Director of Psychiatric Services

About the role

The Director of Psychiatric Services for the State Hospital System performs senior‑level managerial psychiatric work under the direction of the Chief Medical Officer of State Hospitals. This role provides clinical leadership by coordinating psychiatric treatment across the 11 state hospitals, monitoring trends, overseeing patient diagnosis and treatment, developing policies and procedures for admission, assessment, and specialized psychiatric care, and guiding the 11‑hospital Medical Directors. The Director serves as Vice Chair of the State Hospital System Medical Executive Committee, participates in various HHSC and community committees, supports clinical quality assurance and performance improvement initiatives, and may be called upon to assist with disaster response or Continuity of Operations (COOP) activation. The position is full‑time, regular, and exempt.

Responsibilities

• Attend work regularly and may be assigned specific shift schedules, rotating schedules, extended shifts, or overtime per agency leave policy.
• Support all psychiatric treatment at the 11 State Hospital System facilities through collaboration with the 11‑state hospital Medical Directors.
• Act as an advisory lead for examinations, diagnostic testing, treatment planning, and administration of psychiatric care by formulating evidence‑based policies and procedures in accordance with statutes, rules, regulations, and accrediting body requirements.
• Consult directly with state hospital Medical Directors and clinical staff on difficult or refractory psychiatric cases, new investigational medications or treatments, provide expert opinions, and make recommendations for improvement.
• Serve as Vice Chair (25% of effort) of the State Hospital System Medical Executive Committee (SMEC); develop and revise subcommittee charges, appoint members, assign data for analysis, assign policies for review, and produce quarterly reports and recommendations to the Governing Body.
• Perform a leadership role (20% of effort) in state hospital patient safety systems, clinical quality assurance, and performance improvement programs by monitoring statewide performance indicators, assisting in developing system‑wide correction plans, providing direction as a member of Patient Safety Organization #79, and conducting ongoing professional peer evaluations of medical directors’ care.
• Participate in psychiatric research and/or oversight of approved research (15% of effort), monitor treatment trends via publications, and lead implementation of new clinical programs and interventions appropriate to the state hospital population.
• Support implementation and administration of clinical contracts (15% of effort), including the Psychiatric Residency Stipend Program, UTHealth Houston Telepsychiatry Program, and the Texas A&M Rural and Community Health Institute PSO services contract.
• Consult with other HHSC divisions, component agencies, and adult/juvenile justice agencies on psychiatry and behavioral health matters (10% of effort); represent the SHS in the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors Medical Directors Consortium, liaise with academic psychiatry departments, and attend stakeholder workgroup meetings as directed.
• Perform other duties as assigned (10% of effort), including supporting disaster response, recovery, or COOP activation, which may require alternate shift patterns or locations.

Requirements

• Hold an unrestricted medical doctor license issued by the State of