State of Maryland

A Psychology Services Chief is the Director of Psychology Services at a Maryland Department of Health (MDH) designated Court Involved (CI) Facility.  Employees in this classification provide psychological consultation and integration of psychological services with other disciplines to address problems related to mental health, emotional disturbances, behavioral and developmental deviations or other disabling conditions.  Employees in this classification provide supervision to licensed Psychologists and non-licensed members of the psychology staff.

Employees in this classification receive managerial supervision from a facility administrator or other designated departmental official.  Employees may be required to work evenings and on weekends.  The work is performed in hospitals, State programs, community clinics, health centers, juvenile justice and correctional facilities and other residential facilities.

Positions in this classification are evaluated by using the classification job evaluation methodology.  The use of this method involves comparing assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work Sections of the class specification.

The Psychology Services Chief is differentiated from the Psychologist II in that the Psychology Services Chief directs psychology services in a State facility or in an administration of a State department and supervises licensed Psychologists while the Psychologist II is the full performance level of professional psychology staff work and may supervise non-licensed psychology staff or other health care staff in multi-disciplinary programs.

Directs the program of a Psychology Services Unit;

Plans, organizes, schedules, directs and evaluates the work of professional and clerical personnel;

Coordinates the psychological services program with other disciplines and integrates new policies and procedures into existing programs;

Conducts and participates in diagnostic and evaluative staff meetings to discuss the diagnosis, etiology, treatment and disposition of patients, inmates or clients;

Ensures that standards of practice for Psychologists are maintained;

Consults with other professional and nonprofessional personnel concerning diagnostic evaluation and therapeutic treatment programs;

Conducts and participates in seminars, in-service and professional training programs;

Oversees internship and externship programs;

Consults with other program directors on policies, plans and agency goals;

Prepares and administers the program budget;

Interprets results of psychological examinations and staff decisions to various community organizations, such as schools, courts and churches;

Conducts psychological evaluations;

Provides direct clinical services, such as performing psychological evaluations and conducting individual, group, family and milieu psychotherapy programs in hospitals, clinics, community programs and residential facilities;

Consults with agency staff and community groups on programs designed to develop preventive or rehabilitative mental health services;

Evaluates and recommends changes and improvements in existing and developing programs contributing to the overall effectiveness of the institution;

May conduct research programs in an area of specialization and may provide research consultation to other hospital, program, clinic or residential facility personnel;

May design behavioral intervention programs for the developmentally disabled that focus on decreasing maladaptive, self-destructive and aggressive behavior;

May work with community groups to develop supportive social resources and to improve mental health education;

May evaluate individuals for involuntary certification under Maryland law;

May testify in pretrial and release hearings;

Performs other related duties.

Specific educational and experience requirements are set by the agency based on the essential job functions assigned to the position.

Candidates for this classification must be licensed as a Psychologist by the Maryland State Board of Examiners of Psychologists prior to permanent appointment to a position in State service.  Applicants who do not have a Maryland license may also apply pending receipt of the required license.  When the license has been obtained, submit a copy of the license to the Maryland Department of Health Testing Unit.   

Class Descriptions are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies.  Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position. 

Class Descriptions provide information about the Nature of Work, Examples of Work, General Requirements and Acknowledgements.  The Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities; Minimum Education and Experience Requirements; Special Requirements; and recruitment and testing procedures are set by the using agency.

This is a Management Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Management Service positions.

This classification is not assigned to a bargaining unit, as indicated by the designation of S (Supervisor), M (Manager), T (Agency Head), U (Board or Commission Member), W (Student), X (Used by Agency or Excluded by Executive Order), or Z (Confidential).  As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded collective bargaining. Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.

July 1, 2021