PSYCHIATRIC SOCIAL WORKER IIPrint ( SOCIAL WORKER IISalary$87,954.72 - $112,272.00 AnnuallyLocationLos Angeles County, CAJob TypeFull timeJob Numberb9035GDepartmentMENTAL HEALTHOpening Date06/04/2015DescriptionBenefitsQuestionsPosition/Program InformationTHIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS A REPOSTING TO ADD SPECIAL INFORMATIONDEFINITION:Performs a wide variety of professional social work services in connection with the treatment of clients in need of mental health services.CLASSIFICATION STANDARDS: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.Essential Job FunctionsInterviews 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.RequirementsMINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:LICENSE:A valid and active license as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker issued by the California Department of Consumer Affairs, Board of Behavioral Sciences.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.DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS:Post-licensed experience in individual, group, or family psychotherapy.PHYSICAL CLASS:2 - Light.Additional InformationTRANSCRIPTS: In order to receive credit for any college coursework, or any type of college degree, such as a master degree or higher, you must provide a legible copy of the official diploma, official transcripts or official letter from the accredited* institution which shows the area of specialization,at the time of filing.ACCREDITATION INFORMATION:*Accreditation:Accredited institutions are those listed in the publications of regional, national or international accrediting agencies which are accepted by the Department of Human Resources. Publications such asAmerican Universities and CollegesandInternational Handbook of Universitiesare acceptable references. Also acceptable, if appropriate, are degrees that have been evaluated and deemed to be equivalent to degrees from United States accredited institutions by an academic credential evaluation agency recognized byThe National Association of Credential Evaluation ServicesorThe Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc.(AICE).SPECIAL INFORMATION:All County workforce members must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. Successful candidates for this position will be required to submit proof of vaccination against COVID-19 or request an exemption for qualifying medical or religious reasons during the onboarding process. Candidates should not present proof of vaccination until instructed to do so by the hiring department.Appointees may be required to work any shift, including evenings, nights, holidays or weekends.Past and present mental health clients and family members are encouraged to apply.EXAMINATION INFORMATION:This examination will consist of an evaluation of training, experience and desirable qualifications based upon application information weighted 100%. Candidates must achieve a passing score of 70% or higher in order to be placed in the eligible register.VACANCY INFORMATION: The resulting eligible register for this examination will be used to fill vacancies throughout the Department of Mental Health.ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION: The names of candidates receiving a passing grade on the examination will be added to the eligible register and will appear in the order of their score group for a period of twelve (12) months following the date of eligibility.Application and Filing InformationAll applicants are required to submit a Standard County of Los Angeles Employment Application online only. Resumes cannot be accepted in lieu of applications, although resumes may be uploaded as attachments to the applications. This examination will remain open until the need of the services are met, and is subject to closure without prior notice.You MUST complete the filing process ONLINE (via electronic submission) ONLY.Instructions for Filing: A standard County of Los Angeles Employment Application for this examination must be completed online and submitted electronically. Applications electronically received after 5:00 pm, PST on the last day of filing will not be accepted.APPLICANTS MUST COMPLETE AND SUBMIT THEIR JOB APPLICATIONS AND UPLOAD REQUIRED OR ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS (e.g.,diploma/official transcripts, license) AS ATTACHMENT(S) AT THE TIME OF FILING.Additional documents may be sent by emailed , please include exam number and exam title in the subject line.The acceptance of your application will depend on whether you have clearly shown that you meet the Minimum Requirements. Please be sure your application indicates complete information, including dates for education and jobs held which relate to this position. For each job held, give the name and addresses of your employer, your job title, beginning and ending dates, description of work performed, total number of hours worked (full or part-time) and salary earned. Resumes showing training and experience may be attached to the Los Angeles County Application. All information and records are subject to verification.Falsification of records can result in disqualification from the examination or termination of employment.SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER LANGUAGEAll applicants must enter a valid social security number at the time of filing. Entering anything other than a valid social security number (i.e. 000-00-0000, 111-11-1111, etc.) will result in an automatic rejection of your application.COMPUTER AND