EXAMINATION NUMBER:
PH5278B

FIRST DAY OF FILING:
Friday, April 28, 2023 at 8:30 a.m. Pacific Time (PT)

This examination will remain open until the needs of the service are met and is subject to closure without prior notice.

TYPE OF RECRUITMENT:
Open Competitive Job Opportunity
No Out-of-Class Experience

• Provides individual counseling to a caseload of assigned patients in the regional Mental Health Clinic.

• Conducts initial interview and ongoing assessment of client's presenting problems, including mental status, level of functioning, developmental status, social and employment skills, co-occurring substance abuse problems, and mental and physical health educational needs.

• Obtains client's social and medical history, and integrates assessment of physical health problems that impact the client's mental illness. Provides input to the multidisciplinary team with respect to the client's diagnosis as impacted by physical health problems.

• With the participation of the client and appropriate others, plans and conducts the Client Care Coordination Plan; and in collaboration with the treatment team, determines whether the client requires long- or short-term counseling, the priorities in which the problems will be addressed, the counseling methods to be used, and the advisability of using individual or group counseling.

• Administers psychotropic medication; monitors drug effectiveness and side effects; and provides drug education to clients and clients' families.

• Provides periodic and ongoing re-assessment of changes in client's mental and physical health status, nutritional status, and progress toward recovery.

• Plans and conducts conferences with family members, significant others, and caregivers in order to gain insight into the client's mental illness by observing how the client reacts to the family and the family to the client.

• Evaluates client outcomes and periodically consults with the psychiatrist to determine the need for adjustments in the Client Care Coordination Plan.

• Guides individual and group therapy activities by facilitating communication, clarifying questions, explaining behavior characteristics, and encouraging interaction within the group in order to assist clients in gaining insight into their emotional problems and in developing new coping strategies.

• Identifies community agencies and resources to assist clients with rehabilitation and recovery while living in the community; and may interact with private medical facilities, courts, and governmental agencies to link or coordinate services.

• Participates in team meetings to discuss ongoing client needs and progress, shift activity, and adherence to program policies and procedures such as documentation and timeliness of services and/or treatments provided.

• Serves as a member of the Psychiatric Mobile Response Team or similar crisis response team in reply to urgent requests to evaluate the mental status of persons who appear dangerous to themselves or others, or who appear to be gravely disabled due to mental illness.

• Assesses client's suicidal or homicidal tendencies, potential for violence toward self or others, and grave disability; makes independent judgment with respect to client's need for involuntary treatment; and, where appropriate, signs application for immediate 72-hour detention at a hospital facility or schedules an appointment for evaluation and treatment at mental health clinic.

• As acting Officer of the Day, provides triage, information and referral when appropriate, and may assess incoming clients for assignment within the unit or department.

• Serves as a consultant to schools, other county departments, and community agencies or hospital staff on an ad hoc and ongoing basis to counsel staff members in resolving individual and group behavioral problems and to provide training in the techniques of mental health services, with an emphasis on the impact of physical health on mental health care.

• Participates in continuing education and training to maintain mental health nursing skills.

• Assigned to conduct site reviews and investigate client complaints or grievances by reviewing clinical records to ensure quality of care, appropriateness of medications administered based on diagnosis, and overall mental health treatment plan; writes plan of corrective action as appropriate and conducts follow-up visits as necessary to ensure that compliance standards are met, as needed.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

1. A current active license to practice as a Registered Nurse issued by the California Board of Registered Nursing.

• Applicants must ensure the License and Certification Section of the application is completed. Provide the title(s) of your required license and certificate, the number(s), date(s) of issue, date(s) of expiration and the name(s) of the issuing agency for the required license as specified in the Minimum Requirements.
• The required license and/or certificate must be active and unrestricted or your application will not be accepted.

2. 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:
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, stopping, or squatting. Considerable ambulation may be involved.

• To qualify, applicants must have County status in the class as evidenced by holding or having held such payroll title in the service of Los Angeles County for the required amount of time to qualify. NO OUT-OF-CLASS EXPERIENCE WILL BE ACCEPTED.

• Foreign degrees must be evaluated for equivalency to United States accredited institutions standards by an academic credential evaluation agency recognized by The National Association of Credential Evaluation Services or the Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. (AICE). (see Employment Information under Accreditation Information)
• In order to receive credit for any type of college or university degree and/or coursework, such as a Bachelor's Degree or higher, you must attach a legible copy of the Official Diploma, Official Transcript(s), or Official Letter from the accredited institution, which shows the area of specialization and the date the degree was awarded, with Registrar's signature and school seal, to the application.
• Official Transcript is defined as a transcript that bears the college seal and states "official and/or copy" issued by the school's registrar office. A printout of the transcript from the school's website is NOT considered official and will not be accepted and may result in your application being incomplete and rejected.
• All documents must be attached to your application at the time of filing, or e-mailed to HRExams@ph.lacounty.gov within fifteen (15) calendar days from application submission or your application may be rejected.

• Experience beyond the Minimum Requirements.

EXAMINATION CONTENT
This examination will consist of an Evaluation Experience based upon application information, desirable qualifications, and supplemental questionnaire at the time of filing, weighted 100%.