JOB TITLE: CHIEF PSYCHIATRIC OFFICER

JOB CODE: 37560

DEFINITION: This is professional and administrative medical work in the planning, coordination, development, and evaluation of statewide behavioral health services for the Department of Human Services (DHS) or Department of Corrections (DOC).

An employee in this job serves as the Department's Chief Psychiatric Officer with agency-wide responsibility for the direction and oversight of behavioral health services and policy development applicable to individuals treated for mental illness and/or individuals with mental illness receiving services from DHS or DOC. Work involves providing consultative and advisory services to departmental managers, psychiatrists, physicians, and contracted psychiatric staff; serving as the department's liaison with other agencies and outside entities on issues involving behavioral health care; assisting in the coordination and resolution of behavioral health clinical issues across program offices and facilities; and monitoring the quality of behavioral health services delivered to individuals receiving psychiatric services from DHS or DOC. An important aspect of the work involves developing behavioral health clinical policy and ensuring implementation in a consistent manner across all of the department's program offices and facilities. Work also includes evaluating statewide behavioral health clinical practices and standards, policies, treatment, licensure, certification, accreditation, programs, and patient management. Work is performed under an administrative supervisor and is reviewed through conferences, reports, and evaluation of results.

EXAMPLES OF WORK: (NOTE: The examples of work are representative of the work, but every position classified to this job may not perform all examples of work listed. Conversely, this is not an all-inclusive list of work examples.):

• Establishes and implements behavioral health standards of care, drug formularies, and clinical quality and risk management mechanisms for agency operated facilities and regulated behavioral health providers.

• Develops and implements behavioral health clinical policy related to emergency behavioral health services.

• Organizes and conducts regular meetings with facility psychiatrists, physicians, psychiatric service vendors, and/or County Mental Health Administrators to communicate and coordinate psychiatric and behavioral health clinical services.

• Oversees clinical quality management programs for contracted managed care organizations for the provision of behavioral health care.

• Directs and conducts on-site reviews of state-operated facilities and acts as an expert consultant in unusual and difficult psychiatric cases.

• Reviews reports of findings and participates in the development of corrective action plans for behavioral health providers cited for psychiatric and clinical deficiencies.

• Evaluates statewide behavioral health clinical practices and standards to ensure quality and utilization of best patient care practices.

• Evaluates policies, treatment programs, and patient management practices of state operated mental health facilities to ensure conformance with accepted patient care and certification standards.

• Assesses and approves professional/medical staff organization, by-laws, rules, and regulations.

• Provides expert testimony on behalf of the department in regard to litigation, legislation, and public hearings requiring psychiatric knowledge and expertise.

• Analyzes ongoing behavioral health patient care practices and practitioner performance through the review of patient incident reports, hospital or correctional facility evaluation studies, and credentials/privilege policy and procedures.

• Identifies continuing education and training needs for departmental psychiatrists, physicians, and other behavioral health clinical professionals.

• Performs the full range of supervisory duties.

• Employees in this job may participate in the performance of subordinates’ work consistent with operational and organizational requirements.

• Performs related work as required.

ENTRY LEVEL KNOWLEDGES, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Knowledge of the principles, practices, and techniques in the field of psychiatry.

• Knowledge of community resources related to mental health services and programs.

• Knowledge of the laws and regulations governing behavioral health and clinical services.

• Knowledge of medical jurisprudence.

• Knowledge of the principles and practices of public administration.

• Ability to analyze, evaluate, and interpret psychiatric and clinical data.

• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships.

• Ability to communicate effectively orally.

• Ability to communicate effectively in writing.

MINIMUM EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING: (NOTE: Based on the Entry Level Knowledges, Skills, and Abilities):

• Four years of experience in the practice of psychiatry, and Board Certification in psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology or the American Osteopathic Board of Neurology and Psychiatry.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• All employees in this job require possession of an active unrestricted license to practice medicine in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as issued by the State Board of Medicine or the State Board of Osteopathic Medicine.

• All employees in this job must obtain an active DEA registration number to prescribe controlled substances from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as a condition of hire.