The Mental Health Association of Westchester (MHA) is a community-based not-for-profit committed to recovery-focused mental health services through advocacy, community education and direct services. We are recognized as the leader in Westchester in providing person-centered services that involve collaborating with each individual to achieve his or her goals.
MHA facilitates recovery by providing services that reflect our deeply held values that include the recognition of individual rights of self-determination, choice, shared decision-making and collaborative work. Our highly trained staff utilize evidence-based practices throughout our comprehensive array of trauma-informed and recovery-oriented services.
Through our robust services, as well as our advocacy programs and community events, MHA is able to meet the needs of thousands of men, women, children and families each year, helping them live independent lives in the community.
Join Our Team! We have an exciting new opportunity for Psychiatrist in our Youth ACT Program located in Westchester County.
The Youth ACT Team serves children/youth with Serious Emotional Disturbance (SED), who are returning home from inpatient settings or residential services, at risk of entering such settings, or have not adequately engaged or responded to treatment in more traditional community-based services. Youth ACT team delivers intensive, highly coordinated, individualized services and skilled therapeutic interventions through an integrated, multi-disciplinary team approach to better achieve success and maintain the child in the home, school and community.
SUMMARY of DUTIES
The psychiatrist, in conjunction with the Team Leader, has overall clinical responsibility of monitoring recipient treatment and staff delivery of clinical services. The psychiatrist provides psychiatric and medical assessment and treatment in the home and community; clinical supervision, education, and training of the team; and development, maintenance, and supervision of medication administration and psychiatric and medical treatment and procedures. The Psychiatrist will support recovery by providing services that reflect our deeply held values that include the recognition of individual rights of self-determination, choice, shared decision-making and collaboration. When possible, the psychiatrist will utilize evidence-based practices; always embracing a trauma-informed and person-centered approach.
SPECIFIC DUTIES and RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Act as psychiatrist for all Youth ACT clients.
2. Conduct psychiatric assessments in the home and community including psychiatric history, course of illness, response to treatment, mental status examination/diagnoses and present assessment results at team meetings and treatment planning meetings.
3. Collaborate with the team in assessment of client physical health, making appropriate referrals to community physicians for further assessment and treatment, and coordinating medical treatments with psychiatric treatment.
4. Prescribe psychotropic medications and conduct regular assessments of therapeutic responses and side effects and educate clients regarding psychotropic medications.
5. Perform individual, group, and family supportive therapy and illness education in the process of carrying out the tasks above.
6. Responsible for adhering to all standards and guidelines established by applicable regulatory authorities.
7. Modeling and teaching a person-centered approach, honoring choice, self- determination and shared decision-making.
8. Follows the established agency policies and maintains appropriate professional standards.
9. Establish and maintain a culture that is recovery oriented and grounded in service excellence.
10. With other team members, provide support, education, and counseling to family members of clients to help them become knowledgeable about mental illness, collaborate in the treatment process, and assist in their family member’s process.
11. Provide on-site crisis assessment and management of patients during regular work hours, both on-site, via telehealth and over the phone.
12. Be actively involved in hospitalization of clients including initiation and facilitation of admission on the hospital; regular communication and consultation with the attending psychiatrist; frequent visits to clients in the hospital; and along with other team members, collaboration with the inpatient staff in the planning and implementation of treatment and discharge to the community.
13. Submit written reports and oral testimony and presentation of opinion in commitment and other legal proceedings and in a wide range of treatment, rehabilitative, and support services matters (e.g., Social Security applications, prior authorization of medication, etc.).
14. Document client progress to maintain a permanent record of client activity according to established methods and procedures.
15. Participate in daily morning team meetings and treatment planning review meetings.
16. Follow the established Youth ACT policies & procedures, agency policies and maintain appropriate professional standards.
17. Use individual client data to inform clinical decision-making and identify areas for quality improvement; use data to track client progress over time.
18. Share client data with clients to help facilitate shared-decision making and keep client informed of his/her progress.
19. Other related duties.
REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE and SKILLS
1. Experience understanding family systems based on diversity of cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
2. Experience understanding various evidence-based models and theories pertaining to psycho-education, motivational interviewing, serious mental illness and recovery.
3. Extensive knowledge of Assertive Community Treatment, family support services, and community resources.
4. Use of Motivational Interviewing, recovery and trauma-informed approaches when delivering services.
5. Effective crisis intervention skills.
6. Highly organized and self-motivated.
7. Proficient in computers.
8. Familiarity with and ability to use an Electronic Health Record system.
QUALIFICATIONS
1. Must be currently licensed as a physician by the NYS Education Department and certified by, or be eligible to be certified by, the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.
2. Board certification must be attained in adult psychiatry within 12 months of hire and continue in good standing though-out employment with MHA.
3. Current licensure by the New York State Education Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration is also required.
4. Basic computer knowledge is required.
5. Must be reliable and able to work independently and understand the importance of maintaining confidentiality.
6. The Psychiatrist must have a valid Driver’s License and a driving record that is satisfactory to our insurance carrier.
7. The Psychiatrist must maintain current New York State Defensive Driving certification.
8. Must maintain an active medical license in good standing to practice in New York State.
9. Must maintain an active unrestricted federal and state DEA registration.
10. Must be and maintain clearance through the NYS Justice Center through fingerprinting for a Criminal History Records search.
11. Must be and maintain clearance by the DCJS New York State Sex Offender Registry.
12. Must be and maintain clearance by the Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs Staff Exclusion List (SEL) and the New York State Medicaid Exclusion List.
13. Must be and maintain clearance by the NYS Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) for instances of child abuse and/or neglect.
14. Must be legally eligible to work in the United States.
MHA of Westchester is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to cultural competency, diversity, and inclusion and values the ways in which we are different. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or other characteristic protected by the applicable law.
To apply, please send your cover letter and résumé by e-mail to employment@mhawestchester.org with "ACT-Psychiatrist" as the subject line of the e-mail. Thank you.