Crisis Center - LEAD PSYCHIATRIST - Salary: $288,000-339,000 AND $15K Sign-On Bonus

Claratel Behavioral Health•Decatur, GA

7d•$288,000 - $339,000

About The Position

Claratel Behavioral Health is a public, not-for-profit community-based organization providing mental health, developmental disabilities, and substance use disorder services in metropolitan Atlanta. The DeKalb Regional Crisis Center provides crisis intervention and stabilization for adults, including walk-in and emergency referrals, temporary observation, crisis stabilization, and withdrawal management. The Lead Psychiatrist provides clinical and psychiatric leadership for the DeKalb Regional Crisis Center, ensuring high-quality, evidence-based, person-centered psychiatric and medical care for adults in acute behavioral health crisis. The position combines direct patient care with oversight of medical operations and clinical supervision of medical staff, including APRNs and/or PAs. It ensures sound medication management, documentation, safety, and regulatory compliance, and collaborates with agency leadership and community partners to improve program performance and care. The role maintains an active caseload of approximately 12 clients on the Crisis Stabilization Unit and provides psychiatric evaluation, crisis intervention, therapy, medication management, withdrawal management, and general medical care. It also supervises and develops medical staff, supports quality improvement and program development, and builds relationships with hospitals, providers, and academic institutions. The position offers a salary of $288,000–$339,000 and a $15,000 sign-on bonus. Pre-employment drug screening and successful completion of a criminal history background check are required.

Requirements

Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO).
Active, unrestricted license to practice in Georgia.
Board certification in Psychiatry.
Active DEA license and ability to prescribe controlled substances.
At least 3 years of post-graduate psychiatric experience.
Experience in a supervisory or leadership role.
Strong clinical decision-making and psychiatric diagnostic skills.
Ability to lead and mentor multidisciplinary medical teams.
Knowledge of behavioral health systems, emergency psychiatry, and withdrawal management.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Commitment to trauma-informed, recovery-oriented, and culturally responsive care.
Data literacy and ability to apply metrics to clinical operations and improvement.
Successful completion of pre-employment drug screening and criminal history background check.

Nice To Haves

Experience in crisis care, inpatient psychiatry, or community behavioral health programs.
Familiarity with electronic health records and healthcare quality standards such as CARF, DBHDD, or Carelon.
Experience providing clinical supervision to APRNs, PAs, or interdisciplinary teams.
Experience with performance improvement, clinical audits, or accreditation processes.

Responsibilities

Provide psychiatric and medical supervision for Crisis Stabilization, Psychiatric Emergency Services, and Withdrawal Management.
Maintain an active caseload of approximately 12 clients on the Crisis Stabilization Unit.
Provide direct psychiatric care to adults age 18 and older, including evaluations, crisis intervention, therapy, medication management, withdrawal management, and general medical care.
Serve as delegated physician of record for APRNs, providing clinical supervision, consultation, and support for independent practice as permitted.
Mentor and teach medical students and psychiatry residents rotating through the center.
Supervise MDs, PAs, and APRNs across Psychiatric Emergency Services and Crisis Stabilization units.
Oversee implementation of safe, evidence-based protocols for medication administration, clinical documentation, withdrawal management, and other critical workflows.
Conduct routine chart audits and clinical quality-of-care reviews, and use findings to improve staff performance and outcomes.
Consult on and help develop, implement, and monitor behavioral health medical policies and procedures.
Provide clinical expertise and guidance on treatment across programs and levels of care.
Review referrals to assess medical appropriateness and make safe admission decisions.
Provide clinical oversight, training, supervision, and professional development for APRNs and/or PAs and other medical staff, emphasizing quality care, trauma-informed practice, and safety.
Serve as a liaison between medical staff and executive leadership.
Collaborate with the Director of Crisis Services and the Agency’s Medical Director to optimize care across crisis programs.
Support program development and continuous quality improvement by using data to identify trends, monitor metrics, and implement improvements.
Lead or participate in initiatives to improve service access, care integration, patient safety, and documentation quality.
Coordinate audits, incident reviews, and clinical case reviews to ensure compliance with regulatory standards and agency policies.
Maintain relationships with community partners, including hospitals, primary care providers, behavioral health clinics, and academic institutions.
Represent the Crisis Center in community forums and collaborative planning sessions.
Promote the Crisis Center as a teaching site and build affiliations with medical schools and residency programs.