Social Worker III

Texas Health and Human Services Commission; Vernon (TX); On-site; USD 64,000 - 81,000; Full time

Job summary

Texas Health and Human Services Commission seeks a Social Worker III at Vernon State Hospital. The role focuses on high-complexity social services, coordinating care with patients, families, and care teams to ensure ongoing support and treatment planning.

The position involves discharge planning, rights advocacy, and training design, working under limited supervision with opportunities for coordination of transfers and furloughs. Telework is not offered; travel up to 10% may be required.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of human growth

Responsibilities

• The Social Worker III performs and documents highly complex social services work as a liaison among patients, their legally authorized representatives, and others to assure ongoing care and support.
• Gathers information to assess the individual's social supports, needs, and rights; participates in interdisciplinary team meetings as needed.
• Designs and delivers individual and group trainings to promote rights and patient transitions, including curricula and materials.

Job description

Posting ID23168-Posted11/10/2026-Health & Human Services Comm-MaxSecPsych Psychology-Healthcare Support-Vernon State Hospital-Not Eligible for Telework- Other Locations (1) -c. $5000 - $6999 per month

• Functional Title: Social Worker III
• Job Title: Social Worker III
• Agency: Health & Human Services Comm
• Department: MaxSecPsych Psychology
• Posting Number: 23168
• Closing Date: 02/08/2027
• Posting Audience: Internal and External
• Occupational Category: Healthcare Support
• Salary Range: $5,746.66-$7,253.83
• Pay Frequency: Monthly
• Salary Group: TEXAS-B-21
• Shift: Day
• Additional Shift: None
• Telework: Not Eligible for Telework
• Travel: Up to 10%
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• Full Time/Part Time: Full time
• FLSA Exempt/Non-Exempt: Exempt
• Facility Location: Vernon State Hospital
• Job Location City: VERNON
• Job Location Address: 4730 COLLEGE DR
• Other Locations: Vernon
• MOS Codes: 0149,5832,230X,42SX,4C0X1,68X,73A,HM

Brief Job Description

Would you thrive in an environment where you learn and grow personally and professionally all while helping make a positive impact on people's lives? Do you appreciate being around others like yourself who are dependable, trustworthy, hard workers who believe in the value of teamwork? HSCS is dedicated to building an atmosphere where employees feel valued and supported while providing specialized care for Texans in need. HSCS is comprised of ten psychiatric hospitals, two youth residential treatment facilities, and thirteen state supported living centers. Psychiatric hospitals are a hub of excellence for forensic mental health and complex psychiatric care, with all facilities accredited by The Joint Commission. They provide state-of-the-art treatment that is recovery-oriented and science-based. If providing hope and healing through compassionate, innovative, and individualized care interests you, we welcome your application for the position below.

The Social Worker III performs and documents highly complex social services work including serving as a liaison between the patient, legally authorized representative, and others to assure ongoing care, treatment, and support through the use of person-centered practices. This position gathers information to assess the individual's support systems and service needs, including participation in interdisciplinary team meetings, as needed. This position may also engage in the assessment of individual's rights and capacity to make decisions. This position designs and provides individual and group trainings to promote the exercise of rights and patient transition to include curriculum, materials and case specific information. This position assists with the coordination of furloughs, transfers, transitions, and discharges, as needed. This position will focus on complex cases and concentrates on post discharge placement and support. The Social Worker III works under limited supervision, with considerable latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment.

Performs other duties as assigned. Other duties as assigned include but are not limited to actively participating and/or serving in a supporting role to meet the agency’s obligations for disaster response and/or recovery or Continuity of Operations (COOP) activation. Such participation may require an alternate shift pattern assignment and/or location.

This position may also be eligible to earn additional pay for work performed on maximum security locations.

Essential Job Functions (EJFs)

Attends work on a regular basis and may be asked to work a specific shift schedule or, at times, even a rotating schedule, extended shift and/or overtime in accordance with agency leave policy and performs other duties as assigned.

Interviews and converses with individuals, legally authorized representatives, actively involved persons, and agencies to create and maintain the individual’s social history through determination of what is important to the individual, gather background information needed to assess the individual’s support systems, and identify the individual’s psychosocial, economic, and physical needs, with updates as appropriate. Interview examples include during admission or prior to transition to a community placement.

Oversees the communication and information exchange between the individual, legally authorized representative, actively involved person and agencies, as needed, and facility or treatment providers to assure ongoing care, treatment and support to include maintaining open communication, providing required notification, participating in interdisciplinary team meetings as requested, obtaining necessary consents and accessing external resources as needed.

Counsels and provides assistance to individuals, legally authorized representatives, and actively involved persons regarding community placement issues, living options discussions, end-of-life planning and rights in accordance with state and federal laws and regulations and state and state hospital policies.

May assign and oversee the work, time, and travel of Social Worker I and II positions and social work students to include, interviewing and hiring to fill vacancies, training of new staff and current staff as needed and performing evaluations and counseling, as needed.

Oversees transfers, transitions, furloughs, and community placement discharges by involving the patient, family/significant others (with consent), as well as the committing court, and Local Mental Health Authority (LMHA), for an orderly discharge that includes a referral for continued treatment and services as needed and medication and personal possessions through the use of person-centered practices. Examples include: coordinating and conducting tours of identified discharge options for individuals and families, engagement and communication with state and judicial systems as well as facility or treatment providers, providing information to the local authority to assist in obtaining required documents for discharge planning including certified birth certificates, ISD records and social security cards and coordinating with the receiving facility for individuals transferring within the State Hospital system to include transportation and the transfer of patient information, personal possessions, medication, etc.

Designs and conducts individual and group training to explore and promote exercise of rights, development of decision-making, person centered thinking and self-advocacy skills. Develops and presents curriculum and training materials designed to support patients to a wide array of interested parties, patients and stakeholders.

Participates in and may be responsible for the facilitation of discharge program meetings and internal/external work groups. Actively engaged in the utilization of existing resources as well as in the identification of potential service gaps.

Performs other duties as assigned. Other duties as assigned include but are not limited to actively participating and/or serving in a supporting role to meet the agency’s obligations for disaster response and/or recovery or Continuity of Operations (COOP) activation. Such participation may require an alternate shift pattern assignment and/or location.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs)

Knowledge of human growth