Chief Behavioral Health Officer

Position Summary:

The Chief Behavioral Health Officer at SYHealth provides clinical leadership and consultation. The CBHO develops a collaborative partnership with the Director of Behavioral Health Operations and provides joint leadership and oversight to the various department management teams within the Behavioral Health service lines.  Provides training in support of organizational efforts to design and implement care programs throughout appropriate sites and service lines.   The CBHO will divide their time between administrative tasks and direct patient care with the allocation as responsibilities dictate. CBHO shall also have experience in working with a diverse population of patients and understand the cultural sensitivities and medical conditions associated with different cultural communities.

Essential Functions of the Job:

The Chief Behavioral Health Officer is responsible for all administrative-behavioral health and addiction medicine affairs associated with SYHealth’s extensive network of community health centers. The principal areas of responsibility include:

• Behavioral Health Staff Relations-develops and maintains positive working relations and communications with health center's behavioral health staff.
• Creates a positive partnership with the Director of Behavioral Health Operations to effectively create, implement and champion approved strategies within their respective service line(s). Provides clinical leadership and input/opinion on all operational functions for the Behavioral Health Department.
• Works with external partners as needed to meet the behavioral health needs of our patients and community.
• Develops and sustains partnership with external academic and hospital partners in relationship to medical student, residency, and fellowship training.
• Provides direct supervision of Behavioral Health Medical Directors and Behavioral Health Clinic Directors. Improves the effectiveness and performance of this leadership team.
• Effectively promotes a culture of Safety for Patients and Staff within the Behavioral Health department.  Actively manages efforts to monitor the respective work environments and improve the general Safety of such areas.
• Works effectively with the Director of Behavioral Health Operations and other key leaders to ensure each of the service lines achieve SYHealth’s annual customer service and patient experience goals. Develops and supervises the effectiveness and performance of the Behavioral Health Clinic Directors group.
• Works effectively with the Associate CMO and Directors of other specialties to improve patient flow and team integration across service areas.
• Provides clinical leadership along with ACMOs as part of the Medical Services Quality Review Committee [MSQRC] team. Participates in ad-hoc meetings convened by Risk.
• Builds behavioral health team’s engagement and participation in health center’s quality management and peer review program.
• Collaborates with Director of Behavioral Health Operations and Finance team to develop annual budgets, including staffing, equipment, and productivity projections. Monitors ongoing clinical operations and explores strategies for improving cost-effective operations.
• Provides direct clinical leadership and vision for all Behavioral Health department grant program applications and implementations. In some cases, delegates Clinical oversight for a particular grant to a different clinician/clinical leader.
• Participates in the recruitment and onboarding of physicians, clinical therapists, and department clinical and operational leadership.
• Prepares and recommends qualification statements for credentialing, job descriptions, and evaluation standards for all behavioral health personnel.
• Signs provider credentialing forms and JDs.
• Maintains and improves the system of peer review, pursuant to written procedure. Reviews peer review results and implement protocols for treatment guidelines, medication management and integrated care with therapists.
• Resolves conflicts among the professional personnel.
• Assures the quality of behavioral health services provided to all patients treated by the clinic.
• Arranges and conducts regular meetings of behavioral health clinical staff.
• Maintains established departmental policies and procedures, objectives quality assurance program, safety, environmental and infection control standards.
• Establishes and coordinates continuing and professional education activities, including in-service training and orientation of clinical staff.
• Provides regular updates about the department to CMO and executive team as requested.

Additional Duties and Responsibilities:

• Maintains established departmental policies and procedures, objectives quality assurance programs, safety, environmental and infection control standards.
• Enhances professional growth and development through participation in educational programs, current literature, in-service meetings, and workshops.
• Attends meeting as required and participates in committees as directed.
• Performs other related duties as assigned or requested.

Job Requirements

Experience Required:

• Five years of professional experience in Psychiatry
• Two years of supervisory administrative and patient care management

Education Required:

• Successful completion of M.D. or D.O. degree in Medicine and graduation from an accredited Psychiatric Residency Program

Certifications Required:

• MD California license and Board certification in Psychiatry
• DEA registration

Verbal and Written Skills Required to Perform the Job:

• Excellent oral and written communication

Technical Knowledge and Skills Required to Perform the Job:

• Ability to assess the demographics, disease patterns and health behavior of the community, and translate data into program plans
• Knowledge of clinical management practices and budget development process.
• Personnel management skills
• Outstanding clinical and executive/administrative leadership credentials
• Strong practice experience, including experience in primary/family medicine in CHC environment
• Demonstrated experience as an effective teacher and mentor with the ability to motivate physicians to adopt new evidence-based practice standards and systems of care.
• Strong leadership and communications skills
• Effective in introducing and championing new strategic services
• Superb organizational ability and exceptionally analytical

Equipment Used:

• Personal Computer     

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements:

• Occasional evening hours and some weekends
• Some traveling required; Driving within the County
• Prolonged periods of sitting, walking, and standing

Universal Requirements:

Pre-employment requirements include I-9, physical, positive background and reference check results, complete application, new hire orientation, pre-employment PPDs. Compliance with all mandated vaccinations and all boosters is a term and condition of employment.

About Us San Ysidro Health is a Federally Qualified Health Care organization committed to providing high quality, compassionate, accessible and affordable healthcare services for the entire family. The organization was founded by seven women in search of medical services for their families and community. Almost 50 years later, San Ysidro Health now provides innovative care to over 108,000 patients through a vast and integrated network of 47 program sites across the county. San Ysidro Health could not serve our patients without the dedication of our passionate and hardworking employees. Apply today and become a part of our mission-driven team! San Ysidro Health has a long-standing commitment to equal employment opportunity for all applicants for employment.  Employment decisions including, but not limited to, those such as employee selection, performance evaluation, administration of benefits, working conditions, employee programs, transfers, position changes, training, disciplinary action, compensation, and separations are made without regard to race, color, religion (including religious dress and grooming), creed, national origin, nationality, citizenship status, domestic partnership status, ancestry, gender, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, civil union status, family status, age, mental or physical disability (including AIDS or HIV-related status), atypical heredity cellular or blood trait of an individual, genetic information or refusal to submit to a genetic test or make available the results of a genetic test, military status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws.