L&I Psychologist 3

Salary : $93,288.00 - $125,544.00 Annually
Location : Thurston County - Tumwater, WA
Job Type: Full Time - Permanent
Remote Employment: Flexible/Hybrid
Job Number:
Department: Dept. of Labor & Industries
Division: Insurance Services - Office of the Medical Director
Opening Date: 10/13/2026
Closing Date: 11/3/2026 11:59 PM Pacific
Salary Information: The high end of the salary range, Step M is typically a longevity step

Description

Job Highlights

The Department of Labor & Industries (L&I), Insurance Services Division, is seeking a Psychologist 3 to join our team in the Office of the Medical Director. In this position you will have a key role in reducing long-term disability by promoting evidence-based, effective, and safe mental health care for injured workers.

In this position you will plan, organize and direct program improvements in mental and behavioral health management. You will provide clinical psychology consultation and expertise to internal L&I staff and others to prevent disability, improve health and work outcomes, and prevent harm to injured workers and crime survivors. The work of this position directly supports our mission to keep Washington safe and working.

Here's what we are looking for:

• Ability to effectively communicate both orally and in written format, and present complex information to various audiences in a way that is easy to understand.
• Ability to develop and deliver training to varied audiences.
• Ability to review, independently interpret, analyze, and apply specialized program policies and procedures to draw sound conclusions and make recommendations and decisions based on data.
• Ability to authentically listen and collaborate with others from diverse backgrounds and build and maintain positive, respectful working relationships and partnerships.
• Demonstrated critical thinking and analytical skills.
• Experience working within medical/healthcare systems and/or interdisciplinary healthcare teams and engaging in specialized treatment of mental health conditions (including PTSD).

Duties
Some of what you will do:

• Plan, organize, direct, and provide clinical consultation and claim support to staff and treating providers.
  • Serve as psychologist consultant to Insurance Services staff and others.
  • Provide consultation in appropriate application of clinical practice guidelines and occupational health best practices for behavioral and mental health services.
  • Conduct claim reviews.
  • Develop a proactive hands-on partnership with designated claims staff and provide clinical consultation to resolve complex, high risk, or challenging cases.
  • Engage in collaboration across the Office of the Medical Director to ensure cross-unit standardization and quality control.
  • Collaborate in clinical decision making, treatment plan evaluation, and return to work strategy development in conjunction with Return-to-Work Partnerships.
• Lead and develop education and training on behavioral and mental health policies and procedures to a variety of audiences.
  • Lead and support training initiatives for internal audiences including claims managers and occupational nurse consultants.
  • Develop and deliver education and training on a variety of mental health-related topics for claims managers and occupational nurse consultants.
  • Participate, develop and consult on strategy, review, formulation, and conduct of training and educational material and seminars/discussions.
• Develop and implement strategies to ensure the delivery of high quality behavioral and mental health services for workers.
• Engage in proactive partnerships and outreach with providers and workers.
• Provide expert guidance on policies and processes to positively impact mental healthcare delivery and provider experiences.

Qualifications
Required:

• PhD or PsyD in clinical psychology and a valid, unrestricted license to practice as a clinical psychologist in the State of Washington.

AND

• One year of postdoctoral psychology experience or equivalent.

AND

• A strategic and mission-driven mindset, with a passion for improving health outcomes and recovery for injured workers in Washington State.
• Strong clinical and operational problem-solving skills, with the ability to make sound decisions and prioritize effectively in complex or high-pressure environments.
• Ability to function independently in a claims consultation role in partnership with the Associate Medical Director for Psychology who will provide direct supervision.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with a public service orientation.
• Interpersonal effectiveness and cultural competency in working with individuals and groups from diverse backgrounds, including agency staff, injured workers, healthcare providers, and the public.

• The ability to take action to learn and grow.
• The ability to take action to meet the needs of others.

Desired:

• Completion of a post-doctoral fellowship in a relevant specialty such as rehabilitation psychology, health psychology, pain psychology, or trauma psychology.
• Clinical experience within medical/healthcare systems, having specialized in the treatment of mental health conditions, chronic illness management, or health psychology.
• Experience working within interdisciplinary healthcare teams with physicians, nurses, and other healthcare staff.
• Three (3) years experience in trauma, pain, rehabilitation and/or health psychology.
• Teaching or training experience in mental/behavioral health or other relevant healthcare topics-particularly for adult learners or professional audiences.
• Experience with Washington workers' compensation.

Supplemental Information
Things You Need To Know

L&I provides a modern work environment and excellent benefits including paid leave, tuition reimbursement, Infants at Work Program and a generous retirement package for qualified employees at the end of their career. Click on the "Benefits" tab to learn more.

We value our employees and their work-life balance. We support a hybrid work model and offer flexible custom work schedules. This position is eligible for a flexible schedule upon approval by management.

The assigned duty station for this position is Tumwater, Washington. Although for this position, teleworking will be allowed up to full time with the expectation to attend selected in-person meetings and training, or upon business need.

Application process

To be considered for this opportunity, you must submit a complete online application including detailed work history and professional references with current phone numbers.

Please include the following documents with your application:

• A describing your specific qualifications.
• A current detailing your applicable experience and education.

Applications with incomplete work history, references to a resume in place of detailed work experience, or missing attachments may be considered incomplete and not considered for further review.

We will contact the top candidates directly to advance in the selection process. Because we base the selection on the information you provide, please ensure your application includes details that clearly demonstrate how your experience relates to the qualifications and responsibilities described in this announcement.

Please do not attach or place any medical information within the application, resume, or cover letter. If you do, we will have to reject your application to safeguard others from receiving your confidential information. You will have to remove the confidential information before you can apply again.

To learn more about our hiring process timeline at L&I please visit our L&I recruiting page at I

Other information

• For positions requiring travel, you must have a valid unrestricted driver's license and have insurance if driving a privately owned vehicle on state business.
• This position is represented bytheWashington Federation of State Employees (WFSE).
• Candidates who are offered a job with L&I must possess work authorization that does not require sponsorship by the employer for a visa now or in the future.
• Please note: L&I may use this announcement to fill multiple permanent and/or non-permanent positions.

Did You Know?

Washington is to live, play, and work, according to U.S. News (2021). Join the L&I team and enjoy all the Evergreen State has to offer.

For more Information

If you have any questions regarding this job posting, program, or the agency, please contact Angela Laramie at
More than Just a Paycheck!
Employee benefits are not just about the kind of services you get, they are also about how much you may have to pay out of pocket. Washington State offers one of the most competitive benefits packages in the nation.

We understand that your life revolves around more than just your career. Like everyone, your first priority is ensuring that you and your family will maintain health and financial security. That's why choice is a key component of our benefits package. We have a selection of health and retirement plans, paid leave, staff training and other compensation benefits that you can mix and match to meet your current and future needs.

Read about our benefits:
The following information describes typical benefits available for full-time employees who are expected to work more than six months. Actual benefits may vary by appointment type or be prorated for other than full-time work (e.g. part-time); view the job posting for benefits details for job types other than full-time.

Note: If the position offers benefits which differ from the following, the job posting should include the specific benefits.

Insurance Benefits
Employees