PSYCHOLOGIST

At Cooper University Health Care, our commitment to providing extraordinary health care begins with our team. Our extraordinary professionals are continuously discovering clinical innovations and enhanced access to the most up-to-date facilities, equipment, technologies and research protocols. We have a commitment to our employees to provide competitive rates and compensation programs.  Cooper offers full and part-time employees a comprehensive benefits program, including health, dental, vision, life, disability, and retirement. We also provide attractive working conditions and opportunities for career growth through professional development.

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Psychologist Role

The psychologist chosen for this position will provide psychological consultation and psychotherapeutic intervention for patients and families within the Emergency Department and the Clinical Decision Unit. They will provide evidence-based brief interventions (CBT, ACT and mindfulness-skills) with a variety of patients and family members who present to the ED with psychiatric and health-related distress. In addition, the chosen candidate will work in collaboration with, and provide consultation to, a multidisciplinary emergency medicine team.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities:

• Develops meaningful and effective relationships with leadership and frontline physicians, nurses, residents and trainees. Engages in regular direct communication with all staff as well as patients and their families

• Provide psychological consultation and psychotherapeutic intervention for patients and families within the Emergency Department.

• Provide evidence-based brief interventions (CBT, ACT and mindfulness-skills).

• Work in collaboration with, and provide consultation to, a multidisciplinary (i.e., Physician, APP, case management, Addiction Navigator) Emergency Medicine team.

• Participate in daily operations of the emergency department mental health team including but not limited to:

o collaboratively work to maximize disposition efficiency for patients with psychological diagnosis;

o ensure intradepartmental mental health care is practiced in accordance with best medical practice for psychiatric challenges and emergencies;

o collaboratively work to institute appropriate changes to improve patient/employee/third party satisfaction with the emergency department mental health service chain;

o review and revise billing procedures to potentially improve revenue cycles for the emergency psychology services;

• Provides patient risk assessment, collaborate with Psychiatry consultation liaison team and case management team regularly, and recommendations for the ED team

• Identifies gaps in psychological programming and consultations in the ED and recommend and implement solutions.

• Serves as a liaison across the ED. Develops and maintains referral relationships with community-based behavioral health providers to assist in timely psychological and psychiatric support for patients needing referrals.

• Provides consultative support to caregivers seeking referral to appropriate behavioral health providers, including education about most efficient and effective use of behavioral health resources.

• Engage in multidisciplinary committee for care planning for patients that evidence overutilization, disruptive and unsafe behaviors in the Emergency department.

• Participate in on-going Behavioral Medicine and/or Emergency Medicine research; initiation of new projects, participation in professional presentation at national conferences; work toward publication of Behavioral Medicine and ED research. Represent this work locally and nationally at conferences and other proceedings.

• Report to Director of Behavioral Medicine for administrative and clinical issues including scheduling, case assignment, coverage, etc.

• Ensure mental health emergency procedures meet JCAHO/CMS credentialing requirements and best care practices are followed, which includes providing any needed ongoing education for emergency department personnel.

• Provide supervision for externs, interns and post-doc fellows in ED and CL rotations of Behavioral Medicine Training Programs

• Opportunities to teach/facilitate shadowing for medical students and Psychiatry residents rotating and provide professional presentations as requested (staff in- service, Grand Rounds, GME and medical school)

• Develops original presentations and trainings for ED team as needed to cover areas such as stress management, self-care and provider wellness

• Attend quarterly meetings for community mental health and inter-institutional care planning.

• Complete timely documentation in EHR utilizing approved templates and provide yearly selected cases for peer quality review.

• Provide coverage to colleagues during their absence.

The ED psychologist will also collaborate with Cooper Psychiatry’s CL and transitional care team regularly to ensure patient needs are met, including escalation of care or discharge. To that end, the chosen candidate will also ensure mental health emergency procedures meet JCAHO/CMS credentialing requirements and best care practices are followed, which includes providing any needed ongoing education for emergency department personnel and review of cases. There are also opportunities to support ongoing development of disaster relief preparedness efforts, and the ability to create and maintain relationships with mental health community partners (i.e., Oaks Integrated Care, Camden Coalition).

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Psy.D./Ph.D. in Clinical or Counseling Psychology, with experience in a wide range of mental health issues including serious mental illness, addiction medicine, dual diagnosis, health psychology.

Excellent oral and written communication skills. Ability to work independently and exercise sound clinical judgment. Ability to work in collaboration with multidisciplinary medical team; experience in inpatient hospital settings and/or integrated settings preferred. Strong organizational and management skills.

Psy.D./Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology is required

NJ Psychologist license or license eligible in NJ.

Schedule Days/Hours: Full Time