Medical Director for USC Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Services at UPC and at HSC / Assistant or Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences (Clinician Educator)

Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of USC

Los Angeles, California

The Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences at the Keck School of Medicine of USC is seeking a licensed psychiatrist to serve as Medical Director of our faculty practices that provide psychiatric and behavioral health services to Keck Medicine of USC patients and USC students. The candidate must have the attributes of a great team leader (humble, hungry, and smart), in addition to being a skilled clinician.

This is a full-time faculty position with an academic appointment in the Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and clinical/administrative service assignment as the Medical Director of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Services at University Park Campus (PBHS@UPC) and Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Services at Health Sciences Campus (PBHS@HSC). Salary is competitive and contingent on experience. A generous benefits package includes: Medical, dental, vision, life insurance, long-term care, disability, malpractice coverage and more (information about benefits can be found here); significant retirement benefits (USC makes a 10% contribution when you contribute 5%); tuition assistance for you and your family; paid professional days and parental leave; access to free continuing education credits through our Grand Rounds lecture series; and generous paid time off.

Description of Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences

The Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences at the Keck School of Medicine of USC is committed to excellence in three equally important areas: clinical care, education, and research. The team of mental health professionals offer a range of psychiatric and behavioral health services utilizing the most up-to-date research in the field and state-of-the-art technology. The Department of Psychiatry provides clinical services primarily at the Los Angeles County + University of Southern California (LAC+USC) Medical Center, USC Student Health and student exclusive practices as part of Keck Medicine of USC, and additional ambulatory practices for Keck Medicine of USC, including Keck Hospital of USC, USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, and the USC Care Medical Group. The department’s specialists have expertise in general psychiatry and psychotherapy, neuromodulation, and several subspecialties to diagnosis and treat obsessive compulsive disorder, eating disorders, substance use disorders, anxiety, depression, dysthymia, somatic disorders, co-occurring conditions, and schizophrenia. Bilingual clinicians provide support in several languages, including Spanish, Hindi, Mandarin/Cantonese, Japanese, Taiwanese, Arabic, Urdu, Kashmiri, Vietnamese, and more.

Description of PBHS@UPC

Located in the Engemann Student Health Center on USC’s University Park Campus, PBHS@UPC offers greater access to mental health care for USC students through intermediate and long-term, solution-focused, evidence-based practices for more complex conditions. A multi-disciplinary team comprised of psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, case managers, and other professionals accomplish the practice’s mission of ensuring access to the highest quality of mental health care for all students. More information about PBHS@UPC can be found here.

Description of PBHS@HSC

PBHS@HSC is an outpatient mental health clinic within the Keck Medicine of USC medical system and is comprised of a multidisciplinary team of clinical psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, marriage and family therapists, and case managers that provide mental health services to Keck Medicine patients. Our faculty members maintain a diverse range of specialties utilizing the most up-to-date research in the field and state-of-the-art technology. We implement compassionate and customized care pathways that bring evidence-based research into world-class mental health treatments and services.

Essential Functions of the Medical Director:

• Reports to the Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs for Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Services (PBHS) at Keck Medicine of USC, who reports to the Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences.
• Aligned with the mission, vision, values of the Department of Psychiatry, and accountable to Department of Psychiatry leadership.
• Ensures the efficient and effective operation of PBHS@UPC and PBHS@HSC; ensures both clinics meet key performance metrics; oversees Quality Improvement & Assurance initiatives.
• Works closely with the Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs for Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Services, Vice Chair for Student Mental Health / CMH Director, department and health system leadership, as well as numerous colleagues and campus and community partners to ensure timely, appropriate, and effective mental health care for USC students and Keck Medicine of USC patients.
• Oversees and works collaboratively with the PBHS@UPC Clinical Director, and PBHS@HSC Director of Behavioral Health Services.
• Fosters a healthy, collegial work culture that aligns with the Department of Psychiatry’s 5-year strategic plan.

Administrative/Service Tasks:

• Directly or indirectly supervise and manage all faculty, clinical/non-clinical staff, and residents/trainees of PBHS@UPC and PBHS@HSC, including oversight of clinical schedules, on-call rotations, time-off approvals, HR/Faculty Affairs and similar matters.
• Design/develop evidence-based services to treat the needs of the target populations of both clinics.
• Develop operating, clinical, and administrative policies and procedures, and ensure compliance.
• Develop and manage budgets for PBHS@UPC and PBHS@HSC; provide financial status reports as needed.
• Conduct regular faculty and staff performance reviews / merit evaluations and provide feedback to clinicians.
• Conduct ongoing utilization review, monitoring of clinical outcomes and quality improvement processes.
• Plan and facilitate weekly multidisciplinary faculty and staff meetings for both PBHS@UPC and PBHS@HSC.
• Attend and contribute to various clinic, departmental, and campus meetings, fostering educational objectives and a consultative collegial environment.
• Create annual reports, grant proposals, and other reports as needed.
• Spearhead recruitment of faculty psychiatrists and participate in recruitment of faculty therapists and staff of both clinics.
• Provide supervision of clinicians related to high-risk cases and facilitation of risk consultation meetings. 
• Review safety risk management reports and consult with Risk Management as necessary.
• Serve on university, health system, and department committees as desired and assigned.
• Attend Psychiatry Department Grand Rounds, Social Justice Forums, and Department Matters meetings; coordinate periodic service specific Grand Rounds.
• Represent PBHS@UPC and PBHS@HSC on committees and at meetings.
• Respond to requests for information from the community and colleagues.
• Other projects and duties, as assigned.

