CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKER 2

State of Nevada (NV); Sparks (NV); On-site; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

State of Nevada’s Northern Nevada Adult Mental Health Services in Sparks seeks a Clinical Social Worker 2 for an inpatient psychiatric hospital setting. The role collaborates with psychiatrists, social workers, nurses, and other staff to support individuals experiencing acute mental health challenges and coordinate comprehensive discharge planning.

Responsibilities include psychosocial evaluations, treatment planning, individual/group/family therapy, crisis intervention, and documentation to

Qualifications

• Licensure as a Clinical Social Worker by the Board of Examiners for Social Workers.
• Experience conducting psychosocial evaluations and crisis interventions.
• Ability to develop treatment plans and coordinate discharge planning.

Responsibilities

• Conduct psychosocial evaluations and risk assessments within regulatory timelines.
• Develop individualized treatment plans in compliance with standards; present findings to teams.
• Provide individual, group and family therapy; support reunification and discharge planning.
• Respond to psychiatric crises and initiate appropriate holds.
• Maintain accurate clinical documentation including LOCUS assessments and discharge summaries.
• Coordinate discharge plans with families, guardians and community resources.
• Represent the treatment team in civil commitment hearings as needed; maintain compliance with standards.

Skills

Evaluation

Assessment

Crisis Intervention

Treatment Planning

Individual Therapy

Group Therapy

Family Therapy

Documentation

Discharge Planning

Court Liaison

CMS Standards

Job description

The Division of Public and Behavioral Health (DPBH), Northern Nevada Adult Mental Health Services (NNAMHS), is seeking a Clinical Social Worker 2 for Dini-Townsend Hospital in Sparks, Nevada. This position plays a vital role in delivering high-quality, patient-centered care within an inpatient psychiatric hospital setting. The Clinical Social Worker 2 collaborates closely with a multidisciplinary team - including social workers, psychiatrists, residents, nurses, mental health technicians, and other hospital staff to support individuals experiencing acute mental health challenges.

Key Responsibilities:

• Evaluation & Assessment: Conduct comprehensive psychosocial evaluations and risk assessments, including suicide risk screening, within regulatory timelines.
• Treatment Planning: Develop individualized treatment plans in compliance with CMS, Joint Commission, DPBH, and NNAMHS standards; present findings to treatment teams and court officials as needed.
• Therapeutic Services: Provide individual, group, and family therapy using evidence-based, client-centered modalities; facilitate family sessions to support reunification and discharge planning.
• Crisis Intervention: Respond to psychiatric crises and initiate Mental Health Crisis Holds in accordance with Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS).
• Documentation: Maintain accurate, timely clinical documentation, including progress notes, Level of Care Utilization System (LOCUS) assessments, and discharge summaries.
• Discharge & Aftercare Planning: Coordinate comprehensive discharge plans with patients, families, guardians, and community resources to ensure continuity of care and successful recovery.
• Court Liaison: Represent the treatment team in civil commitment hearings as an expert witness in a professional and clinically appropriate manner.
• Standards & Compliance: This role requires strict adherence to all CMS, Joint Commission, DPBH, and NNAMHS standards for inpatient psychiatric care, including timely completion of assessments, treatment plans, and documentation.

Clinical Social Workers provide clinical services to clients/inmates in a residential, home, inpatient, outpatient, rehabilitation, correctional or similar setting. Clinical social work is defined as the application of methods, principles and techniques of case work, group work, community organization, administration, planning, consultation, research and psychotherapeutic methods and techniques to persons, families and groups to facilitate the diagnosis and treatment of family issues, mental and emotional conditions, illnesses and disorders, and developmental delays.

Licensure as a Clinical Social Worker by the Board of Examiners for Social Workers.

