REPORTS TO (TITLE): Director of Clinical Services
PAY RANGE: $73,403 - $88,000 Salaried, Exempt
The Case Management Supervisor ensures hospital compliance with California's Lanterman-Petris-Short (LPS) Act and patient rights regulations. This role provides system-level oversight of involuntary psychiatric treatment processes, conservatorships, and hearings, serving as a liaison between hospitals, courts, county behavioral health, and clinical teams at a supervisory and compliance level.
The Supervisor oversees all legal processes for patients detained under the LPS Act (e.g., 5150, 5250, 5270) by monitoring staff performance, ensuring documentation accuracy, and verifying compliance with statutory timelines. The Supervisor coordinates certification review hearings, Riese hearings, and writs of habeas corpus as part of supervisory oversight, while ensuring that case management staff complete the required case management tasks.
This position directly supervises case managers, including the IST (Incompetent to Stand Trial) Case Manager, by assigning workloads, monitoring performance, providing training, and ensuring adherence to legal and regulatory standards. The Supervisor provides case management supervision, not case management services, across all hospital units, including community units and Department of State Hospitals (DSH) units, ensuring consistent application of patient rights and LPS compliance system-wide.
The Supervisor supports conservatorship filings, conducts chart audits, develops and delivers training, and contributes to departmental operations through education, policy development, and collaboration with Social Services.
Requirements
Supervisory & Leadership Duties
Assign, direct, and monitor workloads for Case Managers, including the IST Case Manager.
Conduct performance evaluations, coaching, and corrective action.
Provide onboarding, training, and ongoing education to case management staff.
Ensure consistent application of policies, procedures, and legal standards across units.
Lead team meetings and coordinate with hospital leadership on departmental goals.
Oversight of IST and LPS Processes
Oversee IST workflows to ensure compliance with timelines, documentation standards, and legal requirements.
Review IST documentation prepared by the IST Case Manager for accuracy and completeness.
Monitor statutory deadlines and ensure staff complete required tasks.
Serve as an escalation point for complex IST cases or urgent legal issues.
Coordinate with courts, attorneys, and county agencies only for escalations, clarifications, or supervisory-level issues, not routine case management.
Compliance & Quality Assurance
Conduct audits of case management documentation, including IST files, for accuracy and compliance.
Validate that staff follow LPS Act requirements, hospital policy, and state reporting standards.
Identify trends, errors, or training needs and implement corrective strategies.
Prepare compliance reports and communicate findings to leadership.
Training & Program Development
Develop and deliver training on LPS procedures, patient rights, IST processes, and legal standards.
Provide consultation to staff on complex or unusual cases.
Update policies and workflows to improve compliance and efficiency.
Legal & Interdisciplinary Collaboration
Collaborate with physicians, nursing, social services, and legal partners on system-level issues.
Coordinate Riese hearings, writs, and certification hearings as part of supervisory duties.
Support conservatorship processes at a supervisory and compliance level.
Respond to escalated patient rights concerns.
POSITION REQUIREMENTS
Education and Experience:
Bachelor's degree in Social Work, Psychology, Counseling, Psychiatric Nursing, or a related behavioral health field.
CPR certification and crisis intervention training (e.g., Handle With Care or equivalent) within orientation period.
Minimum one year of experience in behavioral health, inpatient psychiatric, or crisis services.
Minimum one year of experience leading or supervising staff.
Direct exposure to involuntary treatment processes, patient rights advocacy, or court-related coordination preferred.
Experience conducting audits, preparing legal documentation, and collaborating with interdisciplinary teams.
Skills and Abilities:
Demonstrated ability to manage staff performance, provide constructive feedback, and foster professional growth.
Ability to balance administrative oversight with direct involvement in hearings and patient advocacy.
Proven ability to lead and mentor staff, fostering a culture of accountability and respect for patient rights.
Effective communicator with the ability to present information to hospital leadership, regulatory agencies, and courts.
Demonstrated ability to implement process improvements and drive departmental efficiency.
Expert knowledge of the LPS Act, California Mental Health Laws, and patient rights regulations; ensures strict adherence to statutes, ethical standards, and hospital policies.
Builds strong working relationships across disciplines and agencies, including physicians, nurses, social workers, courts, and legal counsel; uses diplomacy and professional judgment to align stakeholders and resolve complex situations.
Applies independent judgment and problem-solving skills to evaluate psychiatric and legal cases; balances clinical information with statutory requirements, interprets admission and continued stay criteria, and ensures appropriate patient care decisions.
Guides and mentors staff and physicians on patient rights, involuntary treatment, and conservatorship procedures; develops and delivers training programs that foster compliance, accountability, and a culture of respect for patient rights.
Protects patient rights with compassion while maintaining organizational and legal standards; demonstrates sensitivity and willingness to interact with individuals from diverse social, cultural, economic, and educational backgrounds.
Maintains precision in documentation, timelines, and reporting; recognizes the impact of small errors in legal paperwork and ensures accuracy in medical record-keeping requirements.
Communicates clearly and effectively with courts, staff, patients, and external agencies; produces thorough, legally sound documentation and interprets clinical information in a concise, accurate manner.
Manages multiple cases simultaneously, prioritizes projects, and meets strict statutory deadlines; works independently and as part of a team in a fast-paced, expanding organization.
Demonstrated knowledge of medical terminology, diagnostic terms, and treatment modalities; familiarity with admission and discharge functions, medical record systems, and compliance standards.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and electronic health record systems.
Maintains confidentiality of patient information at all times; upholds professional ethics, organizational standards, and a commitment to quality care.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
While performing the duties of this job, this position is frequently required to do the following:
Use standard office equipment and access, input, and retrieve information from a computer. Use computer keyboard with manual and finger dexterity and wrist-finger speed sufficient to perform repetitive actions efficiently for extended periods of time.
Communicate effectively in person or via telephone in a manner which can be understood by those with whom the person is speaking, including a diverse population.
Give and follow verbal and written instructions with attention to detail and accuracy.
Perform complex mental functions and basic arithmetic functions; interpret complex laws, regulations, and policies; collect, interpret, and/or analyze complex data and information.
Vision: see details of objects at close range.
Coordinate multiple tasks simultaneously.
Reach forward, up, down, and to the side.
Sit or stand for minimum periods of one hour at a time and come and go from the work area repeatedly throughout the day.
Lift up to ten (10) pounds.
