Jail Health Psychiatrist

Salary : $305,235.63 - $386,904.13 Annually
Location : King County Correctional Facility - 500 5th Ave, Seattle, WA
Job Type: Appt/Exempt
Job Number: 2026MV28335
Department: DPH - Public Health
Division: Jail Health Services
Opening Date: 11/12/2026
Closing Date: 11/29/2026 11:59 PM Pacific
FLSA: Non-Exempt
Bargaining Unit: Z3 : KC Personnel Guidelines
Full- or Part-Time: Full Time

Summary
Public Health - Seattle & King County Jail Health Services Division's Psychiatric Services team is seeking a Jail Health Psychiatrist to join their team. The Psychiatric Services team provides behavioral health care to detained residents at the King County Correctional Facility and Maleng Regional Justice Center. Jail Health Psychiatrists are responsible for providing psychiatric care as part of a team of other mental health/psychiatry professionals (Psychiatrists, ARNPs, and independently Licensed Mental Health Counselors or Social Workers) within the
larger Jail Health Services division of Public Health.
Note: This recruitment will be used to create an eligibility pool to fill additional Career Service, Term-Limited Temporary (TLT), or Special Duty Assignment (SDA) vacancies that may occur over the next six months.

Work location: This position will be assigned shifts at both the King County Correctional Facility located at 500 5th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104 and the Maleng Regional Justice Center located at 620 W James St, Kent, WA 98032.

Employees must reside in Washington state and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements.

Work Schedule: The exact work schedule may be negotiable with the chosen candidate, but in general this position will be five 8-hour shifts per week, or four 10-hour work shifts per week, during the Monday through Friday work week. The position is full time (1.0 FTE) which also has weekend rotation and overnight on-call rotation components. Weekend shifts worked result in a flex day off during the regular work week.
This position also includes rotating day pager (on-site) and overnight (off-site) on-call shifts with compensation.
On-site work hours are likely 8 or 10 hours between 0700 and 1800. This position is full time on-site, other than overnight on-call shifts which are covered from home.

Job Duties

• Provide psychiatric services as an independent psychiatric health care provider based on Public Health - Seattle & King County clinical practice guidelines, CDC guidelines, mental health care standards as well as current community standards.
• Assess patients and establish diagnoses by performing psychiatric evaluation. This includes gathering patient
  history, performing a physical examination, and other methods of assessment.
• Order or perform appropriate diagnostic and screening tests and collect additional data for evaluation of
  illness/wellness. This work may be done in a clinic setting or within psychiatric housing as required.
• Develop differential diagnosis and identify risk through assessment and interpretation of data.
• Provide managed patient health care by developing and implementing an individual treatment plan,
  prescribe/dispense medication, and provide counseling and case management.
• Complete documentation in Epic electronic health record, communicate care through electronic charting and verbal
  interactions with your patient and health care team, providing them with leadership and direction where necessary.
• Respond to medical or psychiatric emergencies as part of the jail healthcare team.
• Ensure quality of professional practice by practicing within professional, legal, and ethical standards and by
  participating in and providing continuing education, peer review, chart review, development of practice guidelines, and community work.
• Provide leadership and collaboration within the health care team to ensure quality patient care.
• Provide patient care consultation to other Jail Health Services staff when on call.
• Provide training, orientation, and education to resident patients, staff, and students.
• Participate in continuing education, guidelines development, staff development, and committee meetings.
• Participate in quality assurance activities to demonstrate compliance with standards, laws, regulations, policies,
  and procedures.
• Act as a consultant to the health care team, other staff, and the community including advocating for patients.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills

Minimum Qualifications:

• At least two (2) years of experience prescribing psychotropic medications.
• Washington State medical license in good standing.
• Current Board certification or board eligibility in Psychiatry
• Federal Drug Enforcement certificate.
• Washington State Driver's License or the ability to utilize transportation to and from assigned work locations.
• Security clearance and/or background check.
• Willing to provide options counseling and possible referral for pregnancy termination.
• Interest in treatment of substance use disorders.
  Advanced knowledge of human systems, including wellness/illness, growth and development, basic nutrition, behavioral health, psycho-social and family systems.
• Knowledge of diagnostic testing and interpretation of results.
• Knowledge of diagnostic reasoning and clinical decision-making.
• Knowledge of alternative treatment modalities.
• Knowledge of health promotion, risk assessment, and education techniques and principles.
• Knowledge of community, professional, and educational resources.
• Knowledge of health care system structure and function.
• Knowledge of therapeutic client interventions and group dynamics.
• Knowledge/experience of electronic health record/medical records documentation.
• Ability to effectively engage in and sustain relationships with people from diverse cultures and socio-economic backgrounds.
• Ability to work independently and as a team member
• Demonstrated proficiency with business applications, such as Microsoft Office suite and Office 365 systems.
• Regular and reliable attendance, effective communication skills, and development of effective working relationships are requirements of all Public Health position.

Desired Qualifications:

• Two or more years of experience providing adult psychiatric services.
• Experience and/or training in addiction psychiatry and/or addiction medicine.
• Correctional or inpatient psychiatric care experience.
• Bi or multilingual language skills desired.
• Demonstrated commitment to diverse cultural and socio-economic populations, providing therapeutic patient
  interventions and group dynamics.

Supplemental Information
Are you ready to make a difference? dedicated to serving one of the nation's best places to live, work, and play.

Application Process

If you are interested in pursuing this position and supporting King County's vision for unified, equitable, and high-performing government, please follow the application instructions carefully. Provide us with your work history as applicable, ensuring that you provide details that highlight your ability to fulfill the requirements for this position.

If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, or you would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process, please contact Catherine Fitzpatrick

Necessary Special Requirements

• The selection process may include evaluation of application materials and supplemental questions, interviewing, and testing. You must completely fill out the application with your relevant education and work experience.
• The selected candidate must be able to provide proof of Basic Life Support (BLS) / CPR.
• The selected candidate must be able to pass a thorough background investigation and Pre-Employment Physical, but findings may not necessarily disqualify an applicant for employment.
• For more information on our selection process, please refer to For tips on interviewing, please visit
• Employees are required to protect the privacy and security of protected health information as defined in State and Federal Law.
• Public Health relies on office automation (Microsoft Office) and web-based enabled tools, therefore candidates must be proficient and comfortable with computer use to perform functions associated with on-going work.
• Employees are required to adhere to OSHA/WISHA guidelines including but not limited to completing their mandatory trainings on time and obtaining required immunizations.
• Regular and reliable attendance, effective communication skills, and development of effective working relationships are requirements of all Public Health positions.
• When Public Health responds to an emergency, and in accordance with relevant CLA language and/or KC policy and procedures, we may assign duties outside your regular job description. This may involve responding at any time, including nights and weekends, with possible deployment to locations other than the department.
• If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process, or if you have questions, please contact the recruiter listed on this job announcement.

Additional Information
Public Health - Jail Health Services follows and maintains federal and state requirements and standards, including, but not limited to, Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) standards which apply to al