Salary Range: $6, 077.36 - $8, 304.80 per month

SUMMARY

The Office of Diversion and Reentry (ODR) within the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services is looking for Psychiatric Social Worker II to join the Misdemeanor Incompetent to stand trial (MIST) Team. The MIST Diversion program is a mental health diversion housing program serving individuals who are homeless, have a serious mental health disorder, and are diverted into services after being incarcerated in the Los Angeles County Jail. MIST clients have also been found incompetent to stand trial due to serious mental health disorder and have been charged with misdemeanor crimes. Clients in the MIST Diversion program are referred to community care housing with wraparound clinical services. MIST Housing providers work with the client as they transition from custody to community with housing and mental health services. The Psychiatric Social Worker performs professional social work services in connection with the treatment of clients in need of mental health and housing services. The Psychiatric Social Worker coordinates the mental health, physical health, and housing care of MIST clients in collaboration with a multidisciplinary county team and contracted mental health housing providers.

Currently, ODR has a hybrid work schedule with a combination of workdays in the office, in the field and remote. This may change at discretion of DHS.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS of the Psychiatric Social Worker II include, but are not limited to:

• Conduct comprehensive client assessments in the jail, community, or court settings for persons experiencing homelessness, diagnosed with a serious mental illness, found incompetent to stand trial with an alleged misdemeanor offense, focused on release of clients to community-based housing.
• Evaluate MIST clients’ psychosocial and service needs through interviews and evaluations, review of medical and mental health records, and consults with interdisciplinary teams.
• Develop release plan for MIST clients and coordinate care including placement to contracted community interim housing and licensed care facilities.
• Provide oversight of outreach and engagement of community-based providers’ including monitoring service plans and progress with assigned clients, identifying, and troubleshooting service issues, and providing consultation to case managers.
• Oversees weekly case conferences with housing providers to review clinical interventions supporting progress toward collaborative goals.
• Meet with clients and providers in community to support treatment interventions, meetings may be a combination of in person visits and telehealth calls.
• Provide oversight of contracted clinical housing agency services, including monitoring service plans and progress with assigned clients, case conferencing, identifying, and troubleshooting service issues, and providing consultation to housing case managers and clinical supervisors.
• Collaborate with and offer mental health training to community-based providers who will work with the population of clients with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders.
• Coordinate with other County departments including Correctional Health Services, Public Defender, Alternate Public Defender, District Attorney, Probation, and Superior Court staff to determine program eligibility, custody and housing placement recommendations, medication release coordination, and screening, diagnoses, and treatment of ODR clients.
• Collaborate and offer mental health and best practices training to community-based providers who will work with the population of clients with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders such as motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral therapy, relapse prevention therapy, psychotherapeutic and/or systems interventions, and trauma-informed care.
• Maintain a thorough knowledge of established social work standards and principles, and State and Federal social welfare laws and regulations to ensure effective oversight of community-based providers and their services.
• 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 mental health crisis.
• Serves as a member of a mental health emergency intervention team by evaluating the behavior of persons to determine if they are, because 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.
• Provides additional clinical support or interventions, at the discretion of program management, to ensure the needs of the ODR program are met.

JOB QUALIFICATIONS

Clinical social work experience in community mental health, homeless services, or healthcare strongly preferred.

Experience/expertise in assessing and delivering care to clients with substance use disorders.

Experience/expertise in assessing and delivering care to clients with severe persistent mental illness.

Experience/expertise in assessing and delivering care to clients with histories of homelessness.

Experience/expertise in trauma-informed care, harm reduction, and housing first principles.

Familiarity with DMH, DPH and community mental health, substance use, housing/homelessness programs and resources.

Education/Experience

A Master's Degree in Social Work from a graduate school accredited by the Council on Social Work Education followed by a minimum of two years of clinical social work experience.

Certificates/Licenses/Clearances

A valid and active license as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker issued by the California Department of Consumer Affairs, Board of Behavioral Sciences.

The required license, certificate, and/or permit MUST be current and unrestricted; a conditional, provisional, probationary, or restricted license will NOT be accepted.

Required Health Clearance and Jail Clearance to complete duties.

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.

Other Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities

Proficient skill set in using an array of Microsoft Office Suite software programs such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Adobe Reader, One Note, Outlook, Publisher, Teams, Outlook, etc.

Able to multi-task and set workload priorities for time sensitive projects/tasks.

Ability to problem solve and make recommendations to processes, policies, etc.

Able to communicate with all levels of personnel, e.g., written, verbal, in a professional and concise/clear manner; ability to work within a project team and/or independently.

Able to work in a very diverse environment and with diverse individuals.

Ability to be flexible in meeting changing work tasks and timelines; must be dependable and reliable.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Stand: Frequently

Walk: Frequently

Sit: Frequently

Handling / Fingering: Occasionally

Reach Outward: Occasionally

Reach Above Shoulder: Occasionally

Climb, Crawl, Kneel, Bend: Occasionally

Lift / Carry: Occasionally - Up to 50 lbs

Push/Pull: Occasionally - Up to 50 lbs

See: Constantly

Taste/ Smell: Not Applicable

Not Applicable = Not required for essential functions

Occasionally = (0 - 2 hrs/day)

Frequently = (2 - 5 hrs/day)

Constantly = (5+ hrs/day)

WORK ENVIRONMENT

General Office Setting, Indoors Temperature Controlled

EEOC STATEMENT

It is the policy of Heluna Health to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants, without regard to age (40 and over), national origin or ancestry, race, color, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, pregnancy or perceived pregnancy, reproductive health decision making, physical or mental disability, medical condition (including cancer or a record or history of cancer), AIDS or HIV, genetic information or characteristics, veteran status or military service.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.