Senior Psychiatrist (Dir of Service (AS)), Correctional Health Services at NYC Health

NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest public health care system in the nation. We are a network of 11 hospitals, trauma centers, neighborhood health centers, nursing homes, post-acute care centers, and correctional health services. We are a home care agency and a health plan, MetroPlus. Our health system provides essential services to 1.4 million New Yorkers every year in more than 70 locations across the citys five boroughs. Our diverse workforce of more than 42,000 employees are uniquely focused on empowering New Yorkers, without exception, to live the healthiest life possible. Visit us at nychhc.org and stay connected on facebook.com/nycHHC or Twitter@hhcnyc.

NYC Health + Hospitals/Correctional Health Services is one of the nation’s leading correctional health care systems in quality of and innovations to care, and access from pre-arraignment through compassionate release. In-jail services include medical, nursing, mental health, substance use treatment, social work, dental and vision care, discharge planning, and reentry support. In addition to providing direct patient care in the jails, CHS leverages the resources of the nation’s largest municipal health care system to help discharged patients successfully return to their communities. CHS is also a pivotal partner in New York City’s criminal justice reform efforts. 

Job Description

Position Description:

New York City Health + Hospitals

NYC H+H is the largest public health care system in the world.  We are a network of 11 hospitals, trauma centers, neighborhood health centers, nursing homes, and post-acute care centers.   Our health system provides essential services to 1.4 million New Yorkers ever year in more than 70 locations across the city’s five boroughs.  Our workforce of more than 42,000 employees are uniquely focused on empowering New Yorkers, without exception, to live the healthiest life possible.

Correctional Health Services

The New York City jail system is the second largest in the nation. A significant number of individuals in the NYC jail system will receive care on the mental health service. The service strives to provide safe, holistic and evidence-based therapeutic interventions for the diverse range of mental health issues that face the population, from serious mental illness to the natural struggles that accompany incarceration. The service provides some of the most comprehensive and unique treatment modalities in the country, including specialty housing units for individuals with serious mental illness, a 24-hour on-call psychiatric service, robust creative arts programming, clinics in each of the facilities, substance use treatment, medication assisted treatment (MAT), integrated re-entry services that includes alternatives to incarceration, and relationships with multiple training institutions throughout the city. Furthermore, CHS has been engaged in an effort to better identify people with neurodevelopmental/neurocognitive disorders and to utilize psychological testing to connect people to services in the community (e.g., with OPWDD).

Summary of position

The Senior Psychiatrist is the psychiatric leader of the facility or program and works in close collaboration with the Mental Health Unit Chief, Clinical Supervisors, and Supervising Psychiatrists (if applicable) to ensure that safe, holistic, and evidence-based psychiatric care is provided to incarcerated patients with varying levels of mental health needs. A team-based approach to care is critical; one that incorporates all relevant mental health and medical disciplines as well as security staff. A major component of this position will be training, recruiting and retaining high quality staff and providing strong leadership and mentorship for existing staff.

Preferred Skills

• Excellent diagnostic and treatment skills with particular attention to issues of psychopharmacology, safe administration of medication in a variety of settings, medical complications of mental illness and therapeutic resistance
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills and ability to work collaboratively with other disciplines, including DOC staff
• Strong leadership skills with ability to identify staff needs and provide mentorship and education to suit those needs
• Buprenorphine waiver training highly encouraged but not required

Qualification Requirements:

Education

1. M.D. or D.O. degree with active NY State license in good standing
2. Completion of a 4-year psychiatric residency training program
3. Active certification by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology m Psychiatry

Experience

1. At least two years of post-residency experience working with individuals with mental illness in a criminal justice setting (jail, prison, probation and/or parole) or public health community setting
2. At least one year of post-residency experience in a supervisory role in psychiatry
3. At least one year of post-residency experience working with individuals with serious mental illness
4. An equivalent and satisfactory combination of education and experience may be considered

Detailed Tasks

Responsibilities Include (depending on location):

• Ensure the highest possible quality of mental health care both in the facility and in collaboration with the other jail facilities in the system. This includes active participation in quality improvement, staff and patient safety initiatives, treatment supervision, and personnel mentorship and management.
• In coordination with the facility-specific Mental Health Unit Chief, design, implementation, ongoing review, and monitoring of relevant clinical facility-specific procedures, policies and operating manuals.
• Direct clinical individual and group supervision of the relevant psychiatric prescribing staff, including psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, and psychiatric physician assistants. This supervision must include both in vivo reviews of clinical skills as well as chart review.
• Close collaboration, including regularly scheduled meetings, with other relevant disciplines within the mental health, medical, nursing and operations departments, as well as the Department of Correction.
• Ensure that medication renewals are completed in a timely manner.
• Educate clinical staff about new developments regarding best practices in all aspects of psychiatric care, with specific attention to the challenges and issues facing a jail setting. (e.g., influence of legal case, dual loyalty, medication diversion)
• Ensure compliance with all regulatory standards.
• In collaboration with the Mental Health Unit Chief, oversee the orientation of new staff to the facility or program.
• Conduct regular and multi-disciplinary case conferences.
• Report on an as-needed basis to the CHS Morbidity and Mortality review committee.
• Work in collaboration with the Mental Health Unit Chief to manage clinical schedules, vacation requests, CME activities and other relevant activities as they pertain to psychiatric staffing and education.
• Participate in policy revision and creation, and practice guideline creations, related to psychiatric care, including input into the psychiatric medication formulary.
• Lead at least monthly interdisciplinary mental health staff meetings in coordination with the Mental Health Unit Chief and Clinical Supervisor.
• Personnel management of clinical staff, including setting quality standards, establishing effective recruitment and retention strategies, and managing workforce complaints.
• At least 30% of time devoted to direct clinical care, which may include direct supervision of psychiatric trainees. For smaller facilities or programs with less supervisory need, more direct patient care will be expected.
• On-call responsibilities for two weeks at a time, one to times per year, for off-hours issues that require high level clinical intervention.
• Other duties at the discretion of the Medical Director of Mental Health or the Chief of Service.

Minimum Qualifications

Applicants must have all of the following: 

• 1. Graduation from a medical school approved by the Council on Medical Education and 
• Hospitals of the American Medical Association. 
• 2. Completion of an acceptable internship in an approved hospital. 
• 3. A license to practice medicine in the State of New York. 
• 4. Certification by American Board in field of specialization or a faculty appointment of Associate Professor or higher in a medical school recognized by the American Medical Association. 
• 5. Eight (8) years of satisfactory full-time paid experience in field of specialization including at least three (3) years in a supervisory or administrative capacity.(Training and experience required for certification will be credited toward required specialized experience.)

NYC Health and Hospitals offers a competitive benefits package that includes:

• Comprehensive Health Benefits for employees hired to work 20+ hrs. per week
• Retirement Savings and Pension Plans
• Loan Forgiveness Programs for eligible employees
• Paid Holidays and Vacation in accordance with employees Collectively bargained contracts
• College tuition discounts and professional development opportunities
• Multiple employee discounts programs