Lead Psychiatrist

Texas Health & Human Services Commission•CARLSBAD, TX

1d•$23,068 - $25,433•Hybrid

About The Position

The Lead Psychiatrist performs highly advanced psychiatric work at the San Angelo State Supported Living Center, serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities who may be medically fragile or have behavioral problems. The position works under the direct supervision of the SSLC Medical Director and leads psychiatric services, including examination, diagnosis, treatment, medication management, and specialized psychiatric procedures. The Lead Psychiatrist guides treatment teams, oversees the work of other psychiatrists and staff, and supports quality improvement and compliance with applicable policies, regulations, and standards of care. The role is an active member of individuals’ Interdisciplinary Teams (IDTs), developing individualized treatment plans and reviewing records to assess progress and the appropriateness and effectiveness of care. The Lead Psychiatrist collaborates with medical and behavioral health professionals, families and guardians as appropriate, and state and facility leadership. The position also participates in clinics, committees, audits, peer reviews, staff training, and system-wide psychiatric quality initiatives. Work is under minimal supervision with extensive latitude for initiative and independent judgment. The position is full-time, regular, and exempt, with a day shift. Telework may be available at the discretion of center leadership and local needs, but the employee must be onsite at least 40 hours per month. The role may involve on-call rotations, overtime, extended hours, weekends, holidays, occasional travel to other SSLCs, and alternate shift or location assignments during disaster response or continuity-of-operations activation.

Requirements

At least three years of experience working as a psychiatrist.
Residency trained.
Unrestricted license as a medical doctor in the State of Texas.
Board certified or board eligible in Psychiatry in the State of Texas.
Current Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) registration certificate.
National Provider Identifier (NPI) and enrollment as a Medicaid and Medicare Part B provider.
Knowledge of general medicine, general psychiatry, individualized care and treatment planning, and behavior treatment principles.
Ability to provide psychiatric services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in a large residential setting.
Skill in patient care and treatment and in using medical and psychiatric diagnostic and treatment tools and equipment.
Knowledge and skill in using an electronic healthcare system and Microsoft Office products.
Ability to assess, diagnose, prescribe, and supervise treatment in compliance with local policy, Texas Administrative Code, and applicable laws.
Ability to direct psychiatric activities, interpret psychological diagnoses and analyses, develop policies and procedures, and prepare or supervise case histories and medical records.
Ability to solve medically difficult issues using consultant opinions and appropriate literature and guidelines.
Ability to collaborate with an IDT and use the expertise of team members to support high-quality patient care.
Ability to support continuous quality improvement and follow improvement plans and state initiatives.
Ability to manage polypharmacy and justify and document the use of multiple psychotropic medications when necessary.
Ability to plan, assign, and supervise the work of others.
Ability to work independently using sound judgment and advanced time-management skills.
Ability to participate in required and annual training, including training such as CPR, Safe Use of Restraints, and Ukeru.
Ability to organize and present information effectively orally and in writing.
Must pass a fingerprint criminal background check, pre-employment drug screen, and required registry checks.
Must be willing to work weekends and holidays; flexibility in work hours, overtime, and extended hours may be required.
Must be at least 18 years old to be considered for employment at a state-operated facility.
Males ages 18–25 must be registered with the Selective Service.

Nice To Haves

Experience working with people with mental illness and intellectual disabilities.

Responsibilities

Examine, assess, diagnose, and treat individuals receiving services, including administering psychiatric treatments and medications in coordination with the IDT and in accordance with applicable policies and procedures.
Lead and participate in psychiatric assessments, clinics, medication reviews, psychiatric reviews, and other meetings requested by IDTs or administrators.
Develop individualized psychiatric treatment plans that address individuals’ needs, strengths, preferences, risk-benefit considerations, least-restrictive interventions, and coordination with other disciplines.
Review medical records, laboratory work, treatment plans, and electronic health records; document recommendations and clinical decisions accurately and promptly.
Attend neurology and other specialty clinics as scheduled or requested, and carry out visiting specialists’ recommendations and procedures.
Guide IDTs, behavioral health staff, direct care staff, and other team members in implementing psychiatric care and interventions.
Collaborate with psychiatrists, medical staff, behavioral health specialists, psychologists, and others to develop behavioral interventions, identify environmental factors affecting care, coordinate medication and behavior therapy, and support restraint reduction.
Manage acute psychiatric care, including authorizing emergency restraints, issuing orders for emergency medication, and coordinating psychiatric hospitalizations when clinically indicated as a last resort.
Monitor psychiatric care data and trends at least monthly, identify issues, present proposed changes to the IDT, support implementation, and participate in desk and onsite audits.
Review the clinical work of other psychiatrists and clinic staff for appropriateness, quality, and timeliness; manage psychiatric department staff; provide feedback, conduct annual performance evaluations, and take corrective action as needed.
Participate in peer review, quality improvement, formulary, pharmacy and therapeutics, admission review, and other assigned committees; review drug monographs and contribute to guidelines and standards of care.
Coordinate and communicate with the facility Medical Director, facility Director, state office medical and psychiatric coordinators, and other staff regarding resident care, quality initiatives, and regulatory compliance.
Stay current with psychiatric and behavioral health research and recommend updates to evaluation tools, treatment protocols, and standards of care.
Provide guidance and training to new employees, professional staff, direct contact staff, and families, and complete required training.
When assigned, serve as liaison for a psychiatric residency program, coordinating with medical schools and addressing student rotation matters.
Attend work regularly, fulfill on-call responsibilities when required, and perform other assigned duties, including supporting disaster response or continuity-of-operations activation.