Medical Director, Behavioral Health
Compensation
Pay not listed
The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed
Ask the employer about the pay range, the work setting, weekend coverage and time off.
Job Description
JOB DESCRIPTION Job SummaryProvides medical oversight and expertise related to behavioral health and chemical dependency services, and assists with implementation of integrated behavioral health care programs within specific markets/regions. Contributes to overarching strategy to provide quality and cost-effective member care.
Essential Job Duties
- Provides behavioral health oversight and clinical leadership for health plan and/or market specific utilization management and care management behavioral health programs and chemical dependency services - working closely with regional medical directors to standardize behavioral health utilization management policies and procedures to improve quality outcomes and decrease costs.
- Facilitates behavioral health-related regional medical necessity reviews and cross coverage.
- Standardizes behavioral health-related utilization management, quality, and financial goals across all lines of businesses.
- Responds to behavioral health-related requests for proposal (RFP) sections and reviews behavioral health portions of state contracts.
- Assists behavioral health medical director lead trainers in the development of enterprise-wide education on psychiatric diagnoses and treatment.
- Provides second level behavioral health clinical reviews, peer reviews and appeals.
- Supports behavioral health committees for quality compliance.
- Implements behavioral health specific clinical practice guidelines and medical necessity review criteria.
- Tracks all clinical programs for behavioral health quality compliance with National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
- Assists with the recruitment and orientation of new psychiatric medical directors.
- Ensures all behavioral health programs and policies are in line with industry standards and best practices.
- Assists with new program implementation and supports for health plan in-source behavioral health services.
Required Qualifications
- At least 3 of relevant experience, including 2 years of medical practice experience in psychiatry/behavioral health, or equivalent combination of relevant education and experience.
- Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathy (DO). License must be active and unrestricted in state of practice.
- Board Certification in Psychiatry.
- Working knowledge of applicable national, state, and local laws and regulatory requirements affecting medical and clinical staff.
- Ability to work cross-collaboratively within a highly matrixed organization.
- Strong organizational and time-management skills.
- Ability to multi-task and meet deadlines.
- Attention to detail.
- Critical-thinking and active listening skills.
- Decision-making and problem-solving skills.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills.
- Microsoft Office suite/applicable software program(s) proficiency, and ability to learn new programs.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with utilization/quality program management.
- Managed care experience.
- Peer review experience.
- Certified Professional in Healthcare Management (CPHM), Certified Professional in Health Care Quality (CPHQ), Commission for Case Manager Certification (CCMC), Case Management Society of America (CMSA) or other health care or management certification.
To all current Molina employees: If you are interested in applying for this position, please apply through the Internal Job Board.
Molina Healthcare offers a competitive benefits and compensation package. Molina Healthcare is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) M/F/D/V
Key Responsibilities
This role provides medical oversight and clinical leadership for behavioral health and chemical dependency services, focusing on implementing integrated care programs and standardizing utilization management policies to improve quality and reduce costs. Key duties include facilitating medical necessity reviews, responding to RFPs, developing enterprise-wide education, and providing second-level clinical reviews and appeals.
Requirements
Candidates must possess a Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathy (DO) degree, be Board Certified in Psychiatry, and have at least three years of relevant experience, including two years in psychiatry/behavioral health practice. Essential qualifications include strong organizational, communication, and critical-thinking skills, along with knowledge of relevant national and state regulatory requirements.
Qualifications
- Education
- Doctoral or professional degree (postgraduate degree)
- Experience
- 5+ years of experience
Key Skills
Psychiatry — Physician Career Context
Of the 50 active Psychiatry listings this role was benchmarked against, 32% are remote, 56% have no call, 62% require no weekends.
Psychiatry pay on WeekdayDoc is up 7.4% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).
Nationally, Psychiatry professionals earn a median annual salary of approximately $300k, with the typical range spanning $230k to $400k depending on experience, location, and practice setting.
Work-Life Balance Analysis
WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Medical Director, Behavioral Health at Molina Healthcare a 6.0 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as good. This places the position in the Above average in Physician roles — ranked against 21,316 active Physician roles listings on WeekdayDoc.
Top Psychiatrist Jobs
43 matches · ranked by paySalary Distribution41 jobs · 26 employers
Annual compensation range
Benefits & Perks28 jobs · 26 employers
Share of similar jobs offering each benefit
Youth and Adult Psychiatrist - Mead Valley Wellness MHUCCContract
Telecare · Riverside, California
Psychiatrist (MD/DO)Contract
North Carolina Mental Health and Psychiatry Group · Durham, North Carolina
Clinical Psychiatrist - Adult
$320k-$500kClinical Psychiatrist - Child/Adolescent
$320k-$500k