Introduction
Are you a Spanish-speaking Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) ready to make an impact in your community?
Use your bilingual skills and clinical expertise to support individuals with complex behavioral health needs.
Join out dedicated team and apply today!
The State of Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) is seeking a bilingual Spanish/English Clinical Social Worker to join the Southwest Connecticut Mental Health System (SWCMHS) on our Community Support Program (CSP) team in Bridgeport, CT. In this role, you will provide intensive, recovery-oriented services directly in the community, helping individuals build independence, stability, and meaningful lives based on their own goals and preferences.
POSITION HIGHLIGHTS:
- DIVISION: Southwest Connecticut Mental Health System (SWCMHS)
- ADDRESS: 100 Fairfield Avenue, Bridgeport, CT
- UNIT: Community Support Program (CSP)
- SCHEDULE: Full-time (40 hours per week), 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM, Monday - Friday (First Shift)
- POSITION NUMBER: 140770
WHY THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT:
DISCOVER THE OPPORTUNITY TO:
- Deliver clinically informed, community-based support to individuals with significant behavioral health needs
- Apply your bilingual skills to strengthen engagement and remove barriers to care
- Use your clinical expertise to guide clients toward stability, recovery, and long-term independence
- Play a key role in crisis intervention, recovery planning, and community reintegration
- Contribute to meaningful public service by helping individuals thrive in the environments where they live
- Work closely with a multidisciplinary team to coordinate complex care and ensure person-centered support
ABOUT US:
DMHAS is a health care agency whose mission is to promote the overall health and wellness of persons with behavioral health needs through an integrated network of holistic, comprehensive, effective, and efficient services and supports that foster dignity, respect, and self-sufficiency in those we serve.
SWCMHS oversees and manages contracts with private nonprofit and residential mental health providers across the southwest region. With locations in Bridgeport and Stamford, SWCMHS offers inpatient, outpatient, ACT, and community support services for adults with serious behavioral health needs, as well as services for individuals who are deaf or hearing impaired. The system also provides mobile crisis response, homeless outreach, and specialized programs such as Shelter Plus Care, a housing initiative for individuals experiencing homelessness with behavioral health or medical conditions.
The Community Support Program (CSP) is designed for individuals who need the most intense level of community-based care. The program utilizes a team approach to provide intensive, rehabilitative community support, crisis intervention, individual and group skill-building, also known as recovery education. Most of the interventions are community-based, delivered in the individual's home, neighborhood or community, which enables the team to become intimately familiar with the individual's surroundings, strengths and challenges, within the context of their environment. The desired outcome is to assist individuals toward an independent, enriched life based on their own choices and preferences.
Selection Plan
FOR ASSISTANCE IN APPLYING:
Check out our Applicant Tips on How to Apply! Need more resources? Visit our Applicant Toolkit for additional support throughout the recruitment process.
BEFORE YOU APPLY:
- Meet Minimum Qualifications: Ensure you meet the Minimum Qualifications listed on the job opening by the job closing date. You must specify your qualifications on your application. The minimum experience and training requirements listed must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified.
- Educational Credits: List your earned credits and degrees from accredited institutions accurately on your application. To receive educational credits towards qualification, the institution must be accredited. If the institution of higher learning is located outside of the U.S., you are responsible for providing documentation from a recognized USA accrediting service which specializes in determining foreign education equivalencies to the contact listed below by the closing date listed on the job posting.
- Resume Policy: Per Public Act 21-69, resumes are not accepted during the initial application process. As the recruitment process progresses, candidates may be required to submit additional documentation to support their qualification(s) for this position. This documentation may include: a cover letter, resume, transcripts, diplomas, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, licensure, etc., at the request and discretion of the hiring agency.
- Preferred Shift/Location: Select all location(s) and shift(s) you are willing to work on your application. Failure to do so may result in not being considered for vacancies in that specific location or shift.
- Timely Submission: All application materials must be received by the job posting deadline. You will be unable to make revisions once you officially submit your application to the State. Late submissions are rarely accepted, with exceptions only for documented events that incapacitate individuals during the entire duration of the job posting. Request exceptions by emailing DAS.SHRM@ct.gov.
- Salary Calculations: For current state employees, salary calculations are not necessarily comparable from one of the three branches of state government (i.e., Executive, Legislative, Judicial) to the other.
- Note: The only way to apply to this posting is via the ‘Apply’ or ‘Apply Online’ buttons on the official State of Connecticut Online Employment Center job posting.
AFTER YOU APPLY:
- Some email providers may experience delays or issues delivering messages. To avoid missing important updates—such as referral questionnaires or interview scheduling links—please check your Personal Status Board regularly.
