Social Worker - Per Diem

About the Organization

Alvarado Parkway Institute (API) is a free-standing psychiatric hospital in La Mesa, California, providing comprehensive adult inpatient behavioral health and addictive disorders services in a 66-bed hospital setting. API is San Diego County's leading provider of mental health and substance abuse care, offering Intensive Outpatient and Partial Hospitalization Programs that emphasize symptom management, community integration, and prevention of hospitalization or re-hospitalization. We are committed to improving the mental health and well-being of our community.

About the Role

API is seeking a qualified Per Diem Social Worker to join our team. This role provides quality case management and psychotherapeutic services to adult psychiatric patients (age 18 and up) and their families as a member of the interdisciplinary team. The position supports the organization's treatment program and philosophy, ensuring the delivery of quality care. This is a weekend shift position (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday).

Responsibilities

• Conducts psychosocial assessments to document history and identify preliminary issues for treatment focus by interviewing the patient and their family members.
• Provides family and collateral meetings, including process-oriented therapies, crisis intervention, psycho-education, discharge and aftercare planning, and advocacy interventions for patients and family members.
• Develops and coordinates an individualized discharge plan for the patient by utilizing treatment team and chart information to determine aftercare needs.
• Identifies and assesses family or community resources, such as group homes or mental health practitioners, to meet patients' aftercare needs.
• Attends regular treatment team meetings to provide a social work perspective to total case management of the patient by reviewing written progress notes and communicating legal requirements with the interdisciplinary team.
• Reports patient issues to community/state agencies as required and represents the facility in legal proceedings.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in social work or equivalent master’s degree in a recognized mental health field.
• Written and oral communication skills.
• Skills in case management, time management, and crisis intervention common to acute psychotic and non-violent crises.
• Knowledge of acute adult psychological disorders and advanced principles of abnormal psychology as applied to adults.
• Familiarity with follow-up resource services available to adults.
• Skills in conducting marital and family group therapy.
• Ability to maintain highly confidential information.
• Demonstrated ability to treat other age populations or capacity to develop skills through cross-training and orientation.
• Ability to clearly summarize pertinent clinical information via written correspondence and medical records documentation.

Experience in an inpatient setting is preferred.

Skills

• Use of standard office equipment and computer systems for data input and retrieval.
• Computer keyboard proficiency with sufficient manual and finger dexterity for extended periods.
• Effective communication in person or via telephone with diverse populations.
• Ability to follow and provide verbal and written instructions with attention to detail and accuracy.
• Complex mental functions, including interpreting laws, regulations, and policies, and analyzing data.
• Vision capable of seeing details at close range.
• Ability to coordinate multiple tasks simultaneously.

Physical Requirements

• Reach forward, up, down, and to the side.
• Sit or stand for minimum periods of one hour at a time and move repeatedly throughout the work area during the day.
• Walk and/or stand for long periods (approximately 3/4 of the workday).
• Lift up to fifteen (15) pounds.

Conditions of Employment

• Completion of a satisfactory background and reference check.
• Signed employment non-compete/confidentiality agreement.
• Maintenance of current and valid licensure, registration, or certification, if applicable, with updates provided to Human Resources before expiration.
• Annual flu vaccination required (exemptions for allergies or contraindications with physician documentation; masks required during flu season).
• Pass a drug and alcohol test performed by Concentra.
• Clear TB skin test or chest X-ray at Concentra.
• Complete a satisfactory physical examination at Concentra to determine ability to perform job duties.

Pay

$33.00 - $36.00 per hour.

Schedule

Weekend shift: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.