The Department of Corrections is seeking a highly motivated and qualified individual for the position of Psychologist 4 with a focus on Suicide Prevention.
The Department of Corrections is committed to reducing or eliminating individuals who die by suicide while in prison or shortly following release from prison. Toward this effort this position will design and lead all efforts, across divisions, to achieve this goal. They will utilize the most up to date strategies and modify those strategies for effective implementation in a correctional setting. This will include, though is not limited to, providing expert consultation on the updating of all training curricula associated with suicide prevention. They will also develop and implement a comprehensive plan to educate the incarcerated population regarding suicide and how to prevent deaths. This work will necessarily require inclusion of internal and external stakeholders to ensure appropriate application of death reduction efforts.
Application assessment will be ongoing, and the hiring authority reserves the right to offer the position at any time during the recruitment process. It is to the applicant's advantage to apply as early as possible.
We are looking for teammates who share our vision of public service, committed to an equitable and inclusive culture that fosters and inspires excellence, while promoting innovation, engagement, and safety, leading to better outcomes for our incarcerated population, our agency, and our community.
Duties
Staff Training:
- Work with TDU (Training and Development Unit) to update Suicide Prevention curricula for CWC (Correctional Workers Core) and AIS (Annual In Service), ensuring that the content and activities provide the most up-to-date information and experience to enhance skills, reduce stigma and improve awareness.
- Train Mental Health staff as instructors at all locations to deliver CWC and AIS training.
- Update the Suicide Assessment and Management (for MH professionals) curricula to ensure that it meets Department of Health (DOH) objectives, maintain DOH approval of curriculum.
- Provide DOH based training and/or train instructors.
- Manage tracking of all MH and Psychiatric staff in the completion of the Suicide Assessment and Management training per DOH licensing requirements.
Population Education:
- Develop comprehensive plan to provide appropriate information to the incarcerated population to reduce the risk of suicide and improve reporting of suicidal ideation to staff.
- Implement plan to improve population knowledge of risks of suicide and appropriate action steps to help themselves or others.
- This plan will include information to be shared during orientation at the reception Centers as well as throughout all prison settings.
- This plan will include specialized information to be shared for those people releasing from incarceration.
Consultation:
- Provide consultation to other divisions regarding essential elements of suicide prevention. This will likely include analysis of many environments regarding means restriction. This will also include collaborating with Community Corrections Division regarding particular risks and strategies specific to those people at time of, or shortly after release.
Other Duties:
This position will represent DOC in various suicide prevention efforts in other agencies and organizations. This will include representing DOC on the Action Alliance Committee, organized through DOH.
Required qualifications:
- Education: A Doctoral degree in Psychology from an accredited school
AND
- 3 years of post-doctoral psychology experience
AND
- Possession of an unencumbered license to practice psychology in the State of Washington.
Knowledge:
- Extensive knowledge about the suicide to include risks, warning signs, prevention strategies.
Preferred/Desired Qualifications:
- Previous work in a correctional setting
- Experience with developing and implementing agency-wide strategic plans.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $128,292.00 - $172,584.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Dental insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Flexible schedule
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Parental leave
- Relocation assistance
- Retirement plan
- Vision insurance
Schedule:
- 8 hour shift
- Day shift
- Monday to Friday
- No weekends
Work setting:
Ability to Relocate:
- Tumwater, WA 98501: Relocate before starting work (Required)
Work Location: In person