (40 hours) per calendar year are available, pro-rated from date of hire, non-accruable.
• Medical, Dental & Vision Care: Employee only and dependent coverage is available. Cash-out option is provided.
• Long Term Disability: Automatic enrollment and paid by the Court.
• Life Insurance: The Court pays the premium for a $50,000 term life insurance policy.
• 457 Deferred Compensation Plan: A voluntary deferred compensation program is available.

Information contained in this job flyer is not legally binding, nor does it serve as a contract. The benefits listed in the Court Personnel Policies and Practices prevail over this listing.

01

Applicants applying for this position must submit responses to the following supplemental questions. Your responses will provide additional information about your background, knowledge, skills and abilities as related to this position. Please be concise and specific with your responses. Completeness, neatness, clarity of expression, grammar, spelling, and ability to follow instructions will be considered in the evaluation process. Only completed applications with the required proof of meeting the position requirements will move forward to the application and supplemental questions screening. Applicants that use AI generated text, chatbots or automated tools to complete the responses are fully responsible for the content submitted. Inaccurate content may disqualify the application. Please mark yes if you have read and understand this information.

• Yes
• No

02

Do you possess the following minimum qualification?

• The equivalent to a Masters or doctoral degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in clinical psychology, social work, marriage, family and child counseling, behavioral science or a related field.
• I do not possess the above

03

Please indicate what license(s) you hold applicable to this position. Include the license number and date issued.

04

Do you have English/Spanish bilingual skills?

• Yes
• No

05

How many years of experience do you have in counseling or psychotherapy? Of those years how many years are in the family conciliation court setting?

06

Describe in detail your experience conducting a family evaluation and preparing a written report of your findings, including your recommendations that would promote the "best interests of the child and the health, safety and welfare of the child." Specify the employer, position held and dates of your experience. If your experience is court specific please identify the court.

07

List all training specific to mediation that you have participated in the past five years. Include when and where training was taken.

Required Question

Employer Superior Court of California, County of Monterey

Address 240 Church Street

Salinas, California, 93901

Phone (831) 775-5412

Website https://www.monterey.courts.ca.gov/career-opportunities