Job Description

Job Description and Duties

This position is located at Coalinga State Hospital.

Under direction of the Senior Psychologist (Supervisor), the Consulting Psychologist provides a variety of forensic psychological evaluation and consultation services. The primary job duty of the Consulting Psychologist is to independently evaluate, review extensive case files and records, perform risk assessments, and write evaluations of individuals committed to the Department of State Hospitals, Coalinga as Sexually Violent Predators (SVP) and/or Mentally Disordered Offenders (MDO). The purpose of these evaluation reports is to determine if hospital patients continue to meet SVP or MDO statutory criteria for civil commitment.  Additional types of forensic evaluations may be required as hospital populations expand to other types of forensic patients.

The Consulting Psychologist evaluates individuals and reviews their records located at Coalinga State Hospital. The Consulting Psychologist provides court testimony and at deposition, typically in the patients’ county of commitment. Travel to the hospital on a regular basis for patient interviews and files reviews, and travel in response to subpoenas, is required.

The Consulting Psychologist may be required to review evaluations written by other Forensic Department psychologists to ensure that their reports are clinically and legally sound, accurate, fact-based, and grammatically correct. Departmental reports must be specifically focused on issues as required by SVP and MDO statutes.

The Consulting Psychologist may respond to questions from DSH-C non-Forensic departments regarding multiple issues, to include: Sex Offender research, MDO research, risk assessment, SVP/MDO laws and legal issues, and SVP/MDO evaluations.

This position entails no clinical duties.

The Consulting Psychologist possesses a high degree of skill in multiple areas: Clinical Psychology, Forensic Psychology, SVP/MDO laws and, specialized knowledge and experience in the area of forensic report writing and court testimony.  In addition, Consulting Psychologists have strict ethical and technical responsibilities regarding patient confidentiality.  Forensic evaluations involve exposure to sensitive and confidential patient information and materials. Consulting Psychologists are expected to maintain HIPPA requirements regarding confidentiality, as well as DSH and DSH-C rules and regulations, and applicable state and federal laws at all times. 

You will find additional information about the job in the .

Working Conditions

Consulting Psychologist is primarily a telecommuning positon.  The incumbent will work in their home or professional offices and is required to travel to Coalinga to review files and interview patients once or twice monthly. They are also required to attend weekly conference calls and to travel to DSH-Coalinga occasionally for training and staff meetings.
****Travel to the hospital on a regular basis for patient interviews and file reviews, and travel in response to subpoenas, is required.**** 

Special Requirements

• The position(s) require(s) a Drug Screening be passed prior to being hired.
• The position(s) require(s) a Background Investigation be cleared prior to being hired.
• The position(s) require(s) Medical Clearance prior to being hired.

Please be sure to submit the following: 

Redacted forensic (6600) report 

Formal Curriculum Vital

**To be considered for this Job Opportunity, applicants must have permanent civil service status, be reachable on an employment list, have transfer eligibility, or have reinstatement eligibility.  I F YOU DO NOT HAVE ELIGIBILITY, YOU MUST TAKE THE EXAM. Please visit the CalHR website to find information on the Consulting Psychologist Exam.

The Exam Bulletin can be found using the following link:

CalCareers

Please note:  The exam score must be posted before the Final Filing Date in order to be eligible for a hiring interview.

This advertisement will be used for this and other vacancies that may occur during this posting and future Permanent/Full-time and/or Limited Term/Full-time vacancies that may occur at Department of State Hospitals - Coalinga

Unless otherwise requested by the candidate, all communications and correspondence regarding this recruitment from our agency will be sent electronically via your CalCareers account and/or email listed on your State Application, STD. 678.  It is the applicant’s responsibility to check their email inbox, including junk/spam emails for any correspondence regarding their application status. In addition, applicants are encouraged to keep their CalCareers profile updated with a current telephone number, mailing address, and email.

Desirable Qualifications

In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:

Candidate must be willing to make frequent field visits away from established headquarters; have an empathetic and objective understanding of the issues of persons with mental or developmental disabilities; demonstrated leadership ability; tact; patience; keenness of observation; and scientific and professional integrity.

The ideal candidate needs five (5) years of Mentally Disordered Offender (MDO) Report writing experience. Additionally, a candidate should also have one (1) year of Forensic evaluation experience. 

Qualifying experience must be listed on the State Application.

Benefits

The State of California offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes Health Benefits, Vision, Dental, Retirement and an array of other options.  For more information on the benefits offered by the State of California you can visit the California Department of Human Resources web site:

Required Application Package Documents

The following items are required to be submitted with your application. Applicants who do not submit the required items timely may not be considered for this job:

• Current version of the State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 (when not applying electronically), or the Electronic State Employment Application through your Applicant Account at All Experience and Education relating to the Minimum Qualifications listed on the Classification Specification should be included to demonstrate how you meet the Minimum Qualifications for the position.
• Resume is optional. It may be included, but is not required.
• Other - Curriculum Vital
  Redacted Forensic (6600) report 
• Other - Curriculum Vital
  - Curriculum Vital

Job Tags

Permanent employment, Full time, Work from home,

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