PSYCHIATRIC SOCIAL WORKER I-EMERGENCY APPOINTMENT/HOMELESS INITIATIVE

Position/Program Information

LOS ANGELES COUNTY PUBLIC DEFENDER

TYPE OF RECRUITMENT:

OPEN COMPETITIVE JOB OPPORTUNITY - Emergency

Applications will be accepted from Monday, February 24, 2025, at 8:00 a.m. (PT) and will continue accepting applications until the vacancy is filled. The application filing window may close without prior notice.

EXAM NUMBER:

L9034G-EA

WHO WE ARE
The Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office is the finest client-centered criminal defense firm in the nation, providing a beacon for evolutionary and revolutionary changes in the justice system. Our Offices are headed by innovative and progressive leaders collaboratively working towards our agency’s mission of reducing the incarceration rate for our indigent clientele. The office is seeking dedicated individuals in support of our mission and values.

We are an essential contributor to Los Angeles County’s homelessness emergency response. Through its legal services, the Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office works to facilitate the diversion of thousands of low-income community members annually from LA County’s jails and into treatment services and works to reduce the collateral social and economic impacts of contact with the criminal legal system, such as losing employment, social services, and housing. The collective services provided and supported by our workforce have a direct and indirect positive impact on our local homelessness crisis.

The LA County Board of Supervisors recently declared a local state of emergency for homelessness , and the County is working to revise and expand our response to help all who are affected. We are looking for qualified and passionate individuals to help us in the mission of addressing issues like housing, mental health, and substance use. If you are looking for a new career that will directly benefit the population of LA County, this may be the opportunity for you.

Under the emergency order, applicants who meet the requirements may be hired for an initial period of up to 90 days, with an opportunity for permanent County employment.

Before the end of your initial work period, you will be assessed on your work performance. This assessment will be weighted 100%. The candidate who successfully passes the assessment will be considered for permanent appointment to Psychiatric Social Worker (PSW) I.

WHO CAN APPLY

The Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office is seeking qualified candidates to fill emergency PSW I vacancies related to the homelessness crisis.

ABOUT THE POSITION
PSW Is independently perform professional social work services in connection with the assessments, formulating differential diagnoses, and treatment recommendations for clients in need of mental health services. This position reports to the Mental Health Clinical Supervisor.

Essential Job Functions

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS INCLUDE BUT MAY NOT BE LIMITED TO:

• Conducts interviews with justice-involved individuals (i.e., juveniles and adults) and other necessary individuals (e.g., family, spouse, partners, or friends), by phone, virtually, or wherever located (e.g., home, public areas, and detention facilities), to obtain the client’s complete biopsychosocial assessment that includes family, social, educational, employment, medical, substance use, developmental, and mental health history; establishes rapport with clients; and elicits specific information and accurately document all information gathered during these meetings to assist attorneys as part of the defense team.
• Develops and recommends tentative support plan by assessing the client’s functioning in their environmental setting, and their biopsychosocial needs (e.g., psychiatric, educational, and developmental); and provides timelines and recommendations which may include referrals and/or linkage to the appropriate agencies and services (e.g., housing, community-based mental health, substance use disorder programs, and regional center) to support the client’s defense.
• Implements the attorney-approved support plan to provide advocacy on behalf of the client; attends various meetings (e.g., inter-agency, Individualized Education Program [IEP], Multidisciplinary Team [MDT], and regional center); coordinates with representatives from various agencies to provide referrals and/or linkage to the appropriate agencies and services (e.g., housing, community-based mental health, substance use disorder programs, and regional center); and ensures delivery of these services to support the client through the legal process.
• Gathers and reviews the client’s background information (e.g., school and medical records, interviews, and psychological evaluations) to provide clinical assessments and consultation, and prepares biopsychosocial reports detailing the needs of the client to support the attorney’s casework; attends court to support client; and provides formal or informal testimony in defense of the client.

Requirements

REQUIREMENTS TO QUALIFY
A Master's degree from an accredited school* of Social Work.

You MUST meet the above requirements to be appointed to the PSW I position.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENT INFORMATION:
*To receive credit for your education, include a copy of your official diploma, official transcripts, or official letter from the accredited institution, which shows the date the degree was awarded, with the Registrar's signature and school seal, to the application at the time of filing , or e-mail to Exams@pubdef.lacounty.gov within seven (7) calendar days of filing your application. Note: Transcripts from foreign studies must be properly translated and evaluated by an academic credential evaluation agency for equivalency to US standards. Click here for Accreditation Information found under Employment Information.

