Physician Specialist / Staff Psychiatrist – ODR

Physician Specialist/ Staff Psychiatrist – Office of Diversion & Reentry

The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (DHS) Office of Diversion Reentry (ODR) is hiring several staff psychiatrists at the level of Physician Specialist to care for some of the sickest and most marginalized, justice involved and seriously mentally ill individuals in LA County. This position offers a challenging and exciting mix of responsibilities that drive the largest mental health diversion program in the country.

ODR is an innovative program that diverts people with serious mental, physical and/or behavioral health needs away from the LA County Jail and into community-based care. Since it began in 2015, ODR has launched many successful programs and helped safely remove thousands of individuals from jail. Through a harm reduction and public health approach, ODR also has run successful community-based diversion programs to keep both adults and youth from being arrested and incarcerated.

ODR is a critical part of LA County’s plan to decarcerate and address mass incarceration and achieve Care First goals. The physician specialists/staff psychiatrists will work in close partnership with DHS adult Correctional Health Services (CHS), the Olive View Medical Center (inpatient psychiatric unit), Justice Partners (Courts, Public Defender, Alternative Public Defender, District Attorney), and numerous contracted community-based providers and partner organizations. The positions also will support numerous mental health diversion and community restoration programs including ODR Housing, Felony Incompetent to Stand Trial (FIST), Misdemeanor incompetent to Stand Trial (MIST), Maternal Health Diversion, and Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) programs. These programs collectively focus on reducing the population of people with mental health needs in County jails by safely serving them in the least restrictive community settings through ODR’s growing jail-based diversion model, one of the largest in the country. The positions will support jail, court, and community-based mental health diversion and treatment across programs.

This role reports to an ODR Medical Director. The salary range is $185,939.76 – $309,698.64 annually with a generous County benefits package.

Targeted Salary at $283,418.04 annually ($23,618.17/month) or higher based on experience.

JOB DUTIES:

• Provides direct psychiatric services to ODR clients, including examining, diagnosing, and prescribing treatment for patients and reviewing the care prescribed by resident physicians, and interns, as necessary, completing psychosocial and psychiatric assessment and performing linkage, navigation, advocacy, and consultation services for ODR clients.
  • Reviews records and information from both the criminal justice system and the mental health system when making treatment recommendations.
  • Reviews results of laboratory tests and other diagnostic studies provided by other team members and formulates follow-up plan.
• Consults with medical staff and para-medical personnel regarding medical and psychiatric work performed.
• Confers with consultants regarding care of patients and medical and diagnostic work performed and coordinates the work of consulting physicians with the work of the section.
• Provide psychiatric hand-off and reentry from the jail to community, including ensuring care coordination, stabilization at their new community-site of care, and connection to appropriate medical and psychiatric care teams upon release. Support ODR provider communication with jail and community-based providers to ensure seamless transition of care upon reentry and documentation into appropriate clinical record systems.
• Provides clinical supervision and support to provider contracted psychiatrists including assessing medication dosage.
• Participates in the training of medical students, social workers, residents, and other rotating students as necessary, including residents moonlighting directly with ODR and rotating from all LA County residency programs as appropriate.
• Participates in multi-disciplinary case conferences to share pertinent patient information and collaborate with other mental health staff to develop and manage an effective treatment plan.
• Completes required documentation.
• Clearly communicates patient care priorities and follow up activities to other team members.
• Participates in the planning and direction of the psychiatric component of the ODR Housing program and provides input into the design and operation of the program.
• Participates in developing or revising work procedures to improve level of service and communicates program or team issues or needs to leadership as appropriate.
• Helps ensure high quality of care and fidelity to the ODR clinical delivery model, including supporting quality assurance and quality improvement activities.
• For forensic psychiatrists:
  • Provide or oversee provision of medical forensic opinion on candidacy and ongoing client participation in ODR programs.
  • Provide or oversee provision of competency to stand trial evaluations, including off- ramp evaluations.
  • Maintain current understanding and capacity to utilize (to achieve ODR’s mission) California mental health law.
  • Collaborate with justice partners to address operations, policies and protocols.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• A licensed psychiatrist with experience coordinating care with physical health and substance use disorder treatment providers.

ADDITIONAL DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS INCLUDE ANY OF THE FOLLOWING: 

• Experience working with justice involved populations and/or persons experiencing homelessness with serious mental illness.
• Board certification by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology with or without added or special qualifications in forensic psychiatry.
• Completion of a fellowship in forensic psychiatry.
• Experience providing expert testimony in mental health court and/or membership on the Los Angeles Superior Court Approved Panel of Psychiatrists and Neuropsychologists.
• Ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary/multiagency environment, multitask, and manage time effectively.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

Completion of a residency approved by an American Specialty Board in one or more designated specialties* or equivalent training** LICENSE: California State Physician and Surgeon’s Certificate authorized by the Board of Medical Examiners of the State of California. A valid California Class C Driver License or the ability to utilize an alternative method of transportation when needed to carry out job-related essential functions. PHYSICAL CLASS III: Moderate: Includes standing or walking most of the time, with bending, stooping, squatting, twisting, and reaching; includes working on irregular surfaces, occasionally lifting objects weighting over 25 pounds, and frequent lifting of 10-25 pounds.

TO APPLY:

Interested candidates should attach your CV & a letter of interest below.

You must also apply for the Physician Specialist Exam. If you meet the minimum requirements and are scored in the top tier, you will be placed on a list. We will be using that list to select individuals for consideration to the role. Apply here.

If you have any questions, please contact Rose Sunderland at rliu@dhs.lacounty.gov.