Physician Assistant -BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

Overview

Join our dynamic healthcare team as a Physician Assistant specializing in Behavioral Health, where your expertise will directly impact patient recovery and well-being. This role offers an exciting opportunity to work within a multidisciplinary environment, providing comprehensive mental health services across outpatient settings. The Behavioral Health Physician Assistant (PA-C) provides comprehensive, compassionate, and evidence-based psychiatric and substance use disorder (SUD) services to patients ages 5 and older. Operating within an Outpatient Mental Health Clinic . The PA-C works collaboratively with a multidisciplinary team—including psychiatrists, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners, therapists, and case managers— to deliver patient-centered care that promotes mental health resilience and recovery, high-quality diagnostic, therapeutic, and prescriptive interventions. This role involves managing complex psychiatric conditions and co-occurring disorders through initial evaluations, ongoing medication management, and crisis stabilization. Your clinical skills, critical thinking, and compassionate approach will be essential in managing diverse behavioral health cases and advancing patient outcomes.

Responsibilities

Clinical Assessment & Diagnosis

• Conduct comprehensive psychiatric evaluations for pediatric, adolescent, and adult patients (ages 5 ).
• Formulate accurate DSM-5 clinical diagnoses for mental health conditions and substance use disorders.
• Obtain detailed medical, psychiatric, and substance use histories.
• Order and interpret relevant laboratory tests and diagnostic screenings (e.g., toxicology panels, metabolic monitoring).

Treatment Planning & Medication Management

• Develop, implement, and monitor individualized, patient-centered treatment plans.
• Prescribe and manage psychotropic medications and Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) for SUD as appropriate, following state regulations and clinical protocols.
• Evaluate treatment efficacy, monitor for adverse side effects, and make precise adjustments to medication regimens.
• Provide crisis intervention and immediate stabilization strategies for acute psychiatric or substance-related distress.

Multidisciplinary Collaboration & Care Coordination

• Collaborate closely with the supervising psychiatrist, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners, licensed therapists, social workers, and case managers to ensure integrated care.
• Participate actively in multidisciplinary clinical team meetings and case consultations to fulfill OUTPATIENT MENTAL HEALTH CLINIC license requirements.
• Coordinate care with external healthcare providers, schools, primary care physicians, and community resources to support continuity of care.

Patient & Family Education

• Counsel patients and their families regarding diagnoses, treatment options, medication compliance, and potential side effects.
• Educate patients on relapse prevention strategies, harm reduction, and healthy coping mechanisms for both mental health and substance use recovery.

Documentation & Compliance

• Maintain timely, accurate, and highly detailed electronic health records (EHR) in compliance with OUTPATIENT MENTAL HEALTH CLINIC licensing standards, state regulations, and insurance requirements.
• Complete all clinical documentation (e.g., progress notes, treatment plans, discharge summaries) within established organizational timelines.

Qualifications & Requirements

Education & Licensure

• Master’s degree from an ARC-PA accredited Physician Assistant program.
• Current, unrestricted license to practice as a Physician Assistant in Maryland.
• National certification by the NCCPA.
• Valid DEA registration and state controlled dangerous substance (CDS) registration.
• Buprenorphine waiver / DATA 2000 credentials (preferred or willing to obtain upon hire for MAT services).

Experience

• Minimum of 2-5 years of dedicated clinical experience in a behavioral health or substance use disorder setting.
• Demonstrated competence in managing both psychiatric conditions and chemical dependency across the lifespan.
• Experience working within an outpatient mental health clinicor highly structured outpatient clinical environment preferred.

Skills & Core Competencies

• Strong clinical knowledge of psychopharmacology and evidence-based practices for both mental health and SUD.
• Exceptional communication skills, with a proven ability to build therapeutic rapport with pediatric patients (ages 5 ), teenagers, and adults alike.
• High cultural competence and sensitivity to diverse backgrounds and complex trauma.
• Proficiency using Electronic Health Record (EHR) software and telehealth platforms.

Join us in making a meaningful difference by providing compassionate behavioral health care that transforms lives!

Pay: $65.00 - $78.00 per hour

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Vision insurance

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Westminster, MD 21157

Salary : $65 - $78