Psychologist III Forensic Evaluator

About the role

The Psychologist III Forensic Evaluator performs advanced and/or managerial (senior-level) psychological work under the Director of Forensic Evaluation Services in the Office of Forensic Services and Coordination. The Forensic Evaluator is responsible for conducting trial competency evaluations under CCP 46B, fitness to proceed evaluations under Texas Family Code Chapter 55, and violence risk assessments under CCP 46C across the Health and Specialty Care System.

Responsibilities

• Designs, conducts, and coordinates forensic activities and programs.
• Conducts evaluations of individuals on 46B/46C/Chapter 55 commitments in accordance with the HHSC State Hospital Forensic Operative Procedure and utilizes evidence-based and standardized instruments to ensure accurate assessments.
• Provides expert consultation and testimony as needed in legal proceedings.
• Maintains thorough documentation and compliance with regulatory standards while contributing to ongoing program development, training, and quality improvement initiatives to enhance forensic services.
• Provides consultation, training, and guidance to state hospital and state supported living center staff on the appropriate use of forensic evaluations and provides technical assistance in communicating with the courts to facilitate safe discharges.
• Maintains thorough documentation and compliance with regulatory standards while contributing to ongoing program development, training, and quality improvement initiatives to enhance forensic services.
• Develops and implements procedures to ensure that forensic evaluations are completed, documented, and communicated to the relevant courts or other entities in accordance with applicable statutes, standards, and policies.
• Evaluates and ensures the professional competency of forensic evaluators through coaching and training as needed.
• Collaborates with other disciplines to develop forensic policies and procedures.
• Provides specialized forensic psychological services tailored to legal and clinical settings, which encompass a range of assessments and interventions designed to assess and manage mental health and behavioral concerns.
• Assists with and participates in performance improvement efforts toward implementation of a recovery/trauma-informed care (TIC) treatment/recovery planning environment.
• Provides consultation and guidance on the appropriate application of forensic-educational activities based on existing best practices and current peer-reviewed research.
• Provides case outreach, training, education, and expert consultation to multidisciplinary teams, relevant courts, and community stakeholders on forensic services.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Graduation from an accredited college or university with a doctoral degree in psychology.
• One year of supervised experience by a licensed psychologist in the field of psychological services; the year of supervised experience may be interpreted as an academic year of full-time supervised internship in an approved clinical program.
• One year of experience conducting both forensic evaluations and standard psychological assessments and writing reports with forensic populations in an inpatient psychiatric setting.

Qualifications

• Licensed as a Psychologist by the State of Texas or a reciprocity state.
• Ability to conduct forensic and psychological assessments and write clear, concise reports.
• Ability to provide expert testimony to courts regarding forensic and psychological assessments.
• Ability to provide direct services in accordance with accepted professional standards.
• Ability to function as a member of the psychology management team.
• Ability to provide individual and family education regarding serious mental illness.
• Ability to complete treatment documentation in electronic medical record using computer.
• Ability to communicate assessment data and treatment/discharge implications to team members, courts, and patients where appropriate.
• Ability to educate staff in correct implementation of individual and group therapy programs as well as Individualized Intervention programs as needed.
• Ability to operate a computer and applicable software.

Skills

• Knowledge of forensic psychological assessment and treatment of the seriously mentally ill forensic populations.
• Knowledge of psychotherapy and CBT, DBT, behavior therapy, and other empirically-supported psychotherapeutic modalities.
• Skills in the use of psychological instruments to evaluate personality, neurocognition, adaptive functioning, suicide risk, and malingering (i.e. MMPI, HCR-20, VRAG, TOMM, MFAST, and SIRS).

Benefits

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) offers a comprehensive benefits package including 100% paid employee health insurance for full-time eligible employees, a defined benefit pension plan, generous time off benefits, numerous opportunities for career advancement, and more. For more details, visit the Benefits of Working at HHS webpage.

Pay

The salary range for this position is $8,184.00 - $11,864.00 per month.

Schedule

The schedule for this position is Day and the pay frequency is Monthly.