| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Allied Health |
| Level | Mid level |
| Reports to | Head of Psychiatry |
| Direct reports | None |
| Experience | 2 to 5 years of clinical work after the professional qualification, including hospital or clinic practice |
Clinical Psychologist job description template
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Job title: Clinical Psychologist
Department: Allied Health
Reports to: Head of Psychiatry
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Clinical Psychologist assesses and treats mental health and behavioural problems through psychological testing and talk therapy. In a hospital they take referrals from psychiatry, neurology, paediatrics, oncology and de-addiction, run intelligence, personality and neuropsychological assessments, provide therapies such as CBT, and join rehab teams for stroke and head injury patients. They do not prescribe medicines; that stays with the psychiatrist they work alongside.
Key responsibilities
- Conduct intake interviews and mental status examinations for OPD and ward referrals, and agree a therapy plan with the treating psychiatrist or consultant.
- Administer and score psychological tests such as intelligence, personality, neuropsychological and developmental assessments, and write clear reports.
- Deliver individual therapy such as CBT, DBT and supportive therapy, with session notes and measurable goals for each patient.
- Assess suicide and self-harm risk for emergency and ward referrals, and follow the hospital safety plan with the psychiatry team.
- Run group sessions for de-addiction, chronic illness, caregivers or anxiety management.
- Complete pre-operative psychological evaluations for bariatric surgery, organ transplant and similar procedures when surgeons request them.
- Assess children for learning disability, ADHD and autism, and guide parents and schools on support plans.
- Counsel cancer, ICU and palliative care patients and their families together with doctors and nurses.
- Keep case records confidential under hospital policy, sharing information only with consent or clear clinical need.
- Train nurses and doctors on difficult conversations, staff stress and psychological first aid.
Requirements
- MPhil in Clinical Psychology or another professional qualification recognized by the Rehabilitation Council of India
- Registration with the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) as a clinical psychologist
- Formal training in a therapy such as CBT or DBT is an advantage
- 2 to 5 years of clinical work after the professional qualification, including hospital or clinic practice
KRAs and KPIs for a Clinical Psychologist
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Referral response | Ward referrals seen within 24 hours and emergency risk assessments within 2 hours |
| Assessment reports | Psychological test reports issued within 3 working days of the final session |
| Therapy completion | At least 70 percent of therapy patients complete the planned number of sessions |
| Measured outcomes | Standard symptom scale scores recorded at the start and end of therapy for every patient |
| Clinical records | Session notes complete for all sessions in the monthly file audit |
| Caseload | Monthly session count at or above the target agreed with the department head |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: Intelligence tests such as WAIS and Binet-Kamat, Personality and projective tests, Rating scales such as HAM-D and BDI, Hospital information system (HIS), Video consultation platform.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Senior Clinical Psychologist, Rehabilitation Manager, Head of Allied Health Services
Interview questions for a Clinical Psychologist
- A 15-year-old is referred for poor school performance. Which assessments would you plan, and in what order?
- How do you judge suicide risk in a patient who denies intent but took an overdose last month?
- Walk me through a CBT formulation for a patient with panic attacks.
- A parent asks what their adult son said in therapy. How do you respond?
- How do you work with a psychiatrist who wants therapy to finish in four sessions?
- Which symptom scales do you use to show that therapy is working?
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What does a clinical psychologist do in a hospital?
A clinical psychologist assesses patients with psychological tests, gives talk therapies such as CBT, assesses suicide risk in emergencies, evaluates children for learning and developmental problems, and supports patients with cancer, chronic illness or addiction. They work closely with psychiatrists and other consultants.
What is the difference between a clinical psychologist and a psychiatrist?
A psychiatrist is a medical doctor with an MD or DNB in psychiatry who diagnoses mental illness and prescribes medicines. A clinical psychologist holds a professional qualification in clinical psychology, runs psychological tests and gives therapy, but does not prescribe. In hospitals the two often treat the same patient together.
How do you become a clinical psychologist in India?
The usual path is a bachelor's and master's degree in psychology, then a professional program in clinical psychology recognized by the Rehabilitation Council of India, such as the MPhil, followed by RCI registration. Hospitals then look for supervised experience in assessment and therapy.