CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKER

County-of-Los-Angeles; California (MO); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Public-sector benefits

Retirement plans

Health care options

Job summary

The County of Los Angeles Department of Health Services invites applications for a professional Social Worker. The role provides psychosocial assessment, planning, and therapy to patients and families in hospitals, clinics, and ambulatory care settings to improve access to care.

Requirements include a Master’s in Social Work and licensure as an LCSW in California or eligibility for Associate status; strong benefits and opportunities for professional development are offered.

Qualifications

• A Master's Degree in Social Work from a graduate school accredited by the CSWE.
• LICENSE: A valid license as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker or registration in good standing as an Associate Clinical Social Worker within six months.
• Ongoing licensure maintenance and professional development are expected.

Responsibilities

• Conduct interviews, assessments, and evaluations of patients and family members to identify social, emotional, and economic factors affecting care.
• Develop and implement a social work treatment plan based on psychosocial factors and medical illness.
• Coordinate referrals and use community resources to support the treatment plan.
• Provide psychosocial therapy through individual, family, or group sessions.
• Participate in multi-disciplinary team conferences to integrate psychosocial care into patient plans.
• Maintain licensure and participate in ongoing training and quality improvement activities.

Skills

Social work

Interpersonal communication

Assessment

Education

Master's Degree in Social Work

Job description

EXAM NUMBER: Y9013R

TYPE OF RECRUITMENT: We encourage applications from anyone!

The application filing period will begin on September 17, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. (PT). Filing will be suspended after the first 300 applications are received or on Friday, September 25, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. (PT), whichever occurs first. Applications received after the first 300 applications will not be considered.

No withhold will be allowed. Required experience/education must be fully met by the last day of filing.

Why work for us? LA Health Services is LA County’s integrated healthcare system and the second-largest public health system in the nation. Our system includes four public hospitals, more than 20 community health centers, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Correctional Health Services, and community-based programs that connect people to care where they are.

We serve as the safety net for more than 10 million residents, providing care regardless of ability to pay, insurance coverage, or immigration status. As one connected system, we deliver extraordinary care—from prevention and primary care to emergency, specialty, trauma, and recovery services across Los Angeles County.

With more than 2.9 million visits annually and a workforce of over 23,000 dedicated staff, LA Health Services is proud to deliver high-quality, compassionate, and accessible care to everyone, no matter how they come through our doors.

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

Check Out Our Outstanding Benefits! We offer one of the strongest public-sector benefits packages in the country. Join us and discover a rich selection of health care options, robust retirement plans and the flexibility to work, relax and rejuvenate as you reach your fullest personal and professional potential.

To see comprehensive information regarding County employee benefits. https://hr.lacounty.gov/benefits/

The team member we are searching for: Provides professional social work services to patients and families presenting difficult and complex medical and related psycho-social problems in hospitals, clinics, and community ambulatory health care settings to assist them in resolving their social problems and in making effective use of the healthcare system.

• Conducts interviews, assessments, and evaluations of patients and family members to identify social, emotional, and economic factors which may interfere with obtaining maximum benefits from medical care.
• Develops and implements a social work treatment plan to be offered to patients and members of their family based upon an analysis of the patient’s psychosocial factors and medical illness.
• Selects, makes referrals to, coordinates, and uses community resources/agencies, other professional teams, and County departments to provide services in accordance with the patient’s treatment plan.
• Provides psychosocial therapy using a variety of treatment methods, such as individual, family or group therapy sessions.
• Participates in multi-disciplinary health team conferences to formulate the overall patient care plans by interpreting to the team the psychosocial aspects of the patient’s illness.
• Participates in multi-disciplinary orientation sessions and in-service training for other teams through lectures and group discussions to heighten awareness and increase understanding of the psychosocial problems associated with a particular illness.
• Serves as a social work team coordinator with responsibility for case management and consultation with other team members.
• Attends in-service training programs, continuing professional education, seminars and workshops to maintain active licensure status as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in accordance with California state licensure requirements and to continue professional development in social work practice, mental health theory, and in the effective delivery of healthcare services.
• Participates on multi-disciplinary and clinical social work committees, including quality control groups, and may participate in research projects.
• Writes medical/social case summaries and reports documenting the social/emotional assessments and diagnosis made and the treatment rendered in accordance with utilization review standards issued by healthcare regulatory agencies.
• Collects workload data for budgeting purposes and for review by healthcare regulatory agencies.

For more information, please view the classification specification: Clinical Social Worker

REQUIREMENTS TO QUALIFY:

• OPTION I
• A Master's Degree* in Social Work from a graduate school accredited by the Council on Social Work Education including supervised clinical social work field work experience.
• OR
• OPTION II - A Master's Degree* in Social Work from a graduate school accredited by the Council on Social Work Education and one year of experience in medical, psychiatric, family, or child welfare social work involving problems of medical, mental, or emotional adjustment.

LICENSE: A valid, current license as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker issued by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences or registration in good standing as an Associate Clinical Social Worker with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences within six (6) months of employment. Associate Clinical Social Workers will need to remain in good standing with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences for the duration of the waivers permitted by law. The waiver allows up to six (6) years if employed less than full-time to obtain your 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 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: To receive credit for your education, include a legible copy of all relevant official documents, including your diploma, transcript, or letter/certificate from an accredited institution or email it to Exam Analyst [e-mail] within seven (7) calendar days from the end of the filing period. The document should show the date the degree was conferred and be in English. If not in English, then translation is required. International degrees must be evaluated for equivalency to U.S. standards if not listed in the International Handbook of Universities or World Higher Education Database. Documents marked as unofficial will not be accepted. For more information on our standards for educational documents, please visit: https://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/dhr/070812_PPG123.pdf

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

Applicants who have not obtained a license to practice as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker will need to obtain registration in good standing as an Associate Clinical Social Worker with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences within six (6) months of employment, failure to provide this documentation within the required time period will result in immediate termination.

OUR ASSESSMENT PROCESS: This examination will consist of a structured interview covering knowledge, skills, problem solving ability, interpersonal communication and general ability to perform the duties of the position weighted 100%.

Transfer of test components: If you have taken identical components recently for other exams, your responses may be automatically transferred to this examination. This exam contains test components that might be used on future exams, and your responses could be transferred to that exam.

Applicants must receive a passing score of 70% or higher on the examination to be added to the list.

ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION: Applications will be processed on an "as-received" basis and those receiving a passing score will be promulgated to the eligible list accordingly. The names of candidates receiving a passing grade in the examination will be placed on the eligible list in the order of their score group for a period of twelve (12) months following the date of promulgation.

VACANCY INFORMATION: The eligible list for this examination will be used to fill vacancies throughout the Department of Health Services as they occur.

AVAILABLE SHIFTS: Appointees may be required to work any shift and at any facility, including evenings, nights, weekends and holidays.

NO PERSON MAY COMPETE IN THIS EXAMINATION MORE THAN ONCE EVERY TWELVE (12) MONTHS.

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

COMPUTER AND INTERNET ACCESS AT PUBLIC LIBRARIES: For applicants 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. Please refer to their website for updated information https://lacountylibrary.org/library-locator

NO SHARING OF USER ID, E-MAIL, AND PASSWORD: Applicants will need to file their application online 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. We are 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.

Department contact: Caroline Khodaverdian, Exam Analyst [phone] [e-mail]

CALIFORNIA RELAY SERVICES PHONE: [phone]