CONSULTING PSYCHOLOGIST

Job ID

519296

Job Type

CONSULTING PSYCHOLOGIST

Date Posted

23/05/2026

Location

California

Department Information

DSH-Coalinga opened in 2005 and began treating forensically committed patients, mostly of which are sexually violent predators. It is a self-contained psychiatric hospital constructed with a security perimeter. California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) provides perimeter security as well as transportation of patients to outside medical services and court proceedings.

Job Description and Duties

This position is located at Coalinga State Hospital.

Under direction of the Senior Psychologist (Supervisor), the Consulting Psychologist provides a variety of forensic psychological evaluation and consultation services. The primary job duty of the Consulting Psychologist is to independently evaluate, review extensive case files and records, perform risk assessments, and write evaluations of individuals committed to the Department of State Hospitals, Coalinga as Sexually Violent Predators (SVP) and/or Mentally Disordered Offenders (MDO). The purpose of these evaluation reports is to determine if hospital patients continue to meet SVP or MDO statutory criteria for civil commitment.  Additional types of forensic evaluations may be required as hospital populations expand to other types of forensic patients.

The Consulting Psychologist evaluates individuals and reviews their records located at Coalinga State Hospital. The Consulting Psychologist provides court testimony and at deposition, typically in the patients’ county of commitment. Travel to the hospital on a regular basis for patient interviews and files reviews, and travel in response to subpoenas, is required.

The Consulting Psychologist may be required to review evaluations written by other Forensic Department psychologists to ensure that their reports are clinically and legally sound, accurate, fact-based, and grammatically correct. Departmental reports must be specifically focused on issues as required by SVP and MDO statutes.

The Consulting Psychologist may respond to questions from DSH-C non-Forensic departments regarding multiple issues, to include: Sex Offender research, MDO research, risk assessment, SVP/MDO laws and legal issues, and SVP/MDO evaluations.

This position entails no clinical duties.

The Consulting Psychologist possesses a high degree of skill in multiple areas: Clinical Psychology, Forensic Psychology, SVP/MDO laws and, specialized knowledge and experience in the area of forensic report writing and court testimony.  In addition, Consulting Psychologists have strict ethical and technical responsibilities regarding patient confidentiality.  Forensic evaluations involve exposure to sensitive and confidential patient information and materials. Consulting Psychologists are expected to maintain HIPPA requirements regarding confidentiality, as well as DSH and DSH-C rules and regulations, and applicable state and federal laws at all times. 

You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The State of California is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

It is an objective of the State of California to achieve a drug-free work place. Any applicant for state employment will be expected to behave in accordance with this objective because the use of illegal drugs is inconsistent with the law of the State, the rules governing Civil Service, and the special trust placed in public servants.