WEST HAWAII COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER

POSITION DESCRIPTION

JOB TITLE: Psychiatrist/Psychiatric

FLSA STATUS: Exempt

DEPARTMENT: Behavioral Health

SUPERVISED BY: Behavioral Health Director

SUMMARY: The Psychiatrist or Psychiatric NP is responsible for supporting Behavioral Health are provided in a primary care setting by a team comprised of primary care and Behavioral Health providers. Clinical supervision is provided by the Medical Director, with operational and program oversight by Behavioral Health Director.

The duties of this position require the handling and management of confidential, proprietary and consumer health information. Consequently, the primary responsibility of this position is to safeguard, protect and maintain the confidentiality, integrity and availability of all proprietary and consumer health information at all times.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provide regularly scheduled caseload consultation to Behavioral Health providers and sometimes when requested with PCPs. These consultations focus primarily on patients who are new to treatment or who are not improving as expected and are typically done in person or on telephone.

• Work with assigned Behavioral Health and Medical providers to consult with, track and oversee their patient panels and clinical outcomes using the EHR system.

• Suggest treatment plan changes, including medication recommendations, for patients who are not improving as expected.

• Clearly communicate to Behavioral Health and PCP the limitation of the consultation and treatment recommendations.

Ø Examines patient to determine mental status. Order laboratory and other special diagnostic tests and evaluates data obtained.

Ø Determine nature and extent of mental disorder and formulates treatment program.

• Use the EHR for recommendations for treatment and/or referrals within 48 hours of consulting with BH Provider or PCP, so that they can be easily shared with PCPs and other treating providers.

• Prescribes controlled substances and other high risk medications in alignment with current guidelines and WHCHC policies.

• Works with BH team and PCP to track and oversee their patients’ panel and clinical outcomes using EHR.

• Suggests treatment plan changes, including medication recommendations for patients who are not improving as expected.

• Discusses patients who need referral for additional specialty mental health care and advises on treatment plans until patients are engaged in such care.

• Conducts group support and therapy sessions.

• Meet with BH providers and PCPs to discuss ongoing collaboration.

• Provides broad range of patient care services including taking health histories, performing assessments, implementing management plans, prescribing appropriate medications, and conducting health education and counseling.

• Participates as a member of an integrated patient-centered health care team.

• Acts as role model and demonstrates accountable and sophisticated clinical practice in work with patients and in collaboration with other health professionals.

• Gives phone advice according to established guidelines. Returns patient calls in a timely fashion, preferably by the end of business day.

• Utilizes nationally established guidelines/protocol for clinical decision making and management.

• Serves as patient advocate in identifying health care needs and actions.

• Maintains patient confidentiality and abides by all HIPAA rules and regulations.

• Develops and implements health care education and health maintenance protocols in accordance with published standards, in collaboration with the other Providers and members of the health care team.

• Communicates with other members of health care team regarding special needs of patients. Refers patients when necessary for in house or external assistance.

• Actively participates in the quality assessment and improvement processes, generation ideas, conducting assessments, peer review, developing improvement plans and implementing and evaluation plans, in collaboration with the Quality & Performance Administrator, other Providers, the Medical Director and the Chief Executive Officer.

• Receives incoming calls from patients, hospitals, laboratories, doctors’ offices, and other facilities. Takes messages and follows up appropriately and per clinic protocols. Accurately communicates these telephone reports to the appropriate health care team member and documents the information and follow up actions in the patient’s chart, all in a timely manner.

• Providers do not do inpatient hospital coverage, do not have admitting privileges or do deliveries, but may need to correspond with the hospital physician about patients.

• Provides individual/group instruction to patients, parents, guardians, family members, as appropriate.

• Completes patient progress notes and other necessary documents and completes EHR system within 48 hours, preferably by the end of each day.

• Complies with and keeps abreast of current clinic policies and procedures.

• Keeps abreast of latest advances in medicine. Keeps up with current standards of practice and recent literature.

• Participates in Health Disparities Collaborative as needed.

• Complies with all regulations set for by WHCHC grants, ex., Family Planning, BCCCP.

• Keeps informed of and complies with occupational safety guidelines. Takes all reasonable precautions to prevent accidental injury on the job. Participates in all mandatory annual trainings.

• Keeps informed of Clinic Safety, Fire, Emergency and Disaster Preparedness Plans. Assists patients and co-workers in case of emergency.

• Performs other tasks as assigned.

Other Duties:

• Participates in monthly staff meetings, including but not limited to, All Staff Meeting, Leadership Team Meeting and Provider Meeting.

• Participates in Quality Improvement and Quality Assurance meetings as requested, and any other ongoing Quality Improvement activity, including Peer Review and Case Reviews.

• Maintains all licensure, board certification, and continuing education credits.

• Establishes and maintains high standards of practice among clinic staff. Serves as a team player and role model to other employees in the organization.

• Assists staff in working to fulfill the mission, vision, goals and objectives of the Health Center.

• Ensures compliance with human resources policies and procedures.

• Represents the Health Center, as requested by Medical Director and/or Chief Executive Officer, on community agency committees when commensurate with the Health Center’s mission.

• Participates in customer service-related issues.

• Performs other duties to support the goals and objectives of the Health Center as deemed by the Medical Director and/or Chief Executive Officer.

Confidential and Sensitive Information:

Because the employee has access to personal and professional data regarding individual employees and their families, personal data regarding individual patients and their families, and/or sensitive company financial data, as essential job result is the maintenance of a high level of confidentiality of the information processed by the employee. Violation of this confidence may result in disciplinary action, including termination of employment.

POSITION SPECIFICATIONS

Requirements of Position

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and Experience

• Current Hawaii State Medical License or APRN License with Prescriptive Authority; Degree in Psychiatry or Mental Health from an accredited school.

• Must meet requirements credentialing in Hawaii.

• Board Certification in Psychiatry preferred.

• Previous experience in a community health center environment and/or low-income, culturally diverse populations desirable.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Excellent analytical and abstract reasoning skills.

• Excellent organization skills.

• Ability to work with others in a non-judgmental and confidential manner.

• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office programs and EHR systems.

• Ability to communicate with diverse groups of people to include staff, providers and patients.

• Ability to communicate effectively with patients and their families to make their visit a pleasant experience.

• Sensitivity to the multicultural nature of the service area population and may be required to communicate in another language.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS/WORKING CONDITIONS

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle or feel, and talk or hear. The employee is required to stand, walk, reach with hands and arms, and stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move over 30 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

REMARKS:

The foregoing position description is not all-inclusive of the duties that may be assigned to the employee. In order to ensure maximum flexibility and efficiency and to encourage cross training, employees will be assigned additional duties as deemed necessary or desirable by HICHC.