Uptown Psych, part of the Optum family of businesses is seeking a Medical Director Psychiatrist MD or DO to join our team in Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana. Optum is a clinician-led care organization that is changing the way clinicians work and live.

As a member of the Optum Behavioral Care Team, you’ll be an integral part of our vision to make healthcare better for everyone.

Explore opportunities at Optum Behavioral Care. We’re revolutionizing behavioral health care delivery for individuals, clinicians and the entire health care system. Together, we are bringing high-end medical service, compassionate care and industry leading solutions to our most vulnerable patient populations. Our holistic approach addresses the physical, mental and social needs of our patients wherever they may be - helping patients access and navigate care anytime and anywhere. We’re connecting care to create a seamless health journey for patients across care settings. Join our team, it’s your chance to improve the lives of millions while Caring. Connecting. Growing together.

Uptown Psych is a premier outpatient mental health clinic in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago and Chicago, IL. We are seeking a Medical Director who collaborates with operational leadership and staff to establish, implement, support, and maintain clinical and operational processes related to benefit coverage determinations, quality improvement, and cost-effectiveness of service for patients. The Medical Director’s activities primarily focus on the application of clinical knowledge in various utilization management activities with a focus on pre-service benefit and coverage determination or medical necessity (according to the benefits package), and on communication regarding this process with both network and non-network providers.

Uptown Psych was established in 2011 to bring the best possible, evidence-based mental health services to the Chicago metropolitan area. The practice's experienced team of licensed psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, psychologists, and therapists represents extensive clinical expertise. Providers at Uptown Psych facilitate superior and highly personalized treatment plans for a full scope of mental health issues for children, adolescents, and adults. Just about any mental health condition can be addressed at Uptown Psych, including attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, addiction, and all anxiety spectrum disorders.

In addition to traditional treatments, our practice also offers innovative therapies, including TMS Therapy and Spravato treatment. Training or experience in this area will be viewed favorably but not required.

The Medical Director collaborates with a multidisciplinary team and is actively involved in the management of medical benefits. The collaboration often involves the patient’s primary care Provider or Specialist Physician. It is the primary responsibility of the Medical Director to ensure that the appropriate and most cost-effective quality medical care is provided to members.

This position will have to be split between administrative (0.4 FTE) and clinical time (0.6 FTE).

Primary Responsibilities:

• Report directly to the Regional MD of the respective RMH region (IL/IN/WI) for the portion of their FTE assigned to being a clinical leader

• Serve as a multi-state business partner to center operations leader to support the delivery of high-quality and affordable care

• Assess and recommend clinician/provider staffing needs

• Provide ad hoc reporting as needed

• Assist in clinical staff recruiting

• Oversight of onboarding/training of new clinicians: physicians/APPs, RNs, CMAs, MHAs. This includes new technology implementation (EHR/ telehealth platforms) as well as company programs (VBC/ NPS)

• Champion in quality assurance programs: participate in chart reviews, outcome metrics, and performance reviews

• Champion quality management programs

• Champion patient safety through RLDatix reporting/reviews

• Serve as supervisor/consultant for clinicians and providers within their assigned center including ensuring appropriate supervision requirements are being met

• Contribute to initiatives for clinical staff continuing education credits (CEUs)

• Participate in clinician/provider performance evaluations, improvement plans, and termination decisions: this is to also include clinician/provider efficiencies and productivity metrics

• Bring to RMH leadership concerns from front-line clinicians related to quality, clinical operations, and workforce issues

• Work with the integrations team to liaise with newly acquired practices

• Continue to engage in clinical work and clinical supervision at local centers commensurate with their assigned clinical FTE requirements

You’ll be rewarded and recognized for your performance in an environment that will challenge you and give you clear direction on what it takes to succeed in your role as well as provide development for other roles you may be interested in.

Required Qualifications:

• MD or DO degrees, ABPN certification

• 3+ years post-residency clinical work experience

• Evidence of an elevated level of professionalism within the field

• Proven ability and willingness to provide services to adults and adolescents

• Proven ability and willingness to service patients primarily on an outpatient basis

• Proven flexibility to meet when patients are available to meet, including a minimum of one evening per week

• Proven solid clinical acumen and competence in providing outpatient psychotherapy

• Proven excellent interpersonal and written/verbal communication skills

• Proven ability to respect diversity and integrate issues of culture into case conceptualizations

• Proven ability to engage with patients who may be ambivalent about treatment

• Proven ability to adapt interventions to patients’ strengths, skills, and developmental levels

• Proven commitment to empowering patients to solve their problems when necessary

• Proven ability to intervene decisively, when necessary, to protect patient safety

• Proven ability to comply with clinic documentation standards and best professional practices

Preferred Qualifications:

• 3+ years in a leadership capacity

• Experience operating within outpatient clinic setting

• Sufficient technology application or technology product understanding to learn and understand software products at a detailed level

• Proven ability to establish effective therapeutic relationships

• Proven organizational and time management skills

• Proven solid communication skills, relationship building, and conflict management skills

• Proven excellent listening skills

• Proven ability to multi-task and prioritize

Diversity creates a healthier atmosphere: OptumCare is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employers and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.

OptumCare is a drug-free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment.