Director of Forensic Psychiatric Evaluation Court Clinics

Marketing Statement

NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest public health care system in the nation. We are a network of 11 hospitals, trauma centers, neighborhood health centers, nursing homes, and post-acute care centers. We are a home care agency and a health plan, MetroPlus. Our health system provides essential services to 1.4 million New Yorkers every year in more than 70 locations across the city's five boroughs. Our diverse workforce of more than 42,000 employees are uniquely focused on empowering New Yorkers, without exception, to live the healthiest life possible. Visit us at nychhc.org and stay connected on facebook.com/nychhc or Twitter@hhcnyc.

NYC Health + Hospitals/Correctional Health Services is one of the nation’s leading correctional health care systems in quality of and innovations to care, and access from pre-arraignment through compassionate release. In-jail services include medical, nursing, mental health, substance use treatment, social work, dental and vision care, discharge planning, and reentry support. In addition to providing direct patient care in the jails, CHS leverages the resources of the nation’s largest municipal health care system to help discharged patients successfully return to their communities. CHS is also a pivotal partner in New York City’s criminal justice reform efforts.

Job Description:

This full-time position reports to the Chief Medical Officer in the Division of Correctional Health Services and is responsible for the overall evaluatory oversight, management, supervision, and innovative development of the four forensic psychiatric evaluation court clinics (FPECCs) in New York City: Bronx, Brooklyn/Staten Island, Manhattan, and Queens. The FPECCs are responsible for conducting fitness to proceed (competency to stand trial) evaluations and pre-sentencing evaluations for defendants in the NYC criminal justice system. Each FPECC is located in a borough courthouse. Defendants who are detained in the NYC jails are either produced to secure areas in the courthouses for the evaluations, or appear by videoconference from a jail facility. Those in the community are either interviewed in the FPECC offices or appear by videoconference from a supervised location. New York State Criminal Procedure Law (CPL) 730 requires that two qualified examiners (who must be psychiatrists or psychologists) conduct each competency evaluation and then prepare reports for the court in a timely manner. Pre-sentencing evaluations under CPL 390 may be conducted by a licensed mental health provider. On occasion, court testimony is required. The Director of FPECC will interact with multiple involved city agencies, under the direction of the Chief Medical Officer, and will be expected to report both internally to CHS/H+H and to external city agencies about specific metrics and outcomes of interest. Major components of this position will be training; recruiting and retaining high quality staff; ensuring standardization, modernization, and efficiency of the competency evaluation process, and providing strong leadership and mentorship for existing staff.

Responsibilities Include:

• Ensure that clinical staff maintain the highest possible level of skill, honesty, and objectivity in the formulation of their forensic opinions and that their written reports are clear, concise, and in line with recognized national standards.

• Develop durable and effective lines of communication with relevant stakeholders, including court personnel, the NYC Department of Correction, defense and prosecutorial agencies, and city agencies dedicated to criminal justice reform.

• Oversee the creation, implementation, ongoing review, and monitoring of all procedures, policies, and operating manuals relating to FPECC, including standardizing assessment procedures, psychological testing indications, medical record requests, parameters for remote evaluations, hospital observation of defendants, and coordination of evaluations happening outside of the clinic.

• Provide direct and at least weekly supervision to the Directors of the four borough FPECCs.

• Oversee FPECC quality improvement projects and performance metrics

• Actively collaborate with other relevant CHS leadership in the development of staff training programs related to conducting relevant court-ordered psychiatric evaluations, including interviewing techniques, documentation practices, and courtroom testimony.

• In collaboration with the borough FPECC Directors and leadership of psychiatry and psychology training programs, develop, operationalize and monitor training curricula for psychology interns/externs, forensic psychiatry fellows, and psychiatric residents.

• Either directly or in a supervisory capacity, provide personnel management for the FPECC clinical staff, including staff and per diem psychiatrists, staff and per diem psychologists, and social workers (if any). This includes setting quality standards, establishing effective recruitment and retention strategies, managing workforce complaints, limiting conflicts of interest, hiring, onboarding, disciplinary procedures, and termination.

• Collaborate with FPECC citywide administrative leadership in CHS Operations to implement systems and practices that promote efficient day-to-day operations of the FPECCs.

• Other duties at the discretion of the Chief Medical Officer

Minimum Qualifications:

Applicants must have all of the following:

Graduation from a medical school approved by the Council on Medical Education and Hospitals of the American Medical Association.

Completion of an acceptable internship in an approved hospital.

A license to practice medicine in the State of New York.

Certification by American Board in field of specialization or a faculty appointment of Associate Professor or higher in a medical school recognized by the American Medical Association.

Eight (8) years of satisfactory full-time paid experience in field of specialization including at least three (3) years in a supervisory or administrative capacity. (Training and experience required for certification will be credited toward required specialized experience.)

Department Preferences:

Completion of a forensic psychiatry fellowship.

Active certification by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in Forensic Psychiatry.

At least three years of post-training experience conducting forensic evaluations, including fitness to proceed (competency to stand trial) evaluations in New York City.

At least two years of post-training experience in a management role in psychiatry or psychology.

Excellent diagnostic and evaluation skills with particular attention to issues related to forming opinions about legal questions.

Excellent forensic writing skills.

Excellent interpersonal communication skills and ability to work collaboratively and professionally with other disciplines.

Strong leadership skills with ability to identify staff needs and provide mentorship and education to suit those needs.

Ability to effectively delegate and assign tasks with responsibility for follow-up.

Experience managing quality improvement activities in a health care or criminal justice setting.

Proficiency with word processing and spreadsheet programs.