SUMMARY

The Office of Diversion and Reentry (ODR) within the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services is looking for Psychiatric Social Worker to join the Felony Incompetent to stand trial (FIST) Team. The FIST 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. FIST patients have also been found incompetent to stand trial due to serious mental health disorder, and have been charged with felony crimes. Clients in the FIST Diversion program are referred to various levels of care in the community including acute inpatient treatment, subacute locked housing, intensive wrap around mental health and housing providers, or medical housing with intensive case management support. FIST 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 FIST 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

• Assists in diverting criminal justice involved and homeless patients from incarceration into permanent housing with wrap around mental health services
• Assesses and treats the complicated psychosocial problems of individuals who have been charged with misdemeanor crime/s deemed incompetent to stand trial due to severe and persistent mental health condition, potentially including homeless and formerly homeless individuals, including but not limited to mental health/medical condition and/or functional status, untreated or under- treated mental health or substance abuse condition, economic instability, legal problems, and inadequate social supports, housing, and transportation.
• Conduct assessments of client's psychosocial and service needs through interview and evaluation, review of medical and mental health records, and consultation with jail health and multidisciplinary ODR clinical team.
• 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 activities, meetings may be a combination of in person visits and telehealth calls.
• Use Behavioral Health Techniques including, but not limited to, motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral therapy, relapse prevention therapy, psychotherapeutic and/or systems interventions, and trauma-informed care.
• 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.
• Collaborates with ODR's Housing team to connect clients to housing resources and support providers' adherence to their contracted scope of work.
• Work with the ODR Clinical team on interviewing persons seeking psychiatric assistance on an emergency basis and utilize crisis intervention techniques to prevent hospitalization and to aid the person in dealing with the emotional crisis.
• Maintain documentation of social work activities including assessments, service plans and progress notes.
• Reviews records and information from various electronic health record systems to assess client needs and make treatment recommendations.
• Liaises with justice partners and probation officers to provide collaborative treatment for ODR's felony probation program population.
• Conducts in-reach to clients incarcerated in LA County jail for the purposes of program engagement, assessment, and treatment planning.

NON-ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Participates in team huddles, case conferences, and multidisciplinary team meetings as needed
• Participates in performance/quality improvement (PI/QI) activities and contributes to policy development as needed
• Shares knowledge and effective practices with other Care Team members
• As part of multidisciplinary team, supports coverage when staff are out of office as needed.

JOB QUALIFICATIONS

• Clinical social work experience in community mental health, homeless services, or healthcare strongly preferred.
• Experience/expertise in assessing and managing care to clients with substance use disorders.
• Experience/expertise in assessing and managing care to clients with severe persistent mental illness.
• Experience/expertise in assessing and managing 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.

Certificates/Licenses/Clearances

• Registered as an Associate Clinical Social Worker (ACSW) with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. *Supervision of clinical hours toward licensure available. May also consider MFTI, PCCI, or other unlicensed clinical discipline if registered to practice with the Board of Behavioral Sciences in the state of California.
• 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
• Successful clearing through the Live Scan process with the County of Los Angeles

PHYSICAL DEMANDS 

Stand: Frequently

Walk: Frequently

Sit: Frequently

Handling: 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 without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.