For Employers
A curated search model for hard-to-fill outpatient psychiatry roles.
We work with behavioral health employers who value fit over volume — organizations that want a search partner, not another resume vendor.
The model
What Meridian does — and what Meridian does not do.
What we do
- Permanent placement for outpatient psychiatry and behavioral health roles
- Boutique, relationship-driven search with direct recruiter access
- Targeted sourcing across traditional and overlooked physician supply
- Consultative process — role calibration through close support
- Smaller, more qualified shortlists rather than high-volume pipelines
- Candidate packaging that gives you what you need to make a decision
What we do not do
- Locum tenens or temporary placements
- Anonymous CV blasts to multiple employers simultaneously
- Volume sourcing across all specialties
- Submissions without explicit employer approval
- Passive job board posting as a primary sourcing strategy
- Work with employers who treat search as a commodity transaction
Who we work with
Ideal employer fit.
Meridian works best with organizations that bring a few things to the table.
Repeated psychiatry hiring
You have recurring need for outpatient psychiatrists or behavioral health physicians — not a single one-off hire with no follow-on relationship.
Clear buyer access
We can speak directly with the person who owns the hire — medical director, CMO, or operator. Search conducted entirely through HR proxies is a poor fit.
Defined role brief
You can articulate what the role looks like, what compensation you can offer, and what a successful candidate brings. Fully undefined searches rarely result in placements.
Willingness to review a smaller shortlist
You understand that two or three highly qualified candidates are more useful than fifteen mediocre ones. We prioritize quality over quantity.
Real urgency
The role is open, budgeted, and the organization is prepared to move when the right candidate appears. Exploratory mandates with no timeline are a poor match.
Openness to a consultative process
You're willing to receive feedback on role positioning, compensation benchmarks, and market conditions — not just a stream of CVs to accept or reject.
The process
What a Meridian search includes.
From role definition through placement, here is what we handle.
Role calibration
We start by understanding the role in depth — clinical model, patient population, compensation structure, practice culture, and what has and has not worked in prior hiring. A well-calibrated search is a faster search.
Targeted sourcing
We build a sourcing strategy specific to your role and geography, drawing on both traditional channels and overlooked physician supply. We do not rely on passive job board distribution as a primary method.
Qualification and vetting
Every candidate we consider for submission is qualified against your specific criteria — licensure, clinical background, geography, timing, compensation alignment, and fit with your practice model.
Candidate packaging
We prepare a structured candidate summary for each introduction — not a forwarded CV. You receive what you need to evaluate the candidate before investing time in an interview.
Interview coordination
We manage scheduling, candidate preparation, and communication throughout the interview process. Candidate experience during your hiring process reflects on your organization — we help protect it.
Close support
We stay involved through offer, negotiation, and acceptance. Our goal is a placed physician, not a submitted candidate. We remain available through the candidate's start date.
Candidate introductions
What a useful candidate submission looks like.
When we introduce a candidate, you receive a structured package — not a forwarded CV with a cover note.
- Narrative memo summarizing clinical background and relevant experience
- Current CV formatted for physician review
- Licensure status and any pending applications
- Geographic preferences and relocation openness
- Timing and availability for a transition
- Compensation expectations and range
- Reason for interest in this role or market
- Fit notes specific to your organization and clinical model
- Any considerations or questions to address early
- Suggested next step and best contact method
Standards
Submission standards.
Our standards exist to protect your time and the candidate's reputation.
No anonymous CV blasts
Every candidate we represent is aware of their candidacy and has consented to being introduced to your organization. We do not forward CVs without the physician's knowledge.
No submission without approval
We do not introduce a candidate to your organization unless you have opened the search with us and accepted our terms. Unsolicited submissions serve no one.
Fewer, more qualified introductions
We would rather introduce two physicians who are genuinely right for the role than send ten to demonstrate activity. Your time reviewing candidates is not unlimited — we respect that.
Sourcing
Candidate supply.
Psychiatry is a genuinely undersupplied specialty. Finding qualified candidates requires going beyond the obvious channels.
Traditional channels
- Active candidates in the market through psychiatry-specific networks
- Academic medical center alumni and residency program outreach
- Physicians in transition — practice sales, group departures, retirement-adjacent
- Referrals from placed physicians and trusted clinician networks
Overlooked physician supply
- U.S.-based, work-authorized international medical graduates (IMGs) — a meaningfully large portion of the psychiatry workforce that many searches underutilize
- Physicians seeking practice model changes (inpatient to outpatient, hospital to independent)
- Clinicians in underserved markets open to relocation with the right opportunity
- Candidates who are not actively searching but open to the right conversation
Terms
Engagement model.
We offer two engagement structures depending on the nature and urgency of the assignment.
Contingency
No fee is due unless and until a candidate we introduce is hired. Appropriate for organizations with an open mandate and defined timeline that are also working other channels. Our standard starting point for new employer relationships.
Engaged contingency
A modest upfront engagement fee is paid to initiate the search, with the remainder due on placement. Appropriate for high-priority or difficult-to-fill roles where the employer wants dedicated capacity and preferred access to our active candidate pipeline.
Fee structure and specific terms are discussed when we scope the search. Physicians are never charged a fee under either model.
Questions
Employer FAQ.
What kinds of roles does Meridian handle?
We focus on outpatient psychiatry and behavioral health physician roles — adult psychiatrists, child and adolescent psychiatrists, addiction medicine physicians, and general outpatient behavioral health MDs and DOs. We do not handle inpatient hospitalist psychiatry, locum tenens, or non-physician behavioral health roles (therapists, APRNs, PAs).
Do you only place in Texas?
Texas is our primary launch market, and it is where we have the deepest current activity. We can discuss searches in other states depending on the assignment and our current pipeline. If you have an urgent need outside Texas, reach out and we will give you an honest assessment of whether we are the right fit.
Can you help fill telepsychiatry roles?
Yes, with some qualification. We work with employers offering hybrid or fully remote outpatient psychiatry positions. Telepsychiatry searches have different candidate dynamics than in-person roles — we will be direct with you about what the market looks like for your specific setup and compensation.
How many candidates will you present?
It depends on the search, but we typically target two to four qualified introductions before reassessing. Our goal is not to fill your inbox — it is to find the right hire. If the first round of candidates does not result in an offer, we revisit role calibration before continuing sourcing.
Do the physicians pay anything?
No. Physicians are never charged a fee under any circumstances. Our fee is paid entirely by the hiring employer upon successful placement. This is a firm policy, not a preference.
Do you work with international medical graduates?
Yes. We work with U.S.-based, work-authorized IMGs and consider them a meaningfully underutilized part of the psychiatry workforce. We do not assist with visa sponsorship or immigration — every physician we represent already holds the authorization to work in the United States.
How do we get started?
Submit a search request through this site or contact us directly. We will schedule a brief scoping call to understand the role, confirm fit, and discuss terms before any search activity begins. There is no obligation at the scoping stage.
Get started
Tell us what role you need to fill.
Share the details of your open position and we will follow up within one business day to discuss fit and next steps.