Forensic Social Worker 1 - Torrance State Hospital

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania • Westmoreland County, PA

18h • Onsite

About The Position

As a Forensic Social Worker 1 with Torrance State Hospital, you will help guide patients toward safer, healthier futures. This role supports individuals who are working through significant challenges in a secure and structured setting while also building your own professional abilities as part of a dedicated multi-disciplinary care team. This position provides a full range of social services and therapeutic support to forensic patients with a mental illness who have been placed through the criminal justice or correctional system for diagnosis, evaluation, and intensive treatment. You will play a key role in helping individuals work toward improved social functioning and more satisfactory social and emotional adjustment.

Requirements

• A bachelor's or master’s degree in social work or social welfare.
• Applicants will be considered to have met the educational requirements once they are within three months of graduating with a qualifying degree.
• You must meet the PA residency requirement.
• You must be able to perform essential job functions.
• A conditional offer of employment will require a medical examination and drug screening.
• This position falls under the provisions of the Older Adult Protective Services Act. Under the Act, a conditional offer of employment will require submission and approval of satisfactory criminal history reports, including but not limited to, PA State Police and FBI clearance.

Responsibilities

• Gather information from patients, their families, agencies, and others; identify patients’ social, emotional, environmental, and other needs
• Deliver social services, counseling, and case management services, including individual and group therapy, to help patients recognize challenges and learn beneficial behaviors
• Communicate with other facility and forensic psychiatric unit staff as a multi-disciplinary treatment team to help develop and implement a comprehensive and effective individualized care and treatment plan for each patient
• Record patient responses and progress toward treatment goals and objectives
• Maintain regular contact with patients’ families and other interested parties to share patient progress and encourage their support and input
• Maintain accurate records to ensure all patients are under a current court commitment, prepare recommitment petitions, attend hearings, and record court outcomes

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level