Licensed Psychiatric Social Worker

VNS Health Psychiatric Social Workers provides direct psychosocial services to mentally ill patients in the community who are experiencing psychosocial difficulties. Provides linkage, coordination with, referral to and follow-up with appropriate ongoing service providers. Provides information and consultation to other community agencies and other disciplines, including other services of the Agency. Assists in the overall functioning of the Program. Works under general supervision.

What You Will Do

• Responsible for screening telephone referrals.
• Performs psychosocial evaluation and assessment of mental health service needs of identified patients and their families through professional knowledge, skills of observation and interviewing. 
• Develops and implements short-term service plans for patients, in conjunction with other members of the Program. 
• Provides counseling, care management and appropriate referrals for long term and supplemental treatment. 
• Prepares case histories and prepares and maintains case records, in accordance with the Program record-keeping mechanism. 
• Encourages resistant clients to accept mental health services through interventions with clients and/or family members and friends concerned with the client's welfare. 
• Participates in interdisciplinary team meetings and case conferences of the Program. 
• Provides referral and provision of information to appropriate long-term mental health services and social services and social services providers, or long-term residential facilities.
• Coordinates and follows up on linkages made between clients and other service agencies and mental health providers to ensure continuity of care. 
• Liaison with, and consultation to, community agencies. 
• Provides outreach services as part of the Program to mentally ill individuals in the community who are experiencing, or are at risk of, psychosocial difficulties and require mental health intervention in their home. 
• Serves as resource person to the program and other components of the Agency, when requested, pertaining to psychiatric nursing. 
• Participates with the team and other appropriate Agency staff in the development and implementation of an in-service training component. 
• Assists and collaborates with the Program Coordinator in the overall functioning of the service. 
• Assumes Program Coordinator's functions in his/her absence, as requested. 
• Participates in community programs and education, as requested. 
• Contributes to the formulation of clinical and administrative policies and procedures and the preparation of policy and procedure manuals, as required. 
• May provide clinical supervision for Mental Health Technician, graduate Social Worker students or junior staff Social Workers. 
• Monitors mental status of Senior Citizens accepted to the program. 
• For Mobile Crisis - Adult (4711) FLOAT Team Only: Assists other Mobile Crisis Agencies across the five boroughs with 24-hour notice. This means you’ll be part of a flexible response team, ready to provide crisis intervention and psychosocial support wherever needed in NYC. This requires adaptability and strong coordination skills. 
• Participates in special projects and performs other duties as assigned.