INTERNET ACCESS AT LIBRARIESFor candidates who may not have regular access to a computer or the internet, applications can be completed on computers at public libraries throughout Los Angeles County.NO SHARING USER ID AND PASSWORDAll applicants must file their applications online using their own user ID and password. Using a family member or friend's user ID and password may erase a candidate's original application record.Department Contact Name: Heleodora "Lola" SacksDepartment Contact Phone: (213) 972-7034Department Contact Email: Relay Services Phone: (800) 735-2922Teletype Phone: (800) 899-4099COUNTY OF LOS ANGELESEmployment InformationAny language contained in the job posting supersedes any language contained below.Your Responsibilities:1.Completing Your Application:a. Before submission of the application, it is your responsibility to ensure that all information provided is correct and complete on the application. Incomplete applications cannot be accepted.b. List each payroll title separately for each job. Do not group your experience. Specify the beginning and ending dates for each job. If you are a Los Angeles County employee and have held multiple positions, do NOT list all of your time with the County under your present payroll title.c. Please include your Social Security Number for record control purposes. Federal law requires that all employed persons have a Social Security Number.d. To receive credit, include required documents (e.g., copy of your diploma, transcript, certificate, or license) as directed on the job posting. International degrees in a foreign language must be translated to English and evaluated for equivalency to U.S. standards. Refer to the job posting for specific deadlines for supporting documentation.2.Requirements on Job Posting:a. Your application will only be accepted if it clearly shows you meet the requirements. The information you give will determine your eligibility and is subject to verification at any time.b. You must be at least 16 years of age at the time of appointment unless other age limits are stated on the job posting. The Federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) of 1967, as amended, prohibits discrimination on the basis of age for any individual age 40 or older.c. Experience is evaluated on the basis of a verifiable 40- hour week, unless specified otherwise. Prorated part-time experience may be acceptable.3.Application Deadline: All job applications must be completed and submitted before the closing time on the last day of the filing period as indicated on the job posting unless other instructions are provided. Job postings with an open continuous filing period are subject to closure without prior notice. It is to your advantage to file your application early and not wait until the last allowable date and time as you will not be able to apply once the filing period has closed.4.Change of Name or Address: To change personal information such as your name or address, log into your profile on make the necessary change. This can be done at any time.5.Equal Employment Opportunity/Non-Discrimination Policy:a. It is the policy of the County of Los Angeles to provide equal employment opportunity for all qualified persons, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, disability, or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law. b. If you are an individual requesting reasonable accommodation(s) in the examination process, please contact the testing accommodation coordinator listed on the job posting. The provision of accommodation(s) may be subject to verification, consistent with state and federal law. All accommodation-related information will remain confidential.Disclaimer: The County of Los Angeles is not responsible or in any way liable for any computer hardware or software malfunction that may affect the employment application or the application selection process.You assume all responsibility and risk for the use of this system and the Internet generally. This system and the information provided on it are provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. No advice or information given by the County of Los Angeles or its respective employees shall modify the foregoing or create any warranty.The County of Los Angeles expressly disclaims any warranty that the information on this system or on the Internet generally will be uninterruptible or error free or that any information, software or other material accessible from the system is free of viruses or other harmful components. You shall have no recourse against the County of Los Angeles as the system provider for any alleged or actual infringement of any proprietary rights a user may have in anything posted or retrieved on our system.The County of Los Angeles shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, punitive, incidental, special or consequential damages arising out of or in any way connected with the use of this system or with the delay or inability to use it (or any linked sites), or for any information obtained through this system, or otherwise arising out of the use of this system, the Internet generally or on any other basis.NOTE: Your application is submitted using Secure Encryption to ensure the privacy of all information you transmit over the Internet.By accepting the Use Disclaimer set forth herein, you agree to all of the above terms and further agree to use this Online Job Employment Application System only for the submission of bona fide employment applications to