Pediatric Psychiatrist, Emergency Department/Outpatient - Full Time - Hartford, CT

The Pediatric Emergency Medicine/Outpatient Psychiatrist is responsible for the provision of compassionate and evidence-based direct care to patients (child & adolescent) and their families across settings. In this hybrid role, the Psychiatrist will divide time (every other week) between the Emergency Department (ED) and the Outpatient Mental Health Clinic (OMHC). While in the ED, the Psychiatrist will work with a multidisciplinary team to provide high quality care to include: evaluation and treatment for children and adolescents who are suffering from acute mental health crisis/crises, and development of treatment and disposition plans specific to the needs of each patient. In the ambulatory (OMHC) setting, the Psychiatrist will work with a team of pediatric psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, care coordinators and medical assistants to provide mental health services to child and adolescent patients in need of short- and long-term outpatient care. The primary role of the Psychiatrist in OMHC will be psychiatric evaluations and assessments, medication management and collaborative treatment planning. 

 

*Hybrid role will consist of 2 weeks of clinical work in the Emergency Department and 2 weeks of clinical work in the Outpatient Mental Health Clinic, alternating services each week. 

Responsibilities:

Emergency Department Setting: 

• Provide treatment services including, but not limited to, assessment, medication management and disposition of patients with psychiatric concerns, including making arrangements for hospitalization if needed.
• Provide routine, intensive, complex and/or emergency evaluations for a variety of emotional, psychiatric and behavioral presentations. 
• Engage the patient and family to develop treatment plans that address identified goals. 
• Ensure patients are referred to appropriate programs and services as clinically appropriate and communicate needs and recommendations to nursing staff, Social Work and Care Coordination to ensure referrals are completed. 
• Document assessment findings and treatment recommendations in the clinical record. 
• Ability to provide supervision of and collaboration with advanced psychiatric nurse practitioners. 
• Follow and ensure agency policy/procedures, including all emergency procedures are adhered to. 
• Participate in and meet all ethical and agency standards regarding treatment and documentation practices, QA/QI procedures, utilization management, emergency procedures, and program and patient outcomes.

Ambulatory Setting (OMHC):

• Provide comprehensive outpatient psychiatric care to children and adolescents, including psychiatric evaluations, diagnostic assessments, and ongoing medication management. 
• Collaborate closely with pediatric psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, and care coordinators to develop and implement integrated, patient-and-family-centered treatment plans. 
• Participate in multidisciplinary case conferences and care team huddles to ensure coordinated and holistic care, particularly for patients with complex psychiatric, behavioral and psychosocial needs. 
• Offer consultation and support to medical and behavioral health colleagues, including pediatricians and primary care providers, to enhance access to and continuity of mental health services. 
• Monitor treatment response, adjust medications as clinically indicated, and engage families in shared decision-making around treatment planning and follow-up care.
• Document clinical care in a timely and thorough manner in the electronic medical record (EMR), adhering to documentation standards and billing requirements.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of clinical protocols and workflows that support integrated care, risk assessment, and crisis response.
• Provide support for transitions of care, including coordination with inpatient teams, school personnel, or community-based providers when needed.
• Participate in quality improvement initiatives and clinical outcomes tracking related to psychiatric care delivery in outpatient pediatric populations.

Emergency Department & Ambulatory Setting:

• Collaborate with physicians, clinicians, other agency providers, clinical support staff, administrative staff and community resources in meeting patient and family needs.
• Provide health promotion, education and counseling for patient/families related to medication, diagnosis, health issues and coping strategies.
• Support training and supervision opportunities for trainees, such as child psychiatry fellows, medical students, or psychology interns, as applicable.
• Manage interdisciplinary team issues that affect clinical care of pat