WITHHOLD INFORMATION: No withholds will be allowed for this examination. The required education must be fully met and indicated on the application at the time of filing.

LICENSE A valid and active Associate Clinical Social Worker (ACSW)** registration issued by the California Department of Consumer Affairs, Board of Behavioral Sciences.

**Master of Social Work graduates must become registered as an ACSW with the California Department of Consumer Affairs, Board of Behavioral Sciences within sixty (60) days from commencement of employment with the County of Los Angeles. Active and valid ACSW registration must be maintained continuously until successful completion of the examination process for licensure as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). Registered ACSWs must obtain licensure within six (6) years from the original date of registration with the California Department of Consumer Affairs, Board of Behavioral Sciences. Failure to obtain licensure within the aforementioned timeframes may result in termination.

Candidates must attach a copy of their valid and active license as an Associate Clinical Social Worker issued by the California Department of Consumer Affairs, Board of Behavioral Sciences at the time of filing or email a copy to Exams@pubdef.lacounty.gov within seven (7) calendar days from the date the online application is filed.

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 II - 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.

Additional Information

EXAM CONTENT
Before the end of your initial work assignment, the department will evaluate your performance. Those who achieve a passing score on this evaluation will be considered for permanent appointment. If permanently appointed to the position, you will be subject to a probationary period based on the classification.

VACANCY INFORMATION
The selected applicants under this Emergency Appointment recruitment effort will be appointed to fill vacancies within the Los Angeles County Public Defender. The appointees to the position MUST BE WILLING to work any shift and in any Los Angeles County location and may be subject to transfer at any time.

APPLICATION & FILING INFORMATION

• Apply online by clicking on the green "Apply" button. Only online applications will be accepted and reviewed for interview consideration on an ongoing basis. If you are not contacted for an interview within 60 days of submitting your application, and the recruitment remains open or reopens for filing, we encourage you to submit a new application. This will allow you to reaffirm your interest and update any relevant information.
• At log-in, you will be required to verify your email address. This enhances the security of your application and prevents incorrectly entered email addresses. You can track the status of your application in the application menu of your Governmentjobs.com account.
• Notifications such as application notices and initial appointment letters will be sent to the email address provided on the application. Add the following email addresses Exams@pubdef.lacounty.gov , Personnel@pubdef.lacounty.gov , noreply@governmentjobs.com , and info@governmentjobs.com to your list of approved senders to prevent email notifications from being filtered as spam/junk mail.
• Fill out the application completely. When prompted, provide relevant job experience which includes 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 provided at any point during the examination and hiring process, including after an appointment has been made. Falsification of information could result in refusal of the application or rescission of the appointment. Copying verbiage from the Requirements or class specification does not substitute your work experience and is not sufficient to demonstrate meeting the requirements. Doing so may result in an incomplete application.

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER
Federal law requires that all applicants and employed persons have a Social Security number, include yours in your application.

COMPUTER AND INTERNET ACCESS AT PUBLIC LIBRARIES

For candidates who may not have regular access to a computer or internet, applications can be completed on computers at public libraries throughout Los Angeles County.

NO SHARING OF USER ID, EMAIL, OR PASSWORD

All applicants must file their application online using their user ID and password. Using a family member's or friend's user ID and password may erase existing profile information.

FAIR CHANCE INITIATIVE
The County of Los Angeles is a Fair Chance employer. Except for a very limited number of positions, you will not be asked to provide information about a conviction history unless you receive a contingent 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 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. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with County Fair Chance Policies and the Fair Chance Act (Gov. Code Section 12952).

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. The Department of the Los Angeles County Public Defender is committed to promoting Anti-racism, Diversity, and Inclusion efforts to address the inequalities and disparities amongst races. We support the ARDI Strategic Plan and its goals by improving equality, diversity, and inclusion in recruitment, selection, and employment practices.

Department Contact Name: Minoja Herrera

Department Contact Phone: (213) 460-8075

Department Contact Email: Exams@pubdef.lacounty.gov
California Relay Service Phone (Voice Carry Over [VCO]): (800) 735-2922

For detailed information, please click here

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• Los Angeles County

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