SENIOR CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST
Career Family: CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST
Senior Clinical Psychologist is a local-government title in New Jersey's competitive civil service, which means the way in is an open exam rather than a direct appointment.
Candidates need a doctoral degree and 1 year of relevant experience.
How to apply
This title is filled by competitive examination.
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Senior Clinical Psychologist is a local service title. It is filled by the counties, municipalities, authorities and other employers that have adopted civil service under Title 11A, not by State departments. Those employers set pay by ordinance or contract rather than from a State salary schedule, which is why most local titles carry no salary range here.
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Official job specification
The text below is the official specification published by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The plain-language summary and analysis above are derived from it by NJ Civil Service Navigator. Source: the official specification page at NJ CSC.
Definition
Under direction, plans and performs psychological assessments, group, individual or family therapy evaluations and treatment of patients with problems of personality, emotional adjustment or mental illness; administers the full range of psychological tests used for diagnosing mental and personality disorders; prepares reports or recommendations and performs psychotherapeutic tasks of varied levels of difficulty; may direct the psychotherapeutic activity of a unit and may assume the responsibility of the supervision of psychological trainees; does other related duties as required.
Examples of work
- Administers and interprets psychological tests using projective methods to diagnose mental and personality disorders of patients in an institution, clinic or other setting.
- Conducts psychodiagnosis and psychotherapy for mentally disturbed persons.
- Performs psychological assessments and prepares diagnostic and treatment recommendations to a patient care team.
- Utilizes one or more therapeutic techniques according the specific needs of the patient.
- Organizes, structures and conducts group therapy sessions; consults with professionals on the selection of patients and desired objectives.
- Initiates, conducts and reports on research studies.
- Assists in the instruction and supervision of psychological trainees.
- May direct the psychotherapeutic activity of a unit in the absence of a higher level clinical psychologist.
- Interviews patients to obtain significant social and psychological information; provides recommendations, which may include vocational and educational guidance, rehabilitation, remedial education or other treatment options.
- Drafts correspondence in the course of official duties.
- Prepares psychological, psychosocial, statistical and other reports of difficulty containing findings, conclusions and recommendations.
- Maintains essential records and files.
- Will be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
Education
Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Doctorate degree in Psychology with completion of a one-year supervised internship in clinical psychology.
Experience
One year of post-internship experience in clinical psychology.
Knowledge, skills and abilities
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of clinical psychology.
- Knowledge of the problems encountered in administering, scoring and analyzing various types of tests.
- Knowledge of the techniques used to interpret test results.
- Ability to conduct psychodiagnosis and psychotheraphy, and to perform psychological assessments.
- Ability to work harmoniously with patients, associates, subordinates, and other persons interested in or concerned with the mental hygiene and psychology programs of the institution or clinic.
- Ability to select and administer psychometric, vocational, aptitude, performance and special tests to patients.
- Ability to score, analyze and interpret the results of tests and correlate the results with other findings.
- Ability to gather and compile information used to prepare reports containing findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
- Ability to keep current with literature, trends of thought and new developments in the field of psychology, psychometry and research.
- Ability to prepare correspondence.
- Ability to maintain essential records and files.
- Ability to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
- Ability to read, write, speak, understand, and communicate in English sufficiently to perform duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication.
- Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long as they can perform the essential functions of the job after reasonable accommodation is made to their known limitations. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible.
Note
The examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular position using this title may not perform all duties listed in this job specification. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be listed.
In accordance with N.J.A.C. 13:42-1.3, positions assigned to an agency which is exempt from licensure and, in which a licensed Clinical Psychologist is also employed, a Master's degree in Psychology from an accredited college or university with completion of one (1) year supervised clinical internship is accepted as the minimum education requirement.