Licensed Clinical Social Worker - Adult

The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of Chicago has a longstanding commitment to excellence in clinical care, education, and research. Its faculty bring expertise across the psychiatric subspecialties and in behavioral neuroscience, with a shared focus on advancing the understanding and treatment of mental illness.

Research within the Department is broad and multidisciplinary, spanning clinical, translational, and neuroscience research. Areas of expertise include anxiety and mood disorders, autism spectrum disorders, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, dementia and cognitive disorders, eating and weight disorders, including obesity, substance use disorders, and impulse control and related disorders. This work is carried out through established research programs, including the Center for Psychiatric Genetics, the Human Behavioral Pharmacology Laboratory, the Addictive, Compulsive and Impulsive Disorders Research Program, and the Eating Disorders Research Program.

Many faculty hold appointments in the University of Chicago Neuroscience Institute, and the Department supports NIH-funded T32 training programs in eating disorders and in addictions. Faculty also examine developmental and other factors that influence mental health and treatment response, using approaches such as neuroimaging, genetics and genomics, human behavioral pharmacology, behavioral research, and clinical investigation. Together, these efforts support the Department's mission to advance psychiatric knowledge, educate the next generation of clinicians and scientists, and improve outcomes for individuals affected by mental illness.

We are seeking a compassionate and skilled Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) to provide high-quality, client-centered therapeutic services. The LCSW will deliver primarily brief, focused, evidence-based interventions to individuals and groups, with opportunities to provide longer-term therapy as appropriate. Responsibilities include assessing client needs, developing individualized treatment plans, providing therapeutic interventions, monitoring progress, and supporting clients in addressing immediate concerns and achieving measurable goals.

The ideal candidate is adaptable, collaborative, and comfortable working in a fast-paced, dynamic environment while maintaining a strong commitment to ethical, effective, and compassionate clinical care.

• Conduct comprehensive clinical assessments and diagnostic evaluations to identify patients' behavioral health, emotional, psychological, and psychosocial needs, including urgent and crisis assessments.
• Provide goal-focused, evidence-based, time-limited individual, couples, family, and group psychotherapy, with opportunities for longer-term therapy when clinically appropriate.
• Develop individualized treatment and care plans in collaboration with patients, establishing measurable goals and interventions that address identified clinical needs.
• Monitor, evaluate, and document patient progress toward treatment goals and modify treatment interventions and plans as clinically indicated.
• Provide crisis intervention and stabilization services, including assessment of safety and risk, appropriate clinical intervention, and referral to higher levels of care or community resources when needed.
• Coordinate care with psychiatrists, physicians, nursing staff, case managers, and other interdisciplinary team members to support comprehensive, integrated patient care.
• Facilitate referrals to appropriate community resources and support services, including housing, financial assistance, legal services, employment, education, and other resources that promote recovery and stability.
• Maintain timely, accurate, and clinically appropriate electronic health records, including assessments, treatment plans, progress notes, risk assessments, and other required documentation.
• Maintain strict confidentiality and exercise sound clinical judgment and discretion when managing sensitive patient information and situations in accordance with HIPAA, ethical standards, and applicable laws and regulations.
• Interpret and apply federal and state laws, regulations, professional standards, Code of Ethics, and organizational policies and procedures governing clinical social work practice.
• Participate in clinical, interdisciplinary, and administrative staff meetings as appropriate to support patient care, team…