Provides assessment, diagnosis, treatment and crisis intervention as needed to members who present themselves for psychiatric evaluation. Collaborates with treating physician, psychiatric and allied health professional team to plan and direct each individual member's treatment program.
Essential Functions:
- Assesses, develops and coordinates a clinical treatment program for Health Plan members with acute or chronic psychiatric disorders.
- Consults with staff regarding diagnosis, strengths and deficits of member, as needed or appropriate.
- Provides outpatient psychotherapy to individuals and groups.
- Charts member's treatments and progress in accordance with state regulations and department procedures.
- Instructs and counsels members regarding compliance with prescribed therapeutic regimens.
- Interprets psychiatric treatment to member's family and helps to reduce fear and other attitudes obstructing acceptance of psychiatric care and continuation of treatment if asked to do so by member.
- Makes referrals to case manager, as appropriate, and/or refers member's family to community support services and resources.
- Utilizes resources of public and private agencies and community organizations to meet the needs of members.
- Collaborates with physicians in screening and evaluating members for psychotropic medications.
- May supervise PSW Assistants and PSW Interns, if supervision course has been completed.
- Works on-call evenings, weekends & holidays, assuming primary responsibility for emergency psychiatric care and acting as consultant to emergency department physicians and staff.
- Reports safety concerns to mandated reporting agencies.
Secondary Functions:
- Practice in an adult chemical dependency/psychiatric clinic setting.
- Provide individual and group brief psychotherapy and crisis intervention to an adult chemical dependency/psychiatric population.
- Telephone screening as needed.
- Facilitate psychotherapy groups.
- Participate in team meetings and collaborate with colleagues.
- Consult with medical and psychiatric staff regarding diagnosis, evaluations, strengths and deficits.
- Instruct and counsel patients regarding compliance with therapeutic regimens, including adherence to prescription medication within the scope of practice.
- Regular evening hours required for at least 20% of time.
- This position requires occasional on-call evening and weekend coverage for psychiatric assessments in the Emergency Department and hospital.
Qualifications:
Basic Qualifications:
- Psychiatric Social Worker (LCSW): Masters Degree in Social Work required from an accredited college or university and Valid Licensed Clinical Social Worker license in the State of California.
OR
- Marriage & Family Therapist (MFT): Masters Degree in Applied Behavioral Science required. Current license as a Marriage, Family and Child Counselor in the State of California, and previous post license, paid experience as a member of a psychiatric treatment team in an outpatient setting/program under licensed supervision (usually two to four years).
OR
- Psychiatric Social Work Assistant: Masters Degree in Social Work required from an accredited college of university.
- Must be familiar with DMS-IV-R as a means of diagnosis.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
- Knowledge of social service agencies, state regulations, and professional board standards as is related to member treatment, patient rights, and member/patient confidentiality.
- Must be able to work in a Labor/Management Partnership environment.
- Previous clinical responsibility to include crisis intervention, individual and group psychotherapy preferred.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Minimum of two years experience in the use of psychosocial assessment andpsychotherapeutic methods and clinical case management in a hospital, outpatientclinic or agency.
- Demonstrate a high level of clinical expertise in diagnosis, evaluation and treatment planning for adult individuals.
- Previous clinicalexperience including brief individual psychotherapy.
- Dual diagnosis skills a plus.
- Experience treating psychiatric trauma conditions a plus.
- Demonstrated excellent written and verbal skills.
- Bilingual, especially Spanish language, skills are aplus.
- Ability to work well in a team setting, have experienceand becomfortable working with culturally diverse patients and colleagues.
External hires must pass a background check/drug screen.
We are proud to be an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.