Medical Director (54517)

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Medical Director provides executive-level clinical and administrative leadership for psychiatric, medication-assisted treatment, and integrated services across LifeSkills, Inc.'s 18-county service area. This position serves as the clinical authority for services spanning mental health (MH), substance use disorder (SUD), and intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), and holds direct oversight of prescribers and two Directors of Nursing. The role requires sustained expertise in compliance with operational standards such as Medicaid and Medicare requirements, agency accreditations and regulatory requirements.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Clinical Leadership

• Provide medical and psychiatric leadership across all service lines; establish and maintain evidence-based clinical protocols consistent with applicable regulations.
• Supervise and evaluate approximately 15 prescribers (psychiatrists, APRNs, and licensed prescribing staff), including performance review, consultation, and credentialing oversight.
• Collaborate with two Directors of Nursing (one per region) and their nursing team, ensuring nursing practice alignment with organizational and regulatory standards.
• Serve as clinical consultant for complex cases, involuntary hospitalization determinations, and high-acuity decisions across the service area.
• Maintain and oversee collaborative practice agreements with APRNs in accordance with state regulations and organizational policies.

OBOT and Medication Management

• Direct the OBOT program, ensuring compliance with DEA regulations, SAMHSA guidelines, and Kentucky Administrative Regulations (KAR); monitor prescribing patterns, outcomes, and patient safety metrics.
• Develop and maintain medication management protocols, including medication management, eligibility criteria, and documentation standards; ensure integration of MAT within the broader SUD continuum of care.

CCBHC, CARF, and Quality

• Lead ongoing CCBHC certification compliance including service standards, CQI processes, measurement-based care, and SAMHSA reporting; support CARF accreditation maintenance across programs and sites.
• Monitor clinical quality indicators and adverse events; lead root cause analysis and corrective action as warranted; oversee credentialing, privileging, and peer review for medical staff.
• Contribute clinical expertise to grant development and reporting, including SAMHSA CCBHC-IA applications.

Operations and Organizational Leadership

• Align clinical workflows, documentation standards, and practice guidelines across the organization in collaboration with clinical directors, care coordination, and quality management.
• Represent LifeSkills in community partnerships with hospitals, courts, primary care, and organizational stakeholders; participate in state behavioral health policy forums as appropriate.
• Support strategic planning and serve on organizational committees including Quality Improvement, Medication Management, and Risk Management.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Required

• MD or DO from an accredited institution; board certification in Psychiatry (ABPN) or Addiction Medicine.
• Active, unrestricted Kentucky medical license; current DEA registration including buprenorphine prescribing authority.
• Minimum five (5) years of behavioral health clinical experience, including at least three (3) years in an administrative or medical director role.
• Demonstrated experience in SUD/MAT treatment and OBOT program oversight; working knowledge of CCBHC standards or equivalent regulatory frameworks.

Preferred

• CMHC or federally qualified behavioral health setting experience; familiarity with IDD populations.
• Knowledge of Kentucky 202A involuntary hospitalization law and court-supervised outpatient treatment.
• Experience with measurement-based care platforms, EHR systems, and SAMHSA grant programs.

JOB REQUIREMENTS / EXPECTATIONS:

• Travel across the 18-county service area required; valid driver's license and personal vehicle with adequate insurance are required.
• Work is performed in clinical office and community behavioral health settings; hybrid or telehealth arrangements may be available per organizational policy.
• Availability for urgent clinical consultation outside standard business hours is expected as operational needs arise.
• Performance evaluated annually against organizational goals, quality benchmarks, CCBHC metrics, and leadership competencies.
• Employment contingent on background screening, credential verification, and drug screening; ongoing maintenance of licensure, certification, DEA registration, and required CEUs required.

CORE VALUES:

All employees must be willing to live our company's core values.

• Integrity - Exhibiting the highest moral, ethical and legal standards. Doing the right thing - even when no one else is looking.
• Teamwork - Putting team success over personal success. Actively valuing the strengths and talents of others.
• Trust/Respect - Seeing and believing in the good intentions of others. Interacting with others in a way that makes them feel valued. Listening without judging. Offering understanding and acceptance.
• Care/Compassion - Demonstrating unconditional kindness, concern and empathy. Exhibiting genuine concern for others.
• Ownership/Accountability - Taking personal responsibility for one's work, actions and feelings. Accepting responsibility for and learning from mistakes.