CLINICAL SOCIAL WORK CHIEF I

Position/Program Information

EXAM NUMBER

Y9020K

TYPE OF RECRUITMENT

We welcome applications from anyone!

FILING START DATE

The application filing period will begin on May 28, 2026, at 8:00 a.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.

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.

Explore our one system of hospitals and community health centers: Our Locations - Health Services Los Angeles County

MISSION:

To advance the health of our patients and our communities by providing extraordinary care.
What does a Clinical Social Work Chief I do:
Plans, coordinates and directs a clinical social work program comprised of at least six professional social workers for inpatients, outpatients, and their families in a County hospital or a specialized health care clinic.

Benefit Information
For additional details about benefits provided by Los Angeles County, please Click Here .

Essential Job Functions

Plans, coordinates and directs the clinical social work services.

Supervises directly and through subordinate supervisors the clinical social work staff.

Participates with hospital administration, medical administration, and professional staff of other subject areas in the formulation of programs, policies, and procedures to integrate and coordinate services.

Develops and implements programs, policies, and procedures pertaining to the delivery of clinical social work services to patients and their families as well as those pertaining to the licensure and certification of professional social work staff.

Prepares performance evaluations of direct subordinate staff and reviews performance evaluations completed by subordinate supervisors.

Evaluates existing and future clinical social work service needs in order to develop and establish goals, objectives and standards for the provision of clinical social work services.

Plans, directs, and assigns the work of staff who report directly to them..

Plans and implements, in cooperation with schools of social work, a student affiliate program for supervised field work experience.

Interprets social work policies, programs, and procedures to other subject areas, departments, agencies, organizations and the public.

Resolves grievances, disciplinary actions, and other staff-related matters.

Conducts periodic quality assurance meetings with subordinate staff to establish, document, and review quality improvement trends and to implement plans for improvement.

Develops and implements an ongoing employee orientation and in-service training program to promote staff development and to interpret policies, procedures, and programs.

Serves as a technical resource person for community organizations, agencies, and allied health personnel concerning clinical social work services and represents the hospital, or clinic, or Health Care Network at community meetings concerned with health care services.

Resolves placement of the students within the facility, assigns staff to serve as preceptors for the students, and assists the preceptors in the selection of appropriate learning experiences.

Interviews, selects, and approves hiring for all social work service positions.

Determines budgetary requirements for personnel, supplies, and equipment and prepares the required documents to substantiate the request.

Requirements

REQUIREMENTS TO QUALIFY:

A Master's Degree in Social Work from a graduate school accredited by the Council on Social Work Education AND five (5) years of professional medical or psychiatric social work* experience in a recognized social service agency**, clinic, hospital, or public health agency. Two (2) years of the experience must have been in an independent*** or supervisory capacity at of level of the County of Los Angeles classifications of Senior Clinical Social Worker**** or Psychiatric Social Worker ll*****.

*Professional social work experience is defined as services in connection with social work practices such as assessment, diagnosis, prognosis, intervention, treatment, planning, management, research, and/or consultation of clients in need of social services/programs.

**A recognized social service agency in California is typically a government entity or county welfare departments, or a non-profit/community-based organization authorized by the state to provide aid, welfare, and protection to vulnerable residents. These agencies operate under state-defined standards to support families, seniors, foster youth, and disabled individuals.

***Independent capacity means having post-licensure clinical social work experience.

****Experience at the level of Senior Clinical Social Worker in the County of Los Angeles is defined as: Provides professional social work services to patients and families presenting difficult and complex medical and related psycho-social problems; or, in addition to providing direct patient services, has responsibility for the social work activities of a small social work unit in a community ambulatory care setting.

*****Experience at the level of Psychiatric Social Worker II in the County of Los Angeles is defined as: Performs a wide variety of professional social work services in connection with the treatment of clients in need of mental health services.

You may still qualify even if your job title isn’t exactly the same as the ones listed. What matters is that your experience is at a similar level - meaning your job involves similar responsibilities, requires comparable skills and knowledge, and takes place within a similar organizational structure. Please provide a clear explanation of your experience to demonstrate that it is at the appropriate level.

LICENSE:

A valid and active license as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker issued by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences and 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.

PHYSICAL CLASS II - 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 information:

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

No withhold or Out of Class experience will be accepted for this examination. Required experience must be fully met at the time of filing and clearly indicated on the application.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENT INFORMATION:

To receive credit for your education and license, you must include a legible copy of the official diploma, official transcripts, or official letter from the accredited institution which shows the area of specialization, and official license at the time of filing or within seven (7) calendar days from the date of filing application. Please submit documentation to yramos@dhs.lacounty.gov and indicate your name, the exam name, and the exam number.

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. For more information on our standards for educational documents, please visit: https://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/dhr/070812_PPG123.pdf(Download PDF reader).

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

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS: Additional credit will be given to applicants who possess the following desirable qualification:

• Experience with discharge planning and experience working with managed care plans.
• Experience in an independent or supervisory capacity at the level of the County of Los Angeles classifications of Senior Clinical Social Worker, Psychiatric Social Worker II or higher beyond the Requirements.

Additional Information

EXAMINATION CONTENT:

This assessment type will evaluate the training, experience, desirable qualifications, and education/license you list on your application and supplemental questionnaire and assign a score based on a standardized scoring system. This assessment is worth 100% of your total score.

Candidates need to achieve a passing score of 70% or higher on the examination in order to be placed on the eligible register.

ELIGIBILITY AND VACANCY INFORMATION:

Applicants who passed the examination are placed on a list in the order of their score group for a period of twelve (12) months. Applications will be processed as they are received and placed on the list accordingly. We will use this list to fill vacancies in the Department of Health Services as they occur.

No individual is allowed to participate in this examination more than once within a twelve (12) month period.

AVAILABLE SHIFT:

Appointees may be required to work any shift, including evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays.

VACANCY INFORMATION:

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

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.

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 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 Health Services 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:

Yolanda Ramos, Exam Analyst

(213) 288-7000

yramos@dhs.lacounty.gov

CALIFORNIA RELAY SERVICES PHONE:

(800) 735-2922

For detailed information, please click here

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• Los Angeles County

• (800) 970-5478

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