Career Opportunity

Clinical Psychologist (2574) - Citywide (H00048)

Recruitment: REF23988C

Published: January 26, 2026

Apply using SmartRecruiters, the City and County of San Francisco's application portal.

About:

The Department of Public Health prioritizes equitable and inclusive access to quality healthcare for its community and values the importance of diversity in its workforce. All employees at the Department of Public Health work to advance equity, inclusion, and diversity with a specific lens and focus on race, ethnicity, gender, sex, sexuality, disability, and immigration status. 

• Application Deadline – Continuous
• Compensation: $130,962 - $159,094 annually
• Appointment Type: Permanent Civil Service
• Recruitment ID:  CCT-2574-H00048

San Francisco is a vibrant and dynamic city, on the forefront of economic growth & innovation, urban development, arts & entertainment, as well as social issues & change. This rich tapestry of culture and ideas is sustained by our City's commitment to heighten the quality of life for the diverse population of San Franciscans and residents of the greater Bay Area. Our employees play an important role not only in making our City what it is today, but also in shaping the future of San Francisco.  

The Mission of the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) is to protect and promote the health of all San Franciscans. SFDPH strives to achieve its mission through the work of multiple divisions - the San Francisco Health Network, Population Health, Behavioral Health Services, and Administration. The San Francisco Health Network is the City’s only complete system of care and has locations throughout the City, including Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center, and over 15 primary care health centers. The Population Health Division (PHD) provides core public health services for the City and County of San Francisco: health protection, health promotion, disease and injury prevention, and disaster preparedness and response. Behavioral Health Services operates in conjunction with SFHN and provides a range of mental health and substance use treatment services. 

1. ✅Start with the Required Exam: https://forms.gle/exEpz62iJzafGX6bA
2. Then, submit an online application.

Role description

Under general supervision, conducts professional-level work in clinical psychology; carries out psychodiagnostic examinations and psychotherapy of persons with emotional disturbance, mental illness, substance use disorders and developmentally delayed children and adults; prepares psychological reports; provides psychological consultation services and participates in psychological research. 

The 2574 Clinical Psychologist performs essential functions that include:

• Provides direct clinical services within the scope of clinical psychologist, including (but not limited to) conducting clinical evaluations of children and adults, providing individual and group psychotherapy and counseling to children and adults; preparing clinical psychological reports presenting diagnostic findings, interview findings, assessments recommendations for the treatment and rehabilitation of children and adults, treatment delivery, client progress and outcome.
• Selects, administers, scores, and interprets appropriate psychological tests of intelligence, personality, aptitude, achievement, interest and other specialized areas and conducts diagnostic clinical interviews with children and adults suffering from emotional disturbance, mental illness, substance use disorders, and developmentally delayed children and adults to assess their conditions and assist them in achieving their recovery goals; participates in psychological research
• Reviews and evaluates social agency, school, and court records; obtains and assesses psychological data and case material; consults with social workers, public health nurses, teachers, probation officers, judges, physicians, rehabilitative staff, and other professionals in individual and group conferences regarding cases under diagnosis and treatment
• Provides education, consultation, and information to community groups on child and adult adjustment challenges, mental illness, substance use disorders, culturally relevant services, and other topics
• Supervises psychology interns and subordinate clinical staff; conducts staff training programs both with the clinic or unit and for line agency personnel
• Participates in the planning, development and execution of psychology training internships, and postdoctoral traineeships under supervision of a supervising psychologist or appropriate professional.
• The 2574 Clinical Psychologist may perform other duties as assigned/required.

How to qualify

⚠️Required Before Applying⚠️

Possession of a valid license as a Psychologist issued by the California Board of Psychology as defined in Chapter 6.6 of the Business and Professions Code; Psychologist Licensing Law, Sections 2900-2903, 2914. *

* Applicants possessing a valid license as a Psychologist issued from another state within the United States of America may apply, but if selected, the candidate will NOT be appointed/hired until they obtain a valid license as a Psychologist issued by the California Board of Psychology. For details, visit: Out-of-State Application for Licensure as a Psychologist - California Board of Psychology

• Some positions may require applicants to meet additional requirements that may differ from the standard minimum qualifications associated with this classification, e.g.,
  • Six (6) months of post-graduate level psychological testing and reporting experience
  • Twelve (12) months of clinical experience with children
• Some positions may require bilingual fluency in a variety of languages, depending upon the department's bilingual needs (e.g., Cantonese, Spanish, etc.). Only those eligible candidates who pass the bilingual proficiency test will be considered for bilingual positions. Applicants must indicate on the application form the language(s) in which they claim proficiency.

