Medical Director, Substance Use Programs

About the role

The Substance Use Medical Director serves as a senior clinical advisor within Behavioral Health Services, applying addiction medicine expertise to issues affecting Substance Use services and reports to the Associate Commissioner of Substance Use Programs. Areas of focus include clinical standards, service design, provider expectations, program operations, quality and utilization considerations, policy implementation, and related regulatory matters. The work is collaborative, and the position supports organizational decision-making rather than serving as the owner of a single program or portfolio.

The Substance Use Medical Director provides clinical interpretation and practical guidance on matters that affect service design, standards of care, provider expectations, program operations, and cross-system coordination. The position requires interaction with internal and external stakeholders, including program staff, formal workgroups, standing committees, leadership teams, contractors, and external partners. Activities include direct clinical input, participation in ongoing projects, review of materials and proposals, and engagement in committees, workgroups, and leadership activities.

The position operates within Behavioral Health Services - Substance Use Programs and requires ongoing collaboration with the Community Mental Health Medical Director on shared Behavioral Health priorities, cross-system initiatives, and matters that benefit from coordinated medical leadership. The Substance Use Medical Director uses addiction medicine expertise, institutional knowledge, and leadership experience to promote consistent interpretation and application of clinical standards, policy requirements, program expectations, and operational practices. The position's scope extends beyond SU services when addiction medicine, behavioral health, or broader medical expertise is relevant. Examples include participation in, and support for, bodies such as the e-Health Advisory Committee, Institutional Review Board, Psychiatric Executive Formulary Committee, cross-agency medical director collaborations, policy and rulemaking discussions, and other related initiatives.

Essential Job Functions

• Systems Support (30%): Provides systems-level input on SUD-related matters, initiatives, and projects, including clinical standards, service design, provider expectations, implementation challenges, and broader program or leadership considerations. Reviews documents, training materials, presentations, policies, proposals, and related materials when clinical interpretation, addiction medicine expertise, or programmatic perspective is needed. Responds to discrete clinical, programmatic, or standards-related questions from staff, leadership, program areas, and partners, and helps clarify options, risks, and practical implications.
• Policy and Standards (20%): Provides clinical interpretation of policies, rules, standards, program requirements, and regulatory matters affecting SUD services. Collaborates with policy, program, quality, regulatory, Medicaid, and operational staff to support the development, revision, implementation, and consistent application of SUD-related guidance. Contributes to policy, program, and operational guidance involving areas such as SUD rules, confidentiality requirements, telehealth, medication-related services, assessment and placement standards, provider guidance, and service delivery.
• Cross-System Collaboration (20%): Participates in committees, workgroups, and cross-system activities that require substance use clinical expertise, addiction medicine perspective, or broader behavioral health medical input related to prevention, intervention, treatment, recovery, and related system priorities. Contributes to these activities through discussion, review, interpretation, coordination, and collaboration with Substance Use Programs and other Behavioral Health Services areas, including Mental Health Programs, Behavioral Health Medicaid Programs, quality, policy, information technology, research, and related domains. Examples include participation in or support for the e-Health Advisory Committee, Institutional Review Board, Psychiatric Executive Formulary Committee, cross-agency medical director discussions, behavioral health integration efforts, and substance use or other behavioral health-related workgroups.
• Leadership Contribution (15%): Participates in Substance Use Programs leadership activities and broader Behavioral Health Services or cross-program discussions when addiction medicine, substance use, or behavioral health medical perspective is relevant. Provides addiction medicine, clinical standards, programmatic, and operational perspective to support planning, prioritization, issue resolution, and decision-making. Uses institutional knowledge and prior leadership experience to help identify practical considerations, historical context, potential unintended consequences, and areas requiring coordination across programs. Supports responses to legislative, governmental relations, other government entities, providers, stakeholders, and external inquiries, including briefings, advisory support to executive leadership, and testimony-related preparation or participation when appropriate and when addiction medicine expertise or Substance Use Programs perspective is needed.
• Subject Matter Expertise (15%): Maintains current knowledge of addiction medicine and related behavioral health and medical developments affecting Substance Use services across prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery, including evidence-based practices, clinical standards, service-delivery models, emerging substances and trends, and issues involving co-occurring conditions or primary care interfaces. Supports education, technical assistance, presentation development, training material review, and knowledge sharing for staff, leadership, workgroups, providers, contractors, and other stakeholders when addiction medicine expertise, clinical standards interpretation, clinical workflow perspective, or Substance Use Programs perspective is needed. Provides input on clinical workflows and related subject areas such as screening, assessment, referral and engagement pathways, ASAM-related standards and placement considerations, medications for substance use disorders, withdrawal management, overdose prevention, co-occurring mental health and substance use conditions, behavioral health integration, primary care and behavioral health interfaces, special populations, recovery supports, and emerging substances or trends.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Knowledge of:

• Publicly funded behavioral health and healthcare systems, including how substance use services intersect with mental health, Medicaid, quality, policy, regulatory, contract, and operational functions
• Addiction medicine principles and evidence-based approaches across the substance use prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery continuum
• Clinical standards, service design, quality management, utilization standards, clinical workflows, assessment, screening, placement practices, and related service-delivery expectations
• Medications for substance use disorders, withdrawal management, overdose prevention, emerging substances and trends, special populations, and recovery supports
• Co-occurring mental health and substance use conditions, behavioral health integration, and primary care and behavioral health interfaces
• Federal and state laws, regulations, policies, confidentiality requirements, and program requirements affecting substance use and behavioral health services

Skill in:

• Analyzing complex clinical, programmatic, operational, policy, regulatory, and system issues and developing practical recommendations
• Interpreting and applying clinical standards, service delivery expectations, laws, regulations, policies, and program requirements
• Providing expert addiction medicine analysis, clinical standards interpretation, and subject-matter support on complex substance use and behavioral health matters
• Developing, reviewing, and presenting training materials, presentations, guidance documents, and related educational or technical assistance materials
• Facilitating collaboration, consensus-building, and issue resolution among multidisciplinary stakeholders
• Communicating complex medical, clinical standards, program, and policy information to executive leadership, staff, providers, contractors, legislative or governmental entities, outside organizations, and external stakeholders

Ability to:

• Apply physician credentials, addiction medicine expertise, and leadership experience to establish credibility and provide informed recommendations on substance use and behavioral health matters
• Synthesize complex clinical, operational, programmatic, and policy information and identify practical implications for programs, providers, and stakeholders
• Support strategic planning, policy development, program implementation, clinical standards interpretation, and organizational decision-making
• Work effectively across program, policy, operational, clinical, administrative, legislative, governmental, provider, contractor, and external stakeholder environments
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with leadership, staff, providers, contractors, governmental entities, outside organizations, and external partners
• Communicate with clarity, credibility, and professional judgment in written materials, presentations, technical assistance, briefings, meetings, legislative or governmental inquiries, and stakeholder discussions

Requirements

• Current unrestricted license to practice medicine in the State of Texas
• Board certification in at least one medical specialty relevant to the duties of the position, or ability to obtain board certification within a specified period after hire as determined by the hiring manager
• Board certification in Addiction Medicine through the American Board of Preventive Medicine, legacy certification through the American Board of Addiction Medicine, or board certification in Addiction Psychiatry is preferred

Benefits

• 100% paid employee health insurance for full-time eligible employees
• Defined benefit pension plan
• Generous time off benefits
• Numerous opportunities for career advancement

Pay & Schedule

• Salary Range: $12,030.20 - $20,346.06 per month
• Shift: Day
• Telework available
• Travel: Up to 5%
• Part time
• Location: AUSTIN, 4601 W GUADALUPE ST