Psychiatrist

7/24/2026 - Minor revision. No need to reapply .

The Department of Public Health prioritizes equitable and inclusive access to quality healthcare for its community and values the importance of diversity in its workforce. All employees at the Department of Public Health work to advance equity, inclusion, and diversity with a specific lens and focus on race, ethnicity, gender, sex, sexuality, disability, and immigration status.  

• Application Opening:  Wednesday, 12/1/2021

• Application Deadline: Continuous 

• Annual Salary: $326,430 - $459,862

• Appointment Type:  Temporary Exempt or  Permanent Exempt

• Recruitment ID:  PEX-2242- REF4249O

• Work Arrangement: Onsite

Becoming a City employee means being a part of a team that cares about making a difference. Your work will shape both the present and future of San Francisco. When you work for the City, you’re choosing a job with purpose. 

The Mission of the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) is to protect and promote the health of all San Franciscans. Fulfilling this mission requires employees working across our hospitals, clinics, programs, and offices to deliver services and support the communities we serve. Individuals interested in joining SFDPH should expect to work in person across these settings.

The San Francisco Health Network, Population Health, Behavioral Health Services, and Administration are the core divisions of SFDPH. The San Francisco Health Network is the City’s only complete system of care and has locations throughout the City, including Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center, and over 15 primary care health centers. The Population Health Division (PHD) provides core public health services for the City and County of San Francisco: health protection, health promotion, disease and injury prevention, and disaster preparedness and response. Behavioral Health Services operates in conjunction with SFHN and provides a range of mental health and substance use treatment services.

The applicant pool resulting from this recruitment may be utilized to fill future and current vacancies in this class at other locations, including Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, Laguna Honda Hospital, and community-centered outpatient clinics within the Health Network. These positions include full-time permanent, part-time permanent, and part-time as needed.

Under general direction of Medical Directors at assigned sites, Senior Psychiatric Physician Specialists perform the following example and related duties

• Provide direct psychiatric care and consultation
• Assess, diagnose and provide psychiatric treatment for patients in an intensive care management setting that may include field work and working closely with families
• Work closely with an intensive care management team using multiple therapeutic skills (which include the ability to combine behavioral, environmental and psychopharmacological modalities in treating individuals)
• Monitor a caseload of clients regularly as well as provide cross coverage for other psychiatrists
• Participate as a member of the interdisciplinary treatment team
• Participate in clinic quality improvement activities
• Serve as a liaison with community behavioral health providers and hospital based psychiatric team
• May supervise a section or unit of a larger medical facility or program
• May supervise other physicians and other professional personnel
• The 2242 may perform other duties as assigned/required.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

1. Possession of a valid license to practice medicine issued by the Medical Board of California or the Osteopathic Medical Board of California*;
   AND
2. Successful completion** of a residency program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education or American Osteopathic Association in a Psychiatric medical specialty area (i.e., Board Eligible);
   AND
3. Possession of valid Drug Enforcement Agency registration with the United States Department of Justice (Special Condition)***.

*Applicants possessing a valid license to practice medicine issued from another state within the United States of America may apply, but if selected, the candidate will NOT be appointed/hired until they obtain a valid license to practice medicine issued by the Medical Board of California or the Osteopathic Medical Board of California.

**Applicants enrolled in a residency program may apply, but if selected, the candidate will NOT be appointed/hired until they demonstrate successful completion of a residency program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education or American Osteopathic Association in a Psychiatric medical specialty area.

***The above minimum qualifications reflect special conditions associated with the position(s) to be filled. They may differ from the standard minimum qualifications associated with this classification.

Conditions of Employment
All qualified candidates who have been selected for appointment to positions in all specialty areas must be an eligible billable provider and will be required to meet the following criteria:

• Be eligible to participate in Medicare, Medicaid and/or other federal health care programs;
• Possess a National Provider Identifier (NPI);
• Submit a completed credentialing application and/or required documentation for credentialing; AND
• Possess a valid third-party billable provider certification (such as Medicare, Medi-Cal and/or private insurance) OR have submitted a completed billable provider application, along with the required documentation, in order to obtain the appropriate billable provider status.

These criteria and 'Conditions of Employment' must be met within two (2) weeks prior to the start work date to avoid delay of the appointment to the position and/or cancellation of an employment offer.

VERIFICATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: 

Every application is reviewed to ensure that you meet the minimum qualifications as listed in the job ad. Review SF Careers Employment Applications for considerations taken when reviewing applications.

Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. If education or experience verification is required, information on how to verify education and experience requirements, including verifying foreign education credits or degree equivalency, can be found at  

Note:  Falsifying one’s education, training, or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification for this and future job opportunities with the City and County of San Francisco. 

Additional information regarding Employment with the City and County of San Francisco: 

• Information About the Hiring Process
• Conviction History
• Employee Benefits Overview
• Equal Employment Opportunity
• Disaster Service Worker
• ADA Accommodation
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement

Where to Apply  

All job applications for the City and County of San Francisco must be submitted through our online portal. Please visit  to begin your application process.

Applicants may be contacted by email about this recruitment. Please consider using a personal email address that you check regularly rather than a work or school account. 

Computers are available for the public (9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday) to file online applications in the lobby of the Dept. of Human Resources at 1 South Van Ness Avenue, 4th Floor and at the City Career Center at City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 110. 

Ensure your application information is accurate, as changes may not be possible after submission. Your first and last name must match your legal ID for verification, and preferred names can be included in parentheses. Use your personal email address, not a shared or work email, to avoid unfixable issues. 

Applicants will receive a confirmation email from View email address on click.appcast.io that their online application has been received in response to every announcement for which they file. Applicants should retain this confirmation email for their records.  Failure to receive this email means that the online application was not submitted or received. 

If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the exam analyst, View email address on click.appcast.io View phone number on click.appcast.io.

We may use text messaging to communicate with you on the phone number provided in your application. The first message will ask you to opt in to text messaging.

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.