- For added convenience, you can also enable text (SMS) notifications. To do this, log in to your Personal Status Board and select “Update My Contact Information.”
- Referral Questions: This posting may require completion of additional Referral Questions (RQs), which must be completed by the questionnaire’s expiration date. If requested, RQs can be accessed via an email sent to you after the job close date or by visiting your JobAps Personal Status Board (Certification Questionnaires section).
- Prepare For An Interview: Interviews are limited to those whose experience and training are most aligned with the role. To prepare, review this helpful Interview Preparation Guide to make the best impression!
- Stay connected! Log in daily to your JobAps Personal Status Board to track your status and check email (including spam/junk folders) for updates and tasks.
- The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class.
- Note: This position will be filled in accordance with contractual language, reemployment, SEBAC, transfer, promotion and merit employment rules. Candidates who are offered and accept a position with the State of Connecticut are bound by the State Code of Ethics for Public Officials and State employees, available at www.ct.gov/ethics.
QUESTIONS? WE’RE HERE TO HELP:
Due to high volume, we are unable to confirm receipt or provide status updates directly. For recruitment updates, please check your Personal Status Board and review our Frequently Asked Questions. If you have additional questions about the recruitment process, reach out to Alyssa Hovanec at Alyssa.Hovanec@ct.gov.
Join the State of Connecticut and take your next career step with confidence!
PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK)
In a state agency behavioral health program as part of a multi-disciplinary team at one or more locations this class is accountable for independently providing clinical social work services.
OFFICE OF HEALTHCARE ADVOCATE: This class is accountable for serving as a case manager and advocate for clients that have received or need to receive behavioral health care services.
EXAMPLES OF DUTIES
- Provides case management service to assigned clients, including but not limited to entitlements, housing, basic needs, transportation
- Provides Behavioral Health Home and Targeted Case Management services according to the department and agency requirements and standards
- Provides individual and group supportive counseling, education and skills building to clients in community living and develops and composes client Recovery Plans
- Collaborates and cooperates with client’s treatment team members and assists with the implementation of client recovery plans
- Documents services in the DMHAS/SWCMHS EHR and completes assessments per agency policies and procedures
- Collaborates and participates All Treater’s Meeting with outside providers
- Provides outreach and engagement in the community whenever needed
- Provides crisis intervention in collaboration with internal and external service providers
- Provides liaison service to clients who are in transition from long term inpatient beds to community living
- Participates in treatment planning meeting, Team meetings, staff meetings, risk committee meetings and case conference as scheduled
- Transports client to appointments when needed
- Uses DMHAS/SWCMHS email and computer software applications, Complies with all relevant regulations, standards, policies and procedures, and guidelines
- Performs related duties as required.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITY
- Knowledge of
- social work methodology, casework, group work and community mobilization;
- family and interpersonal relationship dynamics;
- values, sanctions, purposes and ethics of professional social work;
- social, cultural, economic, medical, psychological and legal issues which influence attitudes and behaviors of clients and families;
- mental illnesses and approaches to treatment;
- Considerable
- interpersonal skills;
- oral and written communication skills;
- Ability to
- devise and implement a treatment plan with measurable goals that address client needs;
- independently apply current psychiatric treatment modalities to address client needs.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Licensure as a clinical social worker in the State of Connecticut.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Bilingual in Spanish and English
- Experience providing office and community-based outpatient services to individuals with severe chronic mental illness, co-occurring disorders, complex medical comorbidities, histories of psychological trauma, and histories of legal involvement
- Experience providing community-based (i.e. office based and non-office based) skill building and case management oriented behavioral health services
- Experience providing individual and group counseling
- Experience within a multi-disciplinary clinical team of professional and paraprofessional staff
- Experience with crisis intervention
- Experience with electronic health record (WITS or similar) and Microsoft Office Suite
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
-
Incumbents in this class must possess and retain a license to practice clinical social work pursuant to Sec. 20-195 (m-z) of the Connecticut General Statutes.
-
Incumbents in this class must possess and maintain eligibility for participation in federal health care programs as defined in 42 U.S. § 1320a-7b(f).
-
Incumbents in this class may be required to have knowledge of sign language and communication ability with the deaf and hearing impaired in certain designated positions.
-
Incumbents in this class may be required to have ability in Spanish oral and written communication in certain designated positions.
-
Incumbents in this class may be required to travel.
Conclusion
AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
As defined by Sec. 5-196 of the Connecticut General Statutes, a job class is a position or group of positions that share general characteristics and are categorized under a single title for administrative purposes. As such, a job class is not meant to be all-inclusive of every task and/or responsibility.