Meet the Medical Director Institute
In 2015, the National Council reached out to member organizations distinguished by outstanding leadership in shaping psychiatric and addictions service delivery to create a new entity: the National Council Medical Director Institute (MDI).
Drawing from the members’ diverse breadth of knowledge and experience, the Medical Director Institute advises National Council members on best clinical practices and develops policy and initiatives that serve member behavioral health organizations, their constituent clinicians, and the governmental agencies and payers that support them.
Led by Sara Coffey, D.O. and Joseph Parks, M.D., the group tackles complex issues that impact the health and well-being of all Americans. Its greatest value lies in their ability to identify solutions and create concrete calls to action to ensure that all Americans have access to a comprehensive, integrated continuum of care with the expectation of recovery.
Position Statements
Position statements are developed based on expert understanding of current accepted standards of care in behavioral health. MDI members are uniquely qualified to develop position statements based on their ongoing clinical and operational leadership roles in the field. They are all board-certified psychiatrists with multiple specialty certifications, including general psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, addiction psychiatry and emergency psychiatry. Members practice within organizations that include freestanding community mental health centers, addiction treatment centers, academic centers and large multi-hospital systems. They have specialized experience in health systems policy, practice, and financing (including commercial insurance, Medicaid and Medicare).
MDI members possess demonstrated skill in applying multiple sources of evidence that determine the generally accepted standard of care including peer-reviewed studies in academic journals, consensus guidelines from professional organizations, and guidelines and materials distributed by government agencies.
Position statements of the MDI are passed by a two-thirds majority of the voting membership and require that more than 50 percent of MDI members register a vote.
SAMHSA CCBHC Medical Director Position Description
SAMHSA CCBHC certification requirements include a requirement that CCBHC’s have a medical director as part of their executive team and that the medical director be responsible for facilitating the integration of care and clinical standards of care. To assist CCBHC’s with meeting these requirements the MDI has developed a draft position description for CCBHC medical directors.
Videos
- Episode 1: Historical Trauma, Mass Violence and Healing with Frank Clark, MD and Sara Coffey, DO
- Bonus Video: Social Injustice, Structural Trauma and Community Violence with Tiona Praylow, MD, MPH and Sarah Vinson, MD
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Publications
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The Comprehensive Healthcare Integration FrameworkThe purpose of this paper is to present the Comprehensive Healthcare Integration Framework, a new framework for guiding implementation of integration of physical health and behavioral health (mental health and substance use conditions).
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Psychiatric Leadership in Crisis SystemsThis brief guidance expands on the recommendations of the recently released report, Roadmap to the Ideal Crisis System and provides additional guidance for how crisis system medical directors can be most effective in their roles.
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Guidance on Handling the Increasing Prevalence of Drugs Adulterated or Laced with FentanylIn this paper, we offer principles and recommendations for remediating the impacts of the rising rates of drugs adulterated or laced with fentanyl.
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Resilience-Oriented COVID-19 Navigation: Community Behavioral Health Reopening ConsiderationsWe must acknowledge and learn from the impressive performance of most behavioral healthcare provider organizations in adapting to meet the ongoing challenges of the pandemic.
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Addendum: Medication Matters: Causes and Solutions to Medication Non-Adherence During Times of DisasterThis addendum provides a brief review of challenges with adherence and offers recommendations for improvement during disaster situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Medication Matters: Causes and Solutions to Medical Non-AdherenceAdvances in medications have produced life-changing benefits for those with mental and substance use disorders, but too many people are not taking these medications as prescribed and their emotional and physical health suffers.
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Making the Case for High-functioning, Team-based Care in Community Behavioral Health Care SettingsDespite a wealth of data showing that team-based care leads to equal or better outcomes in efficiency, effectiveness, safety, cost savings and quality, the broad adoption of team-based care in CBHCs remains the exception rather than the rule.
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Mass Violence in America: Causes, Impacts and SolutionsWhile there is a modest link between mental illness and violence, there is no basis for the public’s generalized fear of people with mental illness. Having a psychiatric diagnosis is neither necessary nor sufficient as a risk factor for committing an act of mass violence.
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Optimizing the Psychiatric Workflow Within a Team-Based Care FrameworkThis paper describes a model of providing psychiatric care in the CBHC clinic setting that will improve patient outcomes and improve the work experiences of all members of the team providing care.
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Psychiatric Shortage: Causes and SolutionsToday, more people are seeking mental health care than ever before, but there aren’t enough psychiatrists to meet the growing demand. Yet, few thought leaders acknowledge this “silent shortage.”
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