Psychiatrist

Psychiatrist

The inpatient psychiatric units at the Lemuel Shattuck Hospital is seeking an experienced, skilled, and licensed Psychiatrist. The selected candidate will provide direct comprehensive, quality psychiatric treatment to adults with severe and persistent mental illnesses. The incumbent is the clinical supervisor of the multidisciplinary treatment team and supervises the psychologists on the unit. Our Attending Psychiatrist serves as the supervisor for psychiatric nurse practitioners and psychiatric physician assistants as well as psychiatry residents and other trainees. Specific duties include, but are not limited to, the formulation and development of multidisciplinary treatment plans, comprehensive psychopharmacologic assessments and treatments, comprehensive diagnostic and risk evaluations and formulations. Patients are treated by a multidisciplinary team, that also includes psychologists, clinical social workers, psychiatric nurses, mental health workers, occupational therapists and rehabilitative staff specializing in vocational, recreational, and expressive therapies.

Duties and Responsibilities (these duties are a general summary and not all inclusive): Serves as the clinical supervisor of the multidisciplinary treatment team and the supervisor of the psychologist on assigned unit. Supervises Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners and/or Psychiatric Physician Assistants, Psychiatry Residents, and other trainees. Provides comprehensive, quality active psychiatric services to patients as evidenced by timely completion of the admission evaluation (within 24 hours or by next business day after admission) and by providing ongoing assessments and treatment, and documenting these as they occur and at least weekly in the progress notes. Meets regularly with patients and with the treatment team; attends clinical rounds on the inpatient unit. Orders appropriate consultations and laboratory studies and documents the results of these in the progress notes, per the medical practitioner. Prepares and develops the multidisciplinary treatment plan and updates at required intervals and as clinically necessary. Coordinates and completes all required risk assessments per DMH policy. Obtains and documents informed consent; applies for guardianships if the capacity of the patient is in question. Tracks and monitors the legal status of patients and applies for commitments/guardianships when necessary. Oversees the discharge plan and coordinates with the outpatient psychiatric provider to ensure continuity of care. Attends all departmental meetings and assigned committee meetings.

Required Qualifications: Skilled in understanding, diagnosing, and treating serious mental illness. Ability to supervise and coordinate the efforts of others in accomplishing work objectives. Talent for establishing and maintaining a positive, respectful, and professional relationships with all patients, staff, and family members. Ability to assess accurately information given to others either verbally or written. Capacity to work in a collaborative and productive manner to achieve programmatic and agency goals. Professional experience treating patients with severe mental illness, trauma, and substance use disorders. Understanding of psychiatric conditions and the treatment of psychiatric conditions. Ability to assess, diagnoses, and prescribe/supervise treatment to assigned patients while conforming to regulatory standards and applicable laws to decrease psychiatric symptoms/disorders.

About the Metro Boston Mental Health Units (MBMHU) at Lemuel Shattuck Hospital: The Department of Mental Health MBMHU manages and staffs 115 psychiatric beds across 5 units at the Lemuel Shattuck Hospital. Patients are admitted from other hospitals, from Bridgewater State Hospital and from the courts for evaluations. About Lemuel Shattuck Hospital: Located at 170 Morton St. in Jamaica Plain at the Lemuel Shattuck Hospital, the Lemuel Shattuck Hospital is managed and run by the Department of Public Health. The total hospital capacity is 260 beds which includes 7 medical units including one unit that is under the management of the Department of Corrections. In addition, the hospital provides services in surgery, oncology, ventilators, intensive care as well as a number of other specialties including an outpatient department with a range of specialty clinics.