the County of Los Angeles. Any other use of this Online Job Employment Application System, including without limitation any copying, downloading, translating, decompiling, or reverse engineering of the system, data, or related software, shall be a violation of the Use Disclaimer.Test Preparation: Study Guides and other resources are available to help candidates prepare for employment tests. An interactive system for taking practice tests may be accessed on the Department of Human Resources website at Additional resources may be listed on the job posting.Veteran’s Credit: In all open competitive examinations, a veteran’s credit of 10 percent of the total credits specified for such examinations will be added to the final passing grade of an honorably discharged veteran who served in the Armed Forces of the United States under any of the following conditions: During a declared war; -or- During the period April 28, 1952 through July 1, 1955; -or- For more than 180 consecutive days, other than for training, any part of which occurred after January 31, 1955, and before October 15, 1976; -or- During the Gulf War from August 2, 1990 through January 2, 1992; -or- For more than 180 consecutive days, other than for training, any part of which occurred during the period beginning September 11, 2001, and ending on August 31, 2010 the last day of Operation Iraqi Freedom; -or- In a campaign or expedition for which a campaign medal or expeditionary medal has been authorized and awarded. Any Armed Forces Expeditionary medal or campaign badge, including El Salvador, Lebanon, Grenada, Panama, Southwest Asia, Somalia, and Haiti qualifies for credit.A campaign medal holder or Gulf War veteran who originally enlisted after September 7, 1980 (or began active duty on or after October 14, 1982, and has not previously completed 24 months of continuous active duty) must have served continuously for 24 months or the full period called or ordered to active duty.This also applies to the spouse of such person who, while engaged in such service was wounded, disabled or crippled and thereby permanently prevented from engaging in any remunerative occupation, and also to the widow or widower of any such person who died or was killed while in such service. A DD214, Certificate of Discharge or Separation from Active Duty, or other official documents issued by the branch of service are required as verification of eligibility for Veterans preference. Applicants must submit the documentation for each open competitive exam to qualify for veteran’s credit. More information available at: Information: Accredited institutions are those listed in the publications of regional, national or international accrediting agencies that are accepted by the Department of Human Resources. Publications such as American Universities and Colleges and International Handbook of Universities are acceptable references. Also acceptable, if appropriate, are degrees that have been evaluated and deemed to be equivalent to degrees from United States accredited institutions by an academic credential evaluation agency recognized by The National Association of Credential Evaluation Services or the Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. (AICE). More information is available at: E Resource Guide.pdf ( Check: The County of Los Angeles is a Fair Chance employer. Except as otherwise permissible under applicable laws, you will not be asked to provide information about a conviction history unless you receive a conditional offer of employment. The County will make an individualized assessment of whether your conviction history has a direct or adverse relationship with the specific duties of the job, and will also consider potential mitigating factors, including, but not limited to, evidence and extent of rehabilitation, recency of the offense(s), and age at the time of the offense(s). If asked to provide information about a conviction history, any convictions or court records which are exempted by a valid court order do not have to be disclosed.Career Planning: Resources to help current and prospective employees plan a career with Los Angeles County are available. To explore career paths to and from nearly all job titles, please visit our interactive Career PathFinder application at Information: Depending on the position, the successful candidate will enroll in a contributory defined benefit pension plan if the candidate is a “new member” of the County’s defined benefit plan (LACERA) on or after January 1, 2013 (first employed by the County on or after December 1, 2012) – unless she or he established reciprocity with another public retirement system in which she or he was a member before January 1, 2013. It should be noted that County employees do not pay into Social Security, but do pay the Medical Hospital Insurance Tax portion of Social Security at a rate of 1.45%. The Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association (LACERA) has reciprocal agreements with several public retirement systems in California.Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990: All positions are open to qualified men and women. Pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, persons with disabilities who believe they need reasonable accommodation, or help in order to apply for a position, may contact the ADA/Personnel Services for Disabled Persons Coordinator. Hearing impaired applicants with telephone teletype equipment may leave messages by calling the teletype phone number on the job posting. The County will attempt to meet reasonable accommodation requests whenever possible.Equal Employment Opportunity: It is the policy of the County of Los Angeles to provide equal employment opportunity for all qualified persons, regardless of race, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, disability, or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law. All positions are open to qualified men and women pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act. The County will comply with all of its obligations under State and Federal laws regarding the provision of reasonable accommodations to applicants.Los Angeles County Child Support Compliance Program: In an effort to improve compliance with court ordered child, family and spousal support obligations, certain employment and identification information (i.e., name, address, Social Security number and date of hire) is regularly reported to the State Directory of New Hires which may assist in locating persons who owe these obligations. Family Code Section 17512 permits under certain circumstances for additional employment and identifying information to be requested. Applicants will not be disqualified from employment based on this information.Social Security Act of 2004: Section 419 (c) of Public Law 108-203, the Social Security Protection Act of 2004, requires State and local government employers to disclose the effect of the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset Provision to employees hired on or after January 1, 2005, in jobs not covered by Social Security. The County of Los Angeles does not participate in the Social Security System. All newly hired County of Los Angeles employees must sign a statement (Form SSA-1945) prior to the start of employment indicating that they are aware of a possible reduction in their future Social Security benefit entitlement. For more information on Social Security and about each provision, you may visit the website or call toll free 1-800-772- 1213. Persons who are deaf or hard of hearing may call the TTY number 1-800-325-0778 or contact a local Social Security office.Employment Eligibility Information: Final appointment is contingent upon verification of U.S. citizenship or the right to work in the United States. Immigration law provides that all persons hired after November 6, 1986, are required to present original documents to the County, within three (3) business days of hiring, which show satisfactory proof of 1) identity and 2) U.S. employment eligibility.The California Fair Employment and Housing Act(Part 2.8 commencing with Section 12900 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code) the Regulations of the Fair Employment and Housing Commission (California Code of Regulations, Title 2, Division 4, Sections 7285.0 through 8504) and other applicable laws prohibit employment discrimination based on an applicant's protected characteristics, including race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, age, pregnancy, childbirth, and other characteristics.COVID-19 VACCINATION: Some County workforce members may be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Successful candidates for those positions/classifications may be required to submit proof of vaccination against COVID-19 or request an exemption for qualifying medical or religious reasons during the onboarding process. Candidates should not present proof of vaccination until instructed to do so by the hiring department.Updated February 2024For detailed information, please clickhere ( you have a valid and active license as Clinical Social Worker issued by California Board of Behavioral Sciences?YesNo02If yes, please indicate your license number and original issuance date. If none, please indicate N/A.03I understand that I must submit verification of valid and active Licensure as a Clinical Social Worker issued by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences with my online application, or within 15 days of my application directly to the Department of Mental Health, Human Resource Bureau, Examinations and Recruitment Unit.YesNo04Are you willing to work in the Palmdale/Lancaster area of Los Angeles County?YesNo05Are you willing to work in the North County i.e. Sylmar/Santa Clarita area?YesNo06Would you be interested in accepting a temporary assignment as an "F" item?YesNo07Are you proficient in American Sign Language (ASL)?YESNO08Do you have American Sign Language (ASL) certification? Please attach a legible copy of your certificate to your application at the time of filing. If you are unable to attach your certificate, please email your certificate to within seven (7) calendar days from application submission.Yes, I have attached ASL certification to my online application.Yes, I will email ASL certification to within (7) calendar days.No, I do not have ASL certification.09Do you have a County American Sign Language Certification? Please attach a legible copy of your certificate to your application at the time of filing. If you are unable to attach your certificate, please email your certificate to within seven (7) calendar days from application.Yes, I have attached a County American Sign Language Certification to my online application.Yes, I will email a County American Sign Language Certification to within (7) calendar days.No, I do not have a County American Sign Language Certification.Required QuestionAgencyCounty of Los AngelesAddressLos Angeles, California, 90010Website verify your email addressVerify Email