NSXNational Skills ExchangeSign in
Back to Framework

Psychiatrists

SOC 29-1223.00Job Zone 5 · Extensive Preparationv.26.05

Context coveredThis framework covers the full scope of psychiatric practice across inpatient, outpatient, community mental health, and academic medical settings, from supervised residency training through executive clinical leadership.

Sources:O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.SkillsCrosswalkSkillsCrosswalk — O*NET enrichment + adjacency index. Opens in new tab.
Emerging
Entry / Apprentice
  1. Patient social and medical histories — collect and document under attending supervision in an inpatient psychiatric unit.
  2. Diagnostic interview findings — record accurately using standardized intake forms within an institutional clinical setting.
  3. DSM diagnostic criteria — apply to straightforward presentations under direct attending guidance in a residency training program.
  4. Laboratory and screening test results — interpret basic findings with supervisor review to inform initial differential diagnoses.
  5. Psychopharmacological treatment options — identify and present to supervising psychiatrists during case rounds in a hospital setting.
  6. Patient information — maintain in electronic medical record systems under established confidentiality protocols at a teaching hospital.
  7. Mental status examination components — perform systematically on assigned patients under direct clinical supervision.
  8. Active listening and empathic communication — demonstrate during supervised outpatient counseling sessions with adult patients.
  9. Interdisciplinary team discussions — participate in by reporting patient observations to physicians and psychiatric nurses during care conferences.
  10. Professional ethics and patient rights — recognize and apply foundational principles under mentorship in a clinical training environment.
Developing
Mid-level / Established
  1. Individualized psychiatric care plans — design using a range of pharmacological and psychotherapeutic modalities for routine outpatient cases.
  2. Patient histories and evolving clinical records — gather, update, and maintain with reduced oversight across an outpatient psychiatric practice.
  3. Mental disorder diagnoses — analyze patient data, test findings, and collateral information to formulate independently for common presentations.
  4. Psychotherapeutic treatments and medications — prescribe and administer according to evidence-based guidelines for established patient panels.
  5. Outpatient counseling sessions — conduct routinely, adjusting therapeutic approach based on patient progress and session feedback.
  6. Treatment plan progress — communicate to multidisciplinary teams including psychologists, social workers, and psychiatric nurses in scheduled case reviews.
  7. Guardians and family members — advise on patient diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment expectations using clear, accessible language in clinical office settings.
  8. Electronic medical record and billing software — use proficiently to document encounters, manage scheduling, and ensure accurate coding in a community mental health center.
  9. Standardized diagnostic and psychological test batteries — administer and interpret to distinguish between co-occurring or complex mental health conditions.
  10. Critical thinking and clinical judgment — apply when adapting treatment protocols for patients presenting with comorbid medical or substance use conditions.
Proficient
Senior / Expert IC
  1. Complex, treatment-resistant psychiatric cases — evaluate autonomously and develop multi-modal care plans integrating pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy, and community support resources.
  2. Comprehensive patient data sets including longitudinal records and specialist reports — synthesize to diagnose rare or atypical mental disorders across inpatient and outpatient settings.
  3. Non-routine psychopharmacological regimens — prescribe and titrate independently, managing polypharmacy risks for patients with comorbid medical and psychiatric conditions.
  4. Individualized care plans for diverse populations — design and revise dynamically, incorporating cultural, socioeconomic, and psychosocial factors in a full-scope psychiatric practice.
  5. Challenging outpatient and crisis counseling encounters — conduct with clinical autonomy, applying evidence-based therapeutic modalities including CBT, DBT, and psychodynamic approaches.
  6. Diagnostic laboratory and neuroimaging data — examine and integrate with clinical findings to rule out organic etiologies across the full spectrum of psychiatric presentations.
  7. Families, guardians, and significant others — counsel with depth and nuance about complex diagnoses, risk factors, and long-term prognosis in high-stakes clinical situations.
  8. Interdisciplinary collaboration — lead across physician, nursing, psychology, and social work teams to coordinate integrated treatment plans for high-acuity patients.
  9. Clinical documentation and outcome data — analyze using database and spreadsheet software to monitor population-level patient progress and identify practice improvement opportunities.
  10. Emerging psychiatric research and pharmacological developments — evaluate critically and integrate into autonomous clinical decision-making within an evidence-based practice environment.
Advanced
Lead / Principal / Executive
  1. Departmental psychiatric care standards and clinical protocols — establish and refine at organizational scale to elevate quality and consistency of patient outcomes across a health system.
  2. Residency and fellowship training programs — design and lead, mentoring early-career psychiatrists in diagnostic reasoning, therapeutic skills, and professional ethics.
  3. Institutional treatment philosophy and evidence-based practice frameworks — shape through strategic collaboration with hospital leadership, policymakers, and professional associations.
  4. Multidisciplinary psychiatric teams — direct and develop, fostering coordinated care models that integrate physicians, psychologists, social workers, and community health workers.
  5. Complex system-level mental health challenges — solve by applying advanced clinical expertise and organizational leadership to address gaps in care delivery across diverse patient populations.
  6. Organizational policies on medication prescribing, documentation, and patient safety — author and champion to ensure regulatory compliance and optimal clinical outcomes across departments.
  7. Academic and professional communities — contribute to through publication, peer review, and conference presentations that advance knowledge in psychiatry and behavioral health.
  8. Quality improvement and clinical outcome measurement initiatives — lead using data analytics and health information technology to drive evidence-based reform at the enterprise level.
  9. Stakeholder communication including boards, regulators, and payers — deliver with authority and persuasion to secure resources and shape policy affecting psychiatric service delivery.
  10. Ethical dilemmas at the intersection of psychiatry, law, and patient autonomy — adjudicate and provide expert guidance on at the institutional and policy levels, protecting patient rights and societal well-being.

AI-at-Work Competency Framework

Sources:Anthropic Economic IndexAnthropic Economic Index — release_2026_03_24. Opens in new tab.Jadhav & Danve, 2026Skill Automation Feasibility Index — Jadhav & Danve, 2026 (arXiv:2604.06906). Opens in new tab.WEF Skills TaxonomyWEF Skills Taxonomy 2021 — Building a Common Language for Skills at Work. Opens in new tab.

A 4-level framework describing how a worker at each mastery level uses, directs, and evaluates AI tools in this occupation. Each statement cites its evidence inline. Subscribe for $19.99/mo to read the full framework — or sign in if you have a subscription.

  1. Emerging
  2. Developing
  3. Proficient
  4. Advanced
Monthly subscription · Stripe-hosted · unlocks AI-at-Work and Pathsmith™ Durable Skills across the full library

Pathsmith™ Durable Skills Framework

Sources:Pathsmith™ Durable SkillsPathsmith™ Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
Subscriber feature

Ten durable-skill domains mapped to four proficiency levels for this occupation. Subscribe to unlock the full Pathsmith™ Durable Skills Framework across all 1,016 occupations.

Monthly subscription · Stripe-hosted · unlocks AI-at-Work and Pathsmith™ Durable Skills across the full library
Show O*NET source anchors66 anchors · skillscrosswalk.com

O*NET enrichment · skillscrosswalk.com

Suggest an O*NET correction

Source anchors that ground each statement

Related titles
Addiction Psychiatrist · Adult Inpatient Psychiatrist · Adult Outpatient Psychiatrist · Adult Psychiatrist · Behavioral Analyst · Behavioral Specialist · Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Physician · Child Psychiatrist · Clinical Psychiatrist · Consulting Psychiatrist · DO Physician (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Physician) · Doctor
RAPIDS apprenticeships
—
O*NET skills
Active ListeningSocial PerceptivenessCritical ThinkingSpeakingReading ComprehensionJudgment and Decision MakingWritingActive LearningMonitoringCoordinationScienceService OrientationComplex Problem SolvingLearning StrategiesInstructingPersuasionSystems AnalysisSystems EvaluationTime ManagementNegotiationOperations Analysis
Knowledge domains
Therapy and CounselingPsychologyMedicine and DentistryEnglish LanguageBiologyEducation and TrainingCustomer and Personal ServiceSociology and AnthropologyAdministration and ManagementPhilosophy and TheologyComputers and Electronics
Abilities
Oral ComprehensionOral ExpressionWritten ComprehensionWritten ExpressionInductive ReasoningDeductive ReasoningSpeech RecognitionProblem SensitivitySpeech ClarityCategory Flexibility
Work styles
EmpathyIntegrityDependabilitySelf-ControlAttention to DetailSincerity
Technology
Medical softwareTime accounting softwareBilling and invoicing softwareSpreadsheet softwareOffice suite softwareElectronic mail softwareWord processing softwareData base user interface and query softwareGraphics or photo imaging softwareInternet browser software
Tasks · seed anchors for statements
  1. Prescribe, direct, or administer psychotherapeutic treatments or medications to treat mental, emotional, or behavioral disorders.
  2. Gather and maintain patient information and records, including social or medical history obtained from patients, relatives, or other professionals.
  3. Design individualized care plans, using a variety of treatments.
  4. Collaborate with physicians, psychologists, social workers, psychiatric nurses, or other professionals to discuss treatment plans and progress.
  5. Analyze and evaluate patient data or test findings to diagnose nature or extent of mental disorder.
  6. Examine or conduct laboratory or diagnostic tests on patients to provide information on general physical condition or mental disorder.
  7. Counsel outpatients or other patients during office visits.
  8. Advise or inform guardians, relatives, or significant others of patients' conditions or treatment.
CIP education codes
51.120151.120261.010761.011761.012361.012461.240161.240261.240361.240461.240561.240661.2499

Sources: O*NET v30.2 (CC BY 4.0), SkillsCrosswalk.com, LER.me®, Anthropic Economic Index, SAFI (Jadhav & Danve, 2026), WEF Skills Taxonomy 2021, Pathsmith™ Durable Skills Framework. © 2026 EBSCOed.