PSYCHIATRIC SOCIAL WORKER II - EMERGENCY APPOINTMENT/HOMELESS INITIATIVE

PSYCHIATRIC SOCIAL WORKER II - EMERGENCY APPOINTMENT/HOMELESS INITIATIVE

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PSYCHIATRIC SOCIAL WORKER II - EMERGENCY APPOINTMENT/HOMELESS INITIATIVE

Salary

$87,954.72 - $112,272.00 Annually

Location

Los Angeles County, CA

Job Type

Full time

Job Number

L9035E-EA

Department

PUBLIC DEFENDER

Opening Date

07/10/2026

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  Description

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  Benefits

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Position/Program Information

TYPE OF RECRUITMENT:

We welcome applications from anyone.

FILING DATES:

The application filing period will begin onFriday, July 10, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. (PT) – Continuous. We will keep accepting applications until the position is filled. The application window may close unexpectedly once we have enough qualified candidates.

EXAM NUMBER:

L9035E-EA

REPOSTING INFORMATION:

This announcement is being reposted to reopen the filing period.

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.

We are an essential contributor to Los Angeles County’s homelessness emergency response. Through its legal services, the Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office 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 have a direct and indirect positive impact on our local homelessness crisis.

POSITION INFORMATION:

The Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office is the finest client-centered criminal defense firm in the nation, serving as a beacon for both evolutionary and revolutionary changes in the justice system. Our Offices are led by innovative and progressive leaders working collaboratively towards our agency’s mission of reducing the incarceration rate for our indigent clientele. We are seeking qualified Psychiatric Social Worker II (PSW II) professionals to fill emergency vacancies related to the homelessness crisis. Psychiatric Social Workers are integral members of a holistic, multidisciplinary defense team, collaborating with deputy public defenders on case-related matters involving the social, behavioral health, and mental health needs of clients involved in the criminal justice system. They conduct comprehensive assessments, develop mitigation strategies, and recommend alternative sentencing, case disposition, and reentry plans that address clients' underlying needs. Their work promotes client-centered outcomes, supports successful community reintegration, and contributes to reducing recidivism.

Under the emergency order, applicants who meet the requirements may be hired for an initial period of up to 90 days, with an opportunity for permanent County employment.

During your initial work period, you will be assessed on your work performance. This assessment will be weighted 100%.

Those who successfully pass the assessment will be considered for permanent appointment to Psychiatric Social Worker II.

Essential Job Functions

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  Conducting interviews with justice-involved individuals and other necessary individuals, by phone, virtually, or wherever located, to obtain the client’s complete biopsychosocial assessment that includes family, social, educational, employment, medical, substance use, developmental, and mental health history; establishing rapport with clients; and eliciting specific information and accurately documents all information gathered during these meetings to assist attorneys as part of the defense team.

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  Developing and recommending a tentative support plan by assessing the client’s functioning in their environmental setting, and their biopsychosocial needs and providing timelines and recommendations which may include referrals and/or linkage to the appropriate agencies and services to support the client’s defense.

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  Implementing the attorney-approved support plan to provide advocacy on behalf of the client; attending various meetings; coordinating with representatives from various agencies to provide referrals and/or linkage to the appropriate agencies and services; and ensuring delivery of these services to support the client through the legal process.

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  Gathering and reviewing the client’s background information to provide clinical assessments and consultation, and preparing biopsychosocial reports detailing the needs of the client to support the attorney’s casework; attends court to support client; and provide formal or informal testimony in defense of the client.

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Requirements

REQUIREMENTS TO QUALIFY:

LICENSES:

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  A current and active Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) License issued by theCalifornia Department of Consumer Affairs, Board of Behavioral Sciences ( .

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  A valid California Class C Driver License or the ability to use an alternative method of transportation when needed to carry out job-related essential functions.

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You MUST meet the above requirements in order to be appointed to fill any vacancies related to this recruitment.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENT INFORMATION:

Candidates must attach a copy of their valid and active Licensed Clinical Social Worker license. The license must be issued by the California Department of Consumer Affairs, Board of Behavioral Sciences ( . They can also email a copy ten (10) calendar daysafter submitting their online application. When emailing documents, please include the exam number and exam title.

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.

WITHHOLD:

No withhold will be allowed. Required licensure must be fully met at the time of filing and clearly indicated on the application.

Additional Information

EXAM CONTENT:

During your initial work period, the appointing department will evaluate your performance. Those who achieve a passing score on this evaluation will be considered for permanent appointment.

VACANCY INFORMATION:

The selected applicants under this Emergency Appointment recruitment effort will be appointed to fill vacancies within the Los Angeles County Public Defender. The appointees to the positionMUST BE WILLING to work any shift and in any Los Angeles County location and may be subject to transfer at any time.

APPLICATION AND FILING INFORMATION:

We only accept applications filed online. Applications submitted by U.S. mail, fax, or in person are not accepted. Apply online by clicking on the "Apply" green button at the top right of this posting. This website can also be used to get application status updates.

Please fill out the application completely. Provide relevant job experience including employer's name and address, job title, beginning and ending dates, number of hours worked per week, and description of work performed.

We may verify information included in the application at any point during the examination and hiring process, including after an appointment has been made. Falsification of information could result in refusal of application or rescission of appointment. Copying verbiage from the Requirements or class specification as your work experience will not be sufficient to demonstrate meeting the requirements. Doing so may result in an incomplete application and may lead to disqualification.

