Senior Psychologist (PhD/PsyD) - Topeka, KS

Position Reference: 01CLFCT020-SR

About Larned State Hospital

Larned State Hospital. A 78 acre campus and the largest psychiatric facility in the state, serving the western two thirds of Kansas with nearly 1,000 employees and capacity to treat more than 450 patients daily. Accredited by The Joint Commission and certified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Position Overview

CLF Consultants LLC is conducting a national search for psychologists on behalf of Larned State Hospital, a State of Kansas psychiatric hospital. The successful candidate is hired directly by Larned State Hospital as a State of Kansas employee with full State benefits, State retirement and paid State holidays. CLFC conducts the national search and supports candidates through presentation, interview, offer and transition into the hospital's onboarding process.

This is a senior clinical role combining direct patient care with supervisory responsibility. The psychologist carries a clinical caseload on an inpatient unit and also provides supervision, case consultation and clinical guidance to other psychology staff and trainees, working inside a multidisciplinary treatment team.

This is inpatient work with a population most outpatient practice never reaches: adults living with serious mental illness, forensic patients, and individuals in court ordered specialized treatment. Practitioners with competency restoration, civil commitment or forensic evaluation experience will find that work here, and practitioners looking to build it will find supervision and case volume that few settings can offer.

Larned State Hospital sits in central Kansas. This is a rural posting, and it is a deliberate one. The caseload is unusually rich, the treatment teams are stable, and the position carries a compensation and benefit package built for a career rather than a rotation. Candidates relocating from outside Kansas are welcomed and are a substantial part of this search.

Larned carries three psychologist levels and this search fills all of them: Licensed Psychologist at $80,000 to $95,000, Senior Psychologist at $95,000 to $125,000, and Supervisory Psychologist at $125,000 to $155,000. Candidates are considered against the level their experience supports, and a separate posting exists for each.

Key Responsibilities

• Carry a direct clinical caseload of adult inpatients living with serious mental illness, including assessment, treatment planning and therapeutic intervention.
• Provide clinical supervision, case consultation and professional guidance to psychology staff and trainees.
• Lead or contribute to forensic evaluation work including competency restoration and civil commitment processes.
• Serve as a senior clinical voice within multidisciplinary treatment team consultation and case review.
• Support risk assessment and behavioral management planning across the unit, not only for an individual caseload.
• Contribute to clinical documentation standards, peer review and quality improvement within the psychology function.
• Support the education of interns, postdoctoral fellows and junior staff where the position carries that responsibility.
• Maintain licensure in good standing and complete continuing education requirements, including the hospital's annual on site conference.

Required Qualifications

• Doctoral degree, PhD or PsyD, in Forensic Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Counseling Psychology, or another qualifying psychology discipline.
• Eligibility for licensure as a Psychologist by the Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board. Candidates currently licensed in another state who are eligible for Kansas licensure and actively completing the Kansas process are welcomed and encouraged to apply.
• Experience working with serious mental illness. This is a firm requirement.
• Ability to obtain employment within a Kansas state psychiatric hospital.
• Ability to successfully pass all required background investigations and pre employment screening.
• Ability to perform the position's required on site duties in Larned, Kansas. Some positions may offer hybrid scheduling.

Strongly Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with forensic populations, including competency restoration or civil commitment.
• Inpatient psychiatric experience, whether in a state hospital, academic medical center, Veterans Affairs facility, or correctional setting.
• Experience in community mental health, correctional health, or another public sector behavioral health environment.
• Completion of an APA accredited internship or a postdoctoral fellowship in a forensic or clinical psychology track.
• Experience contributing to multidisciplinary treatment teams in a licensed inpatient facility.
• Prior supervisory or lead clinical responsibility for psychology staff, interns or postdoctoral fellows.

Compensation and Engagement Details

This position is compensated as a State of Kansas public service role, and the total package is built differently from a private practice offer. The base salary is one part of it. Alongside it sit State retirement and deferred compensation, full family health coverage, paid leave, and eligibility for federal student loan forgiveness. Candidates are encouraged to weigh the position on total value across a career rather than on base salary alone.

• Base salary. $95,000 to $125,000 annual for the Senior Psychologist level, set by the State of Kansas, commensurate with experience.
• Federal student loan forgiveness. The hospital is a qualifying public employer for federal student loan forgiveness programs, which may provide substantial long term value for eligible candidates carrying qualifying education debt. Eligibility depends on your loan type, repayment plan and qualifying payment history.
• Health coverage. Medical, mental health, dental and vision coverage, plus additional coverage options, under the State of Kansas employee benefit program.
• Retirement and deferred compensation. State of Kansas retirement, plus access to State deferred compensation programs.
• Leave and paid holidays. Sick leave and vacation leave, plus work life balance programs including parental leave, military leave, jury leave and funeral leave, and ten paid State holidays: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Thursday and Friday, and Christmas.
• Sign on bonus. A $1,000 sign on bonus paid to new hires six months after the start date.
• Continuing education. The hospital hosts an annual on site conference carrying continuing education credit for employees, so CE requirements are met without travel or out of pocket cost.
• Employee discounts and amenities. Employee discounts through the State of Kansas STAR Program. Fitness center access is available at select State locations.
• Interview travel paid. For candidates invited to an on site visit, the hospital covers lodging and travel including flights and rental vehicle. Meals are not covered. Candidates relocating from out of state are not asked to fund their own interview.
• Onboarding timeline. Typically 30 to 45 days from accepted offer to start date, driven by background clearance, Kansas licensure where it is not already established, and any notice owed to a current employer.
• Schedule flexibility. Part time candidates may be considered for some positions, and some positions may be considered for a hybrid schedule. Fully remote is not available.

About CLFC Healthcare and Communications

CLF Consultants is a federal contractor providing healthcare staffing and language access services across U.S. federal, state, and local agencies. Our network of 500+ healthcare professionals and 200+ interpreters supports nationwide coverage.

Equal Opportunity Employer.