PSYCHIATRIC SOCIAL WORKER II

Job Description

Position/Program Information

EXAM NUMBER:

b9035J

WHO MAY APPLY
We welcome applications from everyone.

WHEN TO APPLY
The application filing period will begin on June 10, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. (PT) - Continuous. We will keep accepting applications until the position is filled. The application window may close unexpectedly once we have enough qualified candidates.

Why work for us?

With almost 10 million residents, Los Angeles County is the most populous county in the nation! As the largest employer in Southern California with over 100,000 employees in 39 departments, we provide vital and diverse public services like law enforcement, property assessment, public health protection, water conservation, and cultural activities.

The County has more than 2,100 different job types, offering a lifetime of opportunities and careers! We are dedicated professionals committed to preserving the dignity and integrity of the workplace as well as protecting the rights of each employee. Join us and discover one of the strongest public-sector benefits packages in the county with a rich selection of health care options, robust retirement plans and the flexibility to work, relax, and rejuvenate to reach your fullest personal and professional potential.

For more information about our amazing benefits, please visit us here: https://hr.lacounty.gov/benefits/ .
The team member we are searching for:
The team member we are searching for will perform a wide variety of professional social work services in connection with the treatment of clients in need of mental health services.

Essential Job Functions

What will you do as a Psychiatric Social Worker II?

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 their 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 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 in order 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 joint law enforcement/mental health emergency intervention team by evaluating the behavior of persons to resolve 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 student's 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.

Participate in or conducts research to increase knowledge of mental health problems and to improve therapeutic treatment methods.

Reviews 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, as needed.
For more information, please view the classification specification: PSYCHIATRIC SOCIAL WORKER II

Requirements

REQUIREMENTS TO QUALIFY
Must have a valid and active license as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker issued by the California Department of Consumer Affairs, Board of Behavioral Sciences*.

All required licenses must be active and unrestricted, or your application will not be accepted.
LICENSE:

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.
PHYSICAL CLASS:

2 - Light: This class includes administrative and clerical positions requiring light physical effort that may include occasional light lifting to a 10 pound limit and some bending, stooping, or squatting. Considerable ambulation may be involved.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENT INFORMATION:

*Applicants must indicate their license number in the supplemental questions, attach a legible copy of the required license or certificate to your application at the time of filing or email the required document to exams@dmh.lacounty.gov within seven (7) calendar days from the date of filing your application online. When emailing documents, please include the exam number, exam title, and your name as it appears on your application. The original license or certificate must be presented during the selection process and prior to appointment.
We do not accept password-protected documents. Ensure documents are unlocked before attaching to your application or sending to the exam analyst.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS:

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

Additional Information

EXAMINATION CONTENT

An evaluation of experience and desirable qualifications based upon application information weighted 100%. Additional credit will be given for desirable qualifications.

To be placed on the eligible list, achieving a passing score of 70% or higher is required.

Notice of non-acceptance and final results will be sent via email.

ELIGIBILITY AND VACANCY INFORMATION:

Candidates who passed the assessment are placed on a list in the order of their score group for a period of twelve (12) months. We will use this list to fill vacancies as they occur within the Department of Mental Health.

Applications will be processed as they are received and added to the list accordingly.

No person may compete for this examination more than once in a twelve (12) month period.
AVAILABLE SHIFT
Appointees may be required to work any shift, including evenings, nights, weekends or holidays.

SPECIAL INFORMATION
Past and present mental health clients, parents, and family members are encouraged to apply.

APPLICATION AND FILING INFORMATION

We only accept applications filed online. Applications submitted by U.S. mail, fax, or in person are not accepted. Apply online by clicking on the "Apply" green button at the top right of this posting. This website can also be used to get application status updates.

Please fill out the application completely. Provide relevant job experience including employer's name and address, job title, beginning and ending dates, number of hours worked per week, and description of work performed.

We may verify information included in the application at any point during the examination and hiring process, including after an appointment has been made. Falsification of information could result in refusal of application or rescission of appointment. Copying verbiage from the Requirements or class specification as your work experience will not be sufficient to demonstrate meeting the requirements. Doing so may result in an incomplete application and may lead to disqualification.

We will send notifications to the email address provided on the application, so it is important that you provide a valid email address. If you choose to unsubscribe or opt out from receiving our emails, it is possible to view notices by logging into Governmentjobs.com and checking the profile inbox. It is every applicant's responsibility to take steps to view correspondence, and we will not consider claims of missing notices to be a valid reason for re-scheduling an exam part. Register the below domains as approved senders to prevent email notifications from being filtered as spam/junk mail.

• info@governmentjobs.com
• hsacks@dmh.lacounty.gov
• selections@dmh.lacounty.gov
• recruitment@dmh.lacounty.gov
• exams@dmh.lacounty.gov

New email addresses need to be verified. This only needs to be done once per email address and can be done at any time by logging in to govermentjobs.com and following the prompts. This is to enhance the security of the online application and to prevent incorrectly entered email addresses.

Federal law requires that all employed persons have a Social Security Number, so include yours when applying.

For those who do not have access to a computer or the internet, we provide access to complete an application at public libraries throughout the county.

All applicants must file their application online using their own user ID and password. Using a family member's or friend's login information may erase a candidate's original application record.

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Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion (ARDI):
The County of Los Angeles recognizes and affirms that all people are created equal and are entitled to all rights afforded by the Constitution of the United States. We are committed to promoting Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion efforts to address the inequalities and disparities amongst race. We support the ARDI Strategic Plan and its goals by improving equality, diversity, and inclusion in recruitment, selection, and employment practices.

DEPARTMENT CONTACT
Department Contact Name: Lola Sacks, Exam Analyst
Department Contact Phone: (323) 705-4072 or (213) 972-7034
Department Contact Email: exams@dmh.lacounty.gov

ADA Coordinator Phone: (323) 705-4072
Teletype Phone: (800) 735-2922
California Relay Services Phone: (800) 735-2922

For detailed information, please click here