Clinical Psychologist at Lemuel Shattuck Hospital

Full Time Psychologist Position

Metro-Boston Mental Health Units at Lemuel Shattuck Hospital (LSH) is a Department of Mental Health/Department of Public Health hospital. There are five secure inpatient mental health units housing roughly 19 patients each.

The majority of patients present with multiple etiologies, including developmental and neurological factors acquired at early age, substance abuse, head injury, cultural and economic factors, as well as major mental illness. The focus of intervention and treatment is risk mitigation and rehabilitation to enable transition back to the community.

This is a full-time position, 40 hours per week on the day shift. The hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Days off are Sunday and Saturday.

LSH is seeking qualified candidates for a Full Time Psychologist position. The Psychologist functions as a member of a clinical team, provides therapy, assessment, and psychological testing on a referral basis, consults to other staff on psychological issues, and performs related work as required. The Psychologist assures that patient needs for psychological services are met by organizing, coordinating services, improving program performance and providing supervision/consultation to staff and trainees.

Psychologists supervise and perform diagnostic assessments, risk screening, specialized clinical risk assessments and other diagnostic evaluations.

Responsibilities include:

• Acting as Staff Psychologist for one or more of the five MBMHU units and serving on a multidisciplinary treatment team including Psychiatry, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners, Social Work, Rehabilitation Staff, Occupation Therapy, Nursing, and Mental Health Workers
• Performs Risk Assessment and Psychological testing functions, implementing DMH's risk screening tools per policy, including initial and interval psychological assessments.
• Performs psycho-diagnostic assessments of the mental condition of patients by conducting interviews, investigating histories and evaluating patients to determine the need for psychological testing. Performs admission/intake assessments, review risk factors, and cognitive screeners for all new admissions.
• Facilitates psycho-diagnostic and neuropsychological evaluations by arranging testing and counseling, by administering and scoring psychological and educational tests, and by interpreting the results of objective and projective tests to aid in diagnosis and treatment of patients.
• Provides counseling and psychotherapy to groups, families, and individuals, to assist people in gaining insight, developing recovery skills and enhancing motivation to change non-adaptive behavior.
• Participates in the development of treatment plans by presenting individual cases to multi-disciplinary teams, by evaluating the evidence presented, by recommending treatment goals and modalities in order to establish treatment plans uniquely suited to the individual patient.
• Facilitate in-service training, by planning and delivering programs for trainees or others, by developing training programs and methods in areas such as psychotherapeutic techniques and theory, for psychology staff and for other disciplines to ensure the effective provision of services to patients.
• Demonstrates the knowledge and skills necessary to provide appropriate care to the age related and cultural needs of clients/patients served.
• Actively participate in relevant hospital training, both as a learner and contributor, as needed, and meets all training responsibilities both by DMH and for psychological licensure.
• Meets with and performs administrative and other tasks as requested by the hospital leadership and the Director of the Psychology Department.
• If assigned, provides quality supervision and education to assigned post-doctoral psychology staff, doctoral interns, advanced practicum students and other psychology or interdisciplinary trainees.
• Extensive knowledge of the theory, principles, and practices of individual psychotherapy, clinical psychology, and social psychology.
• Proficient in behavior chain analysis and Positive Behavior Support techniques that are based on Cognitive-Behavior Theory and reinforcement techniques and behavioral management/therapy theory.
• Proficient in supervising and coordinating the activities of professional psychologists and maintaining effective working relationships.
• Strong communication skills for providing clear verbal and written instructions.
• Ability to make decisions, act quickly, and remain calm in stressful or emergency situations.
• Knowledge of and compliance with HIPAA regulations and other applicable state and federal laws regarding patient privacy and confidentiality.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Inpatient experience providing recovery-oriented person-centered psychology services including risk assessment services to people with mental illness.
• Knowledge and experience working with the forensic evaluation process and interest in working with inpatients committed by the courts for forensic…