Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

State of Montana • Billings, MT

3d • Onsite

About The Position

The Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner works within a secure correctional environment at the Montana Women’s Prison in Billings, Montana, addressing the complex medical and psychiatric needs of incarcerated individuals. The role supports institutional safety by stabilizing acute conditions, improving mental health outcomes, and helping residents develop healthier, more adaptive behaviors. It also contributes to successful reentry and long-term public safety through high-quality psychiatric care, support for self-management of chronic conditions, and referrals to appropriate resources.

The Montana Department of Corrections’ Rehabilitation and Enterprise Division supports inmates’ physical and mental well-being, provides educational and vocational opportunities within prisons, and oversees community facilities focused on reintegration. The position requires collaboration with a multidisciplinary team and adherence to facility security protocols and professional boundaries while delivering patient-centered care.

Requirements

• Master’s degree from an accredited APRN program as an Advanced Practice Nurse-Psych.
• Two years of job-related experience.
• Successful applicants are subject to a criminal history check, child/patient/offender abuse registry checks, and reference checks.
• Applicants must submit a resume and cover letter online and mark the attachments as a “Relevant File.”

Nice To Haves

• Alternative combinations of education and experience will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Responsibilities

• Conduct comprehensive psychiatric assessments by reviewing patient histories, symptoms, physical findings, and diagnostic information to develop clinical diagnoses.
• Diagnose and treat acute medical and behavioral health conditions, including illnesses, infections, injuries, and psychiatric disorders.
• Develop and implement individualized treatment plans using evidence-based practices and clinically appropriate interventions.
• Prescribe medications in accordance with legal and regulatory guidelines, considering safety, efficacy, cost, and patient response.
• Recommend diagnostic and therapeutic interventions while considering risk, invasiveness, client acceptability, adherence, and effectiveness.
• Educate patients on managing acute and chronic conditions, tailoring instructions to individual learning needs and circumstances.
• Coordinate care and referrals to physicians, psychologists, chemical dependency counselors, mental health centers, social services, and other professionals or agencies as needed.
• Assist with emergency psychiatric interventions, which may include emergency commitments and crisis stabilization procedures.
• Maintain accurate, timely, and compliant clinical documentation in accordance with DOC standards, medical regulations, and facility protocols.
• Collaborate with security, medical, and behavioral health staff to support institutional safety, continuity of care, and rehabilitation goals.
• Follow security protocols and maintain professional boundaries while providing patient-centered psychiatric care in a correctional environment.
• Promote self-management of chronic conditions and refer individuals to appropriate internal and external resources to support reentry and reduce the likelihood of future incarceration.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation.
• Generous State of Montana benefits.
• State employment may qualify for student loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level