Psychiatric Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (40 ...

Psychiatric Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (40 Hour)Recruitment # 260224-5913FL-001Location Newtown, CTDate Opened 2/25/2026 10:32:00 AMSalary $125,725 - $166,365/yearJob Type Open to the PublicClose Date 3/12/2026 11:59:00 PMGo Back Apply View Benefits (IntroductionOur Mission: The State of Connecticut, Department of Correction shall strive to be a global leader in progressive correctional practices and partnered re-entry initiatives to support responsive evidence-based practices aligned to law-abiding and accountable behaviors. Safe and security shall be a priority component of this responsibility as it pertains to staff, victims, citizens and offenders. Do you have a passion for supporting others? Do you want to make a difference while participating in a dynamic health care environment in the public sector?The Connecticut Department of Correction ((DOC) seeks a qualified individual for a meaningful role as a Psychiatric Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (for the Health Services Unit. This role is located at the Garner Correctional Institution (in Newtown, CT.WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU Visit our State Employee Benefits Overview (page to learn about our medical and dental insurance plans, sick/vacation/personal leave accruals, state holidays, tuition reimbursement and more! This is a Hazardous Duty Position and offers a pension plan, the State Employees Retirement System Tier IV. As a Hazardous Duty employee, you will be eligible to retire after just 25 years of service, regardless of your age. A healthy work/life balance to all employees (. Our state has a lot to offer - from fun activities for all ages, to great food and shopping, to beautiful state parks and forests (, to our diverse cultures and rich history. Connecticut is a great place to live! Learn more about Connecticut here (.POSITION DETAILSThis is a full-time, 40 hour per week position on first shift. Schedule is Monday-Friday between 7:00am and 3:00pm.Psychiatric Advanced Nurse Practitioners within the correctional setting provide a range of clinical functions to those entering and within the custody of the Department of Correction. Psychiatric APRNs work within a dynamic, multidisciplinary team comprised of social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists and APRNs, as well as medical personnel and custody staff, all sharing the common goal of providing high quality, service-oriented care. The incumbent in this position will have the opportunity to work within a clinically rich setting, with opportunities to provide initial psychiatric evaluations, crisis management including the use of emergency medications, suicide risk assessments, evaluation and administration of involuntary psychiatric medications and other clinical activities. Additional opportunities to engage in collaborative treatment with external support services and research driven programming, are also encouraged and available. The duties of a psychiatric APRN within our agency may include: Conducting comprehensive initial psychiatric evaluations; Development of treatment plans; Conducting risk assessments; Coordinating with community supports and treatment providers; Engaging in evidence based psychiatric services including evaluation and management of psychotropic medications Providing care for a population with a full array of clinical diagnoses including mood, psychotic and personality disorders. More details can be found in the class specification (.ABOUT USThe Garner Correctional Institution incarcerates both pretrial and sentenced offenders. Through proven programmatic innovation and intervention, the Garner Correctional Institution provides positive alternatives for inmates to assist in their successful reintegration into the community as productive members of society. Based upon their mental health needs, offenders from throughout the system, both pretrial and sentenced, are assigned here. The facility's staff utilizes a highly progressive mental health treatment approach. Individualized treatment plans, based upon an offender's level of functionality include extensive programming and therapy, in a group and one on one setting. The staff at the facility, both custody and mental health, operate through an integrated team approach which insures a continuity of custody, care, treatment and control. The program is designed to return as many of these offenders as is possible to the ability to function in either a general population prison setting or ultimately to life in the community.For an inside look at how nurses make a difference in a correctional setting, watch the video below!Selection PlanFOR ASSISTANCE IN APPLYING:Check out our Applicant Tips on How to Apply! Need more resources? Visit our Applicant Reference Library (for additional support throughout the recruitment process.BEFORE YOU APPLY: Meet Minimum Qualifications: Ensure you meet the Minimum Qualifications listed on the job opening by the job closing date. You must specify your qualifications on your application. The minimum experience and training requirements listed must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified. Educational Credits: List your earned credits and degrees from accredited institutions accurately on your application. To receive educational credits towards qualification, the institution must be accredited. If the institution of higher learning is located outside of the U.S., you are responsible for providing documentation from a recognized USA accrediting service which specializes in determining foreign education equivalencies to the contact listed below. Resume Policy: Per Public Act 21-69 (, resumes are not accepted during the initial application process. As the recruitment process progresses, candidates may be required to submit additional documentation to support their qualification(s) for this position. This documentation may include: a cover letter, resume, transcripts, diplomas, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, licensure, etc., at the request and discretion of the hiring agency. Preferred Shift/Location: Select all location(s) and shift(s) you are willing to work on your application. Failure to do so may result in not being considered for vacancies in that specific location or shift. Timely Submission: All application materials must be received by the job posting deadline. You will be unable to make revisions once you officially submit your application to the State. Late submissions are rarely accepted, with exceptions only for documented events that incapacitate individuals during the entire duration of the job posting. Request exceptions by emailing . Salary Calculations: For current state employees, salary calculations are not necessarily comparable from one of the three branches of state government (i.e., Executive, Legislative, Judicial) to the other. Note: The only way to apply to this posting is via the ‘Apply’ or ‘Apply Online’ buttons on the official State of Connecticut Online Employment Center job posting. AFTER YOU APPLY: Some email providers may experience delays or issues delivering messages. To avoid missing important updates - such as referral questionnaires or interview scheduling links - please check your Personal Status Board (regularly. For added convenience, you can also enable text (SMS) notifications. To do this, log in to your Personal Status Board