Psychiatrist Crisis Services

CRESCENTCARE•New Orleans, LA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Psychiatrist – Crisis Services is a full-time clinician who will help establish, shape, and provide psychiatric services for CrescentCare’s crisis center, developed in support of Louisiana’s Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) Demonstration Program. The role combines direct psychiatric care, clinical consultation, development of evidence-informed workflows, and support for high-quality crisis assessment, treatment, and disposition. The Psychiatrist works closely with CrescentCare’s behavioral health team and CCBHC Medical Director and reports to the Chief Medical Officer (CMO). The crisis center is initially expected to operate during normal business hours, with planned development toward 24-hour operations during 2027; the Psychiatrist will contribute clinical expertise to this development but will not necessarily work non-traditional hours. A multidisciplinary team supports the work, including medical assistants, nurses, therapists, case management, peer support, and addiction services. The Psychiatrist provides psychiatric evaluations, assessments, diagnoses, treatment planning, consultation, and direct services for drop-in, urgent, and crisis needs. The role assesses symptoms, acuity, safety, functional status, and relevant medical, psychosocial, and substance-use factors; recommends evidence-informed medication and non-medication treatments; evaluates suicide risk and other urgent safety concerns; and develops safety plans and appropriate dispositions. The Psychiatrist coordinates transitions among crisis services, outpatient behavioral health, emergency departments, hospitals, substance-use treatment, and community supports, while maintaining timely, accurate clinical documentation. As a clinical and content expert, the Psychiatrist helps develop and refine the crisis center’s model, protocols, workflows, assessment approaches, and standards of care in alignment with CCBHC and Louisiana Department of Health, Office of Behavioral Health requirements. The role provides clinical guidance to staff, contributes to quality improvement and case review, and supports planning for a potential transition to 24-hour service during 2027. The Psychiatrist also serves as collaborating physician for at least one nurse practitioner, as assigned and in accordance with applicable Louisiana law and CrescentCare policy; this is not a direct supervisory relationship. The position requires a medical degree, a current unrestricted Louisiana medical license, board certification in the practitioner’s terminal board, and successful completion of an ACGME- or AOA-accredited psychiatry residency or fellowship. Hospital admitting privileges or a collaborative agreement with a physician who has admitting privileges is also required. Two or more years of post-residency experience is preferred. The role requires the ability to use electronic health records and other information systems, maintain clinical communication availability during scheduled work hours, and meet the physical requirements described in the posting. Some travel may be required.

Requirements

Medical degree (MD or DO).
Current Louisiana medical license without restrictions.
Board certification in the practitioner’s terminal board.
Successful completion of an ACGME- or AOA-accredited residency or fellowship in Psychiatry.
Hospital admitting privileges or a collaborative agreement with a physician who has admitting privileges.
Technical skills to use an electronic health record, incident reporting system, email, and other information systems.
Ability to maintain availability for clinical communication and consultation during scheduled work hours.

Nice To Haves

Two or more years of post-residency experience.

Responsibilities

Provide psychiatric evaluation, assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, and clinical consultation within the scope of training, licensure, and CrescentCare-granted privileges.
Assess psychiatric symptoms, acuity, safety concerns, functional status, and relevant medical, psychosocial, and substance-use factors, including drop-in, urgent, and crisis needs.
Develop and document evidence-informed treatment recommendations, including medication and non-medication approaches when clinically appropriate.
Assess suicide risk, risk of harm to others, grave disability, and other urgent safety concerns; develop safety plans and determine appropriate levels of care, referrals, or transfers.
Coordinate care and transitions among crisis services, outpatient behavioral health, emergency departments, hospitals, substance-use treatment, and community supports.
Maintain timely, complete, and accurate documentation in the electronic health record, and complete and close visit notes within seven days of the clinical encounter.
Maintain clinical competency through continuing medical education, consultation, peer review, and quality improvement.
Serve as a clinical and content expert in developing and refining the crisis center model, clinical protocols, workflows, assessment approaches, and standards of care.
Provide direct psychiatric services to patients in drop-in, urgent, and crisis contexts.
Collaborate with the CMO, CCBHC Medical Director, and behavioral health leadership on clinical model development, CCBHC adherence, care coordination, and evidence-informed practices.
Collaborate with the multidisciplinary care team during evaluation, treatment, discharge, case consultation, and care coordination.
Provide clinical guidance to crisis center staff on psychiatric assessment, treatment planning, de-escalation, safety planning, disposition, and escalation of care.
Support development and review of protocols for urgent psychiatric presentations, suicide and violence risk, psychosis, mood disorders, trauma-related presentations, and co-occurring mental health and substance-use conditions.
Support linkage to appropriate substance-use treatment and harm-reduction services when indicated.
Serve as collaborating physician for at least one nurse practitioner, as assigned and in accordance with applicable Louisiana law and CrescentCare policy; the role does not include direct supervisory responsibility.
Contribute clinical expertise to planning for expansion toward a 24-hour crisis service during 2027, including identifying clinical coverage needs and recommending safe, sustainable service delivery.
Participate in case review, clinical quality improvement, and review of relevant outcomes to strengthen patient safety and service quality.
Obtain and document health histories; perform and document complete, system-focused, or symptom-specific physical examinations; and prioritize data collection.
Assess the need for and perform additional screening and diagnostic testing based on initial assessment findings; manage diagnostic tests through ordering and interpretation.
Perform clinic visits for the assigned patient population; document clinical progress notes, plans of care, evaluations, and discharge summaries.
Formulate differential diagnoses by priority; prescribe appropriate pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatments; and use evidence-based, approved practice protocols.
Initiate appropriate referrals and consultations, provide specialty-specific consultation within scope, and refer patients for specialized treatment while following results and completing documentation.
Obtain and document informed consent when required, including the responsible practitioner’s signature when applicable.
Assist with staff education, participate in team meetings, and educate patients and their support systems on disease management, adherence, and safety planning.
Communicate with medical staff about patient care and promote teamwork, interpersonal relations, and communication among staff.
Facilitate patient transitions between and within healthcare settings, including admission, transfer, and discharge.
Document services in the EHR for clinical tracking, compliance, billing, and reporting; comply with FTCA, LSBME, OSHA, other applicable regulatory requirements, safety standards, infection control, CrescentCare psychiatry policies, confidentiality, and health-information privacy requirements.
Participate in required peer review, quality, credentialing, and clinical review processes; assume additional responsibilities as necessary and operate within the scope of practice, granted privileges, and job description.
Maintain availability for clinical communication and consultation during scheduled work hours.

Benefits

Comprehensive medical and prescription drug coverage options.
Health Savings Account (HSA).
Employer-paid dental coverage.
Employer-paid life insurance and AD&D.
Employer-paid wellness program.
Employer-paid Employee Assistance Program.
Employer-sponsored vision insurance.
Employer-sponsored short-term disability insurance.
Vacation time, accruing 10 days in the first 12 months.
Sick time, accruing 8 days in the first 12 months.
Eleven paid holidays.
401(k) retirement plan with employer match beginning in the employee’s second year.