Psychometrist

About the role

This position will individually interview and administer tasks to patients (adult, adolescent, and child) with a wide range of known or suspected psychiatric and neurological conditions using standardized testing procedures. This work requires proficiency with a wide range of testing techniques for neurological and psychiatric problems. This position must be able to differentiate and deal effectively with patients, medical school and legal personnel both within the community and hospital environment and outside the State of West Virginia. Must be able to adjust and schedule work according to the nature and priority of the referral.

Responsibilities

• Interviews and administers tests to patients with a wide range of known or suspected psychiatric and neurological conditions.
• Alters approach according to the special needs of each patient in order to ensure that the patient’s test results represent the best performances of which that patient is capable.
• Administers and scores a large number of individual tests and batteries of tests.
• Maintains awareness of deficits demonstrated by each patient and ensures that, whenever possible, tests of other abilities are presented in such a way that “irrelevant” deficits do not interfere with the patient’s performance.
• Uses manuals to score many of the results. Computes a summary index of the number of impaired performances for the neuropsychological test battery using an algebraic formula.
• Reviews all test materials for errors in administering, recording and scoring and makes corrections if necessary.
• Compiles test data and scores test for interpretation in a timely manner.
• Affords responsibility for the day-to-day operations.
• Performs billing and maintains a record-keeping and complex data retrieval system.
• Maintains inventory of all testing materials and supplies.
• Works with department secretary to schedule incoming referrals from all inpatient and outpatient referral sources.
• Maintains psychological testing files as necessary.
• Responds to correspondence requesting reprints, research and copies of psychological reports according to hospital confidentiality requirements.
• Collaborates in coordinating collection and collation of data for research projects when necessary.
• Learns to administer and score new tests when necessary.
• Establishes an effective learning environment for psychology interns during their rotation with the assessment service, which includes appropriate training and supervision as deemed necessary by the director of the service.
• This also includes Psychiatry residents and Social Work interns.
• Maintain patient confidentiality at all times, during work hours and outside the work environment.

Qualifications

• Education, Certification, and/or Licensure: Bachelor's degree. State criminal background check and Federal (if applicable), as required for regulated areas.
• Experience: One (1) year of experience in a mental health center, medical center, psychological service, an internship in psychological test administration or general customer service.
• PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: Specific training in administration of psychometric and personality assessment devices.

Skills and Abilities

• This position requires a high degree of interpersonal and communication skills with patients, faculty, staff, and outside referral sources and contacts.

Physical Requirements

• Frequent walking, standing, stooping, kneeling, reaching, pushing, pulling, lifting, grasping are necessary body movements utilized in performing duties through the work shift.
• Ability to sit for extended periods of time.
• When working on inpatient units, must be able and willing to participate in physical restraint of patient if needed.
• Ability to cope with high levels of stress that come with dealing with impaired patient populations.

Working Environment

• The work environment includes time in the office at Chestnut Ridge Center as well as walking around interacting with patients and staff of Chestnut Ridge Center.
• The examiner may be on a one-to-one basis in a closed testing environment where patients may become hostile or uncooperative and may even attempt to leave the testing situation.
• The Psychometrist may be exposed to high levels of stress due to working with psychologically impaired patients.

Additional Job Description

Scheduled Weekly Hours: 40
Exempt/Non-Exempt: Shift: United States of America (Non-Exempt)
Company: WVUH West Virginia University Hospitals
Cost Center: 8026 WVUH Neuro Behavioral Medicine Clinic RNI RNI
Address: 33 Medical Center Drive Morgantown West Virginia
Equal Opportunity Employer West Virginia University Health System and its subsidiaries (collectively "WVUHS") is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local fair employment practices laws.