About the Role

As a Trainer & Technical Assistance Specialist, you’ll develop and deliver trainings on evidence-based practices for SUD, co-occurring mental illness, and integrated behavioral health care. You’ll also provide hands-on technical assistance to community-based organizations across San Diego County.

You’ll thrive here if you:

• Enjoy training and coaching behavioral health providers
• Have experience with SUD, co-occurring mental illness, and EBPs
• Build strong relationships with community partners
• Care about culturally responsive care and community impact

This role will begin primarily on the San Diego Behavioral Health CBO TTA Center project, with the potential to support other behavioral health projects over time.

What You'll Do

Training & Curriculum Development

Design, develop, and continuously update training curricula and materials focused on evidence-based practices for substance use disorder treatment, co-occurring mental illness, and integrated dual-diagnosis care

Tailor training content to the needs, capacity levels, service models, and populations served by community-based organizations

Deliver engaging, competency-based trainings and learning collaborative sessions in multiple formats, including in-person workshops, webinars, asynchronous modules, and communities of practice

Translate emerging evidence, state guidance, and best practices into practical, accessible training content for behavioral health providers and CBO staff

Incorporate training feedback, fidelity data, and outcome measures into ongoing curriculum improvement in partnership with the Evaluation & QI Lead

Technical Assistance & Capacity Building

Provide ongoing, individualized technical assistance to an assigned caseload of community-based organizations across San Diego County

Coach CBO staff on the practical application of evidence-based practices, clinical workflows, and quality improvement strategies

Conduct organizational and workforce needs assessments to identify training and TA priorities specific to each organization’s population, staffing, and service model

Support CBOs in strengthening clinical and organizational capacity to deliver effective, culturally responsive behavioral health services

Build and maintain trusted, collaborative relationships with CBO leadership and direct service staff to encourage sustained engagement with training and TA offerings

Behavioral Health Systems Support

Stay current on the evidence base and California-specific guidance for SUD and co-occurring disorder treatment, including ASAM Criteria, Medi-Cal/CalAIM requirements, and DHCS guidance

Support the integration of peer support specialists and community health workers into clinical teams, including role-specific training on scope of practice and supervision models

Represent the TTA Center at community meetings, coalitions, and provider convenings to promote available trainings and TA resources

Document training attendance, TA contacts, outcomes, and related activities in required tracking systems for funder reporting

Contribute to other behavioral health training and TA projects as organizational needs and opportunities evolve

What We're Looking For

We’re looking for someone who brings strong behavioral health expertise, excellent facilitation skills, and a relationship-centered approach to training and technical assistance.

The ideal candidate is:

A strong trainer and facilitator who can make complex behavioral health content practical, engaging, and accessible

Experienced in substance use disorder treatment, co-occurring mental illness, and evidence-based practices

Comfortable coaching providers and CBO staff through real-world implementation challenges

Skilled at building credibility and trust with community partners, clinical teams, and organizational leaders

Responsive, collaborative, and organized in managing multiple relationships, trainings, and deliverables

Able to adapt communication and facilitation style for varied audiences, roles, literacy levels, and organizational contexts

Professionally mature, emotionally intelligent, and thoughtful in navigating complex community and behavioral health systems

Committed to continuous learning, feedback, and contributing to a positive, collegial, high-performing team culture

What You'll Bring

Master’s degree in social work, counseling, public health, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education, licensure, and direct experience in SUD/co-occurring disorder treatment
Minimum of 5 years of direct clinical or programmatic experience in substance use disorder treatment and co-occurring mental illness
Hands-on experience applying evidence-based practices in behavioral health settings
Demonstrated experience designing and facilitating trainings, workshops, or learning collaboratives for behavioral health providers or CBO staff
Working knowledge of California’s Medi-Cal and CalAIM behavioral health delivery systems and how they apply to CBOs providing SUD and mental health services
Familiarity with California’s peer support specialist certification requirements and community health worker benefit and role structures
Strong facilitation, coaching, public speaking, relationship-building, and communication skills
Existing credibility within San Diego’s behavioral health or community-based organization community
Ability to be based in San Diego County and travel locally to CBO sites
Flexibility and interest in contributing to other behavioral health training and TA projects as capacity and organizational needs evolve
Preferred qualifications include:
Licensure as an LCSW, LMFT, LPCC, or similar, or certification as an Alcohol and Drug Counselor, CADC, or equivalent
Bilingual or multilingual skills, particularly languages relevant to San Diego’s behavioral health populations
Prior experience providing technical assistance or capacity-building support to CBOs, FQHCs, or county behavioral health providers
Experience with instructional design principles and adult learning theory
Familiarity with the ASAM Criteria and dual-diagnosis treatment models
Existing relationships with County Behavioral Health Services, Managed Care Plans, 211 San Diego/the Community Information Exchange, or San Diego behavioral health coalitions and provider associations
Lived experience related to behavioral health, substance use recovery, or the communities served