We will send notifications to the email address provided on the application, so it is important that you provide a valid email address. If you choose to unsubscribe or opt out from receiving our emails, it is possible to view notices by logging into governmentjobs.com and checking the profile inbox. It is every applicant's responsibility to take steps to view correspondence, and we will not consider claims of missing notices to be a valid reason for re-scheduling an exam part. Register the below domains as approved senders to prevent email notifications from being filtered as spam/junk mail.

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New email addresses need to be verified. This only needs to be done once per email address and can be done at any time by logging in to and following the prompts. This is to enhance the security of the online application and to prevent incorrectly entered email addresses.

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 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.

NO SHARING OF USER ID, EMAIL, AND PASSWORD :

All applicants must file their application 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. The Department of the Los Angeles County Public Defender 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.

Department Contact Name: Minoja Herrera

Department Contact Phone:

Department Contact Email:

California Relay Service Phone:

Teletype Phone:

COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES

Employment Information

Any language contained in the job posting supersedes any language contained below.

This document is intended to provide general information about the recruitment process of the County of Los Angeles. Applicants with questions about a specific job posting should contact the exam analyst listed on the posting.

Equal Employment Opportunity/Non-Discrimination Statement:

The County of Los Angeles is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and is committed to non-discrimination in the County workforce, regardless of age (40 and over); ancestry; color; ethnicity; religious creed; protected family or medical leave status; disability; marital status; medical condition; genetic information; military and veteran status; national origin; race ; sex; gender; sexual orientation; or any other characteristic protected by State or federal law. For more information, please visit:

Testing Accommodations for Applicants:

The County of Los Angeles complies with all federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for qualified applicants and employees with disabilities. If a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application process, please contact the testing accommodation coordinator listed on the job posting. Hearing impaired applicants with telephone teletype equipment may leave messages by calling the teletype phone number on the job posting. For more information on accommodations, please visit:

Fair Chance:

The County of Los Angeles is a Fair Chance employer. Except as otherwise permissible under applicable laws, you will not be asked to provide information about conviction history unless you receive a conditional offer of employment. The County will make an individualized assessment of whether your conviction history has a direct and adverse relationship with the specific duties of the job, and will also consider potential mitigating factors, which may include, but is not limited to, evidence and extent of rehabilitation, recency of the offense(s), and age at the time of the offense(s). If asked to provide information about conviction history, any convictions or court records which are exempted by a valid court order do not have to be disclosed. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with County Fair Chance Policies and the Fair Chance Act (Gov. Code Section 12952).

Employment Eligibility:

Final appointment is contingent upon verification of U.S. citizenship or the right to work in the United States.

Career PathFinder:

Resources to help current and prospective employees plan a career with Los Angeles County are available. To explore career paths to and from nearly all job titles, please visit our interactive Career PathFinder application at

Veteran’s Credit:

Pursuant to the County Charter and County policy, in all open competitive examinations (i.e., examinations open to everyone), the County of Los Angeles will add a credit of 10 percent of the total credits specified for such examination to the final passing score of an honorably discharged veteran, as well as the spouse of a deceased or disabled veteran, who served in the Armed Forces of the United States under specific conditions.

For more information on veteran’s credit, please visit:

Revised September 2025

For detailed information, please clickhere (

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The information you provide on this supplemental questionnaire will be evaluated and used to determine your eligibility for the position.SELECT AND REVIEW YOUR ANSWERS CAREFULLY.

Any mistakes you make and/or any incomplete responses you provide in completing these questions will be used to disqualify your application even if you possess the qualifying experience or education. Be as specific as possible and include all information requested. Comments such as "see resume or application" will not be considered as a response. All information including work history, experience, and education is subject to verification at any time in the examination, selection, and hiring process, including after an appointment has been made. Falsification of any information may result in disqualification or dismissal.

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• I understand the above information and instructions.
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Notices such as application notices and initial appointment letters will be sent electronically to the email address provided on your application. Add the following email , , , , and , to your email address book and list of approved senders to prevent email notifications from being filtered as spam/junk mail.

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• I understand and will comply with the above information and instructions.
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ThisPsychiatric Social Worker IIjob opportunity works directly and indirectly with individuals experiencing homelessness.

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• I understand and am willing to perform all necessary work duties related to this recruitment and hiring process.
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Are you currently registered as aLicensed Clinical Social Workerwith the California Department of Consumer Affairs, Board of Behavioral Sciences?

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  Yes

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  No

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As stated on the job bulletin, applicants must attach a copy of their current and active license as a Licensed 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 within ten (10) calendar days from the date the application is filed.

Failure to provide the required documentation may affect the approval of your application and participation in this recruitment process.

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  I have uploaded a legible copy of my active license as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, issued by the California Department of Consumer Affairs, Board of Behavioral Sciences.

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  I have NOT uploaded a legible copy my active license as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, issued by the California Department of Consumer Affairs, Board of Behavioral Sciences, BUT I will submit it to within ten (10) calendar days of submitting my online application.

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  I am not registered as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.

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Psychiatric Social Workers work inANYarea of Los Angeles County. Do you acknowledge this job requirement?

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  Yes

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  No

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Psychiatric Social Workers workANYshift (evenings, nights, weekends, etc.). Do you acknowledge this job requirement?

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  Yes

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  No

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Required Question

Employer

County of Los Angeles

Address

Los Angeles, California, 90010

Website

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