as select "Update My Contact Information." Referral Questions: This posting may require completion of additional Referral Questions (RQs), which must be completed by the questionnaire’s expiration date. If requested, RQs can be accessed via an email sent to you after the job close date or by visiting your JobAps Personal Status Board (Certification Questionnaires section). Prepare For An Interview: Interviews are limited to those whose experience and training are most aligned with the role. To prepare, review this helpful Interview Preparation Guide to make the best impression! Stay connected! Log in daily to your JobAps Personal Status Board to track your status and check email (including spam/junk folders) for updates and tasks. The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class. Note: This position will be filled in accordance with contractual language, reemployment, SEBAC, transfer, promotion and merit employment rules. Candidates who are offered and accept a position with the State of Connecticut are bound by the State Code of Ethics for Public Officials and State employees, available at QUESTIONS? WE’RE HERE TO HELP:Due to high volume, we are unable to confirm receipt or provide status updates directly. For recruitment updates, please check your Personal Status Board and review our Frequently Asked Questions. If you have additional questions about the recruitment process, reach out to Jake Ferrari at .Join the State of Connecticut and take your next career step with confidence!PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK)In the Departments of Children and Families, Correction and Mental Health and Addiction Services in a community or inpatient setting this class is accountable for providing consultation, program development and interdisciplinary cooperation with health care disciplines as well as providing ongoing psychotherapy.GUIDELINES FOR JOB CLASS USEBoth the Advanced Nurse Practitioner (APRN) and the Psychiatric Advanced Practice Registered Nurse classes are responsible for assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and evaluation of mental illness such as depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, anxiety, substance use disorders, etc. The distinction between this class and the APRN is the level of autonomy in decision making and providing a broad range of diagnostic and therapeutic services. The focus of this class is on the therapeutic milieu (assuring supports allow for positive outcomes for patients) and ongoing application of psychotherapy services (individual, group and family).EXAMPLES OF DUTIES Assesses, plans and evaluates nursing process using a high level of expertise and clinical independence; Provides health care to clients and/or individuals using increasingly complex methods of interaction such as group and family therapy; Evaluates effectiveness of clinical care provided to clients and/or individuals; Prescribes medication; Consults with and/or leads members of interdisciplinary teams and community representatives to assess, plan, implement and evaluate health services; Provides leadership in delivery of quality care; Assists in establishment of criteria for monitoring of standards of direct client and/or individual care; Serves as professional role model for staff by demonstrating clinical expertise; Provides clinical supervision of staff members for purpose of advancing knowledge in individual client and/or individual relationships, direct care problems, group processes and family therapy; Conveys new and existing knowledge in fields of health to nursing personnel, interdisciplinary team members and community groups; Protects human and civil rights of clients and/or individuals and staff; Initiates and supports research projects which are carried out in accordance with departmental guidelines; Leads or co-leads psychotherapy or family therapy groups; Teaches and supervises staff in provision of group therapy; Provides clinical consultation regarding crisis intervention and mechanisms to prevent crisis situations; May identify problem areas related to nursing care and assist in collection of data; Performs related duties as required. KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITY Considerable knowledge of principles and practices of psychiatric nursing, treatment modalities and concepts of programs for individuals with mental health and/or substance use disorders; advanced nursing principles and treatments; dynamics of behavior at individual, family and group levels; Knowledge of pharmacology as it relates to advanced nursing practice; research methodology; Considerable interpersonal skills; oral and written communication skills; clinical assessment and evaluation skills; Ability to examine, diagnose, assess and treat patients; interpret diagnostic tests; prescribe appropriate medications and other treatments; provide clinical instruction; utilize computer software; Administrative ability. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - GENERAL EXPERIENCEA Master's degree in psychiatric and/or mental health nursing AND two (2) years of experience as a professional nurse working with individuals with mental health and/or substance use disorders.MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - SUBSTITUTIONS ALLOWED A Master's or higher degree in nursing outside the psychiatric and mental health field with a minimum of twenty-four (24) graduate or postgraduate level academic hours in psychiatric and mental health theory and supervised clinical training in two psychotherapeutic treatment modalities may be substituted for the Master's degree requirement of the General Experience. A Bachelor’s or higher degree in nursing and certification by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) in Psychiatric-Mental Health (PMH) as a Psychiatric-Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist (PMHCNS-BC) or Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC) may be substituted for a Master’s in psychiatric and/or mental health nursing. Individuals who have obtained a Master’s or higher degree in nursing on or before December 31, 2004 and have two (2) years of experience as an Advanced Nurse Practitioner working with individuals with mental health and/or substance use disorders, need not meet the educational requirements defined in the General Experience. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS Incumbents in this class must possess and retain a current license as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse issued by the Department of Public Health. Incumbents in this class must possess and maintain eligibility for participation in federal health care programs as defined in 42 U.S. § 1320a-7b(f). Incumbents in this class may be required to travel. Incumbents in this class may be required to possess and retain a valid Motor Vehicle Operator's license. ConclusionAN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYERThe State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.ACKNOWLEDGEMENTAs defined by Sec. 5-196 of the Connecticut General Statutes, a job class is a position or group of positions that share general characteristics and are categorized under a single title for administrative purposes. As such, a job class is not meant to be all-inclusive of every task and/or responsibility.Click on a link below to apply for this position:Fill out the Supplemental Questionnaire and Application NOW using the Internet. Apply Online

Created: 2026-03-04