Psychiatric Evaluation Specialist - Jail Health Services

King County•Seattle, WA

6d•Onsite

About The Position

Public Health – Seattle & King County is seeking two (2) Psychiatric Evaluation Specialists (PES) to provide mental status/diagnostic evaluations and related evidence-based interventions, suicide risk assessment, and mental health treatment planning for jail resident-patients within the Jail Health Services division. Incumbents will monitor resident-patients throughout their incarceration and may provide both individual and group treatment to improve the overall functioning of the resident-patient. Additionally, to assist in more streamlined continuity of care, incumbents will ensure appropriate referral to diversion or treatment and may provide testimony in court (ITA) regarding residents-patients. The PES will make psychiatric housing decisions and refer residents to community mental health providers or into involuntary treatment, as needed. Responsibilities will also include performing chart review / triage functions, providing training on areas of expertise, consultation with other professions, community outreach and engagement, and participating in ongoing process improvement efforts within King County Public Health and Jail Health Services. Jail Health Services (JHS) Division provides needed health and social services to the incarcerated population located in the King County jails – King County Correctional Facility (KCCF) in Seattle, WA and Maleng Regional Justice Center (MRJC) in Kent, WA. The primary services we provide include medical, dental, mental health, social and release planning services, treatment of substance use disorders, and pharmaceutical services. We care about the patients we serve and their health outcomes. Our division includes over 250 employees and an annual budget of over $60 million. The purpose of JHS is to assure that high-quality health and human services are available to the incarcerated population in the King County adult correctional facilities: the King County Correctional Facility (KCCF) in Seattle and the Maleng Regional Justice Center (MRJC) in Kent. The JHS vision is Opening doors to healthier, happier lives, and the mission is to assess and stabilize serious health problems for the detained population of the King County Correctional Facility and the Maleng Regional Justice Center with a focus on transition from jail. Staffed 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, 365 days per year, JHS provides a broad range of health care to all individuals booked into the jails. For patients with serious mental health or medical conditions, special housing units (psychiatric and infirmary) along with a higher level of services and medical monitoring are provided. Since the patient population varies both in numbers as well as in acuity of health conditions, staffing is adapted and flexed to meet the constantly changing needs of the population. JHS staff manage the complex health needs of underserved populations, many of whom come to the facility without access to care in the community and with decompensated acute and chronic health conditions.

Requirements

Master's or Doctoral degree in psychology, social work, clinical counseling, or a related field, from an accredited university.
Independent licensure as a psychologist, mental health counselor, clinical independent social worker, marriage and family therapist or recognized alternate licensure.
Proof of Basic Life Support (BLS) / CPR.
Ability to pass a thorough background investigation and Pre-employment Physical.
Employees are required to protect the privacy and security of protected health information as defined in State and Federal Law.
Candidates must be proficient and comfortable with computer use to perform functions associated with on-going work.
Employees are required to adhere to OSHA/WISHA guidelines including but not limited to completing their mandatory trainings on time and obtaining required immunizations.
Regular and reliable attendance, effective communication skills, and development of effective working relationships are requirements of all Public Health positions.
Must be able to provide proof of Basic Life Support (BLS) / CPR.
Must be able to pass a thorough background investigation and Pre-employment Physical.

Nice To Haves

Working knowledge of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 5th Edition (DSM-5).
Working knowledge and past experience with evidence-based practices for mood, psychotic, and personality disorders.
Working knowledge of the principles of behavior and motivation.
Working knowledge of psychiatric medication.
Knowledge of the Washington State Criminal Code, rules of court procedure and legal definition of competency.
Knowledge of community mental health resources and criteria for providing services.
Working knowledge of personality disorders and malingering and how to differentiate these from other psychiatric disorders.
Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
Suicide-risk assessment skills.
Demonstrated ability to perform psychological and behavioral interventions.
Demonstrated skill in defusing hostile or violent behavior.
Demonstrated ability to perform evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of resident-patients.
Demonstrated ability to detect the signs, symptoms and behavioral effects of depression, mental illness and poly-substance chemical dependency.
Demonstrated skill in gathering clinical and psychiatric data to establish a diagnosis.
Demonstrated skill in gathering and interpreting court and law enforcement records pertaining to a particular inmate-patient's case.
Demonstrated skill in determining an inmate-patient's competency to participate in legal proceedings.
Proficiency in a language other than English, particularly Spanish, Vietnamese, Russian, African Languages, or Chinese Languages.
Experience working in correctional facilities and/or inpatient psychiatric hospitals.
Experience working with electronic medical record systems.
Experience working on continuous process improvement systems.

Responsibilities

Initiate psychiatric assessments; conduct formal diagnostic assessment in accordance with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 5th Edition (DSM-5); provide evidence based individual and group therapeutic intervention based on the specific psychiatric needs of the resident-patient; identify medical conditions and make referrals to medical professionals, chronic mental illness, developmental disability, suicide-risk and depressed inmates; determine need for involuntary treatment; develop a treatment plan; and provide witness testimony regarding patient's presentation and behavior.
Assess substance dependence, abuse, intoxication, withdrawal, and other substance-related disorders.
Provide brief interventions and refer appropriately for longer term care.
Conduct case management and follow up.
Work with Release Planners to ensure continuity of care and referral to community mental health services.
Make psychiatric housing decisions within the jail; assess need for additional intervention and mental status evaluations and provide additional intervention(s) when needed; and track resident-patient's progression through the legal system.
Develop mental health treatment plans; communicate and coordinate care with Psychiatric Providers and other JHS staff; act as liaison between the resident-patient, correctional staff and courts to ensure diversion or release for appropriate treatment.
Lead regularly scheduled unit meetings to review cases and utilization of various treatment approaches.
Provide in-service training to all health and corrections staff on various areas of expertise, including suicide prevention.
Attend various community organizational meetings as representative of JHS and provide training on the operations and services of JHS.
Review charts and evaluations performed by psychiatric hospital personnel and develop treatment plans and/or refer accordingly.
Act as consultant to other disciplines (including the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention; DAJD) and professions on the presentation of mental illness in a correctional setting.
Perform release interviews with resident-patients and refer them to a Designated Crisis Responder (DCR) for additional evaluation, if necessary.