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Social Worker 4

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Social Worker 4

Salary

$3,904.00 - $7,025.00 Monthly

Location

Baton Rouge, LA

Job Type

Classified

Job Number

MHA 100925 ERG

Department

Gov-Mental Health Advocacy Services

Opening Date

10/09/2025

Closing Date

10/30/2025 11:59 PM Central

+ Description

+ Benefits

+ Questions

About this Job

The Mental Health Advocacy Services has a vacancy. This job title has an assigned pay grade of SS-415.

Our mission is to ensure that our clients’ voices are heard and that they receive every right and remedy afforded them under law.

Our goal is to provide high-quality legal counsel and representation to our clients, address systemic issues that affect the rights of more than one client and require a remedy, act as a clearinghouse for information relative to adults and children with mental health diagnoses and children in need of care, and provide training to various individuals/agencies.

This position was created within the MHAS Child Advocacy Program, to institute a multidisciplinary team approach to children's legal representation. National child welfare representation organizations have conducted extensive empirical research to determine that the multidisciplinary model is the best practice for children's legal representation. This allows MHAS staff to make tailored recommendations and advocate to increase the rate and speed of reunifications from foster care, decrease the time spent in foster care for youth who get adopted or live permanently with a relative, and effectuate a successful transition to adulthood for those teenage clients aging out of the system.

Minimum Qualifications

Possession of a current Louisiana license to practice as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) plus:

A master's degree in social work followed by three years of social services experience.

Job Specification

The official job specifications for this role, as defined by the State Civil Service, can be foundhere.

Job Duties and Other Information

Job Duties:

Is a primary anchor on a Social Worker-Attorney collaborative team:

•Acts as a consultant on social work matters to the attorneys and the multidisciplinary team. Assists the attorney in client engagement and case evaluation.

•Conducts general assessments when each case is first opened in the office: assesses what services may benefit the client, what supports the client may have, and if the client is in a state of crisis, what immediate treatment might be needed. Makes recommendations based on this assessment.

•Assists the attorney in understanding the client’s mental health needs and familiarizing them with social service providers. Helps the client prepare to testify. Advocates for clients: in court, testifying as needed; or out of court, with service providers and DCFS representatives.

•Conducts an investigation, assists with client visits, background research, records requests, subpoenas, and other investigative and case assistant tasks. Checks in on every new case, then provides recommendations to the attorney. For cases involving complex clinical issues that could benefit from the ongoing involvement of a social worker, the attorney can refer the case for social work brief advice, social work consultation (ongoing advice and some case tasks, though often behind-the-scenes), or social work collaboration (the full integration of the MHAS social worker into the representation).

•Prepares required social work reports such as assessments, case summaries, and social histories for the attorneys and other members of the multidisciplinary staff, as well as for use in gaining productive services and court orders on behalf of the child-clients. Visits/interviews clients, caretakers and others involved in Child in Need of Care proceedings to establish and maintain an adequate and professional relationship with our clients and to identify particular problems or complex issues. Manages assigned caseload as part of team to represent CINC clients; prepares reports and documents regarding clients; assists with correspondence with clients; documents work on case through case management system (Prime); assists with both in-court and out-of-court advocacy.

•Conducts, and/or participates in, special projects related to child welfare, particularly those from Louisiana’s Pelican Center for Families and our federal partner programs through the ABA, NACC, and FJI.

Performs case management on an interdisciplinary, inter-agency team:

•Conducts evaluations of clients in cases involving complex clinical issues, aimed at identifying any unique problems manifested in specific high-risk populations, particularly those with special needs, mental health concerns, and adverse childhood experiences, i.e. trauma. Makes recommendations, based on these evaluations, on the need for provision of additional or different services and facilitating referrals as needed.

•Collects and interprets school and medical records and evaluations, and prepares required social work reports such as assessments, case

summaries, and social histories, for the attorneys and other members of the multidisciplinary staff.

•Regularly interfaces with DCFS workers, foster parents, CASAs, and service providers, acquiring up-to-date information on any issues, concerns or problems that may affect the client.

•Updates case team members on information gathered, shares ideas and recommendations on identified problems or complex issues and collaborates on best ways to effectively advocate for resources to address client needs.

