Job Description

Job Description and Duties

Patton State Hospital, Human Resources Department, is accepting applications for at least one (1) Permanent, Full Time Clinical Social Worker in the Social Work Services Department.

The successful candidate will have knowledge of principles and techniques related to Clinical Social Work with particular reference to Psychiatric and Forensic Social Work; demonstrate knowledge of recovery principles, possess excellent organization and communication skills. As part of the Interdisciplinary Team, Clinical Social Workers are responsible for providing Individual and Group Therapy; family services; preparing evaluations, referrals, and reports for patients; providing liaison services to family, significant others and community agencies as well as discharge planning services.

A Clinical Social Worker (Health/Correctional Facility) - Safety, under general direction in a health or correctional facility, performs clinical social work with individuals with mental, physical, or developmental disabilities; conducts assessments and summarizes case information for use in diagnosis, treatment (level of care), and dispositional release; diagnoses and/or collaborates in the formulation of a diagnosis; develops, monitors, and modifies treatment plans in collaboration with the interdisciplinary treatment team; identifies and recommends appropriate services based on assessment and, where applicable, civil or penal code commitment; provides individual and group therapy as delineated in the treatment plan; provides suicide and crisis risk assessment and intervention; participates in risk assessment, evaluation, and recommendation for alternate level of care placement, for release to the community, or other case disposition (with consideration for the risk the patient presents to the community); coordinates discharge planning activities and acts as resource on accessing appropriate community support and services to be utilized upon release; responds to requests from clients/patients, family members, courts, and community agencies; provides social work services to family members and community agencies; consults with colleagues and other staff on behavior management treatment issues; prepares verbal and written social work reports and provides court testimony, as required by law and policy, which can be used in all legal jurisdictions; participates in professional meetings, committees, training, and conferences; participates in research and Quality Assurance and Improvement (QA&I); maintains safety by assisting staff in inspecting facilities, or observing behavior to identify or intervene in security breaches that could lead to injuries or escape; and does other related work. 

REQUIREMENTS : Applicants must possess completion of a master’s degree in social work program from an accredited school of social work and must be registered with California Board of Behavioral Science (BBS) as either ACSW or LCSW.

The position(s) require(s) a Drug Screening be passed prior to being hired.

In order to gain list eligibility and be appointed to the Clinical Social Worker (Safety) classification, please follow the link below to take the exam: Clinical Social Worker Exam Bulletin

All qualified and interested applicants should submit their application to the Human Resources Employment Unit no later than Monday, July 7, 2025.

You will find additional information about the job in the .

Working Conditions

Patton is a forensic psychiatric hospital and was established in 1890 and opened in 1893. DSH-Patton provides treatment to forensically and civilly committed patients within a secure treatment area. The hospital does not accept voluntary admissions.

Special Requirements

• The position(s) require(s) a Drug Screening be passed prior to being hired.
• The position(s) require(s) a Background Investigation be cleared prior to being hired.
• The position(s) require(s) Medical Clearance prior to being hired.
• The position(s) require(s) a(n) ACSW or LCSW License. You will be required to provide a copy of your license prior to being hired.

All applicants may be pre-screened for breadth and depth of experience. Only the most qualified applicants may be interviewed based on screening criteria. For this reason, it is especially important that applicants take special care in thoroughly and accurately completing the application.

Unless there is a specific request to be notified via USPS mail, our main contact will be via email. Email correspondence regarding this job posting will primarily come from  [email protected] .  It is the applicant’s responsibility to check their email inbox, including junk/spam emails for any correspondence regarding their application status. In addition, applicants are encouraged to keep their CalCareers profile updated with a current telephone number, mailing address, and email.

For experience/education to qualify during the application screening process, and to ensure that minimum qualifications can be determined, applicants should include all employment history on the Examination/ Employment Application (STD. 678) including detailed job descriptions,  hours worked per week , and  start/end dates (MM/DD/YYY).  Application packages without this information will experience delayed processing times and your eligibility for this position may be impacted.

A completed STD. 678 and any other relevant documents (e.g., unofficial transcript, copy of degree, resume, etc.) should be submitted electronically via your CalCareers account.  Please reference  Job Control # 482358  and indicate the basis of your eligibility in the Examination(s) or Job Title(s) section. SROA and surplus candidates should submit a copy of their letter with their application.  Please remove any confidential information (i.e., social security number, date of birth) from your documents prior to submission.

Complete Application Packages (including your STD. 678 and applicable or required documents) must be submitted to apply for this Job Posting. Application Packages may be submitted electronically through your CalCareers account at  .  Submitting an electronic application through your CalCareers account is strongly recommended since electronic applications will be received/processed faster than other methods of filing.   Please submit only one application.

***Click on the link to complete the Department of State Hospitals Recruitment Survey:  DSH Recruitment Survey

Desirable Qualifications

In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:

• Experience managing complex tasks and effective time management skills.
• Experience tracking and organizing data.
• Experience working with high-risk patients with severe mental illnesses.
• Application completed correctly, displays attention to detail.
• Education in field and the ability to work independently.
• Problem solving and communications skills.
• Knowledge of Social Work theories and interventions.

Benefits

Please review the that may also be found on the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR) website. You will find information on the benefits afforded by membership in the Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS), benefits and protections provided to public employees by the State Civil Service Act, and salary ranges and a summary of the Clinical Social Worker  classification. 

Required Application Package Documents

The following items are required to be submitted with your application. Applicants who do not submit the required items timely may not be considered for this job:

• Current version of the State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 (when not applying electronically), or the Electronic State Employment Application through your Applicant Account at All Experience and Education relating to the Minimum Qualifications listed on the Classification Specification should be included to demonstrate how you meet the Minimum Qualifications for the position.
• Resume is optional. It may be included, but is not required.

Job Tags

Permanent employment, Full time,

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