PSYCHIATRIC SOCIAL WORKER II/CORRECTIONAL HEALTH

This opportunity will remain open until the needs of the services are met and is subject to closure without prior notice. No out-of-class experience or withholds are allowed for this examination.

About the role

The County of Los Angeles is currently offering up to a 20% recruitment and retention bonus for full-time Psychiatric Social Worker II positions hired by Correctional Health Services and working on-site in a designated facility to meet critical healthcare needs for the uniquely underserved jail population. Los Angeles County is under a Department of Justice Consent Decree to improve conditions and mental health care in County jails and support justice-involved populations post-release. Under the emergency order, applicants who meet the requirements may be hired for an initial period of up to 90 days, with an opportunity for permanent County employment. Before your initial work period ends, you will be assessed on your work performance (weighted 100%). Those who successfully pass the assessment will be considered for permanent appointment.

About Los Angeles County Department of Health Services

The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (DHS) is the second-largest municipal health system in the nation. Through its integrated system of 25 health centers, four acute hospitals, and an expanded network of community partner clinics, DHS annually provides direct care for 600,000 unique patients, employs over 23,000 staff, and has an annual budget of over $6.9 billion. DHS hospitals serve as training sites for physicians completing their Graduate Medical Education through academic affiliations with UCLA, USC, and Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Sciences. DHS also operates the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Agency, the County's 911 emergency response system, Housing for Health, and the Office of Diversion and Re-Entry, connecting vulnerable populations to supportive housing.

The mission of DHS is to advance the health of our patients and our communities by providing extraordinary care.

Responsibilities

• Interviews individuals and/or their families to obtain family, social work, medical, and mental health treatment history.
• Makes an assessment of the patient's functioning in their environmental setting.
• Establishes a treatment plan designed to resolve or cope with the mental or emotional problem, which may include individual, group, family, or conjoint therapy, and/or referral to another treatment source (e.g., psychologist, vocational or rehabilitation counselor, psychiatrist, or another agency).
• Provides psychotherapy to individuals, groups, families, and significant others.
• Determines the duration of therapy, priorities of problems, therapy methods, and the need for changes in treatment goals at successive intervals during the treatment process.
• Interviews persons seeking psychiatric assistance on an emergency basis and utilizes crisis intervention techniques to prevent hospitalization and aid in dealing with emotional crises.
• Assists clients, families, and significant others in understanding mental health problems, accepting the need for treatment, working toward problem resolution, modifying unrealistic attitudes, and strengthening participation in treatment recommendations.

Requirements

• A valid and active license as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker issued by the California Department of Consumer Affairs, Board of Behavioral Sciences. Applicants must attach a legible copy of the required license to their application at the time of filing or provide the title, number, date of issue, date of expiration, and issuing agency. Applications without this evidence will be rejected.
• A valid California Class C Driver License or the ability to utilize an alternative method of transportation when needed to carry out job-related essential functions.

Physical Demands

This class includes administrative and clerical positions requiring light physical effort that may include occasional light lifting (up to 10 pounds) and some bending, stooping, or squatting. Considerable ambulation may be involved.

Additional Information

• Selected candidates must complete a thorough background investigation, including a fingerprint search. Examples of disqualifying factors include: any felony convictions; job-related misdemeanor convictions; certain serious traffic convictions or patterns of violations (e.g., 3 moving violations in one year, failure to appear, at-fault accidents, suspended license, driving under the influence); substance abuse; or probation status.
• Appointees may be required to work any shift, including evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays.