Contract Recruiter – Direct Support & Behavioral Health

Job summary

Manage full-cycle recruiting for direct support and behavioral health roles, including sourcing, screening, and onboarding. Coordinate California-specific pre-employment compliance requirements and partner with clinical leads to meet staffing needs.

Job details

Contract Recruiter – Direct Support & Behavioral Health Location: California | Employment Type: Contract $25-$55/ Hour DOE About the Role We provide hands-on support to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), helping them live safe, independent, and fulfilling lives. We’re looking for a Contract Recruiter to find and hire the Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) and behavioral health staff who do this work every day. You’ll know how to spot people with patience, reliability, and compassion, and you’ll move candidates quickly from application to first shift. Key Responsibilities Manage full-cycle recruiting for DSPs, behavioral health technicians, behavior support staff, and related direct care roles, from sourcing through offer and onboarding handoff. Run phone screens and structured interviews that test for soft skills such as patience, de-escalation, dependability, boundaries, and a real commitment to person-centered care. Assess candidates for availability across shifts, including overnight, weekend, and residential schedules, and for the physical demands of the job. Source candidates from job boards, social media, community colleges, workforce programs, referral programs, and local hiring events. Coordinate the California pre-employment compliance steps: DOJ/FBI LiveScan fingerprint clearance, TB tests, CPR/First Aid, driver’s license and insurance checks, and DSP training requirements for regional center–funded services. Partner with program managers and clinical leads to understand each site’s staffing needs, client acuity, and team dynamics. Keep candidate records accurate, track pipeline and time-to-fill metrics, and report hiring progress every week. Represent the organization’s mission and give every candidate a respectful, responsive experience. Many of them are new to the field. Qualifications Required: At least 2 years of high-volume recruiting experience in healthcare, human services, home care, or behavioral health. Hands-on experience interviewing for direct care roles, and an understanding of what makes someone succeed or fail in frontline support work. Working knowledge of California’s background clearance and compliance requirements for roles that serve vulnerable populations, including LiveScan and Community Care Licensing. Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage many open roles and candidates at once. Clear, warm communication, including with entry-level and first-time candidates. Preferred: Experience recruiting for regional center–vendored providers, ABA agencies, or other community-based IDD services in California. Familiarity with the Lanterman Act and Title 17 requirements for developmental disability service providers. Bilingual in English and Spanish. Experience running hiring events or same-day interview and offer processes.

What you’ll do

Manage full-cycle recruiting for direct support and behavioral health roles, including sourcing, screening, and onboarding. Coordinate California-specific pre-employment compliance requirements and partner with clinical leads to meet staffing needs.

Requirements

Requires at least 2 years of high-volume recruiting experience in healthcare or human services. Candidates must have knowledge of California background clearance requirements and strong organizational skills.

Listed skills

• Interviewing · Preferred
• Communication · Preferred
• Onboarding · Preferred

Other relevant skills

Identified from the job description. Confirm important requirements above.

• Full-cycle recruiting
• High-volume recruiting
• Healthcare recruiting
• Behavioral health recruiting
• Interviewing
• Soft skills assessment
• Compliance management
• Onboarding
• Sourcing
• Candidate pipeline management
• Data tracking
• Communication
• Organizational skills
• California labor regulations
• Community outreach
• Full-Cycle Recruitment
• Bilingual (Spanish/English)
• Patience
• Healthcare Industry Knowledge
• De-escalation Techniques
• Organizational Skills
• Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Certification
• First Aid Certification
• Talent Sourcing
• Valid Driver's License
• Compassion
• Labor Compliance
• Multilingualism
• Developmental Disabilities
• Home Health Care
• Human Services
• Behavioral Health

Job areas

• Human Resources
• Healthcare
• Social Services
• Director of Behavioral Health
• Recruiter (General)
• Personnel and Careers Professionals
• Human Resources Specialists