Principal Psychiatrist

The State of Connecticut, Department of Children and Families (DCF) currently has a vacancy for a Principal Psychiatrist within the Centralized Medication Consent Unit (CMCU) located at the Albert J. Solnit Children's Center - South Campus in Middletown, CT.  The Principal Psychiatrist will supervise and also retain a teaching appointment at Yale. This is a part-time position, (60 hours biweekly) with a schedule of: Monday – Friday 8:30 am – 2:30 pm.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Responsible for providing consultation and support in addressing the behavioral health inpatient needs of children served by the DCF;
• Monitoring and facilitating the appropriate use of psychotropic medications in all children committed to or in the temporary custody of DCF through the Centralized Medication Consent Unit (CMCU)
• Contribution to optimizing outcomes for children with behavioral health issues served by the DCF.

The Albert J. Solnit Children's Center is part of the Department of Children and Families (DCF), widely recognized as a center of excellence for family-centered treatment of children and youth with serious emotional disturbances.  This state-administered Psychiatric facility provides comprehensive care to children and adolescents under the age of eighteen, with severe mental illness and related behavioral and emotional problems who cannot be safely assessed or treated in a less restrictive setting. The South Campus consists of four co-ed hospital units and three female adolescent psychiatric residential treatment facility cottages (PRTF).

All applicants must include a resume or CV within the "Resume Tab" of their application with their submission.  Applicants invited to interview may be required to submit additional documentation, which supports their qualification(s) for this position.  These documents may include:  performance reviews, supervisory references, college transcripts, licensure, etc., at the discretion of the hiring agency.

Should you have questions pertaining to any phase of this recruitment, please contact the hiring agency's human resources office:  Jaime Sanz, jaime.sanz@ct.gov, (860) 704-4264.

In the Departments of Children and Families and Correction, this class is accountable for providing clinical administrative/supervisory functions and/or direct care psychiatric services as a board certified advanced clinician.

Provides 24 hour supervision to specified groups of patients and facility coverage as scheduled including on-call coverage and weekend coverage; makes rounds and provides direct care and clinical oversight of multi-disciplinary treatment teams; coordinates work of medical staff with related programs; reviews treatment plans, clinical records, diagnoses, and patient discharge plans for adherence to policies and/or The Joint Commission (TJC) and Health Care Financing Authority (HCFA) standards; provides education and training as indicated, e.g. grand rounds and case conferences; assigns, oversees and evaluates work of staff and on-site night duty physicians and/or psychiatrists; conducts and/or participates in meetings on clinical and administrative policy, research programs, clinical program development and treatment techniques; assesses, examines and evaluates patients for admission or discharge; assesses, examines, diagnoses and prescribes appropriate medications and other biologic and psychosocial treatments for patients with psychiatric illnesses and substance abuse disorders; performs advanced level risk assessments; consults on difficult and/or complex cases; develops and implements QA and/or QI process improvement initiatives; prepares and/or reviews reports, medical records and correspondence; performs utilization review and management functions; attends court hearings as a state witness; performs related duties as required.

Considerable knowledge of methods and principles of behavioral health medicine; considerable knowledge of current principles and methods of assessment and treatment of patients with psychiatric illnesses and substance abuse disorders; considerable knowledge of recent developments in field of psychiatry and substance abuse including treatment models and best practices; considerable interpersonal skills; considerable oral and written communication skills; considerable ability to examine for, diagnose, assess and treat patients with psychiatric illnesses and substance abuse disorders; considerable ability to prescribe and conduct psychotherapy, medications and other treatments specific to psychiatric and substance abuse disorders; ability to develop a collaborative group practice environment with other psychiatrists, physicians and members of interdisciplinary teams; ability to analyze and interpret laboratory reports, x-rays and other medical and/or psychological reports and findings; administrative/supervisory ability.

Incumbents in this class must possess and retain certification as a specialist in psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology or board certification in Adult or Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

1. Incumbents in this class must possess and retain a license to practice medicine and surgery in Connecticut. A temporary license may be granted for a period not to exceed one (1) year.

2. 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).

3. Incumbents in this class may be required to possess and retain certification as a specialist in an area such as geriatrics, ABI/TBI, forensics, substance abuse, etc.

4. Incumbents in this class may be required to possess appropriate current licenses, certifications or permits.

5. Incumbents in this class may be required to be bilingual.

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.