•Attends court hearings and provides expert testimony as needed. Develops rapport with the child client, caretakers, and other stakeholders, in order to best serve the multidisciplinary team in its task of representing the client’s wishes.

Enhances MHAS staff development and meets agency and statewide requirements:

•Attends all MHAS staff meetings.

•Provides in-services to staff on the appropriate use of various treatment modalities, the availability of regional and state resources for our

clients, and the psychosocial aspects of service to children in foster care.

•Completes all requirements to maintain professional licensure and as required of all state employees.

Position-Specific Details:

Appointment Type: This vacancy will be filled by a new hire or by promotion of a current permanent status classified employee.

Compensation: Depends on the qualifications of the selected applicant.

Applicants with experience working with juveniles and persons with mental illness and/or disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Louisiana is a “State as a Model Employer” for People with Disabilities.

How To Apply:

No Civil Service test score is required in order to be considered for this vacancy.

To apply for this vacancy, click on the “Apply” link above and complete an electronic application which can be used for this vacancy as well as future job opportunities. Applicants are responsible for checking the status of their application to determine where they are in the recruitment process. Further status message information is located under the information section of the Current Job Opportunities page .

* Information to support your eligibility for this job title must be included in the application (i.e., relevant, detailed experience/education). Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of completed education and experience sections on your application. Applications may be rejected if incomplete.

A criminal history check may be conducted on all new hires as well as employees changing positions including promotions, demotions, details, reassignments and transfers.

Also, prospective employees may be subject to pre-employment drug testing. New hires will be subject to employment eligibility verification via the federal government's E-verify system

Applicants qualifying based on college training or receipt of a baccalaureate degree will be required to submit an official college transcript to verify credentials claimed prior to appointment. Please make every effort to attach a copy of your transcript to your application. The transcripts can be added as an attachment to your online application. The selected candidate will be required to submit original documentation upon hire.

For further information about this posting, please contact:

Erica R. Gay

HR Specialist

Division of Administration/Office of Human Resources

email: [email protected]

Louisiana State Government represents a wide variety of career options and offers an outstanding opportunity tomake a differencethrough public service. With an array of career opportunities in every major metropolitan center and in many rural areas, state employment provides an outstanding option to begin or continue your career.

As a state employee, you will earn competitive pay, choose from a variety of benefits, and have access to a great professional development program:

Insurance Coverage More information can be found at https://info.groupbenefits.org/

Parental Leave– Up to six weeks paid parental leave

More information can be found athttps://www.civilservice.louisiana.gov/Parental-Leave/Default.aspx

Holidays and Leave – State employees receive the following paid holidays each year:

+ New Year's Day

+ Martin Luther King, Jr. Day,

+ Mardi Gras,

+ Good Friday,

+ Memorial Day,

+ Independence Day,

+ Labor Day,

+ Veteran's Day,

+ Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

***** Additional holidays may be proclaimed by the Governor

State employees earn sick and annual leave which can be accumulated and saved for future use. Your accrual rate increases as your years of service increase.

Retirement – State of Louisiana employees are eligible to participate in various retirement systems (based on the type of appointment and agency for which an employee works). These retirement systems provide retirement allowances and other benefits for state officers and employees and their beneficiaries. State retirement systems may include (but are not limited to):

+ Louisiana State Employees Retirement System (www.lasersonline.org). LASERS has provided this video (https://lasersonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Your\_Retirement\_System.mp4) to give you more detailed information about their system

+ Teacher's Retirement System of Louisiana (www.trsl.org),

+ Louisiana School Employees Retirement System (www.lsers.net), among others

01

Please describe in detail your experience working with juveniles and persons with disabilities. If this does not apply to you, enter N/A.

02

Do you possess licensure as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)?

+ Yes

+ No

03

If you answered yes to the previous question you are required to list your license number, original issue date, and expiration date. If you answered no, please enter N/A. NOTE: Failure to list the requested information may result in your application being considered not meeting minimum qualifications

Required Question

Employer

State of Louisiana

Address

For agency contact information, please refer to

the supplemental information above.

Louisiana State Civil Service, Louisiana, 70802

Phone

(866) 783-5462

Website

http://agency.governmentjobs.com/louisiana/default.cfm

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