Birmingham, Alabama, United States
Board-certified psychiatrist and Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association with more than 30 years of leadership experience in public psychiatry, correctional psychiatry, managed behavioral healthcare, addiction psychiatry, community mental health, and academic psychiatry. I currently serve as Behavioral Health Medical Director for Viva Health and as a correctional psychiatrist at the W.E. Donaldson Correctional Facility Residential Treatment Unit. My work includes utilization management, complex case consultation, provider credentialing, quality improvement, and behavioral health program development. Previously, I served as Medical Director of the Alabama Department of Mental Health, directing statewide psychiatric and medical initiatives, telehealth development, physician leadership activities, quality improvement programs, and system transformation efforts. During a period of significant state budget reductions, I led clinical planning associated with closure of Searcy Hospital and coordinated placement planning for more than 200 individuals with serious mental illness. I also served as Regional Psychiatric Director overseeing psychiatric services affecting approximately 20,000 incarcerated individuals throughout Alabama, including more than 5,500 patients receiving ongoing mental health treatment. My professional interests include public psychiatry, correctional psychiatry, healthcare systems transformation, behavioral health policy, managed care, quality improvement, integrated behavioral healthcare, telehealth, and psychiatric workforce development.
Conduct medical necessity and utilization management reviews for behavioral health services. Review inpatient, residential, outpatient, and specialty behavioral health treatment requests. Consult regarding management of complex behavioral health cases. Participate in provider credentialing and recredentialing activities. Collaborate with care management, quality improvement, and provider relations teams. Support behavioral health policy development and program implementation. Provide psychiatric expertise regarding benefit administration, clinical guidelines, and treatment planning.
Provide psychiatric evaluation, treatment, crisis intervention, and psychopharmacologic management for individuals with serious mental illness housed within the Residential Treatment Unit of a maximum-security correctional facility. Collaborate with multidisciplinary treatment teams and correctional staff to manage complex psychiatric and forensic presentations and support continuity of care.
Provide psychiatric evaluation, treatment, crisis intervention, and psychopharmacologic management for individuals with serious mental illness housed within the Residential Treatment Unit of a maximum-security correctional facility. Collaborate with multidisciplinary treatment teams and correctional staff to manage complex psychiatric and forensic presentations and support continuity of care.
Chief Psychiatric Clinical Administrator for YesCare in Alabama, provider of healthcare services for the Department of Corrections facilities in Alabama. Directed psychiatric services affecting approximately 20,000 incarcerated individuals. Oversaw mental health treatment for more than 5,500 patients. Supervised approximately 30 psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners. Served as psychiatric liaison to Alabama Department of Corrections leadership. Chaired Gender Dysphoria Management Committee and Involuntary Medication Committee. Supported implementation of federal court-mandated mental health improvements.