Chief Psychiatrist

Chief Psychiatrist

The Chief Psychiatrist provides clinical oversight and strategic leadership for psychiatric services within the Travis County Jail and Correctional Complex. This senior role is responsible for shaping a culture of patient-centered care, aiming to establish a new standard for excellence in correctional behavioral health.

Working as a key member of a multidisciplinary team, the Chief Psychiatrist collaborates with psychologists, medical providers and 24-hour nursing staff, social workers and professional counselors, correctional officers, inmate programming staff and chaplains.

Travis County offers a premier Total Rewards package that is designed to support your long-term success and well-being. This comprehensive benefits program includes a highly-rated retirement plan, generous paid time off, longevity pay and tuition reimbursement, full medical, dental, and vision coverage, and access to a free employee health care clinic.

Distinguishing Characteristics: This is a job classification within the Medical job family. The incumbent must be licensed to practice as a medical doctor in the State of Texas. It is distinguished from the Psychiatrist in that it is a supervisory position for the Psychiatrist, contract partners, Advanced Nurse Practitioners and in the required education and preferred certifications.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Provides strategic leadership for a team of psychiatric providers, ensuring alignment with the Travis County Sheriff's Office mission to deliver exceptional patient care and optimize clinical operations.
• Manages a patient caseload by conducting timely initial and follow-up psychiatric assessments, overseeing medication management, and developing comprehensive treatment plans.
• Serves as an expert witness by completing applications for court-ordered treatment and providing courtroom testimony as required.
• Maintains meticulous records of each patient's visit in the electronic health record, ensuring compliance with all health information management standards.
• Provides hands-on leadership in all aspects of team management, including provider hiring, retention, coaching, and performance management.
• Supervises and guides the prescriptive authority of mid-level psychiatric providers.
• Ensures optimal clinical operations by managing provider schedules, advocating for their needs, and guaranteeing the delivery of excellent patient outcomes.
• Partners with the Director of Inmate Behavioral Health to strategically plan, implement, and evaluate clinical services, driving continuous operational improvements and efficiency.
• Creates and standardizes evidence-based treatment protocols to ensure the delivery of high-quality clinical care that aligns with or exceeds community standards.
• Manages court applications for outpatient, inpatient hospitalization and compelled medication.
• Drives professional growth across the organization by developing and presenting a minimum of two continuing education seminars annually for behavioral health, medical, and correctional staff.
• Actively participates in key departmental and clinical functions, including Treatment Team meetings, Pharmacy and Therapeutics committee, Medical Provider meetings and Trauma-Informed Care committee
• Serves as a key public ambassador for the Travis County Sheriff's Office, promoting a progressive and positive approach to inmate mental health.
• Actively partners with community organizations to expand and enhance services for inmates both during incarceration and upon their return to the community.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Requirements

Education and Experience: Graduation from an accredited school of medicine with a degree as a medical doctor including residency in the field of psychiatry, AND more than five (5) years practicing medicine as a Board-Certified Psychiatrist with increasing responsibility in clinical and administrative supervision of mid-level providers and overseeing clinical operations with a diverse population in a correctional facility, psychiatric outpatient clinic, or diagnostic clinic.

Licenses, Registrations, Certifications, or Special Requirements: Licensed to practice medicine in the State of Texas. Current DPS and DEA license in the State of Texas. Board Certified in Psychiatry. Valid Texas Driver's License.

Preferred: Board Certified in Forensic Psychiatry, Board Certified in Addiction Medicine, Bilingual in Spanish.

Knowledge of: Psychiatric practices for inpatient and outpatient settings, Correctional Healthcare principles and practices, Legal and ethical standards of care, including use of emergency medications and court-ordered medications, Electronic Health Records (EHR) and standard office software packages, Trauma Informed Systems of Care, Planning and budgetary processes within a governmental framework.

Skill in: Leading and supervising a diverse team, Patiently caring and treating patients with mental illness, Mentoring and teaching clinical and non-clinical students, Attentive and authentic communication including use of de-escalation techniques, Fostering a culture of positivity and encouraging growth, Utilizing data to inform decisions and using results for quality improvement, Using technology to enhance workflow processes, Motivating and empowering patients and staff to work towards their best self.

Ability to: Develop, present, and implement a long-term vision, Apply general rules to specific problems, identify innovative solutions and opportunities for improvement, Develop and cultivate respectful professional relationships, Network with community partners to solve problems and enhance community behavioral health services, Present complex and technical problems to lay decision makers and influencers, Advocate for policy and legislative change.

Work Environment & Other Information

Physical requirements include the ability to lift/carry minimum of 35 pounds and may be required to lift/carry up to 50 pounds occasionally, visual acuity, speech and hearing, hand and eye coordination and manual dexterity necessary to operate a computer and office equipment. Subject to standing, walking, sitting, repetitive motion, reaching, climbing stairs, bending, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, pushing, pulling, balancing, client/customer contact, squatting to perform the essential functions. Subject to contact with communicable diseases, radiation, hazardous waste, human fecal matter, and foul odors.

Travis County employees play an important role in business continuity. As such, employees can be assigned to business continuity efforts outside of normal job functions.

This job description is intended to be generic in nature. It is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. The essential duties, functions and responsibilities and overtime eligibility may vary based on the specific tasks assigned to the position. Work Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Rotating on-call. Occasional holidays, nights, and weekends. Location: Austin, TX Department: Sheriff Criminal Background Check, Credit Check, Drug Test, Alcohol Test, Driving Record, Education, and Employment History Check Required.