Minors Independent Clinical Reviewer

Independent Clinical Reviewer

Facility Overview View Behavioral Health Child, Colton View Behavioral Health Child, Colton is a behavioral health campus providing acute psychiatric care and crisis stabilization services. Our Child & Adolescent program offers a safe, structured environment focused on stabilization, evidence-based treatment, and family-centered care. As we expand, the campus will include adult services, supporting a full continuum of care for the communities we serve.

Position Summary

The Independent Clinical Reviewer (ICR) conducts independent clinical reviews of voluntary minor admissions to support compliance with WIC 6002.25. This role helps ensure that inpatient psychiatric treatment is medically necessary, appropriate, and consistent with statutory safeguards governing voluntary minors.

The ICR operates within an LPS-designated psychiatric facility that serves both voluntary and involuntary child and adolescent populations. The statutory ICR review requirement applies specifically to voluntary minors. The reviewer should also understand the broader clinical and legal context of minor psychiatric care, including involuntary detention under WIC 5585 and related LPS processes, while maintaining clear separation from any hearing officer or certification review function.

The ICR must complete timely reviews and assess clinical justification with particular attention to developmental considerations, family involvement, treatment alternatives, medical necessity, and least restrictive level-of-care standards. The role requires strong child and adolescent psychiatric expertise and the ability to produce clear, defensible written determinations that align with clinical standards and applicable legal expectations.

This is a clinical/evaluative reviewer role. The ICR does not conduct certification review hearings, serve as a Hearing Officer or Certification Review Officer, adjudicate involuntary detention, or replace any separately required patient-rights or hearing process.

Engagement in this role is subject to approval and/or recognition by San Bernardino County Department of Behavioral Health and applicable oversight entities, as required.

Responsibilities and Essential Duties

1. Conduct independent clinical reviews within five (5) days of admission, as applicable to voluntary minor admissions.

2. Determine medical necessity and appropriateness of continued inpatient psychiatric care.

3. Assess whether treatment aligns with least restrictive level-of-care standards.

4. Evaluate clinical documentation for completeness, clinical support, and justification.

5. Prepare written determinations that are timely, clear, clinically supported, and legally defensible.

6. Maintain independence from treating clinicians and avoid participation in direct treatment decisions for cases under review.

7. Support compliance with applicable statutes, regulations, facility policies, and oversight expectations related to voluntary minor review.

8. Disclose conflicts of interest and recuse from reviews when appropriate.

9. Consider developmental, behavioral, family, consent, and treatment-alternative factors when assessing the appropriateness of inpatient care.

10. Maintain awareness of the broader LPS-designated facility context, including voluntary and involuntary minor populations, while preserving the distinction between clinical review and any separate hearing or certification review process.

Minimum Qualifications

Education: A doctor of medicine (MD) or osteopathic medicine (DO) from an accredited institution is required. Board certification or board eligibility in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry is strongly preferred.

Experience: Minimum three (3) years of experience in child and adolescent psychiatry. Experience within San Bernardino County behavioral health, acute psychiatric care, inpatient psychiatric settings, LPS-designated facilities, or court-related systems is preferred.

Specialized Skills

Expertise in child and adolescent psychiatric assessment and treatment standards

Knowledge of WIC 6002.25 and statutory review requirements for voluntary minors

Ability to evaluate developmental, behavioral, family-related, and consent-related clinical factors

Skill in determining medical necessity for minors in acute psychiatric settings

Understanding of least restrictive care standards for pediatric psychiatric populations

Ability to assess family involvement, treatment appropriateness, and available treatment alternatives

Strong clinical documentation review skills specific to child and adolescent psychiatry

Ability to produce timely, clinically sound, and legally compliant written determinations

Understanding of voluntary minor review requirements within an LPS-designated psychiatric facility

Familiarity with San Bernardino County expectations for pediatric behavioral health services

Physical Requirements

Primarily sedentary work involving prolonged sitting, computer use, and review of electronic health records and documentation systems.

Licenses/Certifications

Active California medical license required. License must be active, unrestricted, and in good standing with the applicable licensing board.

Board certification or board eligibility in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry is strongly preferred.

Potential Job Hazards

Indirect exposure to high-acuity psychiatric cases and emotionally sensitive subject matter.

Safety Precautions Required

Adherence to confidentiality standards, secure handling of protected health information, and compliance with all applicable safety and documentation protocols.