State of Florida·Gadsden County, Florida
The Senior Physician provides direct psychiatric and medical services to residents, including diagnosis, medication management, and psychotherapy. They also participate in multi-disciplinary team processes, legal proceedings, and clinical committee work to ensure quality care.
08/09/2026 Total Compensation Estimator ToolThe Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) is the state of Florida’s social services agency. The agency oversees services for child safety, fostering, adoption, domestic violence, adult protective services, refugees, homelessness, mental health, substance abuse, childcare providers, human trafficking and public assistance. The agency’s mission is to work in partnership with local communities to protect the vulnerable, promote strong and economically self-sufficient families, and advance personal and family recovery and resiliency. Within DCF, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health (SAMH) Program office is recognized as the single state authority for substance abuse and mental health services. The Office of SAMH is statutorily responsible for the planning, evaluation, and implementation of a comprehensive statewide system of care for the prevention, treatment, and recovery of children and adults with serious mental illnesses or substance use disorders. Florida State Hospital (FSH) is a mental health treatment facility owned and operated by the State of Florida and is part of the Department of Children and Families. The department’s mission is to “work in partnership with local communities to protect the vulnerable, promote strong and economically self-sufficient families, and advance personal and family recovery and resiliency.” FLORIDA STATE HOSPITAL IS A TOBACCO FREE FACILITY. TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS POSITION RESPONSES TO THE QUALIFYING QUESTIONS ARE REQUIRED AND MUST BE VERIFIABLE BASED ON YOUR SUBMITTED APPLICATION. This is a highly responsible and professional position serving as the Senior Physician – Psychiatrist - SES within Clinical Services. The ideal candidate will be a collaborative team player who works seamlessly across all sections within the program office. This role requires the use of independent judgment, a proactive approach to responsibilities, and exceptional attention to detail. If you are driven, organized, and thrive in a fast-paced environment, we encourage you to apply. Specific Duties and Responsibilities include:
Direct personal services to individual DCF residents.
These services include admission, psychiatric examinations, physical examinations, diagnosis, prescription of medications, psychotherapy, restraints or seclusion as indicated, forensic determinations, when appropriate, management of minor and major medical conditions, performance of special examinations, use of life support equipment, minor surgical procedures and preparation for discharge.
Make proper referrals to other ancillary departments of testing, treatment, or management.
Make rounds to follow the progress, with suitable documentation of the individual residents in their care.
Changes in the resident’s status will result in responsible changes in the prescription of medical management.
Participate in the multi-disciplinary team process.
Request a second opinion in all cases of medical doubt or difficulty.
Complete documentation requirements in accordance with applicable rules, regulations, operating procedures and other required standards.
Participate in and attend when called, all legal proceedings concerning residents.
Participate in and attend when called, all disaster drills.
Be available at any time in the event of actual emergency or disaster.
Supervise Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants as assigned per protocol.
Attendance in continuing medical education activities, which maintain the legislated educational requirement to maintain medical licensure.
Participate in medical committee work, which assures the optimal organization of the clinical staff in providing quality care to DCF residents.
Be available to the families or other interested parties of residents when called for.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: required for the position:
Demonstrates diagnostic competence by utilizing appropriate physical and psychiatric examinations based on current ICD/DSM criteria within the time frames and guidelines specified in the DCF/FSH policies. Ability to develop and implement various program monitoring methodologies and techniques. Chooses treatment based on current National Standards of Medical and Psychiatric care, on admission and when indicated by changes in the resident’s condition.
Licensure as a physician pursuant to Chapter 458, Florida Statutes, and two years of post-licensure professional experience in the practice of medicine; or A current public psychiatry certificate issued by the Florida Board of Medical Examiners pursuant to Section 458.3165, Florida Statutes. Certification by a recognized board in a medical specialty area can substitute for the required experience.
Experience with Forensic psychiatry.
Candidate Profile (application) must be complete in its entirety.
Include supervisor names and phone numbers including current place of employment. *Gaps 3 months or more must be addressed – you will need to account for and explain any gaps in employment including unemployment.
You can either list these in your application under Period of Employment or attach a word document listing your gaps.
Experience, education, training, knowledge, skills and/or abilities as well as responses to pre-qualifying questions must be verifiable to meet the minimum qualifications.
If claiming Right to First Interview, candidate MUST attach a copy of your official layoff letter when applying.
This only applies to employees laid off from Career Service positions.
If you experience problems applying online, please call the People First Service Center at (877) 562-7287. Benefits of Working for the State of Florida:
Working for the State of Florida is more than a paycheck. The State’s total compensation package for employees features a highly competitive set of employee benefits. For a more complete list of benefits, visit www.mybenefits.myflorida.com.
DCF EMPLOYMENT DISCLOSURES US CITIZEN REQUIREMENT Only US citizens and lawfully authorized alien workers will be hired.
SELECTIVE SERVICE SYSTEM REGISTRATION All selected male candidates born on or after October 1, 1962, will not be eligible for hire or promotion into an authorized position unless they are registered with the Selective Service System (SSS).
Verification of Selective Service registration will be conducted prior to hire.
For more information, please visit the SSS website: http://www.sss.gov. RETIREE NOTICE If you are a retiree of the Florida Retirement System (FRS), please check with the FRS on how your current benefits will be affected if you are re-employed with the State of Florida.
Your current retirement benefits may be suspended or voided, and you required to repay all benefits received depending upon the date of your retirement.
BACKGROUND SCREENING It is the policy of the Florida Department of Children and Families that any applicant being considered for employment must successfully complete a State and National criminal history check as a condition of employment before beginning employment, and, if applicable, also be screened in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 435, F.S., and Chapter 408, F.S.
No applicant may begin employment until the background screening results are received, reviewed for any disqualifying offenses, and approved by the Agency.
Background screening shall include, but not be limited to, fingerprinting for State and Federal criminal records checks through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and may include local criminal history checks through local law enforcement agencies.Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735).
Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.
The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace.
All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.
Market context
In Florida, behavioral-health roles are typically in steady demand across community clinics, schools, and care settings serving diverse populations. Competition often centers on licensure status, supervised experience, and the ability to work well with interdisciplinary teams while applying mental health ethics and cultural awareness. Review the full posting carefully and confirm your Master’s degree, Registered Intern License, and communication experience; this platform’s AI-summarized requirements and benefits can save you time by condensing the original job description.
