PSYCHIATRIC SOCIAL WORKER II

Application Filing Period

The application filing period will begin on June 9, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. (PT) – Continuous.

Exam Number

Y9035S

Type of Recruitment

Welcome applications from everyone!

We will keep accepting applications until the position is filled.

Correctional Health Services – 20% Recruitment and Retention Bonus

The County of Los Angeles is currently offering up to 20% bonus for full-time Psychiatric Social Worker II positions hired by Correctional Health Services and working on-site in a designated facility to meet critical healthcare needs for the uniquely underserved jail population.

NO OUT-OF-CLASS EXPERIENCE OR WITHHOLDS ARE ALLOWED FOR THIS EXAMINATION.

Why Work for the Los Angeles County's Department of Health Services?

Our department is the second largest municipal health system in the nation. Through its coordinated system of 25 health centers and four acute hospitals and expanded network of community partner clinics – DHS annually provides direct care for 600,000 outstanding patients, employs over 23,000 staff, and has an annual budget of over $6.9 billion.

Through academic affiliations with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the University of Southern California(USC), and the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Sciences (CDU), DHS hospitals are training sites for physicians completing their Graduate Medical Education in nearly every medical specialty and subspecialty.

In addition to its direct clinical services, DHS also runs the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Agency and the County's 911 emergency response system, as well as Housing for Health and the Office of Diversion and Re-entry, each with a meaningful role in connecting vulnerable populations, including those released from correctional and institutional settings, to supportive housing.

Check Out Our Outstanding Benefits!

Los Angeles County offers one of the strongest public sector benefits packages in the nation.

• Flexible Benefit Plans - Benefits may be purchased using tax-free County contribution of an additional 14.5%-17% of the employee's monthly salary.
• Robust Retirement Packages - Contributory-defined benefit plan; optional tax-deferred income plans that may include a County matching contribution up to 4% of employee's salary.
• Generous Parental and Family Leave Benefits
• Ridesharing, Parking, and Transit Benefits
• 13 paid holidays per year

Click here for more details on employee benefits.

Mission

To advance the health of our patients and our communities by providing extraordinary care.

Definition

Performs a wide variety of professional social work services for persons suffering from severe mental and emotional disturbances; and assists patients and their families in understanding and finding solutions to complex problems that lead to and result from mental illness and severe emotional disturbances.

• Interviews individuals and/or their families to obtain a family, social work, medical, and mental health treatment history.
• Makes an assessment of the patient's functioning in their environmental setting.
• Establishes a treatment plan designed to resolve or cope with the mental or emotional problem. The treatment plan may include individual, group, family or conjoint therapy, and/or referral to another treatment source such as a psychologist, vocational or rehabilitation counselor, psychiatrist for medication or another agency.
• Provides psychotherapy to individuals, groups, families, and significant others.
• Determines the duration of the therapy, the priorities of the problems to be dealt with, the therapy methods, and the need for changes in the treatment goals at successive intervals during treatment process.
• Interviews persons seeking psychiatric assistance on an emergency basis and utilizes crisis intervention techniques to prevent hospitalization and to aid the person in dealing with the emotional crisis.
• Assists clients, families, and significant others in understanding the mental health problem and their reactions to the problems, accepting the need for treatment, working toward the solution of the problem and stresses interfering with treatment or social functioning, modifying unrealistic attitudes and strengthening patients and families and significant others toward gaining their acceptance of and participation in treatment recommendations.

Minimum Requirements

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

Desirable Qualifications

• Additional points will be awarded to candidates who have post licensure experience as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.

License

• A valid California Class C Driver License or the ability to use an alternative method of transportation when needed to carry out job related essential functions.
• PHYSICAL CLASS 2 – 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.

Special Requirement Information

All required licenses must be active and unrestricted or your application will not be accepted.

To complete the application, please include a legible copy of your license issued by the California Department of Consumer Affairs, Board of Behavioral Sciences at the time of filing, or email the documents to the exam analyst Teresa Ruocco, at within seven (7) calendar days of filing online.

• When emailing documents, please include your name, exam number and exam title.
• Applications received without the required proof of licensure will be denied as not meeting the stated requirements.
• The original documents will need to be presented during the selection process and prior to final appointment.

We do not accept password-protected documents. Ensure documents are unlocked before attaching to your application or sending to the exam analyst.

Examination Content

• This examination will consist of an evaluation of education, experience, desirable qualifications, and a supplemental questionnaire based upon your application information, weighted 100%.
• Applicants must receive a passing score of 70% or higher on the assessment to be placed on the eligible register.

ELIGIBILITY and VACANCY INFORMATION

• Applicants who passed the assessment are placed on a list in the order of their score group for a period of twelve (12) months.
• Applications will be processed as they are received and added to the list accordingly.
• We will use this list to fill vacancies in the Department of Health Services as they occur.

Available Shifts

Appointees may be required to work any shift, including evenings, nights, weekends and holidays.

No Person May Compete in This Examination More Than Once Every Twelve (12) Months.:

Application and Filing Information

The application window may close unexpectedly once we have enough qualified candidates.

• We only accept applications filed online.
• Applications submitted by U.S. mail, fax, or in person are not accepted.
• Apply online by clicking on the green "Apply" button at the top right of this posting.
• This website can also be used to get application status updates.

Please fill out the application completely. Provide relevant job experience including 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 included in the application at any point during the examination and hiring process, including after an appointment has been made.
• Falsification of information could result in refusal of application or rescission of appointment.
• Copying verbiage from the Requirements or class specification as your work experience will not be sufficient to demonstrate meeting the requirements.
• Doing so may result in an incomplete application and may lead to disqualification.
• Comments such as “See Resume” or referencing other unsolicited materials/documents will not be considered a response.

We will send notifications to the email address provided on the application, so it is important that you provide a valid email address. If you choose to unsubscribe or opt out from receiving our emails, it is possible to view notices by logging into governmentjobs.com and checking the profile inbox. It is every applicant's responsibility to take steps to view correspondence, and we will not consider claims of missing notices to be a valid reason for re-scheduling an exam part. Register the below domains as approved senders to prevent email notifications from being filtered as spam/junk mail.

Social Security Number

Federal law requires that all employed persons have a Social Security Number, so include yours when applying.

Computer and Internet Access

For candidates who may not have regular access to a computer or the internet, applications can be completed on computers at public libraries throughout Los Angeles County.

No Sharing of User Id, E-mail, and Password

All applicants must file their application using their own user ID and password. Using a family member or friend's user ID and password may erase a candidate's original application record.

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.
• Our department is committed to promoting Anti-racism, Diversity, and Inclusion efforts to address the inequalities and disparities amongst race.
• We support the ARDI Strategic Plan and its goals by improving equality, diversity, and inclusion in recruitment, selection, and employment practices.

Department Contact Name: Teresa Ruocco, Exam Analyst