The Department of Community and Human Services values diverse perspectives and life experiences. The Department encourages people of all backgrounds to apply, including Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ, people with disabilities, veterans, and those with lived experiences.

 
King County's Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) provides equitable opportunities for people to be healthy, happy, and connected to community.

This senior management position will serve as the Behavioral Health Chief Medical Officer for the Behavioral Health & Recovery Division (BHRD) whose overall mission is to provide accessible, quality behavioral health services to low income residents throughout King County. The primary objective of the position is to help the County achieve its long-term strategic goals including full behavioral health and physical health integration. The Chief Medical Officer will set the strategic vision for clinical service delivery and oversee BHRD’s behavioral health care delivery system, including but not limited to: development and implementation of clinical strategies, programs, initiatives, quality improvement and assurance, utilization management policies & procedures, and clinical policies and procedures. 

The Chief Medical Officer oversees the clinical functions within BHRD, providing guidance and oversight to existing functions, such as care management and coordination, quality and clinical compliance. The Chief Medical Officer sets the strategy to innovate towards the creation of prospective clinical functions to enhance BHRD’s role within King County, such as population health management and further the goal to achieve physical & behavioral health integration at the delivery system level. The Chief Medical Officer is a liaison to Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) and Behavioral Health Agency (BHA) partners, working collaboratively with MCOs and providers to support adherence to clinical contract standards.

This position will report to the Division Director, be part of the Division Executive Leadership Team and supervise the Division’s Quality and Care Coordination & Recovery (Utilization and Care Management) sections. The successful candidate will prepare high level briefing material and reports for use internally and externally by the Division and Department. The position will be called upon to represent the Division and the County at various meetings and functions.

WHO MAY APPLY:  This position is open to all qualified candidates that meet the minimum qualifications. The Department of Community and Human Services values diverse perspectives and life experiences.  The Department encourages people of all backgrounds to apply, including people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ, people with disabilities, veterans, and those with lived experiences. 

REQUIRED MATERIALS: Candidates who wish to be considered for this position must submit an online King County application and respond to the supplemental questions. Your application may be rejected as incomplete if you do not include the requested and relevant information in the online application and supplemental questionnaire. Applications and/or supplemental questionnaires that state, “see my resume” are considered incomplete and will not be considered to be competitive.

WORK SCHEDULE/CONDITIONS:  This position is exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and is not eligible for overtime. Typical hours are Monday - Friday 8am - 5pm.

Teleworking Requirement 

The work associated with this position will be performed through a combination of teleworking complemented with onsite work and meetings as needed. Employees will have access to shared workspaces at various King County facilities. Employees must reside in Washington state and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements.
  

Employees will be provided with a County issued laptop and must maintain a workspace with an internet connection (access may be supplemented in some situations) where they can reliably perform work and remain available and responsive during scheduled work hours. Please note that when an employee conducts work that is likely to bring them in contact with another individual, safety precautions are required, including the wearing of masks in some situations. King County is doing its part to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and remains committed to reducing our carbon footprint.
  
 King County has a robust collection of tools and resources to support working remotely. The individual selected for this opportunity will be joining an innovative and progressive team that is redefining how we work as we transition to the department's hybrid environment. 

RECRUITER: Annette Coleman; ancoleman@kingcounty.gov

Quality and Care Management:

• Provide thought leadership to the BHRD Executive Leadership Team with regard to clinical innovation and the evolution of existing clinical service delivery to meet changing contract administration requirements, to advance best practices in quality and medical trends, and to apply evidence-based decision-making.
• Work collaboratively with the BHRD Executive Leadership Team to achieve overall goals of network growth, financial performance, medical cost management and clinical quality improvement.
• Work collaboratively with utilization management and care management teams, and other appropriate business departments across product lines to ensure compliance with federal and state regulation, identify and address opportunities to improve service, reduce administrative cost and support department and organizational business goals.
• Oversee clinical care management and medical management strategies across the King County Integrated Care Network (KCICN) and Behavioral Health ASO (BH-ASO), in collaboration as appropriate with MCO partners.
• Oversee improvements of all aspects of behavioral health for BHRD, including assessment of existing quality initiatives and push towards quality initiatives that demonstrate continuous quality improvement in critical areas where quality gaps exist.
• Chair or participate in internal and external committees, meetings, and work groups, as appointed, related to policies, procedures, and best practices in the mental health and substance use disorder system, including the KC Medical Director’s Committee, KCICN Committees, and BHRD Committees such Patient Placement Task Force.
• Participate in training of BHRD and network staff.  
• Provide clinical consultations as needed to providers in relation to individual clients, particularly for persons with complex or high needs.
• Manage and lead quality improvements of all aspects of behavioral health for BHRD, including assessment of existing quality initiatives and push towards quality initiatives that demonstrate continuous quality improvement.
• Provides support to the clinical operations and network management teams, including supporting new product implementations and modifications.

