Social Worker 4

The Mental Health Advocacy Services has a vacancy.  This job title has an assigned pay grade of SS-415.

This vacancy may be filled by job appointment, which is temporary in nature not to exceed 48 months.  If filled as a job appointment, the position may be converted to a probational appointment provided a vacant position becomes available and funding is available.

Louisiana is a "State as a Model Employer" for People with Disabilities.

This is a new position within the MHAS Child Advocacy Program, created to institute a multidisciplinary team approach to children's legal representation. The case team gets to know each child and what that child wants, as well as assessing the full range of social, physical, psychological, educational, and legal needs of the child.

This enables MHAS to make tailored recommendations and advocate to increase the rate and speed of reunifications from foster care, decrease the time spent in foster care for youth who get adopted or live permanently with a relative, and effectuate a successful transition to adulthood for those teenage clients aging out of the system. The social workers will provide important consultation to the attorney, visit with clients and their caretakers, perform client interviews, observe and document the children's living situations, note services that have not been implemented or may need to be implemented, evaluate and recommend the need for further or different services that the attorney will communicate to the court.

Preference will be given to applicants who have worked with at-risk children or persons with disabilities, and applicants who have worked in the court system will be given preference.

Driving and traveling will be required.

A criminal history check may be conducted on all new hires as well as employees changing positions including promotions, demotions, details, reassignments and transfers.  Also, prospective employees may be subject to pre-employment drug testing.  New hires will be subject to employment eligibility verification via the federal government's E-verify system.

No Civil Service test score is required in order to be considered for this vacancy.

To apply for this vacancy, click on the "Apply" link above and complete an electronic application which can be used for this vacancy as well as future job opportunities.  Applicants are responsible for checking the status of their application to determine where they are in the recruitment process. Further status message information is located under the information section of the Current Job Opportunities page.

Resumes WILL NOT be accepted in lieu of completed education and experience sections on your application.   Applications may be rejected if incomplete.

Applicants qualifying based on college training or receipt of a baccalaureate degree will be required to submit an official college transcript to verify credentials claimed prior to appointment. Please make every effort to attach a copy of your transcript to your application.

The transcripts can be added as an attachment to your online application or faxed to (225) 219-1041. The selected candidate will be required to submit original documentation upon hire.

For further information about this posting, please contact:

Erica R. Gay

HR Specialist

Division of Administration/Office of Human Resources

 email: Erica.Gay@la.gov   

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

A master's degree in social work from an accredited school of social work followed by three years of professional level social services experience.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENT:

Licensure as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) by the Louisiana State Board of Social Work Examiners as required by law.

NOTE:

The master's degree in social work must be from a school accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, 1701 Duke Street, Suite 200, Alexandria, VA 22314.

Function of Work:

To serve as a licensed Clinical Social Worker and to provide independent assessment, implementation as case manager of treatment plans, and independent counseling with a minimum of supervision with a concentration on clients or offenders with specialized/atypical cases.

Level of Work:

Advanced.

Supervision Received:

Broad review from a higher-level social worker, facility manager, or administrator.

Supervision Exercised:

May provide functional supervision over lower-level social workers and professionals in other disciplines.

Location of Work:

Department of Health and Hospitals; LSU-Health Sciences Centers, Acute Care Hospitals, Medical Schools; Veterans Affairs; Department of Corrections.

Job Distinctions:

Differs from the Social Worker 3 by the presence of licensure as a Clinical Social Worker (LCSW).

Differs from the Social Worker 5-A by the absence of responsibility of serving as sole social worker of a facility having full managerial responsibility over a facility's social services program.

Differs from the Social Worker 5-B by the absence of direct supervisory responsibilities.Provides psychosocial evaluation aimed at identifying the special problems and needs manifested in specific high risk populations, such as abused children and adults, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, neurological trauma or disease, acute and chronic psychiatric diagnoses, abusive parents, and offenders.

Develops and implements complex individualized case management plans of service and social work treatment to address identified needs, problems, and behavioral/emotional reactions of patients and families.

Provides specialized individual, group or family therapy requiring advanced diagnostic and treatment intervention skills in complex situations involving interpersonal, social, financial, legal, and/or health dimensions.

Participates in planning staff development activities to increase ability to deal with practice problems relating to working with individuals, families, groups, and communities.

Provides consultation to interdisciplinary staff, other Social Service or Social Work Staff, and community agencies regarding the psychosocial aspects of service to assigned population.

Prepares required social work reports such as assessments, case summaries, social histories and counseling reports, progress reports, discharge plans or summaries.

Provides expert testimony and/or advocacy representation for clients in court cases.

May conduct special projects related to assigned high-risk groups.

May conduct group therapy sessions for the support, education, and problem resolution of assigned population.

Interviews assigned cases for mental status examinations, as requested, to the parole board.

Serves as member of initial Classification Board on inmates arriving at correctional facility and makes appropriate referrals for treatment to other mental health team professionals for these inmates.

Serves as a member of Cell Block Review Boards and Reclassification Board, providing mental health information as it pertains to inmate housing and work assignments; participates as a member of the disciplinary board when assigned.