Psychiatric Examiner (Psychologist)
: Job Details :

If you value job security, work life balance, and opportunities for growth, join us at the New York State Office of Mental Health as a Psychiatric Examiner (Psychologist) to receive all of that and more!

Who We Are: New York State has a large, multi-faceted mental health system that serves more than 700,000 individuals each year. The Office of Mental Health (OMH) operates psychiatric centers across the State. OMH also regulates, certifies and oversees more than 4,500 programs, operated by local governments and nonprofit agencies. Our mission is to promote the mental health of all New Yorkers, with a particular focus on providing hope and recovery for adults with serious mental illness and children with serious emotional disturbances.

What We Offer:

• NYS pension and retirement programs
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans
• Flexible spending accounts for health and dependent care
• Paid time off, including thirteen paid holidays per year, personal leave, vacation leave, and sick leave

What We Stand For: The Mission of the New York State Office of Mental Health is to promote the mental health of all New Yorkers, with a focus on providing hope and supporting recovery for adults with serious mental illness and children with serious emotional disturbances. Applicants with lived mental health experience are encouraged to apply. OMH is deeply committed to supporting underserved individuals, organizations, and communities. To this end, OMH is focused on implementing activities and initiatives to reduce disparities in access, quality, and treatment outcomes for underserved populations. A critical component of these efforts is ensuring OMH is a diverse and inclusive workplace where all employees' unique attributes and skills are valued and utilized to support the mission of the Agency. OMH is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

DUTIES DESCRIPTION:

The New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH), Division of Forensic Services is recruiting to fill Psychiatric Examiner (Psychologist), Grade 27, positions in various locations throughout New York State.

Under the direction of a Chief Psychiatric Examiner (Psychologist), Psychiatric Examiners (Psychologist) conduct psychiatric evaluations of individuals who are statutorily referred for civil management consideration under the Sex Offender Management and Treatment Act (SOMTA). Incumbents review records, conduct and interpret actuarial risk assessments, complete clinical face-to-face interviews, generate reports and provide expert testimony in court for evaluations relative to assisting in the determination of the presence of a mental abnormality and whether civil confinement or intensive community supervision and treatment is appropriate, annual evaluations concerning the need for continued confinement, and determination of the level of dangerousness in identified community treatment cases.

The following duties are performed by Psychiatric Examiners (Psychologist) to meet the Office of Mental Health s statutory obligations under the Sex Offender Management and Treatment Act (SOMTA; MHL Article 10).

• Evaluate convicted sex offenders nearing the end of their criminal sentences to determine whether they suffer from a mental abnormality that predisposes them to sexually offend and results in an inability to control such behavior and require civil management.
• Conduct annual evaluations of those civilly confined to secure treatment facilities to determine whether they remain dangerous and in need of confinement.
• Re-evaluate those determined to suffer from a mental abnormality to assess their current level of dangerousness pursuant to Article 10 of the Mental Hygiene Law.
• Evaluate those in violation of their Strict and Intensive Supervision and Treatment (SIST) conditions to determine whether these conditions need to be modified, or civil confinement is warranted based on an individual s current level of dangerousness.
• Conduct bi-annual evaluations of SIST clients to determine whether release or a reduction in the conditions of SIST is appropriate.
• Administer, score, and interpret results of actuarial and other standardized risk assessment tools (e.g., Static-99R, Violence Risk Scale: Sex Offender [VRS:SO], Screening Scale for Pedophilic Interest [SSPI], Psychopathy Checklist Revised [PCL-R], Stable-2007/Acute-2007).
• Interview collateral contacts (e.g., family members, treatment providers, and social supports); prepare detailed reports summarizing review and evaluation findings for use in Article 10 evaluations, legal proceedings, and by secure treatment and/or SIST community providers.
• Consult with Division of Forensic Services staff and other members of the Case Review Team and SIST team to assist in making and validating case outcome decisions; and make recommendations to the Office of the Attorney General (OAG).
• Provide expert testimony at probable cause hearings, civil management trials and disposition hearings, annual review hearings, SIST violation hearings, SIST bi-annual hearings, and other Article 10 legal proceedings to defend case outcome decisions based on evaluation findings.
• Collaborate with staff in OMH Central Office and secure treatment facilities, the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, community SIST treatment providers, the OAG, the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities, and other State and local agency personnel.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

In order to be eligible for appointment, candidates must have either:

A. Current New York State license and registration to practice psychology and one year of pre- or post-licensure experience in the clinical assessment of the sex offender population, where clinical assessment entails the use of diagnostic tools and techniques to make a determination/recommendation regarding the effectiveness of an overall treatment plan in reducing the likelihood of recidivism and/or harm, the assessment of treatment needs, the assessment of treatment progress, and/or the assessment of risk.

OR

B. Current New York State license and registration to practice psychology and two years of pre- or post-licensure experience in the clinical assessment of a forensic population, where clinical assessment entails the use of diagnostic tools and techniques to make a determination/recommendation regarding the functional status of an individual, the effectiveness of an overall treatment plan in reducing the likelihood of recidivism and/or harm, the assessment of treatment needs and/or progress, and/or forensic assessments of individuals involved in the legal or criminal justice system.

*Experience, as described, gained for those authorized to practice psychology under Article 153 of the New York State Education Law ( psychologist not engaged in,the department declaring such status) or the equivalent statute in other states is considered qualifying.

Additional Comments:

Psychiatric Examiner (Psychologist) positions will be located statewide; therefore, please indicate the geographic region(s) of the State in which you prefer to work. Recruitment will remain open until the positions are filled.

Specific scheduled hours and telecommuting availability for this position will be discussed during the interview process. The number of permissible telecommuting days for each employee will be determined by the current work demands/assignments, as well as program operational needs and employee performance/productivity, but may not exceed 50% telecommuting in a two-week payroll period.