Policy Development:

• Provide overall strategic direction and oversight of local, regional and statewide behavioral health policy and programs to contribute to the development, implementation and evaluation of the clinical and cost-effectiveness of behavioral health services.

• Provides medical oversight, guidance, and assistance with policy development related to the County's management of mental health and substance use disorder treatment and prevention services.

• Participate in the development of new health care strategies related to health care reform as opportunities become available, such as the integration of behavioral health services with primary care.

MCO Partnership:

• Oversee and support BHRD quality staff and the network of contracted behavioral health providers in achieving quality outcomes under contracts with the Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA) and contracted Managed Care Organizations (MCO’s).
• Provide leadership in developing and optimizing clinical models of care, including but not limited to systems of care that support integration of physical and behavioral health services.
• Serve in a liaison and leadership role with MCOs and psychiatric inpatient facilities, particularly as it relates to quality monitoring, UM activities and transitions of care.
• Facilitate coordination of care for clients by interfacing between the Division, the Provider network and the MCOs.
• Ensure alignment of clinical care management and medical management strategies across the King County Integrated Care Network (KCICN) and Behavioral Health ASO (BH-ASO) with MCO contract requirements.

• Washington State Medical License.
• Board Certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN). 
• 5 years full time practice experience in a community behavioral health or public psychiatry practice setting. 
• 5 years of administrative experience working within a health or behavioral health system or managed care setting and demonstration of role setting vision for clinical strategies and models of care. 
• Understanding of managed care principles and practices. 
• Experience with quality improvement and utilization management program oversight. 
• Understanding of public community behavioral health systems for children, adults and older adults. 
• Understanding of the impact of and awareness of available resources to address the social determinants of health. 
• Demonstrated knowledge of behavioral health programs and models of care based upon principles of recovery and resiliency and Trauma-Informed Care. 
• Ability to work and provide leadership in a multi-disciplinary setting. 
• Understanding of issues of families of persons with mental illness and substance use disorders.  
• Experience relating to consumer and family advocacy groups. 
• Experience in integration of psychosocial and biomedical aspects of treatment. 

DESIRED EXPERIENCE, QUALIFICATIONS, KNOWLEDGE, AND SKILLS:

• Eligibility or certification by the ABPN in Addictions Psychiatry, Child/Adolescent Psychiatry, and /or Geriatric Psychiatry. 
• Master's in Health Administration, Public Health, or Medical Management. 
• Understanding of health care reform initiatives, the federal Affordable Care Act, and Washington state initiatives related to the implementation of the ACA. 
• Familiarity and understanding of the role, function and oversight of the Washington State. Health Care Authority, Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery, and Department of Health.  

Forbes recently named King County as one of Washington State's best employers.

Together, with leadership and our employees, we're changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence. Are you ready to make a difference? Come join the team dedicated to serving one of the nation's best places to live, work and play.

Guided by our "True North", we are making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. We value diversity, inclusion and belonging in our workplace and workforce. To reach this goal we are committed to workforce equity. Equitable recruiting, support, and retention is how we will obtain the highest quality workforce in our region; a workforce that shares and will help advance our guiding principles--we are one team; we solve problems; we focus on the customer; we drive for results; we are racially just; we respect all people; we lead the way; and we are responsible stewards. We encourage people of all backgrounds and identities to apply, including Native American and people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+, people living with disabilities, and veterans.

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement

King County Executive Branch employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. If you are the successful candidate for the position you applied for, the County will send you a conditional offer letter.

As a condition of employment, prior to a final offer of employment, you will be required to:

• submit proof of vaccination, or
• have an approved request for medical or religious exemption and an approved accommodation. Philosophical, political, scientific, or sociological objections to vaccination will not be considered for an exemption or accommodation.