Consulting Pediatric Psychiatrist

Role: Consulting Pediatric Psychiatrist

Role Type: Part-Time

Note: This role will begin with variable hours (1-2 hours per week), with an expected ramp-up to increased and more consistent hours over time based on clinical needs.

Location: Remote

About Playground Pediatrics: At Playground Pediatrics, we believe every child deserves the highest quality care. We are building a multi-state, value-based pediatrics practice enhancing the patient and provider experience while delivering improved outcomes. Together, our goal is to create a more supportive, seamless, and comprehensive approach to meet the unique needs of every child entrusted to our care. 

About the Collaborative Care Model: The Collaborative Care Model is an integrated behavioral health care model designed to treat common mental health conditions in medical settings, like primary care, through a team-based approach. The team is comprised of the patient’s Primary Care Provider (PCP), Behavioral Health Care Manager (BHCM), and a Consulting Psychiatrist. The PCP and BHCM collaborate and receive support from a Consulting Psychiatrist to provide evidence-based medication and psychosocial treatment to the patient.

Position Description: The Psychiatric Consultant supports the Collaborative Care team—the primary care provider, patient, and Behavioral Health Care Manager—through regular consultation on an assigned caseload of patients. The Psychiatric Consultant advises the primary care provider on appropriate medications and other treatment strategies, also providing the care team with educational support on diagnosing and managing behavioral health conditions.

Key Responsibilities: 

· Provide regularly scheduled (usually weekly) caseload consultation to Behavioral Health Care Managers. Case review consultations focus primarily on patients who are new to the caseload or who are not improving as expected under their current treatment plan. Case reviews may be conducted by telephone, video, or in person.

· Work with Behavioral Health Care Managers to oversee the status and population health of their assigned patient caseload. The Psychiatric Consultant uses a registry to track all assigned patients and prioritize patients for case review and treatment adjustment. Registry functions can be accomplished through an electronic health record (EHR) build, on a spreadsheet used in conjunction with an EHR, or built into a stand-alone clinical management tracking system that may or may not be linked to an EHR.

· Recommend any treatment adjustments through the case review process or in ad hoc consultations, including medication recommendations and other interventions, within 24 hours of consulting with a Behavioral Health Care Manager or other team members.

· Advise on treatment for patients who may need more intensive or more specialized mental health care, supporting treatment in the medical setting until patients can be engaged in specialized care as appropriate.

· Clearly communicate the limitations of the case review consultation and treatment recommendations if the patient is not evaluated in person. 

· Be available to provide occasional ad hoc telephone consultation to primary care providers for very complex patients or challenging patient situations. Respond to telephone calls from primary care providers and Behavioral Health Care Managers within one business day. Respond to urgent telephone calls within one hour, if available. Coordinate with other Psychiatric Consultants for vacation coverage.

Requirements:

· Licensed psychiatrist

· Unrestricted license (or ability to obtain) in Georgia

· Current DEA license (or ability to obtain)

· Strong communication and interpersonal skills

· Experience with pediatric psychiatry and/or the Collaborative Care Model preferred.