L&I Psychologist 3

State of Washington•Thurston County – Tumwater, WA

27d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Department of Labor & Industries (L&I), Insurance Services Division, is seeking a Psychologist 3 for the Office of the Medical Director. The role focuses on reducing long-term disability by promoting evidence-based, effective, and safe mental health care for injured workers. The psychologist plans and directs program improvements in mental and behavioral health management and provides clinical psychology consultation to L&I staff and others to prevent disability and harm and improve health and work outcomes for injured workers and crime survivors. The Office of the Medical Director is responsible for statewide health policy to help ensure injured and ill workers have access to high-quality, evidence-based care and that care paid for by the workers’ compensation Medical Aid Fund is clinically appropriate and cost effective. The position supports this work through claim consultation, clinical guidance, training, partnerships, and development of strategies to improve behavioral and mental health services. The assigned duty station is Tumwater, Washington. Teleworking is permitted up to full time, with attendance at selected in-person meetings and training or as business needs require. A flexible custom schedule may be available with management approval. The position is represented by the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE).

Requirements

PhD or PsyD in clinical psychology.
Valid, unrestricted license to practice as a clinical psychologist in Washington State.
One year of postdoctoral psychology experience or equivalent.
Strategic, mission-driven approach and interest in improving health outcomes and recovery for injured workers in Washington State.
Strong clinical and operational problem-solving skills, including sound decision-making and prioritization in complex or high-pressure environments.
Ability to work independently in a claims consultation role in partnership with the Associate Medical Director for Psychology, who provides direct supervision.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills and a public service orientation.
Interpersonal effectiveness and cultural competency when working with diverse individuals and groups, including agency staff, injured workers, healthcare providers, and the public.
Ability to take action to learn and grow and to meet the needs of others.
Ability to communicate orally and in writing and present complex information clearly to varied audiences.
Ability to develop and deliver training to varied audiences.
Ability to independently review, interpret, and analyze specialized program policies and procedures, and apply them to reach sound conclusions and make recommendations and decisions based on data.
Ability to listen authentically, collaborate with people from diverse backgrounds, and build and maintain positive, respectful working relationships and partnerships.
Demonstrated critical-thinking and analytical skills.
Experience working in medical or healthcare systems and/or interdisciplinary healthcare teams and engaging in specialized treatment of mental health conditions, including PTSD.

Nice To Haves

Completion of a postdoctoral fellowship in a relevant specialty, such as rehabilitation psychology, health psychology, pain psychology, or trauma psychology.
Clinical experience in medical or healthcare systems, with specialization in mental health conditions, chronic illness management, or health psychology.
Experience working on interdisciplinary healthcare teams with physicians, nurses, and other healthcare staff.
Three years of experience in trauma, pain, rehabilitation, and/or health psychology.
Teaching or training experience in mental/behavioral health or other relevant healthcare topics, particularly for adult learners or professional audiences.
Experience with Washington workers’ compensation.

Responsibilities

Plan, organize, direct, and provide clinical consultation and claim support to staff and treating providers.
Serve as a psychologist consultant to Insurance Services staff and others.
Provide consultation on appropriate application of clinical practice guidelines and occupational health best practices for behavioral and mental health services.
Conduct claim reviews.
Partner proactively with designated claims staff and provide clinical consultation to resolve complex, high-risk, or challenging cases.
Collaborate across the Office of the Medical Director to support cross-unit standardization and quality control.
Collaborate in clinical decision-making, treatment-plan evaluation, and return-to-work strategy development with Return-to-Work Partnerships.
Lead and develop education and training on behavioral and mental health policies and procedures for varied audiences.
Lead and support training initiatives for internal audiences, including claims managers and occupational nurse consultants.
Develop and deliver training on mental health-related topics for claims managers and occupational nurse consultants.
Participate in and consult on the strategy, review, formulation, and delivery of training and educational materials, seminars, and discussions.
Develop and implement strategies to ensure high-quality behavioral and mental health services for workers.
Build proactive partnerships and conduct outreach with providers and workers.
Provide expert guidance on policies and processes to improve mental healthcare delivery and provider experiences.