Licensed Psychologist- YTC & East Mesa Juvenile Detention Facility

Position Summary

The Licensed Psychologist provides advanced behavioral health services to adolescents and young adults within San Diego County’s Juvenile Institutions. The Psychologist maintains direct patient care responsibilities while also providing clinical supervision, psychological assessment, consultation, and leadership within the behavioral health program.

Responsibilities include psychological and biopsychosocial assessment, diagnosis and treatment planning, individual, group, and family therapy, crisis intervention, suicide risk assessment, and clinical documentation. The Psychologist may also conduct comprehensive and court-ordered psychological evaluations, including Mental Competency Evaluations, consistent with their training and demonstrated areas of competence.

The Psychologist provides clinical supervision to psychology practicum students, associate-level clinicians, and/or other behavioral health professionals as permitted by applicable licensing requirements.

• Location: Youth Transition Center and East Mesa
• Salary: Exempt $130,000- $145,000 depending
• Shift: Monday through Friday 8am-4pm, OR Tuesday-Thursday 8am-6pm or 7:30am-5:30pm

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Clinical Care & Assessment

· Conduct comprehensive mental health and biopsychosocial assessments, diagnose mental health disorders, and develop individualized treatment plans.

· Provide individual, group, and family therapy utilizing evidence-based, trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and developmentally appropriate interventions.

· Conduct crisis interventions and suicide/self-harm risk assessments and develop appropriate safety and treatment recommendations.

· Monitor treatment progress and modify interventions based on clinical presentation and changing needs.

· Complete timely, accurate, objective, and clinically appropriate documentation.

Psychological & Court-Ordered Evaluations

· When required, conduct comprehensive psychological and court-ordered evaluations, including Mental Competency Evaluations, within demonstrated areas of professional competence.

· Select, administer, score, and interpret appropriate psychological assessment instruments as needed based on referrals.

· Integrate clinical interviews, psychological testing, behavioral observations, collateral information, and records into comprehensive psychological formulations.

· Prepare clear, objective, professionally defensible reports and communicate findings and recommendations to appropriate stakeholders.

· Provide consultation or testimony regarding evaluations when required.

· Maintain objectivity and appropriate professional boundaries when functioning in forensic or evaluative roles.

Clinical Supervision & Consultation

· Provide clinical supervision to psychology practicum students, associate-level clinicians, and/or other assigned behavioral health professionals.

· Support supervisees in developing competency in assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, psychotherapy, crisis intervention, documentation, ethics, and professional practice.

· Review clinical documentation, provide consultation on complex or high-risk cases, and monitor clinical quality and professional development.

· Participate in the development and training of practicum students and behavioral health staff.

· Serve as a senior clinical resource to the behavioral health team and multidisciplinary partners.

· Assist Mental Health Director with continuous quality improvement and documentation audits to ensure high quality delivery of clinical services.

Multidisciplinary Collaboration

· Collaborate effectively with Probation, medical, education, behavioral health, legal, and administrative partners.

· Participate in multidisciplinary treatment meetings, case conferences, and other collaborative processes.

· Provide consultation regarding diagnosis, treatment, behavioral health needs, risk, and management of complex cases.

· Balance the clinical needs of youth with the safety, security, operational, and legal requirements of a juvenile detention environment.

· Maintain appropriate clinical independence, confidentiality, and professional boundaries while working collaboratively within the facility.

Required Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

The successful candidate must demonstrate:

· Advanced skills in psychological assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, psychotherapy, crisis intervention, and suicide risk assessment.

· Knowledge of adolescent development, trauma, psychopathology, and evidence-based behavioral health interventions.

· Strong clinical supervision, consultation, and professional communication skills.

· Sound ethical reasoning, independent clinical judgment, and appropriate professional boundaries.

· Ability to establish therapeutic relationships with youth who may be guarded, resistant, hostile, emotionally dysregulated, or involuntarily participating in treatment.

· Ability to work effectively with youth regardless of the nature or severity of their alleged or adjudicated offenses.

· Ability to remain calm and professional when confronted with provocative, disrespectful, threatening, or emotionally charged statements or behaviors without personalizing client interactions.

· Ability to recognize and appropriately manage countertransference and seek consultation when needed.

· Ability to work collaboratively with professionals from multiple disciplines while appropriately advocating for the behavioral health needs of youth.

· Strong written communication skills, including preparation of clinical and psychological evaluation reports.

Minimum Qualifications

· Doctoral degree (Ph. D., Psy. D., or qualifying equivalent) in Clinical Psychology, Counseling Psychology, or another psychology discipline meeting California requirements for psychologist licensure.

· Current and unrestricted license to practice psychology in the State of California.

· Must remain in good standing with the California Board of Psychology.

· Must meet applicable requirements to provide clinical supervision to assigned trainees and clinicians.

· Specialized or forensic evaluations must be conducted within the Psychologist’s demonstrated areas of professional competence.

Preferred Qualifications

· Experience in juvenile justice, forensic, correctional, residential, inpatient, or other high-acuity behavioral health settings.

· Experience working with adolescents and transitional-age youth with complex behavioral health needs.

· Experience providing clinical supervision to psychology practicum students and/or associate-level clinicians.

· Training and experience conducting comprehensive psychological and juvenile competency evaluations.

· Experience with psychological testing and report writing.

· Experience conducting suicide risk assessments and providing crisis intervention.

· Experience collaborating with multidisciplinary teams involving behavioral health, Probation/custody, medical, education, and legal professionals.