State of Connecticut Executive Branch

In a state health care facility, community based health care program or correctional facility this class is accountable for conducting evaluations and therapy and providing services involving psychodiagnosis, psychotherapy, behavior modification, data collection and analysis, educational/vocational assessment and placement, rehabilitation and/or program development and evaluation under general supervision.

Incumbents in this class are expected to provide services with a great deal of independence. They continue to function under direction of psychologists but need much less supervision and have significantly more freedom in choosing work routines than the Developmental Specialists 1.

• Under supervision, develops, implements, monitors and revises behavioral support plans;
• Trains staff in the implementation of behavioral plans and the collection of data;
• Selects and administers objective and projective psychodiagnostic tests;
• Analyzes and interprets test results;
• Assesses individual intellectual disability status through observation and if individual abilities accommodate, interview;
• Writes reports including profiles on intellectual functioning and personality organization;
• Conducts individual and group psychotherapy, crisis intervention, group therapy and family therapy;
• Provides services involving behavior modification, milieu therapy, data collection and analysis, educational/vocational assessment and placement, rehabilitation, program development and evaluation, behavioral techniques, individual treatment recommendations and research;
• Provides consultation to allied professionals, families, individuals, direct care staff and community agencies;
• Participates in clinical and interdisciplinary conferences and staff meetings;
• Prepares case notes and reports;
• Works closely with consulting psychiatrist to monitor efficacy of psychotropic medication(s);
• May provide consultation according to specialized expertise;
• May write grant proposals and renewals;
• May conduct Restrictive Procedures Audits;
• May serve as Chairperson of Program Review Committee;
• May serve as a Qualified Intellectual Disabilities Professional;
• Performs related duties as required.

• Considerable knowledge of general psychological theory and its application to treatment, rehabilitation and research programs;
• Knowledge of
  • relevant agency policies and procedures;
  • statistics and experimental design;
• Considerable
  • interpersonal skills;
  • oral and written communication skills;
• Considerable ability to
  • select, score and interpret objective and projective psychological tests;
  • develop treatment plans;
• Ability to
  • assess behavior and develop behavioral treatment strategies;
  • conduct individual and group psychotherapy;
  • provide consultation and training services;
  • utilize computer software;
• Supervisory ability.

A Master's degree in psychology, educational psychology, rehabilitative psychology, community psychology, experimental psychology or other related degree from a program accredited by a regional educational board AND three (3) years of experience in conducting psychological testing, assessment and evaluation including one (1) year in treating and/or working with individuals in the appropriate specialty serviced by the agency.

NOTE: For state employees the experience component is interpreted at the level of a Developmental Specialist 1.

A Doctorate degree in community psychology, educational psychology, experimental psychology, psychology, rehabilitative psychology or other related degree from a program accredited by a regional educational board AND two (2) years of experience in treating and/or working with individuals in the appropriate specialty serviced by the agency may be substituted for the General Experience.

• Incumbents in this class may be required to possess and retain a valid Motor Vehicle Operator’s license.
• Incumbents in this class may be required to travel.

Incumbents in this class may be required to lift and restrain individuals; may have some exposure to communicable/infectious diseases and to risk of injury from individuals.

This replaces the existing specification for the class of Developmental Specialist 2 in Salary Group HC 25 approved effective February 16, 2018. (Reviewed for content and revised to modernize format and add an Acknowledgement section) Final No. 23-283