Clinical Duties:

• Provide direct outpatient psychiatric care to Keck Medicine of USC patients and USC students including diagnostic evaluation, risk assessment, crisis intervention, assessment of medication and psychotherapy needs, psychoeducation, initiation and follow up of medication treatment, coordination of referrals to outside psychotherapy/outside psychiatric or medical referrals, as well as collaboration with counseling staff, outside providers, and significant others/family.

• Address urgent medication related issues and manage crises.
• Complete documentation in a timely manner and in compliance with departmental policies.

• Facilitate higher level of care referrals and hospitalizations when needed.
• Support medication treatment with brief supportive therapy and motivational interviewing when indicated, with the provider’s role and expertise primarily relating to the biological treatment of the student.
• Interact with campus faculty from various academic departments for collateral, coordination of medical leave or establishing modified programs.
• Conduct evaluation for disability resources and completion of these applications.
• Provide case consultation with faculty and staff in both clinics to discuss complex clinical cases.
• Provide backup coverage related to on-call emergencies.

• Collaborate and consult with other mental health providers, and with primary care medical providers who may also provide psychiatric medication management to patients/students.

Teaching/Supervision/Mentorship Duties:

• Coordinate with Residency Program Director and oversee the rotation of psychiatry residents (PGY3s and PGY4s).
• May directly supervise psychiatry residents rotating through the clinics.
• Provide periodic lectures to medical students and residents/fellows.
• Provide periodic Grand Rounds lectures.
• Facilitate regular case consultation/journal club.

Minimum Qualifications: 

• Must be a State of California Licensed Physician and a board certified or board eligible psychiatrist (must be board certified prior to start).
• Experience leading and managing a multi-disciplinary team of clinicians, interns, and staff in an outpatient medical setting.
• Experience in short term treatment, including stabilization and crisis intervention.
• Experience working with university students and/or transitional age youth.
• Experience overseeing Quality Improvement & Assurance initiatives.
• An advanced practice clinician possessing well-developed clinical and psychopharmacological skills and the willingness to support the development of evidence-based clinical guidelines.  
• Resilient, self-aware, and able to thrive in a fast paced, demanding environment.
• Effectively works in a highly diverse, multicultural, and LGBTQIA+ affirmative environment.
• Commitment to the highest ethical standards of professional practice and to professional integrity.
• Desire to continue to grow as a professional and committed to excellence and lifelong learning.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working with issues encountered in early and emerging adulthood, including identity issues (e.g., sexual identity, gender identity, racial/ethnic identity, etc.), sexual trauma, eating disorders, and substance use disorders.
• Understanding of clinical operations in a fee-for-service clinic payment model and productivity standards.
• Additional language skills are welcome.

Application Deadline: Until position is filled.

The annual base salary range for this position is $275,000- $310,000. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state, and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.

Starting Date: Negotiable

The University of Southern California (USC), founded in 1880, is the largest private employer in the City of Los Angeles. As an employee of USC, you will be a part of a world-class research university and a member of the "Trojan Family," which is comprised of the faculty, students and staff that make the university what it is. USC is one of the world’s leading private research universities with approximately 48,500 students from all 50 states and boasts one of the largest international student bodies in the country. USC is located in the heart of Los Angeles, a culturally rich metropolitan city with a large ethnic and economically diverse population and is close to both beach and mountains with wonderful outdoor recreation opportunities. The mild temperatures along with the city’s average of 329 days of sun per year makes Los Angeles a wonderful city to live and work.

The Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences is committed to attracting and nurturing a diverse community dedicated to providing culturally informed, high-quality behavioral healthcare to a multicultural population. Both in our work environment and clinical practice, we embrace diversity across multiple dimensions. We aim to provide a safe, inclusive environment for our faculty, staff, residents, fellows, trainees, volunteers, patients, colleagues, and the multitude of stakeholders with whom we work. Through our clinical services, educational programs, research studies, and policy initiatives, we are committed to addressing health care disparities for historically underserved groups; to combating racism and anti-Blackness at all levels; and to promoting and ensuring social justice.

USC strongly values diversity, equity, and inclusion and is committed to equal opportunity in employment. We prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran status, marital status, or any other legally protected status. All genders, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, people with disabilities, veterans, bicultural/multicultural and bilingual/multilingual individuals are encouraged to apply.