PSYCHIATRIC SOCIAL WORKER II/SS

Los Angeles County (CA)•Los Angeles, CA

73d

About The Position

Performs a wide variety of professional social work services in connection with the treatment of clients in need of mental health services. Positions allocable to this journey-level class are assigned to community mental health facilities, psychiatric hospital wards, outpatient mental health clinics, and specialized mental health treatment programs and work under the general supervision of a higher level psychiatric social worker position, supervisory mental health position, or a psychiatrist. Within agency guidelines and professional standards, incumbents function independently to formulate differential diagnoses concerning the nature of the mental illness, in order to develop an effective intervention and to determine the appropriate psychotherapeutic methods to be utilized. Positions at this level are characterized primarily by assignments that require that the incumbents be able to consistently and effectively apply a wide variety of psychotherapeutic techniques and methods in the treatment of clients with a wide range of mental illnesses. Such psychotherapeutic methods include group, family, individual and conjoint therapy, clinical case management, and crisis intervention. Positions allocable to this class also provide mental health consultation services to other health disciplines and to community agencies, and participate in social work student affiliate programs for training professional social work students. Duties and responsibilities of this position require the application of professional skills and possession of extensive knowledge pertaining to the principles, practices, and theory of psychiatric social work. Training-related duties and responsibilities require the application of basic leadership and training principles to provide program direction for both graduate students and unlicensed clinical staff.

Requirements

A valid and active License as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker issued by the California Department of Consumer Affairs, Board of Behavioral Sciences.
Proficiency in speaking, reading and writing in Spanish Language.
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.

Nice To Haves

Post-licensed experience in individual, group or family psychotherapy.

Responsibilities

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 Client Care Coordination Plan (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.
Determines the duration of therapy, priorities of the problems to be dealt with, therapy methods to be used, and necessity of modifying treatment goals at successive intervals during the treatment process.
Provides psychotherapy to individuals, groups, families, and significant others.
Provides case management services to secure resources for clients, families and significant others to achieve treatment goals.
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.
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.
Serves as a member of a mental health emergency intervention team and/or a 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.
Initiates procedure on application for immediate 72-hour detention at a hospital facility and, depending upon the apparent seriousness of the situation, schedules an appointment for evaluation and treatment at a Mental Health Clinic or makes referral to another community treatment agency.
Participates in multi-disciplinary team conferences to discuss and evaluate the nature of the client's problem and to evaluate the client's progress.
Participates in social work student affiliate programs for training professional social work students through case assignments and technical instruction; assesses and evaluates students' progress and professional development.
Provides in-service training to social work staff and participates in mental health training programs for medical students and students in the allied health fields.
Instructs community agencies regarding the utilization of mental health principles to identify and to treat mental health problems encountered by the agency.
Participates in or conducts research to increase knowledge of mental health problems and to improve therapeutic treatment methods.
May review treatment authorization requests from hospitals, contracted network and/or legal entity community-based providers/programs and recommend approval or denial of requests per specified state and Department of Mental Health contract compliance requirements.