Children and Youth Medical Director chez None

GENERAL FUNCTION: 

The Children and Youth Medical Director provides leadership, oversight, and direct psychiatric care for children and adolescent services throughout the agency. This role ensures the delivery of high-quality, trauma-informed, and evidence-based psychiatric services for youth experiencing mental health needs. The Medical Director collaborates with multidisciplinary teams, oversees clinical standards, and plays a key role in shaping policies, protocols, and community partnerships to improve crisis response outcomes for young people and their families.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY: Children and Youth Nurse Practitioners, Medical Residents  

QUALIFICATIONS, KNOWLEDGE AND REQUIRED TRAINING:

Required:

•    M.D. or D.O. degree from an accredited medical school.

•    Board certification (or eligibility) in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

•    Active, unrestricted medical license in Tennessee.

•    5 years clinical experience in child/adolescent psychiatry, with at least 2 years in a leadership role.

•    Strong knowledge of crisis intervention models, trauma-informed care, and psychiatric best practices.

Preferred:

•    Experience in a crisis stabilization unit, emergency psychiatry, or community mental health setting.

•    Demonstrated success in program development and quality improvement initiatives.

•    Excellent interpersonal, organizational, and communication skills.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:     

Clinical Leadership & Oversight

•    Serve as the lead psychiatrist overseeing all children and youth psychiatric services at the Crisis Center and the Children & Youth Outpatient Program

•    Provide direct psychiatric evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment planning for children and adolescents.

•    Oversee and mentor child and adolescent psychiatric staff, nurse practitioners, and  residents at the Children and Youth Crisis Center and Outpatient Programs

•    Establish and enforce clinical practice standards, including safety, risk management, and quality of care.

•    Participate in an on-call rotation to ensure 24/7 psychiatric coverage for the Children & Youth Crisis Center and establish/oversee the on-call system for providers to ensure continuity of care.

Administrative & Strategic Leadership

•    Collaborate with organizational leadership to design, implement, and evaluate crisis intervention programs for youth.

•    Develop and update clinical policies, procedures, and protocols consistent with evidence-based best practices.

•    Lead quality improvement initiatives, including monitoring clinical outcomes, patient safety, and regulatory compliance.

•    Participate in budgeting, staffing, and strategic planning to align services with organizational goals.

•    Commitment to equity, inclusion, and culturally responsive care.

Team Collaboration & Training

•    Work closely with psychologists, social workers, nurses, case managers, and peer support specialists to ensure coordinated, holistic care.

•    Provide consultation and clinical guidance to staff during high-acuity or complex cases.

•    Develop and deliver training for clinical and non-clinical staff on child and adolescent psychiatry, crisis stabilization, and trauma-informed care.

Community & Systems Engagement

•    Build strong partnerships with schools, hospitals, child welfare agencies, and community organizations to enhance coordinated crisis response.

•    Represent the crisis center at community meetings, professional conferences, and stakeholder forums.

•    Advocate for youth mental health needs and contribute to policy development at local and state levels.

IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR: Alliance Medical Director    

PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS: To appropriately accomplish his/her duties, the person occupying this position must maintain effective relationships with all Alliance Departments and staff, Alliance management team, and community members. This position will only provide medical services to Alliance clients and not to any Alliance staff outside of providing emergency first aid. The person in this position will be prohibited from hiring or recruiting Alliance staff for employment outside of the agency.