Position Purpose:

The Licensed Clinical Social Worker provides behavioral health services at a Recuperative Care Center in a manner that upholds the JWCH mission to improve the health status and well-being of under-served segments of the population of the Los Angeles area through the direct provision of health care, health education, residential services, and research. This includes adherence to all behavioral health contract requirements (staffing, scope of work, and documentation), utilization of funding, staff productivity, and patient satisfaction.

Population/Needs:

Experience working with chronic disease treatment compliance issues, knowledgeable of chronic diseases and dealing with high rates of depression, anxiety, and other major mental disorders, with a predominantly homeless population. Clinical Social Worker must be familiar with the geographic area to better collaborate with other agencies.

Principal Responsibilities:

1.Work at a Recuperative Care Center as a part of a multidisciplinary team to ensure that the patient’s clinical treatment goals and behavioral management needs are met by attending case conferences, chronic disease management meetings, staff consultation, and individual meetings with staff to ensure quality of care.

2. Conduct functional and strength-based bio psychosocial assessments including comprehensive diagnosis for mental health, substance abuse, trauma, and psychosocial needs.

3. Develop patient care plans that are coordinated and integrated with a comprehensive range of medical and psychosocial services to address social, emotional, and practical needs.

4. Conduct groups for clients in a therapeutic setting.

5. Provide psychotherapy, counseling, medical case management and psychoeducation utilizing individual, family, and group modalities. Employ Evidenced Based brief oriented therapies for patients and their significant others that include social, emotional, and practical life skills to facilitate safe coping, distress tolerance, stress reduction, mindfulness, and relaxation as well as access to necessary resources with the goal of improved functioning and positive health outcomes.

6. Utilize both short-term and intensive longer-term interventions, as approved by funding source that target trauma, mental health symptoms, increase psychosocial functioning and reduction of substance use. Interventions are client centered; strength based and identified based on a comprehensive treatment plan that is developed, after completing a thorough biopsychosocial assessment.

7. Consult with primary care providers to enhance understanding of the patient, provide support for treatment approaches that incorporate behavioral health needs, and assist with implementation of bio-psychosocial treatment and care plans.

8. Participate in Multi-Disciplinary Team meetings that are held weekly.

9. Provide consultation to and coordinate care for patients needing specialty mental health and/or substance use disorder services

10. Advocate for patient within organization and community to ensure access to appropriate care

11. Be available to primary medical care staff during working hours for crisis intervention in the event of a psychiatric emergency and assist staff in the event of any other kind of emergency.

12. As Officer of The Day be available for urgent consultation and clinical sessions with patients who have urgent needs and provide consultation to providers who may have urgent needs and consultation and to clients who present with immediate psychosocial needs.

13. Be available as assigned to provide after-hours emergency psychiatric assistance.

14. Provide phone consultation as needed

15. Complete all charting as required by funding sources, including assessments, progress notes, care plans, and billing documentation

16. Productivity goal is to average 8-10 patient per day.

17. Participate in structured and “as-needed” case conferences

18. Assist with provider/staff education for integrated behavioral and primary care services

19. Participate in behavioral health quality assurance/improvement activities to maintain and strengthen standards of care, in accordance with the organization CQI Plan

20. Participate in professional development activities

21. Support client involvement in planning, implementing, and evaluating services

22. Complete data collection forms and prepare reports as required by the program.

23. Other duties as assigned

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Requirements:

1. Master’s degree in social work, social welfare, psychology, marriage, family and child counseling, and or marriage and family therapy from an accredited college or university.

2. LCSW with current California BBS license

3. Experience /knowledge in human, social, and/or behavioral health services, especially for homeless and/or low-income underserved individuals

4. Experience working on an Interdisciplinary Team

5. Demonstrated understanding of the impact of trauma on behavioral and medical conditions

6. Knowledgeable of evidence-based treatments (DBT, CBT, Seeking Safety, Motivational Interviewing)

7. Knowledge of principles, procedures, methods and techniques of mental health emergency procedures such as: 5150, CPS reporting, APS reporting, and Tarasoff,

8. Experience working with substance abuse disorders, preferred

9. Experience working in a medical setting preferred

10. Bilingual (English/Spanish) ability needed.