Psychiatric Social Worker I - Custody Health Services

Performs counseling, psychotherapy, case management, and treatment services with patients or clients and their families;Participates in the evaluation of problems presented and in the development of treatment plans;May participate in a group therapy program;Prepares social case histories with particular emphasis upon psycho-social factors affecting the patient or client;Cooperates with staff and other community agencies in carrying out treatment plans;Participates in psychotherapy and case management programs with psychiatric treatment teams;Interprets and explains social and emotional factors pertaining to illness to clients, relatives, and community groups, and may conduct educational sessions and training events, as appropriate;Evaluates new techniques for dealing with emotional and environmental problems;Refers patients or clients to appropriate community agencies;May be assigned as a Disaster Service Worker (DSW), as required*;Performs other related duties, as required.

Qualifications Sufficient education, training, and experience to demonstrate the ability to perform the above tasks, plus the possession and direct application of the following knowledge and abilities:Training and Experience Note: The required knowledge and abilities are attained through possession of a Master's Degree that qualifies for licensure as described in the Special Requirements.Special RequirementsPossess and maintain current registration with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences as an Associate Clinical Social Worker or Associate Professional Clinical Counselor, for the duration of employment in this classification.Incumbents in this class must comply with California licensure requirements as outlined by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.Some positions may require provider credentialing prior to appointment.Ability to travel to alternate locations in the course of work.

If driving, possession of a valid California driver’s license prior to appointment and the ability to qualify for and maintain a County driver authorization.*As a condition of employment, pursuant to California Government Code Sections 3100-3109 and Local Ordinance, all County of Santa Clara employees are designated Disaster Service Workers (DSWs), including extra help.

A DSW is required to complete all assigned DSW-related training, and in the event of an emergency, return to work as ordered.Knowledge of:Principles of psychiatric social work and psychotherapy;Counseling, case management, and other techniques of psychiatric social work;Social aspects of behavioral health and emotional disturbances;Theory and practice of community behavioral health and substance use interventions;Community agencies and community resources serving the mentally ill and those with substance use disorders;Physical and mental illnesses and their impact on personality;English usage, style, grammar, punctuation, and spelling;Common computer systems and applications.Ability to:Effectively apply psychiatric social work theory and case management skills, and psychotherapeutic interventions;Conduct differential diagnosis;Secure and record accurate and pertinent social and personal data;Effectively use psychiatric consultation;Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with people of diverse backgrounds and cultures; Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work, at all levels, including colleagues, the public, and representatives of other agencies.