PSYCHIATRIC SOCIAL WORKER II - EMERGENCY APPOINTMENT / HOMELESS INITIATIVE

PSYCHIATRIC SOCIAL WORKER II - EMERGENCY APPOINTMENT / HOMELESS INITIATIVE

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PSYCHIATRIC SOCIAL WORKER II - EMERGENCY APPOINTMENT / HOMELESS INITIATIVE

Salary

$87,954.72 - $112,272.00 Annually

Location

Los Angeles County, CA

Job Type

Full time

Job Number

L9035E-EA

Department

PUBLIC DEFENDER

Opening Date

07 / 02 / 2025

Description

Benefits

Questions

Position / Program Information

LOS ANGELES COUNTY PUBLIC DEFENDER

TYPE OF RECRUITMENT :

OPEN COMPETITIVE JOB OPPORTUNITY - Emergency

Applications will be accepted fromMonday, July 07, 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 : L9035E-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 who support 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) II.

WHO CAN APPLY

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

ABOUT THE POSITION

PSW IIs independently perform professional social work services in connection with the assessment and treatment recommendations of clients in need of mental health services and report to the Mental Health Clinical Supervisor.

Essential Job Functions

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS INCLUDE BUT MAY NOT BE LIMITED TO :

Conducting 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; establishing rapport with clients; and eliciting specific information and accurately documents all information gathered during these meetings to assist attorneys as part of the defense team.

Developing and recommending a tentative support plan by assessing the client’s functioning in their environmental setting, and their biopsychosocial needs (e.g., psychiatric, educational, and developmental); and providing 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.

Implementing the attorney-approved support plan to provide advocacy on behalf of the client; attending various meetings (e.g., inter-agency, Individualized Education Program [IEP], Multidisciplinary Team [MDT], and regional center); coordinating 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 ensuring delivery of these services to support the client through the legal process.

Gathering and reviewing the client’s background information (e.g., school and medical records, interviews, and psychological evaluations) to provide clinical assessments and consultation, and preparing biopsychosocial reports detailing the needs of the client to support the attorney’s casework; attends court to support client; and provide formal or informal testimony in defense of the client.

Requirements

REQUIREMENTS TO QUALIFY

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

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

SPECIAL REQUIREMENT INFORMATION :

• Candidates must attach a copy of their valid and active license as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker issued by the California Department of Consumer Affairs, Board of Behavioral Sciences () at the time of filing or email a copy toExams@pubdef.lacounty.govwithin seven (7) calendar daysfrom the date the online application is filed. When emailing documents, please include the exam number and exam title.

WITHHOLD INFORMATION

No withholds will be allowed for this examination. Required experience and education must be fully met and indicated on the application at the time of filing.

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 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 appointing department will evaluate your performance. If you achieve a passing score on this evaluation you 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 positionMUST 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 yourGovernmentjobs.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 addressesExams@pubdef.lacounty.gov,Personnel@pubdef.lacounty.gov,noreply@governmentjobs.com, andinfo@governmentjobs.comto 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

COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES

Employment Information

Any language contained in the job posting supersedes any language contained below.

This document is intended to provide general information about the recruitment process of the County of Los Angeles. Applicants with questions about a specific job posting should contact the exam analyst listed on the posting.

Equal Employment Opportunity / Non-Discrimination Statement :

The County of Los Angeles is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and is committed to non-discrimination in the County workforce, regardless of age (40 and over); ancestry; color; ethnicity; religious creed; protected family or medical leave status; disability; marital status; medical condition; genetic information; military and veteran status; national origin; race ; sex; gender; sexual orientation; or any other characteristic protected by State or federal law. For more information, please visit :

Testing Accommodations for Applicants :

The County of Los Angeles complies with all federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for qualified applicants and employees with disabilities. If a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application process, please contact the testing accommodation coordinator listed on the job posting. Hearing impaired applicants with telephone teletype equipment may leave messages by calling the teletype phone number on the job posting. For more information on accommodations, please visit :

Fair Chance :

The County of Los Angeles is a Fair Chance employer. Except as otherwise permissible under applicable laws, you will not be asked to provide information about conviction history unless you receive a conditional offer of employment. The County will make an individualized assessment of whether your conviction history has a direct and adverse relationship with the specific duties of the job, and will also consider potential mitigating factors, which may include, but is 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 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).

Employment Eligibility :

Final appointment is contingent upon verification of U.S. citizenship or the right to work in the United States.

Career PathFinder :

Resources to help current and prospective employees plan a career with Los Angeles County are available. To explore career paths to and from nearly all job titles, please visit our interactive Career PathFinder application

Veteran’s Credit :

Pursuant to the County Charter and County policy, in all open competitive examinations (i.e., examinations open to everyone), the County of Los Angeles will add a credit of 10 percent of the total credits specified for such examination to the final passing score of an honorably discharged veteran, as well as the spouse of a deceased or disabled veteran, who served in the Armed Forces of the United States under specific conditions.

For more information on veteran’s credit, please visit :

Revised September 2025

For detailed information, please clickhere ()

01

The information you provide on this supplemental questionnaire will be evaluated and used to determine your eligibility for the position.SELECT AND REVIEW YOUR ANSWERS CAREFULLY.

Any mistakes you make and / or any incomplete responses you provide in completing these questions will be used to disqualify your application even if you possess the qualifying experience or education. Be as specific as possible and include all information requested. Comments such as "see resume or application" will not be considered as a response. All information including work history, experience, and education is subject to verification at any time in the examination, selection, and hiring process, including after an appointment has been made. Falsification of any information may result in disqualification or dismissal.

02

Notices such as application notices and initial appointment letters will be sent electronically to the email address provided on your application. Add the following email addressesExams@pubdef.lacounty.gov, MHerrera@pubdef.lacounty.gov, Personnel@pubdef.lacounty.gov, info@governmentjobs.com, and noreply@governmentsjobs.com, to your email address book and list of approved senders to prevent email notifications from being filtered as spam / junk mail.

03

ThisPsychiatric Social Worker IIjob opportunity works directly and indirectly with individuals experiencing homelessness.

04

Are you currently registered as aLicensed Clinical Social Workerwith the California Department of Consumer Affairs, Board of Behavioral Sciences?

Yes

No

05

As stated on the job bulletin, applicants must attach a copy of their valid and active license as a Licensed 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 application is filed.

Failure to provide the required documentation may affect the approval of your application and participation in this recruitment process.

I have uploaded a legible copy of my active license as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, issued by the California Department of Consumer Affairs, Board of Behavioral Sciences.

I have NOT uploaded a legible copy my active license as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, issued by the California Department of Consumer Affairs, Board of Behavioral Sciences, BUT I will submit it to Exams@pubdef.lacounty.gov within seven (7) calendar days of submitting my online application.

I am not registered as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.

06

Psychiatric Social Workers work inANYarea of Los Angeles County. Do you acknowledge this job requirement?

Yes

No

07

Psychiatric Social Workers workANYshift (evenings, nights, weekends, etc.). Do you acknowledge this job requirement?

Yes

No

Required Question

Employer

County of Los Angeles

Address

Los Angeles, California, 90010

Website

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