Description
POSITION DESCRIPTION: The Psychiatrist provides comprehensive psychiatric care for Adult Full-Service Partnership (FSP) clients, including evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of mental health and co-occurring substance use disorders. Responsibilities include prescribing and monitoring psychotropic medications, long-acting injectables, medication-assisted treatment (MAT), ordering diagnostic tests, coordinating inpatient care, and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to support client wellness and recovery. The Psychiatrist provides clinical consultation, crisis intervention support, psychoeducation, case review participation, and ensures compliance with all applicable regulatory and documentation standards.
This position operates within an Adult Full-Service Partnership (FSP) Intensive Case Management (ICM) model and utilizes a non-traditional, community-based approach to psychiatric care. Consistent with the FSP philosophy, the Psychiatrist provides field-based services in locations such as clients' homes, streets, encampments, shelters, housing programs, hospitals, and other community settings. Using a street psychiatry, harm-reduction, trauma-informed, and recovery-oriented framework, the Psychiatrist engages individuals experiencing serious mental illness, homelessness, justice involvement, substance use disorders, and other barriers to treatment. Working closely with the multidisciplinary team, the Psychiatrist delivers flexible, person-centered services designed to improve engagement, promote stabilization and recovery, support housing retention, and enhance community integration.
DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:
All responsibilities listed below are considered essential functions of this position. In alignment with the Adult Full-Service Partnership (FSP) Intensive Case Management (ICM) model, the Psychiatrist is expected to provide flexible, community-based psychiatric services to engage, stabilize, and support individuals with serious mental illness and co-occurring disorders.
1. Conduct comprehensive psychiatric evaluations, diagnostic assessments, and health screenings to determine psychiatric, medical, and psychosocial needs.
2. Develop, implement, and update individualized psychiatric treatment plans in collaboration with clients, families, and multidisciplinary team members.
3. Perform medication support services by evaluating the need for psychotropic medications, medication-assisted treatment (MAT), and other psychiatric interventions.
4. Prescribe, administer when necessary, and monitor psychotropic medications, including long-acting injectable medications, and evaluate treatment effectiveness and side effects.
5. Order, obtain, review, and monitor laboratory tests and other diagnostic studies necessary to ensure safe and effective psychiatric treatment.
6. Provide psychiatric services in clinic and community-based settings, including client homes, streets, encampments, shelters, hospitals, interim and permanent housing programs, board and care facilities, and other locations where clients reside or congregate.
7. Utilize street psychiatry, harm-reduction, trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and recovery-oriented approaches to engage clients who may be disconnected from traditional office-based treatment.
8. Partner closely with the multidisciplinary FSP team, including therapists, case managers, peer support specialists, nurses, substance use counselors, and other providers to coordinate integrated care and support client recovery.
9. Participate in assertive outreach, engagement efforts, field-based interventions, wellness checks, and crisis response activities for high-acuity and difficult-to-engage clients.
10. Provide clinical consultation to medical providers, therapists, and treatment team members regarding psychiatric diagnoses, treatment interventions, medications, and medical findings, and participate in clinical case conferences and treatment planning meetings.
11. Provide medication follow-up services, psychoeducation regarding psychiatric conditions and medications, and consultation to clients, families, caregivers, and support networks, and remain available for urgent psychiatric consultation and emergencies.
12. Coordinate psychiatric treatment with hospitals, inpatient psychiatric providers, primary care providers, residential programs, and community partners to ensure continuity of care. Facilitate hospital admissions, discharge planning, and transitions of care when clinically indicated.
13. Evaluate clients for involuntary psychiatric detention when appropriate and coordinate emergency interventions consistent with applicable laws and regulations.
14. Complete and document psychiatric evaluations, medication support services, treatment plans, and all related clinical documentation in compliance with Department of Mental Health (DMH), Medi-Cal, agency, and regulatory standards.
15. Participate in regular chart reviews, utilization reviews, peer reviews, and consultations with therapists and multidisciplinary team members to support quality care and compliance.
16. Assist in the planning, development, implementation, and evaluation of clinical initiatives, departmental protocols, and service improvements designed to enhance client outcomes and program effectiveness.
17. Participate in quality assurance and quality improvement activities and provide recommendations for corrective action plans to reduce clinical risk and improve service delivery.
18. Support client recovery, housing stability, community integration, and overall wellness by addressing psychiatric barriers to treatment engagement and independent functioning.
19. May testify in court, administrative hearings, or legal proceedings as an expert witness when required.
20. Demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively and work respectfully with individuals of diverse cultural, ethnic, linguistic, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic, and clinical backgrounds.
21. Ensure all agency, contractual, compliance, and Electronic Health Record System (EHRS) documentation is completed accurately and within required timeframes.
22. Attend agency meetings, FSP team meetings, trainings, supervision sessions, utilization reviews, and other meetings as required or assigned.
23. Conduct all duties in accordance with agency policies and procedures, professional ethical standards, licensing requirements, HIPAA regulations, and applicable state and federal laws.
24. Maintain flexibility in scheduling and work hours to meet the needs of clients and support the operational needs of the FSP program, including field-based and community-based service delivery.
25. Embrace and support the FSP philosophy by delivering individualized, client-centered services that promote engagement, stabilization, recovery, and long-term community success.
26. Perform other duties as assigned that are necessary to support program objectives and the best interests of the agency.
Confidentiality and Privacy
Adheres to all legal parameters for ensuring and maintaining clients' confidentiality including HIPAA, State and Federal laws.
The Village Family Services provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
Job Type: Full-Time
Pay: $150/hr.- $170/hr.
Benefits (30+hrs./wk.)
- 403(b)
- 403(b) matching (up to 4%)
- Health Insurance
- Dental/Vision
- Life/AD&D/LTD/STD
- Voluntary Benefits (Accident/Hospital/Critical Illness/Pet Insurance)
- Vacation/Sick/Personal Days
- Holiday Pay
Schedule:
- Flexible schedule (on-site/field based)
- Day shift
- On call
Languages: English and Spanish (Strongly Preferred)
Requirements
REQUIREMENTS & QUALIFICATIONS:
1. California State Physician and surgeon's Certificate authorized by the Board of Medical Examiners of the State of California
2. Completion of a residency approved by an American Specialty Board in psychiatry or Equivalent training which the appropriate American Certifying Board formally recognizes in writing as being equivalent
3. Valid DEA License
4. Maintains Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS) certification to prescribe Clozapine.
5. Evaluates individuals/clients to determine if probable cause is met to initiate detention under WIC 5150
6. Bilingual English/Spanish strongly desired
7. Maintains own professional liability insurance and acceptable child abuse and criminal clearances required
8. Current California driver’s license and a driving record acceptable to the Agency's insurance carrier.
9. Prior experience in community mental health (preferred)
10. Demonstrate medical/clinical leadership skills and experience in mental health service delivery to a broad-based individual and multi-cultural patient population including homelessness and addiction
11. Effective verbal and written communication skills
12. Possess good computer skills; familiarity with MS Word and Outlook; demonstrated ability to utilize electronic progress note system
13. Adapt to changing needs by acquiring new skills and knowledge.
