Description
Diagnose, treat, and help prevent mental disorders among incarcerated individuals, delivering evidence-based care in secure settings, managing crises and suicide risk, and coordinating with medical and custody staff to support safety, rehabilitation, and continuity of care.
- • Conduct intake and ongoing psychiatric evaluations, including suicide and violence risk assessments.
- • Prescribe and manage psychotropic medications within formulary and security constraints; monitor labs, efficacy, and side effects.
- • Provide individual or group psychotherapy adapted to correctional environments.
- • Deliver crisis intervention for acute psychosis, withdrawal, or suicidality and coordinate emergency transfers when needed.
- • Collaborate with physicians, psychologists, nurses, social workers, and custody staff on treatment plans and housing decisions.
- • Maintain secure, accurate clinical records and document consents, refusals, and involuntary treatment proceedings per policy.
- • Design and update individualized care plans addressing co-occurring substance use and medical conditions.
- • Perform competency, capacity, and risk evaluations; prepare reports for courts, parole boards, or hearings; testify when required.
- • Review treatment outcomes, medication adherence, and safety events; participate in quality improvement and case reviews.
- • Educate correctional staff on mental health recognition, de-escalation, and suicide prevention protocols.
- • Coordinate reentry planning to ensure continuity of psychiatric care, medications, and community referrals upon release or transfer.
- • Serve on facility committees to improve mental health services, segregation review, and policies; pursue continuing education.
Related specializations
Interview options
Interview options
Interviewee gender
Interviewee accent
Interview time
Related Pathways
Healthcare & Human Services
View
Source
Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
Learn more
Sources & Standards:
This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
