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 patients.
• Utilize quality improvement tools to develop processes that promote continuous improvement in delivery of patient care, patient outcomes and work flows.
• Participate in the identification and implementation of opportunities to enhance patient and family satisfaction.
• Participate in efforts to ensure compliance with JCAHO standards and other applicable accreditation and regulatory standards.
• May participate in peer review, quality assurance and root cause analyses.
• May provide care on the medical floors (Consultation & Liaison service) as needed.
• On-call coverage per division standards.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
• Academic appointments may be available with the University of Connecticut School of Medicine.

Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

• Successful completion of a Psychiatry residency required.
• Successful completion of a Child & Adolescent Psychiatry fellowship required.
• Experience in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry in a pediatric hospital setting preferred.
• CPI trained (or alternative de-escalation training) preferred.

LICENSE and/or CERTIFICATION REQUIRED

• Must posses current, unrestricted license to practice in the State of Connecticut, and must be maintained thereafter.
• DEA with Controlled Substance required and must be maintained thereafter.
• Board Certification / Board Eligible in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry required.
• BLS
• Maintain CME units based on the requirements of the specifying board, as well as maintain all licensure requirements.

The salary for this role is $226,000 to $350,000.

Connecticut Children’s is the only health system in Connecticut that is 100% dedicated to children. Established on a legacy that spans more than 100 years, Connecticut Children’s offers personalized medical care in more than 30 pediatric specialties across Connecticut and in two other states. Our transformational growth establishes us as a destination for specialized medicine and enables us to reach more children in locations that are closer to home. Our breakthrough research, superior education and training, innovative community partnerships, and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion provide a welcoming and inspiring environment for our patients, families and team members.

At Connecticut Children’s, treating children isn’t just our job – it’s our passion. As a leading children’s health system experiencing steady growth, we’re excited to expand our team with exceptional team members who share our vision of transforming children’s health and well-being as one team.

Connecticut Children’s offers a comprehensive compensation and benefits package for eligible team members, including medical, dental and vision insurance, hospital paid life and disability coverage, paid time off and leave programs, education and training assistance, a retirement savings plan with hospital match, and an employment assistance program. Eligibility for certain benefits is based on scheduled hours worked. All team members are eligible to participate in the retirement savings plan, regardless of scheduled hours worked. Additional benefit information is available here .