Alaska Rural Behavioral Health Leadership Opportunities

Rural Staffing Services • Alaska, AK

18h • Onsite

About The Position

Alaska Rural Staffing Services partners with rural hospitals, clinics, Tribal health organizations, regional health systems, community health centers, behavioral health programs, and community-based organizations throughout Alaska to identify experienced leaders who understand the unique challenges and opportunities of serving rural, remote, frontier, and Alaska Native communities. We are currently connecting with professionals who may be interested in active and upcoming behavioral health leadership opportunities across Alaska. These opportunities may include leadership within Critical Access Hospitals, Rural Health Clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers, Tribal health organizations, village clinics, regional health corporations, community hospitals, integrated care programs, outpatient behavioral health clinics, substance-use treatment programs, crisis services, residential programs, telebehavioral health services, and community-based organizations. Behavioral health access can be especially limited across Alaska, where distance, weather, transportation barriers, workforce shortages, and limited local resources may prevent people from receiving timely care. Strong behavioral health leadership is essential. Behavioral health leaders help organizations create programs that are accessible, sustainable, culturally responsive, compassionate, and grounded in the needs and strengths of each community. They may lead mental health, substance-use treatment, crisis response, social services, prevention, wellness, or integrated behavioral health programs while working closely with clinical teams, Tribal leaders, community health aides, schools, public agencies, village organizations, emergency responders, and regional healthcare partners. The strongest leaders understand that behavioral health care does not exist in isolation. It is connected to primary care, emergency services, housing, food security, transportation, family systems, workforce shortages, historical trauma, community connection, and the overall health and well-being of the region. In Alaska, behavioral health leadership may also require coordinating services across enormous geographic distances, supporting teams in multiple communities, expanding telebehavioral health, developing local workforce pathways, and creating systems that remain effective when travel or specialty access is limited. This work requires creativity, humility, collaboration, cultural awareness, resilience, and a genuine commitment to meeting people where they are.

Requirements

• Progressive experience in behavioral health, mental health, substance-use treatment, social services, prevention, crisis services, or integrated care
• Previous leadership experience as a director, manager, clinical supervisor, program administrator, regional leader, or comparable professional
• Experience developing, managing, expanding, or improving behavioral health programs
• Knowledge of behavioral health regulations, documentation, quality standards, reimbursement, grants, and compliance
• Experience leading multidisciplinary and geographically dispersed teams
• Strong communication, relationship-building, cultural humility, and problem-solving skills
• The ability to make thoughtful decisions when resources, transportation, or specialty support may be limited
• Experience working with rural, remote, frontier, underserved, high-need, or culturally diverse populations
• Experience working with Alaska Native communities, Tribal health organizations, Indian Health Service programs, or tribally operated healthcare systems may be highly valued for some roles
• Familiarity with hospitals, FQHCs, Rural Health Clinics, Tribal health systems, regional health corporations, community behavioral health organizations, or public agencies
• Experience supporting telebehavioral health, mobile services, regional programs, or care across multiple communities
• Relevant education, licensure, or certification based on the specific position
• A compassionate, collaborative, dependable, and community-focused leadership style

Nice To Haves

• Some opportunities may prefer or require licensure such as LCSW, LPC, LMFT, psychologist, psychiatric nurse practitioner, substance-use treatment credential, or another behavioral health credential.

Responsibilities

• Providing strategic and operational leadership for behavioral health services
• Developing, expanding, or strengthening mental health, substance-use, crisis-response, prevention, and wellness programs
• Supporting integrated behavioral health within primary care, hospital, Tribal health, or village-based settings
• Leading clinical and nonclinical behavioral health teams across one or multiple communities
• Recruiting, developing, mentoring, and retaining behavioral health professionals
• Supporting local workforce development, internships, supervision, and professional growth pathways
• Strengthening access to care in rural, remote, frontier, underserved, and Alaska Native communities
• Supporting crisis response, suicide prevention, postvention, stabilization, and care-transition programs
• Developing culturally responsive services in partnership with local communities, Tribal leaders, elders, and regional organizations
• Building relationships with schools, law enforcement, emergency medical services, public agencies, village councils, Tribal partners, and community organizations
• Overseeing program quality, compliance, documentation, credentialing, accreditation, and regulatory readiness
• Managing budgets, grants, contracts, staffing, facilities, and program performance
• Developing policies, procedures, workflows, referral systems, and service-delivery models
• Supporting telebehavioral health and other creative access solutions
• Coordinating behavioral health services across village clinics, regional hubs, hospitals, residential programs, and specialty providers
• Tracking outcomes and using data to improve care, access, and long-term program sustainability
• Preparing for transportation, weather, staffing, and emergency-response challenges that may affect service delivery
• Advocating for patients, families, employees, Tribal communities, and the regions being served
• Creating programs that reflect the strengths, values, traditions, and priorities of each community

Benefits

• The schedule, compensation, call expectations, travel requirements, housing, transportation, credentialing, community responsibilities, and employment structure will be explained before you decide whether to move forward with a specific opportunity.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed