Licensed Clinical Social Worker -

About the role

LCSW is a licensed independent clinical social worker who serves as a subject matter expert (SME) in mental health and substance use disorder(s). The LCSW possesses a high level of skill in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of patients with mental health concerns and/or serious mental illness or serious mental disorders (SMI/SMD). The LCSW conducts mental health evaluations to enhance behavioral health treatment plan development and services for detainees with SMI/SMD, including referral to acute and/or inpatient mental health care as clinically determined. The LCSW provides direct mental health services, including on-site counseling, individual and group psychotherapy within diverse therapeutic modalities, substance abuse education, and behavioral analysis for detainees identified with mental health and substance use problems. The LCSW conducts specialized programming within a Modified Therapeutic Treatment Community model and consults with medical, contract staff, and other healthcare professionals to provide education and training on continuity of care, treatment, monitoring, and management of patients with co-occurring diagnoses.

Responsibilities

• Provides direction and oversight to a multi-disciplinary team in the implementation and management of an integrated mental health treatment program.
• Provides direct care to patients within discipline scope of practice and performs functions in accordance with current accepted practice, licensure, certification, credentialing, and/or granted privileges.
• Develops, manages, and monitors patient treatment plans in coordination with behavioral health technicians to assess patient level of functioning and progress.
• Assesses and evaluates the mental health of residents according to DSM-V diagnosis and refers to outside treatment facilities if necessary.
• Works in conjunction with legal counsel providing written evaluation reports on the mental health status of individuals placed on SMI (Seriously Mental Illness) List.
• Provides weekly reports/updates on individuals on SMI list and those housed in segregation to HQ Behavioral Health Unit.
• Provides referral, identification, and evaluation for those identified as having a significant mental illness using the designated Mental Health Review Form.
• Provides brief counseling, psychotherapy, group therapy, behavioral analysis, and substance abuse education as required by Residential and Detention Standards.
• Provides mental health treatment to individuals presenting with signs/symptoms of sexual or physical assault, abuse, and/or neglect using a multidisciplinary approach.
• Provides mental health treatment to individuals presenting with signs/symptoms of suicidal, dangerous, or psychotic behaviors.
• Provides post-discharge follow-up for individuals returning from inpatient mental health treatment.
• Serves as the suicide prevention program coordinator in the absence of the Supervisory Behavioral Health Provider (BHP) and as assigned by Clinical Director if no Supervisory BHP is present.
• Serves as a mental health consultant to other health professionals at the facility.
• Develops training/clinical education materials as required and provides clinical education and training to medical, full-time employees, and contract staff.
• Provides education and training to staff in mental health, including suicide prevention, hunger strike, abuse and neglect, and victims of torture.
• Responsible for all case management, which may involve community treatment placement, hospital placement, or other after-care situations.
• Coordinates with HQ Behavioral Health Unit for continuity of care for placement in or treatment of residents in appropriate settings as required by the conditions of release outlined by the overseeing organization.
• Utilizes EHR system for completing clinical assessments, evaluations, advanced care/placement referral initiation, and transfer/discharge summaries.
• Assists the case management team in the development of detail-oriented research into resources for patients as needed upon discharge.
• Assists the local performance improvement coordinator in completion of clinical performance improvement activities/risk identification and management directly related to mental health healthcare.
• Performs record keeping functions in accordance with program policies and position.
• Maintains functional proficiency and ease of use utilizing electronic health records as required by and appropriate to position.
• Completes and passes all discipline-specific competencies testing, initially and annually.
• Completes all initial, annual, and ad hoc training as required/assigned.
• Maintains patient confidentiality and confidentiality of medical records in compliance with the Privacy Act and HIPAA regulations in all work activities.
• Adheres to and maintains awareness of policies, procedures, directives, operational memoranda, and accreditation standards as prescribed by the overseeing organization.
• Adheres to and participates in safety, prevention, infection and control, quality improvement, patient education, and other programs and collateral duties as appropriate to position.
• Attends and participates in general/medical staff meetings.
• Provides oversight and consultation to behavioral health technicians and interns, as applicable.

Requirements

• Master’s Degree in Social Work from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).
• A minimum of three years post-independent licensure clinical experience providing independent clinical assessment, diagnosing using the DSM-V-TR, and developing clinical treatment plans without supervision.
• Provide documentation/transcripts demonstrating clinical work within completed graduate program requested.
• Must complete 20 hours of Continuing Education Units (CEUs) annually approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) or National Association of Social Workers (NASW); additional CEU hours may be obtained by another sponsoring equivalent.
• Shall maintain membership with licensing board associated with clinical license and submit required completion of CEUs to the licensing board annually as required; membership with the state or territory clinical licensing board is required.
• A current, permanent, full, and unrestricted license to practice clinical social work independently in the state where the duty station is located.
• LCSW or LPC certification; this position requires privileging.
• Maintains BLS for Healthcare Providers® certification through the American Heart Association® or the American Red Cross.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience implementing and managing a new mental health treatment program and/or a Modified Therapeutic Community treatment model.
• Experience in a detention/correctional or residential healthcare setting.

Skills

• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Critical thinking skills.
• Cultural awareness.
• Integrity and honesty.
• Knowledge of the case management process commensurate with training and education at the master’s level.
• Knowledge of and experience in the indications and contraindications, complications, and techniques in the various social work treatment and diagnostic modalities.
• Ability to properly use equipment, materials, and supplies in simple diagnostic and treatment procedures.
• Ability to implement and manage services within a multi-disciplinary mental health treatment unit.
• Possess a strong understanding of the Modified Therapeutic Community treatment model.
• Knowledge of diverse group and individual therapeutic modalities (examples include, but are not limited to art, music, drama, creative writing, life skills, etc.).
• Ability to work in a multi-cultural and multi-lingual environment.
• Ability to utilize telephonic interpreter/translation services to complete assigned duties if not fluent in a language the patient understands.
• Ability to adapt to sudden changes in schedules and flexibility in work requirements.
• Ability to communicate proficiently in English and/or Spanish (verbal and written) to develop positive rapport with patients, co-workers, and other stakeholders.
• Ability to establish and maintain positive working relationships in a multidisciplinary environment.
• Ability to navigate in an electronic work environment including electronic health records, web-based training, and communications.
• Knowledge of and moderate proficiency in common Microsoft Office programs, specifically Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and SharePoint.
• Knowledge of regulations (HIPAA/Privacy Act) regarding the confidentiality of patient medical records and information as well as Personally Identifiable Information (PII).

Pay

$43.59/hr

Schedule

This full-time position requires availability to work days, evenings, as well as weekends and holidays. Night shifts may exist but are generally not required. This position is required to provide rotational on-call coverage and may need to return to the facility to provide care during the coverage period. The facility operates 24/7/365; this position is required to respond during an emergency activation.

Physical Demands

This work requires some physical exertion, such as long periods of standing; walking or jogging over rough, uneven, or rocky surfaces; recurring bending, crouching, stooping, stretching, reaching, or similar activities; or recurring lifting of moderately heavy patients or equipment.