Career Center

The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Keck School of Medicine of USC seeks a masters level case manager (i.e., social worker, marriage and family therapist, licensed professional counselor) to join a diverse and dynamic multidisciplinary team who are strongly committed to providing excellent clinical treatment, training, and outreach services regarding mental health and wellness.

This is a full-time clinical faculty position with an academic appointment in the Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and clinical service assignment in Counseling and Mental Health (CMH), which serves the USC student body. Salary is competitive, and contingent on experience. A generous benefits package includes health insurance, retirement, paid time off, parental leave, tuition assistance, professional days, a stipend for professional development, the ability to earn continuing education credits through our Grand Rounds series, and more (information about benefits can be found here). The chedule for this position will reflect a hybrid of  telemedicine and in-person clinic (this is not a fully remote position).

Description of Counseling and Mental Health (CMH)

CMH provides mental health services to students so that they may achieve their academic and personal goals. Services we provide include: individual and group counseling; assessment and referral to other professionals and institutions; crisis intervention (including some after-hours coverage); case management; biofeedback; psychiatric evaluations and medication follow-up; consultation; outreach and prevention; and training and supervision. 

We are committed to providing quality mental and educational services in accordance with the ethical and legal standards of our profession. We appreciate and honor diversity and work with all students with compassion, respect and dignity. We advocate for and empower our students in pursuing their goals and personal development.

Training is an important function at CMH. We are committed to providing professional training opportunities for trainees in psychology, social work, and medicine (i.e. medical students and residents). The entire faculty is involved in our training programs including individual supervision, group supervision, case consults, and/or seminars. The training also includes participating in and promoting self-reflection. Our students benefit from multidisciplinary collaboration and we adopt a bio-psycho-social approach in our work whenever appropriate.

We are committed to making CMH a work environment characterized by respect, mutual support, and team work, and the sharing of diverse opinions among our faculty. We value and honor the diversity of the students we serve as well as the diversity of our faculty and the unique contributions of each member. Faculty are committed to ongoing learning, self-awareness, and cultural competency. 

Job Duties

The Case Manager will:

• Report to the CMH Director and work closely with the Director of Student Psychiatric Services, the Associate Director for Crisis services, the Senior Associate Director, and other members of the CMH Directors team.
• Assess and coordinate the scheduling of students seeking psychiatric care; pre-fill forms with students’ demographic information so that physicians can complete pertinent medical sections.
• Coordinate follow-up with students/patients as part of the Universal Screening iniative.
• Assist with management of crisis situations and “High Risk” cases including assessment, treatment, case management, care coordination, and follow-up.
• Interview patients and others to obtain information to assess patient needs, recommend treatment, and assess treatment progress.
• Coordinate with the care team to ensure that patients are connected with services; facilitate client connection to care with special attention to transitions between care settings and types of services; provide resources for needed services, including substance use, eating disorder treatment, IOP, etc.; help connect students who are less motivated to seek community referrals themselves.
• Assist with hospital discharges and coordination of care with psychiatry, therapy, higher levels of care (i.e. Intensive Outpatient Programs, Partial Hospitalizations or Residential treatment), etc. for longer term follow-up.
• Develop and maintain an accurate/updated list of referrals for students/patients with various insurance types (including Medi-Cal), as well as those that serve patients with specific language or cultural needs/preferences; identify and provide in-network referrals for students who move out of state or out of the country; assist with placing specialty referrals in students’ electronic health record for clinicians at our onsite insurance-based student clinic. 
• Compile and maintain a database of medications that are on formulary and relevant pharma coupons; follow up with pharmacists regarding special needs such as vacation overrides (for students leaving the state or country) and early refills (when students loose prescriptions or have been instructed to increase dose,); advocate for cash pay when students are not comfortable using insurance.
• Coordinate Long-Acting Injectable (LAI) antipsychotic medication injections and track student’s compliance with receiving the injection medication.
• Follow up with students who are higher risk and may have been lost to follow up on referral.
• Collaborate and consult with other mental health providers, service providers, and community agencies on case management issues; coordinate meetings with family members and outside therapists for students who are in split care.
• Collaborate with Care Coordinators; discuss concerns regarding cost and insurance coverage for students who remain hesitant to pursue referrals due to cost and need help navigating hospital bills.
• Cover on-call emergencies, as assigned. Faculty rotate backup coverage, being the second on call to the Proto-Call service.
• Prepare and maintain confidential case records.
• Attend weekly multidisciplinary faculty and staff meetings.
• Attend and contribute to various CMH, Student Health, Psychiatry Department and campus meetings, fostering educational objectives and a consultative collegial environment.
• Participate in yearly merit review and performance evaluations, peer review, quality improvement activities, and other unit, departmental, and division teams and committees.
• Provide supervision of trainees.
• Attend Psychiatry Department Grand Rounds, Social Justice Forums, and Department Matters meetings; as well as Student Health all staff meetings.
• Serve on committees, as desired/assigned.

We are seeking candidates who have strong clinical skills, are familiar with the duties associated with a university counseling center, and thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative, collegial, professional environment.

Minimum Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a mental health related field (e.g., LCSW, LMFT, LPCC).
• Licensed in the state of California, or license eligible.
• Expertise in case management and short term treatment, including brief psychotherapy, stabilization and referral of serious mental illness, and crisis intervention.
• Resilient, self-aware, and can thrive in a fast paced, demanding environment.
• Multicultural competency in working with students of color, students from all economic classes, first generation students, LGBTQ students, and international students.
• Effectively works in a highly diverse and multicultural student population and LGBTQ affirmative environment
• Commitment to the highest ethical standards of professional practice and to professional integrity.
• Desire to continue to grow as a professional and committed to excellence.

Preferred Qualifications

• Excellent diagnostic skills.
• Experience working with university students, LGBTQIA populations, and international students.
• Interest and skill in 
• Foreign language skills are welcome.

Application Deadline: Until position is filled.

Starting Date: Negotiable

The University of Southern California (USC), founded in 1880, is the largest private employer in the City of Los Angeles. As an employee of USC, you will be a part of a world-class research university and a member of the "Trojan Family," which is comprised of the faculty, students and staff that make the university what it is. USC is one of the world’s leading private research universities with approximately 48,500 students from all 50 states and boasts one of the largest international student bodies in the country. USC is located in the heart of Los Angeles, a culturally rich metropolitan city with a large ethnic and economically diverse population and is close to both beach and mountains with wonderful outdoor recreation opportunities. The mild temperatures along with the city’s average of 329 days of sun per year makes Los Angeles a wonderful city to live and work.

The Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences is committed to attracting and nurturing a diverse community dedicated to providing culturally informed, high-quality behavioral healthcare to a multicultural population. Both in our work environment and clinical practice, we embrace diversity across multiple dimensions. We aim to provide a safe, inclusive environment for our faculty, staff, residents, fellows, trainees, volunteers, patients, colleagues, and the multitude of stakeholders with whom we work. Through our clinical services, educational programs, research studies, and policy initiatives, we are committed to addressing health care disparities for historically underserved groups; to combating racism and anti-Blackness at all levels; and to promoting and ensuring social justice.

USC strongly values diversity, equity, and inclusion and is committed to equal opportunity in employment. We prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran status, marital status, or any other legally protected status. All genders, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, people with disabilities, veterans, bicultural/multicultural and bilingual/multilingual individuals are encouraged to apply.

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About University of Southern California (USC)

USC is the leading private research university in Los Angeles—a global center for arts, technology and international business. With more than 47,500 students, we are located primarily in Los Angeles but also in various US and global satellite locations. As the largest private employer in Los Angeles, responsible for $8 billion annually in economic activity in the region, we offer the opportunity to work in a dynamic and diverse environment, in careers that span a broad spectrum of talents and skills across a variety of academic and professional schools and administrative units. As a USC employee and member of the Trojan Family—the faculty, staff, students, and alumni who make USC a great place to work—you will enjoy excellent benefits, including a variety of well-being programs designed to help individuals achieve work-life balance.

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