Position/Program Information
Law Office of the Los Angeles County PUBLIC DEFENDER EXAM NUMBER: L9034G-EA
RECRUITMENT TYPE: OPEN COMPETITIVE JOB OPPORTUNITY - Emergency
WHO WE ARE
The Los Angeles County Office of the Public Defender 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.
We are an essential contributor to Los Angeles County’s homelessness emergency response. Through its legal services, the Los Angeles County Office of the Public Defender 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 has a direct positive impact on our local homelessness crisis.
WHEN TO APPLY
Applications will be accepted from
Friday, May 3, 2024, at 8:00 a.m. (PDT) until the needs of the services are met and is subject to closure without prior notice.
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.
The Los Angeles County Office of the Public Defender is seeking qualified candidates to fill emergency Psychiatric Social Worker (PSW) I vacancies related to the homelessness crisis.
ABOUT THE POSITION Psychiatric Social Workers (PSW) I's independently perform professional social work services in connection with the assessments, formulating differential diagnoses, and treatment recommendations for clients in need of mental health services. This position will report to the Mental Health Clinical Supervisor.
Essential Job Functions
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS INCLUDE BUT MAY NOT BE LIMITED TO: - Conducts 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; establishes rapport with clients; and elicits specific information and accurately document all information gathered during these meetings to assist attorneys as part of the defense team.
- Develops and recommends tentative support plan by assessing the client’s functioning in their environmental setting, and their biopsychosocial needs (e.g., psychiatric, educational, and developmental); and provides 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.
- Implements the attorney-approved support plan to provide advocacy on behalf of the client; attends various meetings (e.g., inter-agency, Individualized Education Program [IEP], Multidisciplinary Team [MDT], and regional center); coordinates 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 ensures delivery of these services to support the client through the legal process.
- Gathers and reviews the client’s background information (e.g., school and medical records, interviews, and psychological evaluations) to provide clinical assessments and consultation, and prepares biopsychosocial reports detailing the needs of the client to support the attorney’s casework; attends court to support client; and provides formal or informal testimony in defense of the client.
Requirements
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS A Master's degree from an accredited school* of Social Work.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENT INFORMATION: * To receive credit for your Master's degree, you mu st provide at the time of filing or
within seven (7) calendar days from the day of filing via email to Exams@pubdef.lacounty.gov, a legible copy of your official diploma/transcripts/letter from an accredited institution that shows the area of specialization. If sending via email, please include the exam number and exam title in the subject line of your email. Applications received without proof of the required degree will not be considered as meeting the requirements.
Official Transcriptis a transcript that bears the college seal and states "official and/or copy" issued by the school's Registrar's Office. A printout of the transcript from the school's website is NOT considered official and; therefore, will NOT be accepted and may result in your application being incomplete or rejected.
ACCREDITATION INFORMATION: Accredited institutions are those listed in the publications of regional, national, or international accrediting agencies that are accepted by the Department of Human Resources. Publications such as American Universities and Colleges and the International Handbook of Universities are acceptable references. Also acceptable, if appropriate, are degrees that have been evaluated and deemed to be equivalent to degrees from United States-accredited institutions by an academic credential evaluation agency recognized by The National Association of Credential Evaluation Services or the Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. (AICE). More information is available at the Department of Human Resources - Accredited College Education Resource Guide.
WITHHOLD INFORMATION: No withholds will be allowed for this examination. The required education must be fully met and indicated on the application at the time of filing.
LICENSE A valid and active Associate Clinical Social Worker (ACSW)** registration issued by the California Department of Consumer Affairs, Board of Behavioral Sciences.
**Master of Social Work graduates must become registered as an ACSW with the California Department of Consumer Affairs, Board of Behavioral Sciences within sixty (60) days from commencement of employment with the County of Los Angeles. Active and valid ACSW registration must be maintained continuously until successful completion of the examination process for licensure as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). Registered ACSWs must obtain licensure within six (6) years from the original date of registration with the California Department of Consumer Affairs, Board of Behavioral Sciences. Failure to obtain licensure within the aforementioned timeframes may result in termination.
Candidates must attach a copy of their valid and active license as an Associate 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.
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.
OUR ASSESSMENT PROCESS Before the end of your initial work assignment, the department will evaluate your performance. Those who achieve a passing score on this evaluation will be considered for permanent appointment.
VACANCY INFORMATION Applicants under this Emergency Appointment recruitment effort will be appointed to fill vacancies within the Law Offices of the Los Angeles County Public Defender. Appointees to this position
MUST BE WILLING to work any shift and in any Los Angeles County location and may be subject to transfer at any time.
Additional Information
APPLICATION & FILING INFORMATION - APPLICATIONS MUST BE FILED ONLINE ONLY. Applications submitted by U.S. Mail, Fax, or in person will not be accepted.
- Apply online by clicking on the green "Apply" button for this posting. Please review your application for accuracy before submitting it. You can also track the status of your application by visiting Governmentjobs.com and logging into your account.
- Many important notifications such as application notices and job appointment letters will be sent electronically to the email address provided on your application. It is your responsibility to provide a valid email address and review all notifications sent to you. Please add Exams@pubdef.lacounty.gov , AOsorio@pubdef.lacounty.gov , Personnel@pubdef.lacounty.gov , and noreply@governmentjobs.com to your email address book and list of approved senders to prevent email notifications from being filtered or blocked as spam/junk/clutter mail.
- Applicants can opt out of emails from Los Angeles County. If you unsubscribe, you will not receive any examination notifications. You can always access some of these notifications by logging into your profile inbox at Governmentjobs.com which s aves a copy of all emailed notices. It is your responsibility to take the above steps to view correspondence.
- Plan to submit your online application well in advance of the first day of filing as you may be required to verify your email address. This only needs to be done once per email address, and if you already have a job seeker account on Governmentjobs.com , you can verify at any time by logging in and following the prompts. This is to enhance the security of your online application and to ensure you do not enter an incorrect email address.
- The acceptance of your application depends on whether you have clearly shown that you meet the minimum requirements. Fill out your application and Supplemental Questionnaire completely. Provide any relevant job experience in the spaces provided so we can evaluate your qualifications for the job. Provide the name and address of your employer, your job title, beginning and ending dates, number of hours worked per week, and description of work performed. Incomplete applications will be rejected.
- Please note that all information included in the application materials is subject to VERIFICATION at any point during the examination and hiring process, including after an appointment has been made. FALSIFICATION of any information may result in disqualification.
SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER Please include your Social Security Number for record control purposes. Federal law requires that all employed persons have a Social Security Number.
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. Applicants can find out more information about select in-person library services and locations by visiting the Los Angeles County Library website.
NO SHARING OF USER ID AND PASSWORD All applicants must file their application online using their OWN user ID and password.
Using a family member's or friend's user ID and password may erase a candidate's original application record.
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 offense(s). If asked to provide information about a conviction history, any convictions or court records that are exempted by a valid court order do not have to be disclosed.
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 Human Resources 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.
Questions? Contact us:
Exam Number: L9034G-EA
Department Contact Name: Amannda Osorio
Department Contact Phone: (213) 948-2711
Department Contact Email: Exams@pubdef.lacounty.gov
ADA Coordinator Email: Exams@pubdef.lacounty.gov
California Relay Service Phone: (800) 735-2922
Teletype Phone: (800) 735-2929
For detailed information, please click
hereClosing Date/Time: Continuous
