Job Details

The Department of Developmental Services (DDS) is seeking a motivated and experienced candidate for a full-time Psychologist V position at the Wrentham Developmental Center. The Psychologist V will play a crucial role in addressing a wide range of needs for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The level of responsibility will involve a combination of advanced clinical skills, interdisciplinary collaboration, and a deep understanding of both psychological and developmental principles. The Psychologist V position requires a balance of empathy, clinical expertise, and a commitment to improving the quality of life for individuals with diverse and complex needs.

Duties and Responsibilities (these duties are a general summary and not all-inclusive):

• Provide a full range of psychological services, including conducting assessments, creating positive behavioral support plans, training and supervising staff, providing input into medication and Individual Service Plans (ISPs), and providing individual and group counseling to assigned caseload when appropriate.
• Effective communication skills as well as the ability to work collaboratively with multi-disciplinary teams are essential.
• Responsible for a full range of psychological services to an assigned caseload, including assessment, development of psychological treatment plans, staff training and supervision, and direct service delivery.
• Supply hands-on, resident training and active involvement with assigned residents, managing aggression, self-injury, socially inappropriate behavior, and provide skilled acquisition training programs.
• Crisis intervention during behavioral/psychiatric staff supervision in crisis management and providing clinical assessments using appropriate psychological testing/assessment tools in evaluating individual residents.
• Develop, implement, and supervise appropriate systems for data collection with all residents who receive psychoactive medication and/or who have psychological treatment plans.
• Ensure the incorporation of techniques and goals of other professional disciplines into the psychology program, wherever possible, to ensure carry-over of client training programs.

Required Qualifications:

• Extensive knowledge of the field of psychology, particularly Behavioral Psychology, Learning and Conditioning, principles of Applied Behavior Analysis, and human development.
• Knowledge and experience with the application of psychological techniques to individuals with developmental disabilities and/or mental illness.
• Experience and demonstrated skill supervising psychologists and psychology associates in the provision of psychological services to intellectually challenged adults, including evaluation and treatment.
• Knowledge of and experience with the management of aggressive behavior in developmentally delayed and dual-diagnosed individuals.
• Strong interpersonal skills.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Experience as an administrative and clinical supervisor of professional staff.
• Ability to organize, manage, and motivate staff effectively.
• Ability to work with other department heads and administrators to integrate and organize effective facility-based training programs.
• Knowledge of the Title 19 system.
• In-depth knowledge of methods of statistics, research design, and data analysis.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Supervisory and/or managerial experience in the provision of 24-hour, 7-day/week services to an intellectually challenged population is preferred.
• Competent in behavioral intervention, applied behavior analysis, and other research-based methodologies.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the interpretation and analysis of assessment and testing results; Diagnosis of intellectual and developmental disabilities, and current trends in the field.
• Experience working with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
• Evidence of the practice of a high level of confidentiality.
• Thoroughness, independence, and excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Record of working in multidisciplinary teams.
• Proficient usage of Microsoft Office products, including Word, Outlook, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Strong knowledge of, and experience working within, a Title-19 certified, Intermediate Care Facility.

Please Note:

This position is located in the Wrentham Developmental Center in Wrentham, MA.

SCHEDULE:

Full-time 40-hour weekly position

Schedule 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday

Days off – Saturday and Sunday

Flexibility is required to meet the needs of the program.

This position is designated as an "EMERGENCY" position in the Department of Developmental Services Emergency Plan. This means that whenever the Governor declares that the Commonwealth is in a state of emergency, selected candidates will be required to report to work.

Pre-Hire Process:

Education and license/certification information provided by the selected candidate(s) is subject to the Massachusetts Public Records Law and may be published on the Commonwealth's website.

• Education, licensure, and certifications will be verified by the Human Resources Division's Hiring Guidelines.

Recommended candidates must complete pre-employment screening, which includes:

• Disabled Persons Protection Commission (DPPC) Abuse Registry Search:
• Criminal background check (CORI) by regulations set forth by the Executive Office of Health and Human Services.
• National Background Checks, Chapter 234 of the Acts of 2014, conduct a fingerprint-based check.

If you require assistance with the application/interview process and would like to request an ADA accommodation, please click on the link and complete the ADA Reasonable Accommodation Online Request Form.

For technical help with Mass Careers, including logging into your profile and/or resetting your password, please call the Employee Service Center at 617-###-#### for assistance.

For questions regarding this requisition, please contact the Executive Office of Health and Human Services Human Resources at 1-800-###-####, Ext. #4.

ALL EMPLOYEES ARE PAID ON A BI-WEEKLY BASIS AND MUST HAVE DIRECT DEPOSIT.

This is a Civil Service position. If there is no Civil Service list for this title, employees appointed must take and pass the next Civil Service examination when administered.

Qualifications

First consideration will be given to those applicants who apply within the first 14 days.

Minimum Entrance Requirements:

Applicants must have a Doctorate in Psychology from a school accredited by the American Psychological Association.

Applicants must also have at least four years of full-time, or equivalent part-time, professional post-doctoral experience as a Licensed Psychologist in the application of psychological principles and techniques in a recognized agency providing psychological services or treatment, of which (B) at least two years must have included supervision over Post-doctoral Psychologists-in-training and /or Psychological Associates.

Special Requirements:

Current and valid registration as a Psychologist by the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Psychology.

Based on the assignment, must meet the eligibility requirements for Designated Forensic Psychologist in 104 CMR 33.04(3)(b).

Based on the assignment, travel may be required. Those employees who elect to use a motor vehicle for travel must have a current and valid Massachusetts Motor Vehicle Operator's license or the equivalent from another state.

Salary placement is determined by a combination of factors, including the candidate's years of directly related experience and education, and alignment with our internal compensation structure as set forth by the Human Resources Division's Hiring Guidelines. For all bargaining unit positions (non-management), compensation is subject to the salary provisions outlined in the applicable collective bargaining agreement and will apply to placement within the appropriate salary range.

Title 101 CMR 23.00 (“Regulation”) requires certain agency staff to have received the COVID-19 vaccination and Influenza vaccination, or have taken required mitigation measures, to prevent viral infection and transmission in State Hospitals and State Congregate Care Facilities. The Regulation applies to this position. Successful candidates will be required to acknowledge and attest to their vaccination status for both COVID-19 and Influenza.

An Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer. Females, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

The Commonwealth is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate based on race, religion, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, national origin, veteran status, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. Research suggests that qualified women, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) may self-select out of opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage individuals who believe they have the skills necessary to thrive to apply for this role.