Verification of Education and Experience: 

Every application is reviewed to ensure that you meet the minimum qualifications as listed in the job ad. Review SF Careers Employment Applications for considerations taken when reviewing applications.   

Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. If education or experience verification is required, information on how to verify education and experience requirements, including verifying foreign education credits or degree equivalency, can be found at https://careers.sf.gov/knowledge/experience-education/. 

Note: Falsifying one’s education, training, or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification for this and future job opportunities with the City and County of San Francisco. 

What else should I know?

After application submission, candidates deemed qualified must complete all subsequent steps to advance in this selection process, which includes the following. 

Training and Experience Examination: (Weight 100%)
The Training and Experience Examination that is linked in this job ad is a required part of the application. It measures knowledge, skills, and/or abilities in job-related areas, e.g., 

• Knowledge of principles of clinical psychology, psychometry, and personality
• Knowledge of psychotherapeutic methods applicable to children and adults with emotional disturbance, mental illness, and substance use disorders
• Knowledge of performance improvement, including statistical and research methodology
• Ability to effectively carry out evidence-based practices, standardized methods, procedures, and techniques of clinical psychology, including diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of psychological distress, mental disorders, and substance use disorders of individuals and groups, children, and adults
• Ability to prepare professional case reports of findings and recommendations, and clinical documentation
• Ability to communicate effectively and professionally, to collaborate with multidisciplinary teams, community service providers, outside agencies, and stakeholders, and to provide trauma-informed, culturally sensitive services.

Candidates must achieve a passing score on the T&E exam in order to continue in the selection process and will be placed on the confidential eligible list in rank order according to their final score. 

Additional selection processes may be conducted by the hiring department prior to making final hiring decisions. 

Certification
The certification rule for the eligible list resulting from this examination will be the Rule of List.

Eligible List/Score Report: 
A confidential eligible list of applicant names that have passed the civil service examination process will be created and used for certification purposes only. An examination score report will be established, so applicants can view the ranks, final scores and number of eligible candidates. Applicant information, including names of applicants on the eligible list, shall not be made public unless required by law. However, an eligible list shall be made available for public inspection, upon request, once the eligible list is exhausted or expired and referrals resolved. The eligible list/score report resulting from this civil service examination process is subject to change after adoption (e.g., as a result of appeals), as directed by the Human Resources Director or the Civil Service Commission. 

Candidate names will remain on the list for a maximum period of 12 months. Candidates that are not selected and expire off the list may re-apply.

Terms of Announcement and Appeal Rights: 

Applicants must be guided solely by the provisions of this announcement, including requirements, time periods and other particulars, except when superseded by federal, state or local laws, rules or regulations. [Note: The correction of clerical errors in an announcement may be posted on the Department of Human Resources website at https://careers.sf.gov/.]  

The terms of this announcement may be appealed under Civil Service Rule 110.4. Such appeals must be submitted in writing to the Department of Human Resources, 1 S Van Ness Avenue, 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103-5413 by close of business on the 5th business day following the issuance date of this examination announcement. Information concerning other Civil Service Commission Rules involving announcements, applications and examination policies, including applicant appeal rights, can be found on the Civil Service Commission website at https://sf.gov/departments/civil-service-commission 

Additional information regarding Employment with the City and County of San Francisco:  

• Information About the Hiring Process
• Conviction History
• Employee Benefits Overview  
• Equal Employment Opportunity
• Disaster Service Worker
• ADA Accommodation
• Veterans Preference
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement

Where to Apply  

All job applications for the City and County of San Francisco must be submitted through our online portal. Please visit https://careers.sf.gov/ to begin your application process.  

Applicants may be contacted by email about this recruitment. Please consider using a personal email address that you check regularly rather than a work or school account. 

Computers are available for the public (9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday) to file online applications in the lobby of the Dept. of Human Resources at 1 South Van Ness Avenue, 4th Floor and at the City Career Center at City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 110. 

Ensure your application information is accurate, as changes may not be possible after submission. Your first and last name must match your legal ID for verification, and preferred names can be included in parentheses. Use your personal email address, not a shared or work email, to avoid unfixable issues. 

Applicants will receive a confirmation email from notification@smartrecruiters.com that their online application has been received in response to every announcement for which they file. Applicants should retain this confirmation email for their records. Failure to receive this email means that the online application was not submitted or received.  

Your application will be active for the duration of the eligible period listed above. You do not need to reapply during this period. 

If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the exam analyst, Hanz Pagao (she/her/hers) at hanz.pagao@sfdph.org or (628) 271-6839.

We may use text messaging to communicate with you if you include a mobile number in your application. The first message will ask you to opt in to text messaging.

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.