PSYCHIATRIC SOCIAL WORKER I / EMERGENCY APPOINTMENT HOMELESSNESS

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.

During your initial work period, you will be assessed on your work performance. This assessment will be weighted 100%.

Those who successfully pass the assessment will be considered for permanent appointment to Psychiatric Social Worker I.

DEFINITION:

For information about the specific classification standards for this position, please visit the following link: Psychiatric Social Worker I

• Interviews individuals, their families and/or significant others to obtain a family, social, employment, medical, substance abuse, and mental health treatment history.

• Assesses client's functioning in his/her environmental setting.

• Develops a tentative CCCP designed to resolve or cope with the mental or emotional problem, which may include individual, group, family or marital counseling, case management, and/or referral to another treatment source such as a psychiatrist, a psychologist, a vocational or rehabilitation counselor, or another agency. 

• Plans and conducts the client's therapy program under the guidance of supervisory staff by considering the client's treatment goal and by determining the priorities of the programs to be dealt with and the length and modality of therapy.

• Provides psychotherapy to individuals, groups, families, and significant others.

• Provides case management services to secure resources for clients, families, and significant others in order to achieve treatment goals. 

• Serves as a member of a mental health emergency intervention team and/or joint law enforcement/mental health emergency intervention team by evaluating the behavior of persons to determine if they are, as a result of a mental disorder, dangerous to themselves, others, or gravely disabled.

• Requests LPS-authorized persons to complete an application for immediate 72-hour detention at a hospital facility.

• Interviews persons seeking psychiatric assistance on an emergency basis and utilizes crisis intervention techniques to prevent hospitalization and to aid the person in dealing with the emotional crisis.

• Assists clients, families, and significant others by discussing their reactions and attitudes concerning mental health problems and co-occurring substance abuse disorders; explains need for treatment; and encourages all concerned parties to work together cooperatively to resolve the problem and minimize the stresses that impact social functioning. 

• Works with families and significant others toward gaining their acceptance of and participation in treatment recommendations.

• Participates in multi-disciplinary team conferences to discuss and evaluate the nature of the client's problem, to evaluate the client's progress, and to develop a CCCP.

• Participates in research to increase knowledge of mental health problems and to improve therapeutic treatment methods, as needed.

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.

• Official Transcript is a transcript that bears the college seal and states "official and/or copy" issued by the school's registrar office. A printout of the transcript from the school's website is NOT considered official and may result in your application being incomplete and rejected.

• We do not accept password-protected documents. Ensure documents are unlocked before attaching to your application or sending to the exam analyst.

**Master of Social Work graduates must become registered as an Associate Clinical Social Worker with the California Department of Consumer Affairs, Board of Behavioral Sciences within sixty (60) days from commencement of employment with the County of Los Angeles.  Active and valid Associate Clinical Social Worker registration must be maintained continuously until successful completion of the examination process for licensure as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.  Registered Associate Clinical Social Workers must obtain licensure within six (6) years from the original date of registration with the California Department of Consumer Affairs, Board of Behavioral Sciences. Failure to obtain licensure within the aforementioned timeframes may result in termination.