Travel Licensed Psychologist SNF Behavioral Health

About This Role

This travel position is for a Licensed Psychologist specializing in behavioral health within Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs). The role involves providing evaluation, diagnosis, treatment, and consultation services to residents across multiple facilities, focusing on substance use disorders, serious mental illness, dementia-related behaviors, adjustment disorders, and psychosocial stressors. The psychologist will ensure timely behavioral health interventions, reduce rehospitalizations, improve quality measures, and support regulatory compliance.

Responsibilities

• Conduct initial and ongoing psychological evaluations for new admissions and behavioral changes, utilizing standardized tools such as TAPS, PHQ-9, BIMS, and MoCA
• Provide DSM-5-based diagnoses and clinical impressions, determining risk levels (Low / Moderate / High behavioral risk)
• Develop individualized behavioral health care plans in collaboration with the Interdisciplinary Team (IDT), with Matrix Care-ready documentation
• Provide psychotherapy (brief, solution-focused, supportive), behavioral interventions, and coping strategies
• Address aggression, agitation, wandering, refusal of care, substance-seeking behaviors, depression, anxiety, and trauma
• Participate in care plan meetings, behavioral health rounds, and post-incident reviews (falls, altercations, substance events)
• Provide recommendations to DON, Social Services, Nursing, and Activities, supporting root cause analysis (RCA) and intervention planning
• Assist facilities with TAPS compliance workflows, Behavioral Health Rapid Response protocols, and SUD monitoring programs
• Develop and refine behavioral care pathways, de-escalation strategies, and non-pharmacological interventions
• Ensure documentation meets CMS F-Tags (e.g., F740–F745 Behavioral Health) and Title 22 (California SNF regulations) and CDPH survey expectations
• Provide survey-ready and legally defensible documentation, assisting during surveys, IDR processes, and compliance monitor reviews
• Provide training to nursing staff (RN/LVN/CNA), Social Services, and the leadership team on topics including managing difficult behaviors, substance use disorder awareness, suicide risk identification, and trauma-informed care
• Support DSD with competency validation
• Respond to suicidal ideation or attempts, aggressive or violent behavior, and acute psychosis
• Provide immediate assessment, recommendations for transfer (if needed), and clearance documentation for return from acute care
• Complete timely documentation including initial evaluations, progress notes, IDT recommendations, and risk assessments
• Ensure clarity, accuracy, regulatory compliance, and integration into EMR (e.g., Matrix Care)
• Participate in QAPI initiatives related to behavioral health outcomes, reduction in antipsychotic use, and rehospitalization rates