Nurse Practitioner, Psychiatry

For more than 55 years, Family Health Centers of San Diego’s (FHCSD) mission has been to provide caring, affordable, high-quality health care and supportive services to everyone, with a special commitment to uninsured, low-income and medically underserved persons.

FHCSD is one of the top 10 largest federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) in the country. We operate more than 90 sites across San Diego County, including 29 primary care clinics, 23 behavioral health facilities, 10 physical rehabilitation clinics, nine dental clinics, five vision clinics, four outpatient substance use treatment programs, three mobile medical units, two mobile counseling centers, two urgent care centers, and a pharmacy.

Our staff provides care to over 227,000 patients each year, of whom 91% are low-income and 29% are uninsured. FHCSD provides care to all. Services include, but are not limited to adult care, chronic disease management, pediatrics, comprehensive women’s care including obstetrics, dental, vision, case management, physical rehabilitation, speech therapy for children, vaccinations, infectious diseases, behavioral health, substance use counseling and a host of specialty services including cardiology, podiatry, endocrinology, dermatology, among others.  FHCSD also offers supportive services to those who are unsheltered and in need of intensive case management.   

The breadth of our clinic locations, services and programs has grown over the last five decades, making us the largest community clinic provider of health care to the uninsured in the county and one of the top 10 largest community clinic organizations in the nation. We are also the largest health care safety-net provider, largest school-based health care provider and the largest mental health provider in the San Diego region.

General Job Description:

Under the direction of the Assistant Medical Director of Psychiatry, the Adult Nurse Practitioner offers and provides direct patient care as appropriate through individual psychiatric and medical care.  Provides high quality, evidence-based patient care through the utilization of education preparation and specialized clinical expertise. Care is provided utilizing knowledge of the patient's age, gender, culture, special populations, and learning capabilities.  Works in collaboration with the mental health treatment team on patient care, clinical and administrative issues.  Communicates needs, issues, and concerns as necessary to the supervising psychiatrist.

Job Roles

• Core functions include diagnosing and treating acute and chronic health/mental health care problems, performing adult care check-ups and/or follow-up as indicated per treatment plan,  prescribing medication when indicated, creating and updating treatment plans,  acting as the Mental Health Treatment Coordinator when appropriate, and teaching health promotion and disease prevention to patients and/or family members.
• Performs general evaluation for mental and medical health status, including but not limited to, completing full intake mental health evaluations,  ordering of diagnostic procedures/labs/medical supplies, formulating plans of care, prescribing medication, making appropriate consults to specialty areas and ensuring that  immunizations and PPD's are current as required or needed. 
• Maintains satisfactory peer reviews: able to assess medical information including pathophysiology, patient presentation, differential diagnosis, etc, in order to facilitate health promotion and disease prevention.
• Completes all required documentation accurately, timely and thoroughly in accordance with department standards and to comply with electronic medical record requirements, including medication reconciliation, finalizing notes, clearing out personal pool, and participating in clinic pool.
• Meets clinic site and organization needs in a reliable and flexible manner; prioritizes work and makes an effort to adhere to schedule.
• Participates in administrative duties, including lab reports, charts, and medication refills reviewed and managed appropriately.
• Participate in Clinical Outcomes Program and work towards meeting organizational targets for all metrics.
• Maintain FHCSD behavioral standards, including (but not limited to), effective listening and communication skills and respectful interactions with colleagues and patients.
• Assesses and intervenes for urgent and/or emergent  mental health problems. 
• Provides nurse practitioner support and consultation to other outpatient clinics in area of expertise when available and appropriate.
• Seeks physician consultation during scheduled supervision meetings or as needed when managing a medical or mental health  condition that is not resolving