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!
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