The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) and Department of Human Services (DHS) merged on July 1, 2022, to form one agency, the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). We are seeking a full-time Child & Adolescent Psychologist (Psychologist 3) to join the team at the Independence Mental Health Institute. Iowa HHS prefers a licensed, doctoral level psychologist for this position, and will consider a master’s level clinician with or without a license if they meet the minimum qualifications of this position. This position offers opportunities for professional growth, leadership advancement, and team-based clinical work with youth with serious emotional disturbances and complex behavioral health needs.
The Independence Mental Health Institute (IMHI) is a state-operated, acute psychiatric hospital that is accredited by the Joint Commission and CMS certified. Independence MHI is in the process of reallocating its 56 total beds from 40 beds designed for adults and 16 beds designed for children/adolescents to 20 beds for adults and 36 beds for children/adolescents. This Child & Adolescent Psychologist position is designed to help meet the needs of IMHI’s specialization toward youth with complex behavioral health needs. The hospital includes an off-ward school that meets the educational needs of youth while hospitalized at IMHI.
The Child & Adolescent Psychologist will work as an active member of a multi-disciplinary treatment team comprised of psychiatric providers, nurses, social workers, activity specialists, and other disciplines. This is one of three Psychologist positions at the facility, with each Psychologist working on a separate unit or caseload. This position reports to the IMHI Education Administrator and receives clinical oversight, support, and collaboration from the HHS Clinical Director.
The primary duties of this position include:

• Provide professional psychological services for youth admitted to an acute psychiatric hospital. Services include individual psychotherapy, group psychotherapy, family psychotherapy or consultation, crisis and behavioral management, and psychological testing and report writing.
• Actively participate as a multi-disciplinary treatment team member providing evidence-based, individualized, person-centered, trauma-informed, and recovery-oriented interventions for child and adolescent patients.
• Conduct various psychological screens, assessments, and reports to clarify diagnosis, determine eligibility for services (e.g., intellectual disability), provide treatment and support recommendations, and address unique psycho-legal issues like incompetence to stand trial.
• Provide psychological consultation, policy guidance, and staff training that promotes a strong continuity of care and improves the team’s ability to work more effectively with youth with challenging and complex behavioral health needs. This includes best practices for positive behavior management and restraint/seclusion reduction.
• Opportunities may be available for clinical supervision of practicum trainees/predoctoral interns/post-doctoral fellows. Preceptor guidance to psychiatric residents/fellows from the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC) may also be available through Iowa’s Public Psychiatry Fellowship program.
• Clinical adjunct faculty appointment with UIHC may be available. This appointment would include access to numerous virtual learning opportunities, like grand rounds, continuing education credits, and online access to numerous clinical databases, journal articles, and electronic books.
• Additional collegial engagement and support opportunities are available through the HHS Clinical Director and coordination with clinical leads across HHS’ state-operated facilities.

• Iowa Public Employees' Retirement System (IPERS)
• Retirement Investors Club (RIC) (Employer Sponsored Retirement Plan)
• Health, Dental and Vision Insurance
• Vacation Leave
• Sick Leave
• Paid Holidays (9 days/year)
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Life Insurance
• Long-Term Disability Insurance

Applicants must meet at least one of the following minimum requirements to qualify for positions in this job classification:

• Graduation from an accredited college or university with a doctorate degree in psychology, behavior analysis, or counseling, and experience equal to two years of full-time clinical work in the provision of counseling and therapy in an institutional or community mental health, intellectual disability, long-term care, or correctional program.
• Graduation from an accredited college or university with a master's degree in psychology, behavior analysis, or counseling, and experience equal to four years of full-time clinical work in the provision of counseling and therapy in an institutional or community mental health, intellectual disability, long-term care, or correctional program.
• Possession of a license to practice psychology from the Iowa Board of Psychology.
• Current, continuous experience in the state executive branch that includes eighteen months of full-time work as a Psychologist 2.

Designated positions at the Glenwood and Woodward Resource Centers require certification with the Behavior Analyst Certification Board as a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst, or require such certification within a period of time after hire as determined by the appointing authority.
Designated positions may require licensure by the Iowa Board of Psychology Examiners, as determined by the appointing authority.

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