CHIEF MENTAL HEALTH PSYCHIATRIST

Position/Program Information


DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH

The application filing period will begin on July 1, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. (PT) - July 15, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. (PT). We will keep accepting applications until the position is filled. The application window may close unexpectedly once we have enough qualified candidates.
Exam number
b4739A

TYPE OF RECRUITMENT

We welcome applications from everyone.

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Why work for us?

As the nation’s largest public mental health department, Los Angeles Department of Mental Health ensures access to care and treatment for our most vulnerable residents in a region with more than 10 million people.

Are you ready for a fulfilling career path with a flexible work schedule?

Make an impact by helping diverse and underserved populations in a variety of settings throughout LA County. We offer phenomenal medical and life insurance, fantastic retirement benefits, along with many additional incentives. Help us build a better future!

The team member we are searching for will have immediate responsibility for all psychiatry and medical treatment aspects of assigned directly operated clinics and programs within one or more service areas, and/or or a County-wide specialty area.

For more information, review the following: Class Specifications | CHIEF, MENTAL HEALTH PSYCHIATRIST| Class Spec Details
Check Out Our Outstanding Benefits!
Click here to see a list of employee benefits, including a variety of pre-tax and after-tax benefits:
Medical and Dental coverageGroup life insuranceHealth care and subsidized dependent care spending accountsLong-term disability health insurance

Essential Job Functions

• Coordinates psychiatric services in a service area providing community mental health services which include client/patient therapy, mental health consultation to other agencies, and mental health educational and informational services.
• Coordinates the mental health work performed by physicians, nurses, psychiatric social workers, and other personnel in the assigned service area.
• Provides input into the development and expansion of the psychiatric workforce through recruitment and selection of staff, as well as ensuring that residents and fellows training is consistent with Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education accreditation standards.
• Develops policies and standards for mental health programs to ensure compliance with existing State and Federal laws and regulations.
• Evaluates data and trends regarding clinical incident and adverse events, program specific and department-wide, and oversees the Supervising Mental Health Psychiatrist’s development of Plans of Correction related to medical treatment services.
• Reviews and evaluates a community's need for mental health services by initiating special studies and surveys.
• Directs the maintenance of records, preparation of reports, and the clerical and housekeeping functions vital for the operation of the service areas.
• Provides consultation on contracts for psychiatric services with private agencies in the service areas.
• Monitors caseloads and service delivery to ensure compliance with Physician Provider Service Agreements, and to maintain the highest quality of care standards.
• Provides expert advice to directly operated and contracted programs regarding clinical risks, liability exposure, reporting of adverse events, and the most difficult and special cases.
• Collaborates with division directors and managers in charge of each service area on service/treatment planning, as well as with on-site psychiatric supervisors and on-site program managers to address problems and emerging concerns which are unique to the programs site.
• Serves as liaison with other agencies, organizations, groups, and individuals in order to promote community mental health programs.
• Participates in the department’s Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee.

Requirements

Requirements to Qualify:
Completion of a residency approved by an American Specialty Board in Psychiatry or equivalent training* - AND - Three years of experience in medical practice, post residency training, teaching, or investigative work, one year of which must have been at the level of Supervising Mental Health Psychiatrist.**

*Equivalent training is defined as that training which the appropriate American Certifying Board formally recognizes as being equivalent.

** In Los Angeles County, experience at the level of Supervising Mental Health Psychiatrist involves overseeing psychiatrists, as well as multidisciplinary and support staff, to ensure mental health services are provided to clients in line with psychiatric standards and scope of practice.
Withhold and Out-of-Class Experience:
No withhold or out of class experience will be allowed for this position. Experience is required to be fully met at the time of filing.
License:
A valid California Class C Driver License or the ability to use an alternative method of transportation when needed to carry out job-related essential functions.

