Inpatient CL Psychologist - Austell, GA

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CLINICAL HEALTH PSYCHOLOGIST

Consultation-Liaison Psychology, Inpatient, Generalist

Position #JR-26830

CLINICAL HEALTH PSYCHOLOGIST
Consultation-Liaison Psychology

As we continue to expand our health psychology and behavioral medicine services, the Wellstar Medical Group and Behavioral Health Service Line are pleased to announce an opening for a Consultation-Liaison (C-L) Health Psychologist at Wellstar Cobb Hospital. This position offers a unique opportunity to support patients through general consultation-liaison psychological services in acute hospital setting. The psychologist will work with a multi-disciplinary team comprised of medical doctors, nurses, psychiatrists, care coordinators, behavioral health liaisons, and others committed to providing whole-person care.

Role Overview

The psychologist will allocate his/her clinical time providing C-L psychological services to medically hospitalized patients, serving individuals with various medical problems and co-occurring substance use and psychiatric conditions.

In the C-L role, the psychologist will consult with medical teams across units, delivering brief psychological assessments, diagnostic clarification, and targeted evidence-based interventions for individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs) and co-occurring psychiatric or medical challenges. The psychologist will participate in daily interdisciplinary rounds, contribute to behavioral health recommendations for medical teams, and assist in supporting the hospital’s efforts to improve continuity of care for patients with behavioral health needs.

This is an ideal role for a team-oriented yet independently capable psychologist, ready to enable the delivery of exceptional care and psychological services at Wellstar Cobb Medical Center, with a confident, assertive, and collaborative presence.

Professional Environment

Reporting to Wellstar’s Associate Director of Consultation-Liaison Behavioral Medicine, the psychologist will be integrated within Wellstar’s Consultation-Liaison Behavioral Medicine service, with consultation and collaboration across medical specialties and units, including Cobb Hospital’s Burn Unit, inpatient rehabilitation unit (IRU), and others. The psychologist will participate in Wellstar’s Clinical Health Psychology Forum (CHPF), a professional learning community fostering best practices and alignment with the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) competencies in C-L psychology.

Opportunities for teaching and training may be available through Wellstar’s partnerships with the Medical College of Georgia and regional psychology training programs.

Duties/Responsibilities

• Provide consultation-liaison psychological services for hospitalized medical patients
• Conduct suicide risk assessments and determine need for inpatient behavioral health care
• Determine the need for issuing, extending, or discontinuing involuntary holds and inpatient psychiatric admissions due to functionally debilitating psychiatric or substance use disorders, exercising familiarity with the state of Georgia’s legal hold processes.
• Perform brief evaluations, functional assessments, and evidence-based interventions tailored to the inpatient setting
• Consult with medical and surgical teams on behavioral health and addiction-related management
• Document in the Epic EMR and communicate clinical findings to attending physicians
• Collaborate with psychiatry, social work, and case management to improve transition of care and discharge planning
• Participate in the Clinical Health Psychology Forum and engage in interprofessional education opportunities

Skills Needed

• Advanced knowledge of consultation-liaison psychology and behavioral health integration within a general hospital
• Strong expertise in assessment and treatment of substance use disorders, including detox, relapse prevention, and comorbidity management
• Expertise in suicide risk assessment and suicide-specific treatment models
• Familiarity with evidence-based psychological treatments for anxiety, depression, psychosis, trauma, and personality disorders
• Ability to function autonomously while working as part of a collaborative interdisciplinary team
• Experience working in acute medical settings
• Comfort with clinical leadership and pathway development for a growing psychology presence at Wellstar Cobb

Required Qualifications

• Doctorate degree (Ph.D. or Psy.D.) in Clinical or Counseling Psychology from an APA-accredited program
• Completion of an APA-accredited internship, ideally with a focus on medical or hospital-based psychology
• Completion of a postdoctoral fellowship in Clinical Psychology, Health Psychology, or a related field
• Licensure or license-eligibility as a Psychologist in the State of Georgia
• Board-certification in Clinical Health Psychology or a related specialty (or willingness to obtain within 3 years)

Compensation & Benefits

Wellstar offers a competitive and tiered compensation package based on clinical experience. The package includes base salary, annual quality bonuses, and additional incentives for board certification. Comprehensive benefits and professional development support are provided. Please contact Andrew Wilson (andrew.wilson@wellstar.org) for additional information.

Work Setting

Wellstar Cobb Hospital, located in Austell, Georgia, is a 382-bed facility with a long-standing reputation for compassionate care and clinical excellence. The hospital offers robust medical, surgical, and behavioral health services, including a 32-bed adult inpatient psychiatric unit. Wellstar Cobb is part of the larger Wellstar Health System, one of Georgia’s largest and most integrated health systems, recognized by the AMA Joy in Medicine program and a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network.

Application Process

Interested candidates may apply through www.wellstarcareers.org and submit a CV and cover letter directly to AJ Wilson at andrew.wilson@wellstar.org.

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