REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
February 10, 2026
FROM
JOSHUA DUGAS, Acting Director, Department of Behavioral Health
SUBJECT
Title
Non-Financial Agreement Template for the Employee Educational Internship Program
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Approve the non-financial agreement template outlining the terms, conditions, and performance requirements, for employees to participate in the Employee Educational Internship Program in the educational disciplines of the following classifications: Alcohol and Other Drug Counselor, Social Worker II, Clinical Therapist I, Psychologist I, Licensed Vocational Nurse, Mental Health Nurse II, and Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, effective upon the date of execution through September 30, 2030.
2. Authorize the Assistant Executive Officer, Deputy Executive Officer, Director of the Department of Behavioral Health, or Assistant Director of the Department of Behavioral Health to execute the non-financial agreement template for the Employee Educational Internship Program with the individual employees, on behalf of the County, subject to review by County Counsel.
(Presenter: Marina Espinosa, Assistant Director, 252-5142)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Create, Maintain and Grow Employment Opportunities and Economic Value in the County.
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
This item does not impact Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost), as the recommended Employee Educational Internship Program (EEIP) agreement template is non-financial in nature. Department of Behavioral Health’s (DBH) employees participating in EEIP will be compensated at their regular salary for field placement hours performed. The placement hours will be during a normal 40-hour work week period, therefore will not involve any overtime compensation or added cost to DBH outside of the employee’s normal salary and benefits compensation.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
DBH is responsible for providing mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) services to San Bernardino County residents experiencing severe mental illness and/or SUD. The EEIP is designed to provide qualified, existing full-time DBH employees access to a part-time internship during their regular work hours. Interns who are in the program typically remain for a 12-36-month period, during which they gain experience to provide clinical services in a community mental health setting. Academic years of 2019-20 through 2023-24, 78% of employees who participated in the EEIP program successfully promoted into a clinical position.
Applicants for EEIP are selected through a screening and evaluation process based on satisfactory work performance and approval from their leadership team. Additionally, applicants must provide proof of acceptance into an accredited college or university. Employees are expected to reapply each year to ensure continued eligibility.
Approval of this agreement will allow qualified DBH employees to participate in internship opportunities that lead to eligibility for the following classifications: Alcohol and Other Drug Counselor, Social Worker II, Clinical Therapist I, Psychologist I, Licensed Vocational Nurse, Mental Health Nurse II, and Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. Applications will be reviewed for completeness and eligibility by program or nursing leadership, with DBH Human Resources confirming the applicant meets regular status requirements. Eligible candidates will then be interviewed and scored to support ranking and placement decisions. Final recommendations will be reviewed by senior program or medical leadership and submitted to the Department Director or designee for approval. The number of employees accepted into the program is determined annually and depends on staffing, and appropriate placement opportunities. It is anticipated that five to 10 employees may participate on an annual basis.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Behavioral Health (Diana Barajas, Administrative Supervisor I, 388-0899) on January 15, 2026; County Counsel (Dawn Martin, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on December 17, 2025; Human Resources (Gina King, Human Resources Assistant Director, 387-5560) on January 13, 2026; and County Finance and Administration (Kathleen Gonzalez, Administrative Analyst, 386-4412) on January 27, 2026.