Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

A master's degree in social work from an accredited school of social work.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENT:

Licensed Master's Social Worker (LMSW), Louisiana Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), or Louisiana Certified Social Worker (CSW) licensure by the Louisiana State Board of Social Work Examiners is required for this job. The CSW is a temporary credential issued after the LA State Board of Social Work Examiners approves an application for LMSW. An applicant has six months from the date of initial CSW issuance to take the LMSW examination. If a passing score is not achieved, the CSW is required to retake the Masters examination within one year from the date the CSW failed the exam. CSW licensure must be renewed annually and can be held for a maximum of three years from the original date of issue of the CSW.

Permanent status will not be granted in this job title without LMSW or LCSW licensure; Certified Social Worker (CSW) credential will not be accepted for granting permanent status.

NOTE:
The master's degree in social work must be from a school accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, 1701 Duke Street, Suite 200, Alexandria, VA 22314.

Job Concepts

Function of Work:
To provide social work services.

Level of Work:
Entry.

Supervision Received:
Close from a higher-level social worker, facility administrator, or other higher-level professional.

Supervision Exercised:
None.

Location of Work:
Department of Health and Hospitals; LSU-Health Sciences Centers, Acute Care Hospitals, Medical Schools; Veterans Affairs; Department of Corrections.

Job Distinctions:
Differs from the various Social Service Counselors job series by the presence of therapeutic intervention, case management, and by the requirement for providing a written psycho-social history including evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment plans for patients and/or offenders.

Differs from the Social Worker 2 by the absence of independence and more complex caseloads.

Examples of Work

Interview clients and client groups, offenders, and appropriate others to obtain extensive social, developmental, psychological, family, and educational background.

Selects and recommends therapeutic intervention strategies and treatment approaches based on psychosocial assessment to an interdisciplinary treatment team.

Provides social work component in an interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary team approach to diagnosis, planning, and treatment.

Conducts individual and group counseling conjointly or under close supervision.

Prepares psychosocial assessments, social summaries, and notations in the client's chart.

Prepares correspondence with community agencies and serves as primary liaison person with all outside agencies such as courts, schools, foster care and legal authorities.

Assesses the level of care and intervention, including discharge, reassignment, change of treatment strategies and techniques; communicates these findings to the interdisciplinary treatment team.

Attends and participates in community health-related programs, in-services, continuing education, and maintains professional reading.

Develops a working knowledge of correctional or community resources in order to recommend or refer offenders for special services.

Provides psychosocial case management to individuals, groups, and families when this intervention is determined to be most appropriate.