LOCATION OF (1) POSITION TO BE FILLED: DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE SERVICES, WESTERN MENTAL HEALTH INSTITUTE, HARDEMAN COUNTY
Qualifications
Education and Experience: Possession of a doctorate in psychology from an accredited university.
Necessary Special Qualifications: Licensure or a temporary permit as a psychologist with the State of Tennessee is required at the time of employment and must be maintained for the duration of the one year probationary period; licensure as a psychologist with the State of Tennessee is required by the end of the probationary period and must be maintained throughout employment.
Examination Method: Education and Experience, 100%, for Preferred Service positions.
Summary
Summary: Under direction, is responsible for performing professional psychological work of considerable difficulty; and performs related work as required.
Distinguishing Features: An employee in this class may function in a variety of assignments as a fully qualified Psychologist. An incumbent may be assigned to act primarily as a therapist and treatment team member, or as a treatment coordinator or leader, or as an evaluative specialist in supervising psychological examiners, or in a specialty staff assignment such as counseling, evaluating, consulting, and/or researching. Incumbents often supervise or lead professional, sub-professional, and other staff. This class differs from that of Psychology Director in that an incumbent of the latter is responsible for directing a psychological services program of broad extent.
Responsibilities
Developing Objectives and Strategies:
Plans a comprehensive mental health treatment program, including evaluation and diagnosis, detailed treatment planning, and extensive service.
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards:
Evaluates various clinical documentations and services to ensure compliance with professional, state and federal standards.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems:
Develops treatment strategies to effectively address challenging and unique treatment needs.
Assisting and Caring for Others:
Provides crisis intervention services for individuals.
Provides individual, group, and other therapy to improve behavioral health and/or mental health.
Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates:
Supervises the clinical work of professional, sub-professional, and nonprofessional personnel.
Getting Information:
Administers tests to individuals to collect information needed to make an appropriate evaluation and diagnosis.
Observes individuals to obtain information relevant to their physical, emotional, cognitive, and social functioning.
Interviews various individuals to collect information necessary to perform specific types of evaluations.
Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People:
Evaluates the quality of work of service providers to determine whether corrective action is needed.
Monitoring and Controlling Resources:
Controls the use of resources relevant to psychological services by determining whether or not services are warranted.
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others:
Testifies as an expert witness to provide information relevant to an individual's case.
Explains biopsychosocial constructs to help others understand mental health and more effectively provide care.
Provide Consultation and Advice to Others:
Serves as a psychological resource person in evaluating and identifying problems, in developing detailed and coordinated treatment plans, and in conducting a wide variety of individual and group therapeutic and habilitative activities.
Documenting/Recording Information:
Writes detailed clinical notes and reports to document services provided.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships:
Maintains professional working relationships with peers, with assigned subordinates, and with upper management to ensure smooth and effective team operations.
Analyzing Data or Information:
Analyzes and interprets behavioral and mental health data to monitor progress and plan treatment.
Analyzes quality improvement, benchmarking or other data relevant to the performance and improvement of the agency to identify trends and/or determine improvement needs.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates:
Conducts and participates in diagnostic and evaluative staff meetings to discuss diagnoses, etiology, treatment, and disposition.
Processing Information:
Enters appropriate diagnostic codes into clinical documents.
Communicating with Persons Outside Organization:
Performs personal contact work with a variety of other individuals, groups, agencies, and other entities in explaining, interpreting and furthering programs.
Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others:
Resolves simple conflicts without supervisory input to ensure timely and efficient performance and to maintain positive working relationships.
Maintains a respectful and productive work environment within the assigned work unit to minimize disputes and facilitate performance.
Coaching and Developing Others:
Instructs professional, sub-professional, and nonprofessional personnel in the theories, practices, and techniques employed in psychological services programs.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work:
Independently plans and prioritizes work in order to meet deadlines.
Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others:
Coordinates and leads clinical meetings.
Coordinates workloads with internal and external business partners as required to facilitate timely and accurate task completion.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge:
Applies evidence based practices in the delivery of psychological services.
Reads professional literature to keep up to date on community best practices.
Attends various continuing education seminars relevant to work in order to maintain licensure.
Performing Administrative Activities:
Completes relevant forms as required to accomplish professional responsibilities.
Staffing Organizational Units:
Conducts interviews for job candidates to assist in the selection and hiring process.
Training and Teaching Others:
Conducts training classes relevant to mental health issues to educate others.
Competencies
Competencies:
Ethics and Values
Problem Solving
Managing Diversity
Understanding Others
Decision Quality
Intellectual Horsepower
Conflict Management
Composure
Strategic Agility
Self-Knowledge
Knowledge:
Advanced knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, government regulations, and agency rules relevant to psychological practices
Expert knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders
Expert knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for counseling and guidance
Basic knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology
Intermediate knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, statistics, and their applications
Skills:
Critical thinking skills
Active listening skills
Advanced reading comprehension skills
Advanced speaking skills
Time management skills
Advanced written communication skills
Complex problem solving skills
Negotiation skills
Expert judgment and decision making skills
Skills in adjusting actions in relation to others actions
Skills in teaching others how to do something
Skills in persuading others to change their minds or behavior
Skills in understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making
Skills in using scientific rules and methods to solve problems
Service orientation skills
Social perceptiveness skills
Skills in monitoring/assessing performance of oneself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action
Advanced skills in identifying measures or indicators of the performance of a system and actions needed to improve or correct performance relative to the goals of the system
Skills in selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things
Advanced skills in determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes
Skills in using mathematics to solve problems
Intermediate skills in the management of material resources
Abilities
Ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing
Ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand
Ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences
Ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand
Ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong
Ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted
Ability to quickly make sense of, combine, and organize information into meaningful patterns
Ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense
Ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information
Ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways
Ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic
Ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem
Ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem
Tools & Equipment
Computer
Telephone
Fax Machine
Printer
Copy Machine
Scanner
TN Driver Standards
State of Tennessee positions that may involve driving responsibilities require candidates to meet the following minimum driver qualifications:
A valid driver's license
For the past five years, the candidate's driver record must not have record of the following violations: driving under the influence (DUI), reckless driving, license suspension for moving violations, more than 4 moving violations.
Please include your Driver's License Information under the Licenses and Certifications section of your application.
**Agencies may allow an exception based on other factors.
Pursuant to the State of Tennessee’s Workplace Discrimination and Harassment policy, the State is firmly committed to the principle of fair and equal employment opportunities for its citizens and strives to protect the rights and opportunities of all people to seek, obtain, and hold employment without being subjected to illegal discrimination and harassment in the workplace. It is the State’s policy to provide an environment free of discrimination and harassment of an individual because of that person’s race, color, national origin, age (40 and over), sex, pregnancy, religion, creed, disability, veteran’s status or any other category protected by state and/or federal civil rights laws.