THIS IS A NON-CIVIL SERVICE POSITION
Salary Range:
$110,402.00 - $182,016.00 Annually
Job Summary
The Baltimore City Health Department (BCHD) is seeking a Deputy Commissioner to lead the newly organized Division of Public Behavioral Health. Established in 1793, BCHD is the oldest health department in the United States, employing approximately 800 staff members and managing an annual budget of about $200 million. The department is dedicated to protecting health, eliminating disparities, and ensuring the well-being of all community members through education, advocacy, and direct service delivery. BCHD’s responsibilities encompass maternal and child health, youth wellness, school health, aging services, animal control, restaurant inspections, violence prevention, emergency preparedness, STI/HIV treatment, and both acute and chronic disease prevention.
The Deputy Commissioner for the Division of Public Behavioral Health provides leadership and oversight for the following offices: Data and Surveillance, Prevention and Harm Reduction, and Youth and Trauma Services.
1.Data & Surveillance: This office oversees fatal and nonfatal overdose surveillance, epidemiologist, daily cluster reports, drug-supply monitoring through the RAD program, and dashboards that turn data into action.
2. Prevention & Harm Reduction: This office leads overdose policy and strategy, the Overdose Fatality Review, emergency department Levels of Care, naloxone distribution, and mobile and street-based HIV prevention and syringe services.
3. Youth & Trauma Services: This office provides citywide trauma-informed care training and a suicide prevention strategy built with community partners.The candidate will report to the Chief Operating Officer for the Division of Public Behavioral Health. The candidate will also work closely and collaborate with the Deputy Commissioners for Population Health and Disease Prevention, Aging and Community Support, and Youth Wellness and Community Health, as well as the Chief Epidemiologist. This is a highly visible leadership position within BCHD. The successful candidate will possess substantial experience in public health, behavioral health services, and harm reduction, as well as strong management, team leadership, and community engagement skills.
Essential Functions
- Strengthen clinical quality by providing clinical guidance and oversight across the Division's programs. Contribute to the development of evidence-based protocols, review outcomes, and support clinicians and outreach teams in delivering care. Occasional clinical consultation may be required in these roles; however, there are no direct patient care responsibilities.
- Build partnerships with the health care system by collaborating with hospitals, emergency departments, academic partners, and community providers to expand access to treatment, improve linkage to care, and standardize humane, evidence-based practices.
- Advance the public health mission by connecting clinical expertise to surveillance data, policy, and community perspectives to ensure the Division's work reaches those most in need.
- Integrate clinical expertise with organizational management to develop and implement evidence-based behavioral health interventions, policies, and procedures.
- Act as a thought partner to the Health Commissioner and executive leadership on behavioral health policy and legislative recommendations.
- Lead program and intervention design and evaluation. Use outcome data to guide quality improvement and resource allocation.
- Oversee and ensure coordination of clinical programming.
- Conduct evaluation, diagnosis, medication assessment and adjustment, patient education, and treatment planning within licensure scope.
- Collaborate with hospitals, clinical practices, and community organizations to develop population health interventions and best practices that improve outcomes for individuals with substance use disorders.
- Serve as the Department’s ambassador to the medical community on behavioral health.
- Testify before the Baltimore City Council, the Maryland General Assembly, and other bodies on behavioral health data, situational updates, and policy positions.
- Prepare written summaries, analyses, and briefings for leadership, elected officials, and partners.
- Maintain working knowledge of agency and clinical policies and apply them consistently
Minimum Qualifications
Education: Have a M.D. Psy.D., Ph.D, or D.O. with an active Maryland license, or eligibility to obtain one. Board certification in psychiatry, addiction medicine, or a related primary care or public health specialty.
AND
Experience: Previous experience in city, state and/or federal public health preferred. Experience in substance use treatment, harm reduction, or public health practice, ideally in an urban setting. Strong collaboration skills and a commitment to equity, low-barrier care, and community partnership. Preferred: Experience in public health, government, or a safety-net setting. Experience giving legislative testimony or developing policy. Experience about medications for opioid use disorder and harm-reduction models.
Licenses, Registrations, and Certificates: Have a valid Maryland Class C Noncommercial driver's license or an equivalent driver's license and be eligible to obtain a Baltimore City driver’s permit. PROVISIONAL DRIVER’S LICENSES ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE.
NOTE: YOU MUST UPLOAD A COPY OF YOUR VALID DRIVER’S LICENSE, LICENSURE OR CERTIFICAIONS WITH THE APPLICATION AT THE TIME OF APPLYING.
Knowledge, Skill, and Abilities
- Ability to consistently manage and meet deadlines; ability to take initiative and handle multiple priorities simultaneously.
- Professional demeanor and ability to effectively work with all levels of agency and City personnel, community partners, and the general public.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills required; must have ability to be both direct and diplomatic as needed, must lead through influence.
- Must be result-driven and have demonstrated ability to lead people towards meeting organizational vision, mission, and goals.
Additional Information
Background Check
Eligible candidates under final consideration for appointment to positions identified as positions of trust will be required to complete authorization for a Criminal Background Check and/or Fingerprint screening, and must be successfully completed.
Probation
All persons, including current City employees, selected for this position must complete a 6-month mandatory probation.
Financial Disclosure
This position is required to complete a Financial Disclosure pursuant to Sections 7-7, 7-8, and 7-9 of the City Ethics Law. The initial financial disclosure must be submitted within 30 days of hire.
