PSYCHIATRIC TECHNICIAN III/CORRECTIONAL HEALTH

Psychiatric Technician III

The County of Los Angeles is currently offering up to 20% bonus for full-time Psychiatric Technician III positions hired by Correctional Health Services and working on-site in a designated facility to meet critical healthcare needs for the uniquely underserved jail population. Los Angeles County is under a Department of Justice Consent Decree to improve conditions and mental health care in County jails, as well as support justice-involved populations post-release. We are looking for qualified and passionate individuals to help us in the mission of providing a range of services both in the jail and community. If you are looking for a new career that will directly benefit the justice-involved population of LA County, this may be the opportunity for you. The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (DHS) is seeking qualified candidates to fill emergency Psychiatric Technician III vacancies related to the DOJ Consent Decree. 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. Before your initial work period ends, 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 Technician III.

The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (DHS) is the second-largest municipal health system in the nation. Through its integrated system of 25 health centers, four acute hospitals, and an expanded network of community partner clinics DHS annually provides direct care for 600,000 unique patients, employs over 23,000 staff, and has an annual budget of over $6.9 billion. Through academic affiliations with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the University of Southern California (USC), and the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Sciences (CDU), DHS hospitals are training sites for physicians completing their Graduate Medical Education in nearly every medical specialty and subspecialty. In addition to its direct clinical services, DHS also runs the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Agency and the County's 911 emergency response system, as well as Housing for Health and the Office of Diversion and Re-entry, each with a critical role in connecting vulnerable populations, including those released from correctional and institutional settings to supportive housing.

The mission of DHS is to advance the health of our patients and our communities by providing extraordinary care. The definition of this position is to provide specialized services to departmental multi-disciplinary teams, other county departments, and community agencies to deliver mental health treatment. Positions allocable to this senior-level class are assigned to a line operation responsible for delivering psychological rehabilitation, case management, and/or psychiatric emergency services in the Department of Mental Health or to a hospital or clinic in the Department of Health Services. Incumbents assigned to Mental Health Department program support and training provide consultation and training to departmental staff or staff of other departments and agencies. Incumbents assigned to line operations work as team leaders reporting to a mental health clinical program manager or a physician manager.

Essential Job Functions

• Interviews the client, family members, and friends to obtain information about the client's environment, personality, and family relationships that may affect the client's illness and treatment.
• Makes program services referrals for persons identified as mentally ill.
• Coordinates or conducts the auditing of client records for compliance with documentation guidelines.
• Participates in multidisciplinary team conferences, provides and documents continuing care and information, and collaborates with other mental health staff to develop the most effective treatment plan.
• Within the scope of practice guidelines, the employee provides direct client care, completes required documentation, updates the treatment team regarding client progress, and provides referrals and linkage to community resources for the client, family members, and significant others.
• Provides consultation to community agencies on the utilization of mental health and support services provided by department-owned clinics, in-patient facilities, and contractors.
• Provides in-service training to departmental staff and volunteers in the identification and treatment of mentally disordered individuals, principles of crisis intervention, and management of assaultive behavior.
• Administers, either orally or by injection, prescribed medications to clients in acute psychiatric settings.
• Participates as a Crisis Response Team member in an inpatient psychiatric setting.
• Coordinate the activities of a Psychiatric Mobile Response Team or similar service team with law enforcement, courts, schools, and other agencies to assist and evaluate clients deemed a danger to themselves or others as needed.
• Serve as a Homeless Outreach and Engagement Team member, providing initial assessments in the field and linking homeless mentally ill to mental health services as needed.
• Coordinate the work of psychiatric technicians or others to deliver mental health services at an in-patient or out-patient facility as needed.
• Coordinate or develop psychological rehabilitation programs for the chronically and persistently mentally ill as needed.
• Lead and provide technical supervision to lower-level psychiatric technicians and support staff assigned to provide mental health services at an inpatient or outpatient facility as needed.
• Serve as mental health service gatekeeper at the Mental Health ACCESS and Telecommunications Center, performing triage on caller requests for service, referring callers to an appropriate treatment source, and/or dispatching a psychiatric mobile response team as needed.
• Prepare and sign the application for immediate 72-hour detention of disturbed psychiatric clients if Lanterman-Petris-Short (LPS) is designated by the Office of Medical Director as needed.

Requirements

Minimum requirements: Two (2) years of experience at the level of Psychiatric Technician II* in the County of Los Angeles. License: A valid and active license as a Psychiatric Technician issued by the California Department of Consumer Affairs, Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians. A valid California Class "C" Driver's License or the ability to utilize an alternative method of transportation when needed to carry out job-related essential functions. Physical Class: 4 - Arduous. Involves frequent heavy lifting over 25 pounds, often combined with bending, twisting, or working on irregular surfaces; and occasionally requires extraordinary physical activity. Experience at the level of Psychiatric Technician II in the County of Los Angeles is defined as actively participating with professional staff members in the delivery of mental health services or the delivery of indirect and direct patient care to clients who are mentally ill or emotionally disturbed.

Additional Information

Before the end of 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. All information included in the application materials is subject to verification at any point during the examination and hiring process, including after an appointment has been made. Falsification of any information may result in disqualification. The current vacancies are to be filled within Correctional Health. Appointees may be required to work any shift, including evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays. Applications must be filed online only. Many important notifications will be sent electronically to the email address provided on the application, so it is important that you provide a valid email address. Please add the following email addresses to the list of approved senders to prevent email notifications from being filtered as spam/junk/clutter mail. View email address on click.appcast.io View email address on click.appcast.io, View email address on click.appcast.io You can opt out of emails from LA County. If you unsubscribe, you will not receive email notifications for any examination you apply with Los Angeles County. Regardless of whether you choose to unsubscribe, you can always check for notifications by logging into governmentjobs.com and viewing your profile inbox, which saves a copy of all emailed notices. Plan to submit your online application in a timely manner, as you may be required to verify your email address. This only needs to be done once per email address, and if you already have a job seeker account on you can verify at any time by logging in and following the prompts. This will enhance the security of your online application and ensure you do not enter an incorrect email address. Social Security Number: Please include your Social Security Number for record control purposes. Federal law requires that all employed persons have a Social Security Number. Computer and Internet Access at Public Libraries: For candidates 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. No Sharing User ID and Password: All applicants must file their applications 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. Fair Chance Initiative: The County of Los Angeles is a Fair Chance employer. Except for a very limited number of positions, you will not be asked to provide information about a conviction history unless you receive a contingent offer of employment. The County will make an individualized assessment of whether your conviction history has a direct or adverse relationship with the specific duties of the job and consider potential mitigating factors, including, but 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 a conviction history, any convictions or court records exempted by