California State Physician and Surgeon's certificate authorized by the Board of Medical Examiners of the State of California.***
Physical class:
Physical Class II - Light: This class includes administrative and clerical positions requiring light physical effort that may include occasional light lifting to a 10-pound limit and some bending, stooping, or squatting. Considerable ambulation may be involved.
Desirable Qualifications: Board certification in psychiatry recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties.***Supervisory experience of interdisciplinary teams.Psychiatric subspecialty training or board certification in area of expertise (e.g. child and adolescent, forensic, addiction psychiatry).*** Special requirement information:
*** To qualify, submit your California State Physician and Surgeon’s certificate with your application or email it to exams@dmh.lacounty.gov within 15 calendar days of applying. Any certifications required for desirable qualifications should also be submitted within the same timeframe.

We do not accept password-protected documents. Ensure documents are unlocked before attaching to your application or sending to the exam analyst.
Additional Information:

Additional Information

Once we have identified that you meet our requirements, an invitation (if applicable) regarding the following assessment processes will be sent:
Examination content:
This examination will consist of an evaluation of experience, supplemental questionnaires, and desirable qualifications based upon application information, weighted 100%.

The passing score for the assessment part is 70%.
Eligibility and Vacancy Information:
Applicants will be processed as they are received. Candidates who passed the assessment are placed on a list in the order of their score group for a period of twelve (12) months. We will use this list to fill vacancies in the Department of Mental Health as they occur.

APPLICATION AND FILING INFORMATION:

We only accept applications filed online. Applications submitted by U.S. mail, fax, or in person are not accepted. Apply online by clicking on the "Apply" green button at the top right of this posting. This website can also be used to get application status updates.

Please fill out the application completely. Provide relevant job experience including employer's name and address, job title, beginning and ending dates, number of hours worked per week, and description of work performed.

We may verify information included in the application at any point during the examination and hiring process, including after an appointment has been made. Falsification of information could result in refusal of application or rescission of appointment. Copying verbiage from the Requirements or class specification as your work experience will not be sufficient to demonstrate meeting the requirements. Doing so may result in an incomplete application and may lead to disqualification.

We will send notifications to the email address provided on the application, so it is important that you provide a valid email address. If you choose to unsubscribe or opt out from receiving our emails, it is possible to view notices by logging into governmentjobs.com and checking the profile inbox. It is every applicant's responsibility to take steps to view correspondence, and we will not consider claims of missing notices to be a valid reason for re-scheduling an exam part. Register the below domains as approved senders to prevent email notifications from being filtered as spam/junk mail.

New email addresses need to be verified. This only needs to be done once per email address and can be done at any time by logging in to govermentjobs.com and following the prompts. This is to enhance the security of the online application and to prevent incorrectly entered email addresses.

Federal law requires that all employed persons have a Social Security Number, so include yours when applying.

For those who do not have access to a computer or the internet, we provide access to complete an application at public libraries throughout the county.

All applicants must file their application online using their own user ID and password. Using a family member's or friend's login information may erase a candidate's original application record.

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Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion (ARDI):
The County of Los Angeles recognizes and affirms that all people are created equal and are entitled to all rights afforded by the Constitution of the United States. We are committed to promoting Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion efforts to address the inequalities and disparities amongst race. We support the ARDI Strategic Plan and its goals by improving equality, diversity, and inclusion in recruitment, selection, and employment practices.
Testing accommodation:
If you require an accommodation to fairly compete in any part of the assessment process, contact the Testing Accommodations Coordinator at exams@dmh.lacounty.gov.

Testing Accommodations Coordinator: exams@dmh.lacounty.gov

Teletype Phone: (800) 899-4099

Alternate Teletype Phone: (800) 897-0077

California Relay Services Phone: (800) 735-2922

Department Contact Name: Antonio Estrada, Exam Analyst

Department Contact Phone: 323-705-3880

Department Contact Email: exam@dmh.lacounty.gov

For detailed information, please click here

Closing Date/Time: 7/15/2025 5:00 PM Pacific

• 

• Los Angeles County

• (800) 970-5478

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