What are the responsibilities and job description for the Palliative Psychologist, Open Rank position at UT Health Science Center at San Antonio?
UT Health San Antonio, is seeking a clinical psychologist to support the Multispecialty Research Hospital (MSRH) Supportive/Palliative Care Team and the Mays Cancer Center.
This position focuses on providing psychological support to patients with serious, chronic, or terminal illnesses and their families. The focus is on improving quality of life, managing symptoms, and offering counseling to help patients and families cope with the emotional, psychological, and existential challenges that arise during this time.
Responsibilities:
- Psychological Assessment and Counseling:
- Conduct psychological assessments to evaluate patients' emotional, cognitive, and psychological needs.
- Assess psychological conditions and offer appropriate therapeutic interventions, including cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness, or other modalities.
- Provide individual and group therapy to help patients cope with anxiety, depression, fear, grief, and other emotions related to diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis.
- Provide family, and group counseling to help patients' families cope with illness, grief, and end-of-life issues.
- Offer support with decision-making, anticipatory grief, and emotional distress related to serious illness.
- Collaborative Care:
- Work within multidisciplinary teams to provide holistic care and develop comprehensive care plans for patients.
- Participate in team meetings to discuss patient progress, treatment plans, and goals.
- Provide psychological input in multidisciplinary tumor board meetings or care team discussions when appropriate.
- Consult with the oncology team regarding any psychological concerns related to patient care.
- Psychoeducation:
- Educate patients and families about the psychological aspects of illness, coping strategies, and stress management.
- Provide resources for managing emotional distress and grief.
- Crisis Intervention:
- Provide crisis intervention and support in urgent emotional situations.
- Grief and Bereavement Support:
- Offer grief counseling to individuals and families before, during, and after the death of a loved one.
- Facilitate support groups for patients and families coping with loss.
- Research and Evaluation:
- Stay updated on psychological oncology research and contribute to studies.
- Participate in or conduct research related to palliative care psychology to improve practices, interventions, and patient outcomes.
- Evaluate the psychological impact of palliative care interventions and make recommendations for improvements.
- Ethical and Cultural Sensitivity:
- Provide care that respects cultural, religious, and personal beliefs regarding life, death, and end-of-life care.
- Address ethical issues in care, such as end-of-life decisions, advance directives, and patient autonomy.
Qualifications:
- Ph.D. or Psy.D in Psychology.
- Licensed psychologist (state requirements apply).
- Specialized training or experience in healthcare settings preferably with cancer patients and palliative care, grief counseling, and end-of-life care is preferred.
- Strong understanding of psychological theories, therapeutic interventions, and mental health diagnoses.
- Strong communication, empathy, and collaboration skills.
Work Environment:
- Will involve working in the inpatient (MSRH) and outpatient (MCC) settings.
This role is essential in ensuring that palliative care patients and their families receive the psychological support they need to manage the complex emotions that come with serious illness.
UT Health San Antonio is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer including protected veterans and persons with disabilities. All faculty appointments are designated as security sensitive positions.
Benefits Overview
UT Health San Antonio offers an excellent benefits package for its employees. Employees who work at least 20 hours a week, with an appointment of at least 4.5 months, are eligible for benefits.
Medical- UT SELECT Medical insurance is offered free for employees and administered by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas. Family members can be added to the plan through payroll deduction. Employees and their dependents can also receive discounted copays and coinsurance when using UT Health Physicians, a network of 800 premier physicians including more than 100 specialists.
Dental - Three dental insurance plan options are available for employees and their families through Delta Dental Insurance Company, two PPOs and one dental HMO plan. Both PPO plans allow employees to choose any licensed dentist.
Vision- Fully insured Vision Care benefits are offered by Superior Vision Services. Two vision plan options that offer either standard or enhanced vision benefits. Life Employees receive $40,000 of group term life insurance and $40,000 of basic accidental death and dismemberment insurance for free, with options to purchase additional employee and dependent coverage for both at group rates.
Retirement- Employees are eligible for either the Teacher Retirement System (TRS) or the Optional Retirement Plan (ORP). TRS is a defined benefit retirement plan which UT Health matches employee contributions. ORP is for eligible faculty staff employees. Voluntary retirement programs are also available to invest before- or after-tax dollars with the choice of five quality retirement plan providers.
Time Off- A generous leave program offers multiple paid leave options:
Front-loaded Paid Time Off: 128 to 208 hours (16 to 26 days) of Paid Time Off based on years of service, given at the start of each fiscal year. PTO may be prorated in year one based on date of hire.
Extended Illness Bank: 8 hours (1 day) accrued per month which can be used for illness or injury after one day of Paid Time Off is taken.
Paid Family Leave: Up to 240 hours (6 weeks) to care for a spouse, child, or parent after 6 months of consecutive employment.
Holidays: 12 set paid holidays each fiscal year.
FSAs- Employees can enroll in flexible spending accounts (FSAs) to set aside money from earnings before taxes for qualifying dependent day care expenses or out-of-pocket health care expenses.
Discounts- Employees enjoy a range of discounts on services, tickets, and gym membership.
UT Health San Antonio is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer including protected veterans and persons with disabilities. All faculty appointments are designated as security sensitive positions.
Salary : $40,000