Perform client/inmate evaluations and assessments through interviews with client/inmate, families and friends and review of medical records including social, developmental, and medical history; determine strengths, presenting problems, resources, and eligibility for applicable programs and services; and identify appropriate interventions.
Perform crisis interventions including client/inmate restraint or appropriate behavioral and environmental controls for clients/inmates who may be hostile, combative, aggressive or assaultive; follow established protocols and policy in order to protect clients/inmates, staff, family, and others potentially at risk due to client/inmate behavior; recommend and complete documentation for voluntary and involuntary hospitalization.
Participate in treatment planning and implementation by attending treatment team meetings, case conferences, or client/inmate sessions; report direct observations regarding client/inmate progress and recommend changes in the treatment plan as appropriate; evaluate necessary daily living skills and educational and vocational service needs; develop and coordinate treatment plans and implement interventions with clients/inmates in order to achieve treatment goals.
Conduct individual, family and group therapy or intervention sessions with clients/inmates by applying a variety of therapeutic techniques in order to effect change in client/inmate behavior; determine the duration and appropriate method of therapy or intervention; establish priorities to deal with problems; identify and implement changes in the treatment process as determined by client/inmate progress.
Develop and implement discharge and aftercare plans; provide information to clients/inmates regarding available resources to achieve treatment goals and facilitate client/inmates return to the least restrictive environment possible; act as an advocate through interactions with external agencies and organizations such as the courts, welfare, school, juvenile justice, probation and parole, and related social service agencies and community organizations.
Provide case management services; develop treatment plans and monitor client progress; identify, obtain, coordinate, monitor and evaluate resources and services to meet client and care provider needs; assist clients in obtaining financial assistance; coordinate treatment with outside agency service providers; monitor work sites, school, and community residential placements; advocate for the client to ensure goals are accomplished and prepare and submit reports to courts and other agencies.
Develop and inspect housing arrangements such as board and care homes and supported living arrangements; conduct home visits, monitor provider’s delivery of services and quality of care, and reassess client needs in order to track client progress and well being, evaluate treatment plan effectiveness, and manage resources.
Contact family members, friends, employers, other hospitals or treatment programs, and social service agencies to follow up and monitor care provided according to the treatment plan; write contracts for services according to established procedures.
In hospital settings perform psychosocial evaluations and hospital casework; provide program consultation, discharge planning, and arrange for home health aftercare.
Report client/inmate contacts and progress by documenting information in client/inmate charts; track and record information for statistical purposes; write required reports at established intervals; complete billing forms and other documentation as required.
Review clinical records written by professionals, paraprofessionals, and technical staff to monitor and evaluate treatment effectiveness, ensure service delivery goals are met, make appropriate recommendations, and ensure documentation is completed according to established policy and procedures.
Review and evaluate program services and activities to ensure conformance to agency policies, applicable accreditation standards, licensing requirements, and community standards of care.
Supervise lower-level professional and paraprofessional staff, university students and interns as assigned; provide clinical supervision and consultation regarding clinical practices and procedures.
Develop and present in-service training regarding current social work topics, issues and procedures; consult and educate representatives of community service agencies and referral services; attend training seminars and participate in on-going professional development; and assist in training university students as assigned.
Perform related duties as assigned.

Positions allocated to this level perform the broad range of duties described above and consistent with the license requirements established by the Board of Examiners for Social Workers. This is the journey level in the series.

This job specification lists the major knowledge, skills and abilities of the job and is not all inclusive. Incumbent(s) will be expected to have knowledge, skills and abilities from a previous level.

Working knowledge of:

theories and principles of counseling and psychotherapy; symptoms, characteristics and treatment of mental illness, intellectual disabilities, emotional and behavioral disorders; developmental delays and family functioning; crisis intervention techniques; case management practices and procedures; individual, marital, group and family intervention techniques; family systems approaches to treating individuals with mental illness, intellectual disabilities, and development delays; treatment team dynamics; psycho-diagnostic techniques; laws governing abuse and neglect of clients/inmates; ethical standards of care and treatment; oral communication skills sufficient to confer with colleagues, clients/inmates and others; pre-vocational training and supported employment procedures.

General knowledge of:

psychotropic medications including desired effects, common side effects, and drug interactions; licensing regulations applicable to the assigned clinical setting; psychometric testing; clinical (peer) review procedures.

Ability to:

assess, develop and implement treatment plans and goals; write comprehensive evaluations, reports and recommendations.