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University of Colorado
Aurora, Colorado

Clinical Psychologist – Whole Person Pain Service – Senior Instructor

PsychologistPart-Time

Listed compensation

$92k-$140k

Listing transparency3 of 6 stated

Ask the employer about call expectations, weekend coverage and nights and shift pattern.

Employment & setting
Part-Time · on-site
Call expectations
Not specified
Weekends
Not specified
Posted 1h ago · Verified live

Job Description

  • University of Colorado Anschutz
  • School of Medicine Department of Family Medicine
  • Job Title: Clinical Psychologist – Whole Person Pain Service – Senior Instructor
  • Position # 00853211 Requisition # 41174

Job Summary

This position provides behavioral health services to patients receiving care within the Whole Person Pain Service (WPPS). The role provides clinical interdisciplinary pain care and behavioral health services for patients with chronic pain, particularly those on chronic opioid therapy, supporting patient-centered, equitable care, education, and program growth in conjunction with the WPPS team. For clinical services within WPPS, the behavioral health clinician will see patients in individual virtual visits and group virtual visits co-facilitated with a medical provider, as well as participate in case conferences and regular team operational meetings.

This position has been established at 0.60 FTE. There is an opportunity to additionally apply for up to 0.4 cFTE of incremental in person integrated behavioral healthcare in one of our department’s brick and mortar primary care clinics for candidates looking for >0.6 total FTE.

  • Examples of Work Performed
  • The duties and responsibilities of the position include, but are not limited to:

Key Responsibilities

· Provide clinical support and consultation for WPPS behavioral health services, including direct patient care.

· Develop, implement, and evaluate evidence-informed behavioral health and pain psychology services for primary care patients with chronic pain seen within WPPS.

· Participate when needed in developing clinical guidelines, workflows, and delivery models for integrated chronic pain care.

· Involvement in program growth, sustainability planning, and workforce development for WPPS behavioral health services.

· Involvement in quality improvement, outcomes evaluation, access metrics, and financial sustainability efforts. This is a pilot program led by an engaged and capable team and financial sustainability will be re-evaluated at the end of the fiscal year.

· Collaborate with medical, administrative, and CU Medicine leadership to ensure high-quality, efficient, and optimized financial operations, which includes but is not limited to ensuring that WPPS clinician templates are regularly filled, that behavioral health provider billing and coding is appropriately optimized to ensure collections, and that patient experience measures are good.

· Support education and academic missions through teaching, supervision, and mentorship of learners and faculty as opportunities arise.

· Ensure BH clinician compliance with University, School of Medicine, CU Medicine, and regulatory policies and procedures.

· Participate in WPPS operational meetings.

· Collaborating to ensure any BH-specific performance standards are upheld by any additional behavioral health providers or learners providing clinical care within the WPPS.

· Participate in WPPS staff or clinician hiring selection, if needed.

Administrative/Professional Development

· Maintains eligibility for School of Medicine Faculty.

· ­Keeps well-informed of the latest developments in field, both academically and through applied skill.

· May participate in clinical research projects (but not required to be a clinician-researcher unless pursuing traditional promotion path).

· Accepts other responsibilities specifically assigned by the Medical Director and Director of Behavioral Health and Integrated Programs.

· Attends and presents at conferences, meetings and trainings in order to maintain certification and enhance professional skills; participates in faculty development activities.

· Attends and presents at conferences, meetings and trainings in order to maintain certification and enhance professional skills; participates in faculty development activities.

Work Location

Hybrid – candidates must live in Colorado upon hire.

Why Join Us

The Department of Family Medicine (DFM) is dedicated to “helping people be healthier" by educating, nurturing, fostering, and enhancing those in the field of family medicine and the communities we live in and serve. The Department of Family Medicine has five (5) focus areas, each with specific goals:

· Patient Care: Provide outstanding Family Medicine to every patient.

· Research: Create and disseminate new knowledge.

· Training: Train integrated future Family Medicine workforce.

· Community Engagement: Achieve health equity with community engagement and advocacy.

· Our People: Nurture a thriving, diverse and equitable department culture.

Why work for the University?

We have AMAZING benefits and offer exceptional amounts of holiday, vacation and sick leave! The University of Colorado offers an excellent benefits package including:

· Medical: Multiple plan options

· Dental: Multiple plan options

· Additional Insurance: Disability, Life, Vision

· Retirement 401(a) Plan: Employer contributes 10%25 of your gross pay

· Paid Time Off: Accruals over the year

· Vacation Days: 22/year (maximum accrual 352 hours)

· Sick Days: 15/year (unlimited maximum accrual)

· Holiday Days: 11/year

· Tuition Benefit: Employees have access to this benefit on all CU campuses

· ECO Pass: Reduced rate RTD Bus and light rail service.

Qualifications

  • Minimum Qualifications:
  • Applicants must meet minimum qualifications at the time of hire.
  • Sr. Instructor:

· Education: Doctoral degree in Psychology (PhD or PsyD)

· Experience: Completion of an accredited postdoctoral program with enough clinical hours to be licensed as a clinical psychologist.

· Special Skills: Ability to obtain Colorado state licensure as a psychologist. Ability to obtain and maintain credentialing through the University of Colorado Health system.

Preferred Qualifications

· Experience supervising clinicians and trainees.

· Expertise in pain psychology, chronic pain treatment, or behavioral medicine.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

· Ability to communicate effectively, both in writing and orally.

· Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees at all levels throughout the institution.

· Outstanding customer service skills.

· Demonstrated commitment to advance inclusion and incorporate varied perspectives.

· Decision Quality: Making good and timely decisions that keep the organization moving forward.

· Plans and Aligns: Planning and prioritizing work to meet commitments aligned with organizational goals.

· Ensures Accountability: Holding self and others accountable to meet commitments.

· Builds Effective Teams: Building strong-identity teams that apply their skills and perspectives to achieve common goals.

· Manages Ambiguity: Operating effectively even when things are not certain or the way forward is not clear.

How to Apply

For full consideration, please submit the following document(s):

1. A letter of interest describing relevant job experiences as they relate to listed job qualifications and interest in the position

2. Curriculum vitae / Resume

3. Five professional references including name, address, phone number (mobile number if appropriate), and email address

  • Applications are accepted electronically ONLY at www.cu.edu/cu-careers.
  • Questions should be directed to: Lydia Lyon Lydia.lyon@cuanschutz.edu

Screening of Applications Begins

Screening begins immediately and continues until 10/15/2026

Anticipated Pay Range

  • The starting salary range (or hiring range) for this position has been established as HIRING RANGE:
  • $92,000 to $140,000

The above salary range (or hiring range) represents the University’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting. This position is not eligible for overtime compensation unless it is non-exempt.

Your total compensation goes beyond the number on your paycheck. The University of Colorado provides generous leave, health plans and retirement contributions that add to your bottom line.

Total Compensation Calculator: http://www.cu.edu/node/153125

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The University of Colorado (CU) is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

ADA Statement

The University will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities throughout the employment application process. To request an accommodation pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, please contact the Human Resources ADA Coordinator at hr.adacoordinator@ucdenver.edu​.

Background Check Statement

The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is dedicated to ensuring a safe and secure environment for our faculty, staff, students and visitors. To assist in achieving that goal, we conduct background investigations for all prospective employees.

Vaccination Statement

CU Anschutz strongly encourages vaccination against the COVID-19 virus and other vaccine preventable diseases. If you work, visit, or volunteer in healthcare facilities or clinics operated by our affiliated hospital or clinical partners or by CU Anschutz, you will be required to comply with the vaccination and medical surveillance policies of the facilities or clinics where you work, visit, or volunteer, respectively. In addition, if you work in certain research areas or perform certain safety sensitive job duties, you must enroll in the occupational health medical surveillance program.

Qualifications

Education
Doctoral or professional degree (postgraduate degree)
Experience
5+ years of experience

Key Skills

Clinical psychologyClinical supervisionInterdisciplinary carePatient-centered careProgram developmentEvidence-informed practiceClinical consultationTeam leadershipData evaluation

Psychologist Career Context

In Colorado, the Psychology weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$125k (74 salary observations; 109 listings), vs ~$129k nationally (2,522 salary observations; 4,286 listings). Monthly aggregates cover 2025-12-01 through 2026-09-01; these are not the modal's selected comparable-job medians.

Of the 50 active Psychology listings this role was benchmarked against, 50% are remote, 28% have no call, 52% require no weekends.

Psychology pay on WeekdayDoc is up 3.2% vs. the prior quarter (through Aug 2026).

The cost-of-living index for Colorado is 103.1 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$116k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $113k in an average-cost state. 60.9% of Colorado clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

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Annual compensation range

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401k / retirement match
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Sign-on bonus
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CME allowance
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Loan repayment
15%
PSLF eligible
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Work-life snapshot

3.0/ 10
Listing-based score
  • On-site

Living in Aurora

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$451k
Typical market rent
$1,758/mo
Residents’ average commute
29 min
State income tax
Up to 4.4%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Aug 2026), Zillow market rents (Aug 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

City-level figures. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.

University of Colorado logo

About University of Colorado

Higher Education
Aurora, Colorado
11-50 employees

Benefits & Perks

Medical plans
Dental plans
Vision insurance
Disability insurance
Life insurance
Retirement 401(a) with 10% employer contribution
22 vacation days/year
15 sick days/year