Introduction
Are you an LCSW looking to make a meaningful impact in communit-based behavioral health?
Join our team supporting adults in Stamford and teh surrounding region.
THE POSITION
The State of Connecticut, Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) is now accepting applications for an Advanced Clinical Social Worker at the Southwest Connecticut Mental Health System (SWCMHS) in Stamford, CT. This role is part of the Jail Diversion Unit, a team dedicated to promoting public safety and supporting individuals with mental health and substance use disorders through community-based intervention, treatment planning, and recovery-oriented services.
HIGHLIGHTS
- DIVISION: Southwest Connecticut Mental Health System (SWCMHS)
- UNIT: Jail Diversion
- LOCATION: Stamford, CT
- SCHEDULE: Full-time (40 hours per week), Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM (First Shift)
- POSITION NUMBER: 27708
WHY THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT:
DISCOVER THE OPPPORTUNITY TO
- Be part of a compassionate, multidisciplinary team committed to public safety and community wellness
- Provide person-centered support to individuals involved in the criminal justice system
- Help clients reintegrate safely into the community through crisis intervention, treatment planning, and care coordination
- Make a meaningful impact within Connecticut’s public behavioral health system
- Collaborate closely with community partners, courts, and providers to connect clients with essential services and supports
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 provides a broad range of mental health services across the southwest region of the state, 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 specialized services for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. The system also operates mobile crisis intervention, homeless outreach, and several housing support programs, including Shelter Plus Care.
SWCMHS provides Jail Diversion services in collaboration with the local geographical court to provide immediate assessment, triage and clinical services for individuals age 18 and over who become involved with the criminal justice system and who have mental health or co-occurring disorders. Staff identify and facilitate clinical alternatives to incarcerations when appropriate and facilitate continuations of treatment or timely referrals and linage to treatment services, both in the community and jail. Staff also collaborates with providers to ensure the individual's treatment needs are considered in determining a disposition.
PLEASE NOTE
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.
- This employer may participate in E‑Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I‑9 information to confirm work authorization.
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 skilled clinical social work treatment and leadership services involving complex case assignments.
EXAMPLES OF DUTIES
- Independently provides highly skilled direct clinical social work treatment and/or substance abuse services to clients with complex psychological and social problems through comprehensive clinical assessments and provision of individual, family and group treatment;
- Provides individual field work instruction and/or clinical supervision which includes instruction in use of comprehensive psychosocial assessments and current diagnostic categories, taking into consideration cultural, social, economic, medical, environmental and legal issues;
- Develops comprehensive service plans including measurable treatment objectives;
- Initiates consultation and collaboration with other mental health providers to improve delivery of current services and/or identify unmet needs within current service system;
- Provides clinical supervision to Licensed Master Social Workers;
- Assists in resolution of administrative, personnel and clinical issues in program and/or agency;
- Develops data for statistical and planning systems and/or research and publication;
- Prepares administrative reports and suggests operational policies and procedures;
- Oversees development and/or implementation of individual client treatment and/or service plans;
- May be assigned administrative oversight of research projects;
- May provide clinical and/or administrative leadership to program components such as crisis intervention teams, inpatient treatment teams, case management teams, psychoeducational program services, psychosocial rehabilitation and forensic services;
- May provide forensic evaluations and expert testimony to courts;
- May represent program or agency during licensing and certification inspections conducted by regulatory bodies;
- May represent program or agency in liaison relationships with other community agencies and resources;
- May provide in-service educational presentations concerning available health, mental health and human services resources and means to access them;
- May chair facility or community-based committees that develop policies and plans to serve psychiatrically disabled individuals;
- May present information on mental illness and mental health services to community groups;
- Performs related duties as required.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITY
- Considerable knowledge of
- and ability to instruct others about theories of human behavior, current diagnostic categories of mental illness, family dynamics, substance abuse and human sexuality;
- of social, cultural, economic, political, religious, medical, psychological and legal issues which influence behavior of clients, families, service programs and society at large;
- Knowledge of
- statutes, regulations and standards relating to mental health services;
- state law governing licensed clinical social worker practice standards;
- Considerable
- oral and written communication skills;
- administrative skills;
- Considerable ability to independently apply in practice current psychiatric treatment modalities including but not limited to behavioral, cognitive, object-relations, crisis intervention and psychosocial rehabilitation approaches;
- Ability to
- integrate theory and case material in assessing and devising comprehensive treatment and/or service plans for difficult and/or complex case assignments;
- lead task groups including but not limited to treatment teams and agency committees.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - GENERAL EXPERIENCE
One (1) year of experience as a licensed clinical social worker.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience working in an inpatient or outpatient clinical setting
- Experience conducting clinical assessments and developing treatment plans tailored to individual needs
- Experience using therapeutic communication and verbal de-escalation techniques with clients/patients.
- Experience applying de-escalation techniques during crisis intervention
- Experience using ethical considerations in clinical practice, including confidentiality and informed consent.
- Experience using community resources and managed care systems to support clients effectively
- Experience working with electronic health records (WITS) and Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook
- Experience collaborating within a multidisciplinary treatment team and coordinating with clinical and residential service providers
- Experience delivering formal presentations or providing testimony in hearings, including those related to forensic or clinical matters
- Experience preparing clear, professional written communication such as monthly reports, treatment summaries, and documentation within electronic health record systems
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
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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.
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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).
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Incumbents in this class may be required to have knowledge of sign language and communication ability with the deaf and hearing impaired in designated positions.
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Incumbents in this class may be required to have ability in Spanish oral and written communication in designated positions.
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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.