Child Partial Hospital/Outpatient Psychiatrist - Harrisburg

Location: Harrisburg, PA | Full-time, exempt position | 8-hour day shift

About the Role

The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at Penn State College of Medicine and Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center is seeking a Child Psychiatrist for a combined partial hospital and outpatient position at the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute (PPI) in Harrisburg, PA.

The primary focus is providing partial hospital services in a team-based care model within brand-new pediatric behavioral health space. The child partial hospital program includes a multidisciplinary team of nurses, teachers, therapists, and psychiatrists. Learners on the unit include medical students, residents, and child and adolescent psychiatry fellows. Patients are generally seen in the morning, followed by team meetings twice weekly.

Opportunities exist to provide ongoing general outpatient psychiatric care for children and adolescents, supplementing the acute care provided in the partial hospital setting. Applicants may also dedicate a portion of time to subspecialty areas within the clinic. Outpatient services, located in the same building, include individual therapy, medication management, group programs, and full-time dedicated master-level therapists, care coordination, nursing, and administrative staff.

Workplace culture promotes a team-based, collegial atmosphere that supports patient-centered care, scholarly interests, and work-life balance.

About the Department

The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health is committed to enhancing quality of life through improved mental and behavioral health, professional preparation of providers, and discovery of knowledge. Excellence is achieved through integration of education, research, patient care, and community service.

Leveraging Penn State University’s R1 land-grant status and strengths in neurosciences, methodology, and social and biological sciences, the department discovers new ways to improve lives affected by mental and behavioral illness. Specialty clinical and research programs span the translational spectrum.

Educational programs include psychiatry residency, child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship, psychology internship, externship, and post-doctoral fellowships. Strong collaborations exist with basic and clinical neuroscience and public health disciplines across Penn State campuses.

At the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute (PPI) in uptown Harrisburg, the department offers a full spectrum of care, including 89 inpatient beds, partial hospital programs, neuromodulation services, addiction treatment, and general and specialty outpatient programs for children and adults. Services through Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center include programs in general and specialty adult and child psychiatry and psychology, adult partial hospital, sleep medicine, eating disorders, psychiatry and addiction consultation/liaison, and integrated care with primary care and medical/surgical specialties.

Recent programmatic expansion has enhanced child mental and behavioral health services, including an inpatient child unit, partial hospitalization program, outpatient medication management, expanded child therapy services, group therapy, statewide pediatrician consultation, and a consultation-liaison psychiatry team.

Responsibilities

• Provide partial hospital psychiatric services in a team-based care model for children and adolescents.
• Participate in multidisciplinary team meetings twice weekly.
• Deliver ongoing general outpatient psychiatric care for children and adolescents.
• Opportunity to dedicate time to subspecialty areas within the clinic.
• Teach and mentor medical students, residents, and child and adolescent psychiatry fellows.
• Engage in scholarly and research initiatives.

Requirements

• MD or DO degree.
• Completion of an accredited residency program and child fellowship program.
• Board-certified or board-eligible in general and child psychiatry; certification required within 3 years of hire.
• Ability to acquire a medical license in Pennsylvania and a DEA certificate.
• Strong clinical and teaching skills; potential for scientific and scholarly achievement.

Benefits

• Full-time faculty appointment within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at Penn State College of Medicine, with academic rank starting at Assistant Professor (non-tenure track), commensurate with qualifications.
• Reasonable on-call expectations (currently 3 weekends per year); additional volunteer weekends compensated separately.
• Supportive environment for research initiatives with academically oriented faculty and staff.
• Robust mentorship programs and staff infrastructure.
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage with no waiting period.
• 5% employer 401k match after 6 months of employment.
• 20 days of vacation and 10 days of CME (plus funds) for full-time employees.
• 75% Penn State tuition remission for employees, dependent children, and spouses.
• Relocation assistance.

About the Area

Hershey, PA, and its surrounding communities offer diverse living options, from quiet suburban and rural settings to thriving urban environments. The region is rich in history and culture, home to the Hershey chocolate bar, and minutes from Pennsylvania’s capital, Harrisburg, as well as the vibrant cities of Lancaster and York.

The area features superb schools, reasonable cost of living, and a delightful quality of life with access to the Susquehanna River, Appalachian Trail, and major metropolitan areas like Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York City. Ample recreational opportunities are available in this diverse, picturesque, and historic environment.