Assessment Specialist - Postdoc (2025-2026)

WestCoast Children’s Clinic, located in Oakland, California, is a non-profit community psychology clinic that provides mental health services to Bay Area children, youth and families. Working at WestCoast Children’s Clinic means being part of an organization that is client-centered, trauma-informed, collaborative, and committed to justice and equity. 

Assessment Specialist (Prelicensed/Postdoctoral Level ok)

WestCoast Children’s Clinic is seeking skilled Assessment Clinicians at the post-doctoral level who are collecting hours toward becoming a licensed psychologist in the state of CA. WCC clinicians provide mental health services to youth and families.

WestCoast Children’s Clinic does not have a formal postdoctoral training program. However, pre-licensed staff are able to meet all supervision and training requirements for collecting hours toward licensure in the state of California. In addition, all staff participate in monthly program staff meetings and trainings to support professional development.

Assessment Program

The Assessment Program provides collaborative mental health assessments that answer our clients’ questions in meaningful ways. Our clients receive services through MediCal. We serve youth and their families, ages 0-21. Most of our clients are between the ages of 5 and 18. We serve youth with diverse racial, ethnic, and gender identities, and many of our clients are current or past foster youth. We serve many Spanish-speaking clients and families. 

We use a broad range of psychological and neuropsychological tools to answer assessment questions. Testing domains include neurodevelopmental, cognitive, attention, executive functioning, mood and emotion,  social functioning, adaptive functioning, and impact of trauma. Throughout the assessment process, we listen to clients’ voices, seek to understand challenges, and foster a deeper understanding of clients’ lived experiences  in order to help make changes and support growth.

As an Assessment Specialist, you will:

• Provide screening, assessment, and therapeutic assessment services; assess functioning, strengths, and needs depending on client’s assessment questions. 
• Identify useful services and supports, and support engagement in mental health services.
• Collaborate closely with youth and the adults in their lives to answer questions that are meaningful to them, from a collaborative-therapeutic assessment framework.
• Collaborate with other professionals on behalf of clients, including fellow WCC clinicians, school staff, medical providers, and other important stakeholders.
• Seek consultation with supervisors and colleagues in order to better serve clients and families with complex needs.
• Conduct services at WCC and in the community when indicated (for example, in youth’s home and community, at other agencies, or at schools). Because this is a core component of our assessment program, the ability to travel to meet with clients in the community is required.
• Provide assessment services that align with our program and agency values, including assessments that are strengths-based, neurodiversity-affirming, and hold clients’ intersecting racial, cultural, and gender identities with intention.
• Engage in conversations around race, power, and privilege with clients, caregivers, and teams in order to serve diverse youth and families.
• Collect feedback from clients and families throughout the assessment process, and use this feedback to guide the assessment process.
• Clinicians may have the opportunity to provide individual or family therapy as part of their role, depending on need within other WCC programs.
• As clinically indicated, assess risk, and provide crisis intervention and stabilization.

What will you gain?

• Receive individual and group clinical supervision by a dedicated licensed supervisor to assist toward becoming a licensed psychologist.
• Serve children and their families and work together to support them in ways that are meaningful to them, and create opportunities for change and growth.
• Be part of a values-driven team that is social justice-focused. 
• The opportunity to connect with others with shared identities and values. As an agency we have several Staff Affinity Groups such as BIPOC Council, Mixer Bilingue, LGBTQIA+ council, Equity and Inclusion, Health and Wellness, etc.
• As a Joint Commission Accredited agency, we provide the highest standard of care and offer extensive clinical training and seminars led by field experts. Training includes Working with CSEC Youth, Telehealth, Complex Trauma/Trauma-Informed Care, Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS), Supervisor in Training program, and much more!
• As a program, we hire professionals to teach us about assessment tools and how to best serve our diverse clients and families. Examples of recent trainings include Learning the MIGDAS-2 with Dr. Marilyn Monteiro and Antiracist Assessment with Dr. Alea Holman.
• A bi-annual Professional Development Stipend, which can be used for licensure materials and other professional training opportunities.

Minimum Requirements:

• Applicants who are bilingual in Spanish as well as bicultural applicants are strongly encouraged to apply.
• Doctoral degree in clinical or counseling psychology. Degree must be conferred and sent to the agency prior to start date. You will need to provide an official transcript with your degree conferral date.
  • Based on our funding sources, California Department of Mental Health requires that we apply for a professional licensing waiver for all unlicensed psychologists. In order for us to obtain this waiver you need to have your degree conferred/degree requirements completed and be collecting hours towards licensure. Waivers expire 5 years after issuance. 

• Able to start by September 1st, 2025 and no later than October 1st, 2025
• Demonstrate clinical skill in assessment/evaluation and treatment, crisis intervention while working with youth with complex needs
• Experience and enthusiasm in work with diverse clients and families
• Well-organized, efficient, and excellent time management
• A trauma-informed and relational approach to working with youth
• Ability to travel by car to meet with clients, generally within a 90 mile radius of WCC's Oakland office. Alternative forms of transportation may be accommodated based on the needs of the program and clients. Employees must have a clean CA DMV record. When driving for WCC, current vehicle insurance is required

Pay:

Starting salary for Assessment Specialist as a Post-Doctorate is $76,000 annually depending on experience and current licensure status, plus a 10% Spanish language differential, if applicable.

Benefits:

• 100% Employer-paid medical and a variety of different plans (base plan, Kaiser HMO), dental, vision, life insurance, and long-term disability coverage for full-time employees
• Competitive pay commensurate with experience (base salary $76,000)
• Quarterly and annual incentive compensation plans, generous retirement plan contribution
• Bilingual pay differential for qualified candidates (5% of yearly salary)
• 403b retirement plan with ROTH and 403b contribution options
• Flex-spending options - Medical, Dependent Care and Commuter Plans
• 12 Paid Holidays, 1 floating holiday and 4 Self-Care Days 
• 3 weeks PTO in first year, additional PTO accrual with increased years of service
• Wellness Stipend ($100 per month), which can be used on a variety of expenses related to self-care and wellness

Application Materials

Along with your resume/CV, please submit the following along with your application:

• A letter of interest (cover letter)
• Two letters of recommendation, one from a clinical supervisor who is familiar with your assessment work
• A de-identified psychological testing report 

IMPORTANT DATES:

If you need to be notified of your application status prior to the 2025 common hold date, please submit your application by January 31st, 2025. All other applications will be considered on a rolling basis. 

POSITION START DATE: September-October 2025

Join us and make a difference in the lives of vulnerable children and families in the Bay Area.  

WCC is passionate about leading and encouraging open conversations around race, gender, power, and privilege and how these impact community mental health. We are an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to diminishing the influence of privilege and discrimination in our field and our workplace, whether due to differences concerning age, citizenship, color, disability, marital or parental status, race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation.