Medical Director of Crisis Continuum Services

Oakland Community Health Network•Pontiac, MI

31d•Hybrid

About The Position

Under the general direction of the Chief Medical Officer, the Medical Director of Crisis Continuum Services provides clinical and administrative leadership for OCHN’s crisis system, including Crisis Assessment & Triage, Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU), Crisis Residential Unit (CRU), Sober Support Unit, Mobile Crisis, and Crisis Line/Hotline. This physician will lead the redesign and ongoing operation of an integrated, evidence-based crisis continuum, set clinical standards, and serve as final medical authority for crisis-related determinations. Recommended allocation: 50% clinical / 50% administrative (alternative track available: 75% clinical / 25% administrative depending on program volume and leadership coverage).

Requirements

MD or DO from an accredited medical school.
Board Certified (or eligible) in Psychiatry; Michigan medical license; Michigan Controlled Substance License; DEA registration; BLS.
Minimum 5 (five) years post-residency clinical experience, including crisis/emergency psychiatry.
Deep knowledge of the Michigan Mental Health Code; MDHHS policy; Medicaid/PIHP requirements; SAMHSA Crisis Guidelines; suicide and violence risk assessment; psychopharmacology; co-occurring SUD care; EHR documentation; HIPAA/42 CFR Part 2.
Leadership, communication, teaching, and data-driven QI skills; ability to work effectively, confidently, and respectfully with diverse populations and partners.
A high sense of personal and professional ethics and integrity.

Nice To Haves

Preferred additional fellowship training and board certification (e.g., Addiction Psychiatry, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry, Forensic Psychiatry, or Geriatric Psychiatry).
Prior supervisory/leadership experience is preferred.

Responsibilities

Performs all duties and responsibilities of a psychiatrist; provides high-quality, cost-effective care consistent with licensing, accreditation, and payer standards.
Conducts and/or supervises psychiatric evaluations, medication management, suicide and violence risk assessments, and substance intoxication/overdose/withdrawal assessments (including the use of structured assessment tools and symptom screening questionnaires); within crisis workflows determines level of care (e.g., ED transfer, inpatient, CSU, CRU, partial hospital, outpatient).
Provides final clinical disposition decisions and physician certifications as required (e.g., involuntary petitions/clinical certifications under the Michigan Mental Health Code).
Ensures timely documentation in the EHR and adherence to HIPAA and 42 CFR Part 2.
Serves as the lead medical authority across the Crisis Continuum; designs protocols, care pathways, and escalation algorithms consistent with SAMHSA Crisis Guidelines and MDHHS expectations.
Leads the build-out of Crisis Assessment & Triage services, integrating psychiatrists and Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) with nurses, bachelor’s-level clinicians, counselors, social workers, and psychologists, leading this multi-disciplinary team to deliver rapid, reliable, evidence-based care and disposition determinations.
Partners with internal teams, hospitals/EDs, law enforcement, EMS, and community providers to ensure warm handoffs and least-restrictive, recovery-oriented care transitions.
Serves as collaborating physician of record for APPs; provides regular chart audits, scope-of-practice oversight, and timely case consultation.
Leads daily/shift huddles and interdisciplinary rounds (nursing, crisis clinicians, peers, behavioral health technicians (BHTs)/milieu staff, discharge planners) to resolve barriers, update risk, and finalize dispositions.
Provides clinical supervision to medical students, residents, and fellows.
Designs and monitors quality measures and key performance indicators (KPIs) (e.g., time to triage, time to disposition, 23-hour utilization, return-in-crisis rates, warm handoff completion).
Ensures compliance with all relevant OCHN policies/procedures, MDHHS/Medicaid requirements, accreditation standards, and the Michigan Mental Health Code; participates in Root Cause Analyses and special reviews.
Oversees utilization review for level-of-care decisions, second opinions, and re-evaluations for individuals awaiting placement.
Serves on OCHN Medical Directors’ Advisory Group (MDAG) and other committees as directed by OCHN Chief Medical Officer.
Develops and delivers training (risk tools, de-escalation, medication algorithms, triage workflows); helps develop curricula for medical student, resident, and fellow rotations (in addition to clinical supervision).
Promotes a culture of person-centered, trauma-informed, and recovery-oriented practice across teams.
Co-leads strategic planning, development of staffing models (psychiatrists/APPs), scheduling, and coverage plans for 24/7 operations; contributes to budgeting, grants, and regulatory reporting.
Coordinates with OCHN Core Provider Agencies (CPAs), Medicaid Health Plans, and other community providers to support integration and care continuity.