Director of Medicine, Community Mental Health

About BACS

Bay Area Community Services (BACS) is a $100M government-contracted nonprofit providing housing, crisis stabilization, and behavioral health services to unhoused adults living with severe mental illness. With more than 50 programs and a clinical workforce that includes 30+ nurses and multiple psychiatric prescribers, BACS delivers innovative, community-based care across the Bay Area.

We are seeking a Director of Medicine to provide strategic leadership of psychiatric, medical, and nursing practice across the agency. This is a rare opportunity to shape care at scale within one of California’s most impactful behavioral health systems.

Position Overview 

The Director of Medicine serves as BACS’s senior medical leader, responsible for defining and advancing the agency’s approach to psychiatric and medical care. This role is primarily strategic, administrative, and system-focused—not a direct patient care position.

The Director of Medicine oversees the professional standards, workflows, policies, and quality of psychiatric and medical services across more than 50 programs. Approximately 80% of this role focuses on psychiatric and medication management services, with the remaining 20% supporting medical and nursing services (including respite and integrated health models).

The Director works in a matrixed structure: nursing staff and prescribers report operationally to Program Managers, while the Director of Medicine (in partnership with the Director of Nursing) provides clinical leadership, practice standards, coaching, and professional oversight. Success in this role requires strong systems thinking, clinical governance expertise, and the ability to lead through influence.

This position can be hybrid, but must be partially on site based in Sacramento or Oakland/Hayward East Bay 

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Define and lead BACS’s overarching approach to psychiatric, medical, and physical health practices for staff.
• Develop and maintain agency-wide clinical policies, protocols, and workflows.
• Serve as the senior medical advisor to the Executive Leadership Team on risk, strategy, and system needs.

Clinical Governance in a Matrixed Environment

• Provide leadership and professional oversight to Psychiatrists, NPs, PAs, and nursing staff.
• Partner with Program Managers to ensure clinical integrity, consistency, and safe care delivery across all programs.
• Collaborate with the Director of Nursing on nursing practice standards, competencies, and training.

Psychiatric Services Leadership 

• Oversee psychiatric care quality, medication management standards, and prescriber workflows.
• Supervise and support prescribers through coaching, consultation, and performance expectations.
• Build prescriber onboarding, education, professional development, and quality systems.

Medical & Nursing Services Oversight

• In collaboration with the Director of Nursing, provide strategic oversight of nursing practice in crisis, residential, respite and integrated medical services.
• Ensure medical components of programs align with regulatory requirements and agency standards.

Quality, Documentation & Compliance

• Lead medical compliance efforts and oversee charting including Medi-Cal, Medicare, DHCS, and County Behavioral Health requirements.
• Oversee clinical documentation standards, including Medication Support Services and Utilization Review. Complete documentation necessary for billing Medication Support Services for Medi-Cal.
• Partner with Quality Assurance and IT to strengthen EHR workflows and clinical data quality.

Collaboration & External Representation

• Partner with hospitals, counties, and healthcare systems to coordinate psychiatric and medical care.
• Represent BACS in clinical, policy, and medical forums at the community and regional levels.
• Support program development and expansion by advising on clinical model design

QUALIFICATIONS:  

• MD or DO with active California Medical License and DEA registration.
• Board Certified or Board Eligible in Psychiatry.
• 5–7+ years of clinical leadership experience within behavioral health or community psychiatry.
• 10+ years’ medical leadership in a large, multi-site, government-funded behavioral health syste preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to lead in a matrixed organization (influence > authority).
• Experience developing clinical standards, workflows, and practice models.
• Strong administrative, systems design, and change leadership skills.
• Knowledge of Medi-Cal, County Behavioral Health, and regulated documentation requirements.
• Car, driver's license and insurance with a clean driving record is required. 

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

• Competitive salary of $364,000, exempt
• Fully paid medical, dental, vision, and life insurance coverage for employees and children.
• 32 days off (PTO/Holiday), increasing with tenure, includes your birthday off.
• 403b and after 1 year of service BACS matching contribution.
• After one year of service $3,000 per year student loan, tuition or CEUs. Up to $15,000 over 5 years.
• One month PAID sabbatical after 8 Years – not charging PTO.
• Free iPhone with unlimited data for personal/professional use + laptop for easy mobility
• Significant internal growth opportunities.
                

ABOUT BACS

Bay Area Community Services is a CARF accredited non-profit, community-based agency celebrating 70 years of serving Alameda, Contra Costa, Sacramento and Solano Counties by providing mental health and social services. BACS’ mission is to uplift under-served individuals and their families by doing whatever it takes. We are proud to be one of the leading agencies producing real outcomes to tough social problems. BACS owes its reputation as an innovator to our innovative and entrepreneurial staff.  We are seeking individuals who want to transform clinical practice to be client-centered and effective in the field and who want to lead empowered teams to meet goals.   

BAY AREA COMMUNITY SERVICES IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER