Psychiatrist (Sacramento)

Description of Position and Key Responsibilities

We are seeking a compassionate and experienced psychiatrist to join our free-standing psychiatric hospital in Sacramento, California. The ideal candidate will provide clinical oversight, assess patients, diagnose or rule out mental disorders, prescribe treatments, and monitor patient progress.

Requirements

• Completion of a psychiatric residency in an ACGME approved residency program
• Valid CA medical license (Psychiatrist)
• Board certified or board eligible
• Valid DEA certificate
• 2 years' experience working full-time as a psychiatrist
• Competency restoration and/or forensics experience preferred

Responsibilities

• Helps patients by evaluating medical and psychosocial conditions
• Develops and implements treatment plans, including prescription of psychotropic medications
• Maintains interdisciplinary treatment by reviewing treatment plans and progress, and consulting and collaborating with other healthcare providers
• Ensures quality and safe service for patients and staff by enforcing policies, procedures, and standards
• Improves staff competence by providing training and discussions regarding relevant issues
• Supervises the work of Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners

Skills and Abilities

• Documentation skills
• Analyzing information
• Decision-making
• Listening
• Verbal communication
• Patient services
• Mental health
• Building relationships
• Discretion
• Beside manners

Physical Requirements

• Use standard office equipment and access, input, and retrieve information from a computer
• Use computer keyboard with manual and finger dexterity and wrist-finger speed sufficient to perform repetitive actions efficiently for extended periods of time
• Communicate effectively in English in person, or via telephone, in a manner which can be understood by those with whom the person is speaking, including a diverse population
• Give and follow verbal and written instructions with attention to detail and accuracy
• Perform complex mental functions and basic arithmetic functions; interpret complex laws, regulations, and policies; collect, interpret, and/or analyze complex data and information
• See details of objects at close range
• Coordinate multiple tasks simultaneously
• Reach forward, up, down, and to the side
• Sit or stand for minimum periods of one hour at a time and come and go from the work area repeatedly throughout the day
• Lift up to ten (10) pounds

Additional Information

Located in Sacramento, California, Sacramento Behavioral Healthcare Hospital (SBHH) is a 117-bed free-standing psychiatric hospital. The hospital has six inpatient units ranging in size from 19 to 20 beds each. Two of the units (39 beds) are for general adult care. The other four units are for competency restoration. These patients are referred from facilities across the state, and hospitalized on a court-ordered commitment to be restored to competency. Psychiatrists are not solely relied upon for, nor do they need to have any expertise in, the tasks of restoring patients to competency. The average length of stay for these patients also allows for longer term care of particularly difficult patients without any of the typical insurance-driven pressures to discharge them. The opportunity to consult with the country's foremost Psychopharmacology experts in the treatment of the severely mentally ill should there arise any particularly challenging clinical cases and questions. Despite the forensic population, the availability of an IMO for most patients and the presence of 24/7 security staff have contributed to a much safer, and more structured, working environment than a typical acute inpatient psychiatric unit. The average length of stay for the general adult units is 7 days. For the IST units, it's 2 to 3 months. The main treatment modalities are: medication management, group therapy, family & individual sessions. Psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, and internal medicine physicians comprise the provider group with nurses, therapists, and mental health techs rounding out the patient care service group. Treatment teams meet daily, Monday thru Friday. Each patient is seen a minimum of five days per week, some more often. The psychiatrist attends treatment team meetings along with the nurse and therapist. Verbal de-escalation and physical holds are performed by use of Handle With Care techniques. We do not possess mechanical restraints. We do have a few seclusion rooms for individuals who need that momentary less stimulating space. The medical record is electronic using a system called "Best Care." Providers do their own physician order entry and electronically transmit discharge prescriptions. The credentialing/privileging process is coordinated through our Medical Staff Office and typically takes a week or so to accomplish. New providers are provided a few hours of administrative and clinical orientation by the Medical Staff Office and by the Medical Director. Psychiatrists will typically cover a unit or two, with or without nurse practitioner assistance (depending on census and vacations) during weekdays and be on call during those weekdays until 8pm at which time on-call moonlighters cover after-hours calls. Psychiatrists are expected to take call one weekend per month. All new patient psychiatric evaluations are done by psychiatrists who then either continue the care for that particular patient or in some cases turn it over to a nurse practitioner. Psychiatrists work in conjunction with the Medical Director to receive their unit-based assignment(s). On a daily basis, the Intake Department assigns new patients to attending psychiatrists. H&Ps are done by internal medicine physicians. Current needs are: Two full-time board-certified general adult psychiatrists. This is an in-person role Mon-Fri with one weekend of call per month.