Associate Psychologist

Duties Description

The Associate Psychologist position will serve as the Division Statewide Services, Bureau Service Allocation, Research, and Review (BSARR), Clinical Quality Assurance Team Lead. The BSARR is responsible for leading various agency-wide initiatives to improve health equity, service allocation, and service access. The role reports directly to the Bureau Director and is part of the Division of Statewide Services’ effort to advance equity goals by creating standard service guidance based on reliable clinical assessment.

The Associate Psychologist will oversee a team of staff who review OPWDD supports/services, provide clinical guidance, create protocols for appropriate service authorization, and monitor trends in the service system of nearly 140,000 individuals. The position will provide oversight and monitoring of changing clinical guidance, focus on priority topics identified by leadership, and help identify gaps, access issues, and inequities in the service spectrum.

• Conduct clinical evaluations and/or consultations on assessments as clinically indicated, under the supervision of a licensed psychologist.
• Provide oversight of quality improvement activities, including setting priorities and identifying areas through collaborative review of service utilization information.
• Consider relevant clinical information on case‑specific requests and provide consultation with DDRO staff to determine if additional clinical considerations should be followed.
• Assess clinical appropriateness and effectiveness of service authorizations, including under‑utilization, over‑utilization, inappropriate utilization, and denials.
• Refer cases back to the responsible authorization team to address concerns related to clinical documentation, consistency, utilization, and treatment differences.
• Document allocation and utilization reviews and recommendations submitted to the Statewide Services Office of the Medical Director.
• Consult with regional staff reviewing case files and/or other subject matter experts as needed.
• Supervise staff that will perform routine “Intake and Inquiry Review” and “Conflict Resolution & Guidance Development.”
• Maintain confidentiality of personal health information.
• Assist with developing and/or presenting trainings, as assigned.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Division of Statewide Services.

Telecommuting is permitted and details will be discussed at interview.

• Experience interpreting and leveraging results from comprehensive functional needs assessments, such as the Coordinated Assessment System (CAS) and the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) tools.
• Knowledge of OPWDD Article 16 Clinics and related operations for individuals with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities.
• Familiarity with HCBS Medicaid Waiver services, including eligibility criteria and service authorization processes for developmental disability.
• Familiarity with state and federal regulations governing behavioral health and developmental disability services within Medicaid‑funded programs.
• Strong communication, interpersonal, and presentation skills to convey clinical findings and policy guidance to internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience providing supervision, mentoring, or training in quality assurance and utilization review.

A doctoral degree in a clinical field of psychology (see notes below) AND
either a one‑year full‑time pre‑doctoral clinical internship or one year of psychology experience in a clinical setting under the supervision of a licensed psychologist. Demonstrate how you meet this qualification in your application.

Notes:
Non‑qualifying degree majors include: education, educational psychology, transpersonal psychology, educational counseling, guidance counseling, experimental psychology, industrial psychology, psychometrics, organizational psychology, student and personnel services, mental health counseling, pastoral psychology, human relations, etc.
Qualifying experience must include performing psychological evaluations or assessment tests, diagnostic testing, treatment plan development, or counseling in one or more of…