BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICE Manager

UHS•Colorado Springs, CO

21h

About The Position

The Behavioral Health Service Manager provides leadership for inpatient behavioral health unit operations, with a primary focus on patient safety through staff education, culture development, coaching, and direct management of the milieu. The role supports planning, oversight, and supervision of Mental Health Specialist (MHS) patient-care activities to promote continuous, safe patient care, observation, interaction, and role modeling for patients and staff. The manager provides program oversight and structure, ensures active treatment and scheduled programming occur, coordinates new processes, and conducts real-time education and coaching for nursing department staff. The position also coordinates on-unit new-hire orientation and performs nursing-administration duties in conjunction with the Director of Mental Health Services and Director of Nursing. In collaboration with Nursing Administration, the manager develops and delivers staff training and required in-services, supports formal and informal staff development, and works with the leadership team on process improvement. The manager provides direct patient-care support when needed, assesses unit acuity and safety concerns, coordinates crisis response and post-code debriefs, and helps develop structured therapeutic programming. The position requires advanced milieu-management and verbal-de-escalation expertise in inpatient behavioral health settings, along with the ability to coach staff and hold them accountable to practice standards. All Milieu Managers must be Certified Nonviolent Crisis Intervention Instructors; certification can be obtained after hiring. Some certifications and training may also be completed during new-hire orientation. The work involves caring for patients across the lifespan and adapting interventions to developmental stage, acuity, and individual needs. Physical demands include frequent movement and patient-care activity, occasional handling or transport of equipment or patients, and work in a noisy clinical environment with potential exposure to chemicals and other hazards. The manager may be required to work weekends, overtime, and flexible hours.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree and at least two years of experience supervising or managing staff in a behavioral health, residential treatment, or other human-services environment, plus at least two years of direct-care experience in a behavioral health setting; alternatively, an associate degree and at least five years of relevant supervisory or management experience, plus at least two years of direct-care experience in a behavioral health setting.
Valid Colorado driver’s license in good standing; driving is an essential function of the position.
Successful completion of Verbal De-Escalation and Crisis Prevention Institute training and CPR certification; certifications may be obtained during new-hire orientation.
Must be a Certified Nonviolent Crisis Intervention Instructor; certification can be obtained after hire.
Advanced expertise in milieu management and verbal de-escalation in inpatient behavioral health settings.
Strong leadership skills in supporting, coaching, and holding direct-care staff accountable to high standards of practice.
Knowledge of code procedures and emergency response protocols, psychiatric care principles, therapeutic interventions, assaultive-behavior management, de-escalation, patient-support techniques, admission and intake procedures, documentation and behavioral-health charting standards, CPR, and life-saving techniques.
Ability to organize, prioritize, and manage workload in a fast-paced environment; communicate effectively orally and in writing; communicate with patients, families, and interdisciplinary team members; exercise sound judgment and maintain confidentiality; work collaboratively and accept direction; demonstrate tact, patience, resourcefulness, and professionalism; adapt to diverse patient populations and acuity levels; participate in patient-care management; respond calmly in emergencies; and meet deadlines and expectations.
Ability to stand, sit, or walk for up to six hours at a time, with sitting limited to approximately two hours as needed; move frequently throughout the workday; and perform frequent reaching, bending, stooping, kneeling, twisting, turning, grasping, and fine-motor tasks.
Visual acuity sufficient to read charts, document accurately, and demonstrate or assist with patient activities; ability to see clearly for depth perception and detect odors when needed for patient care and environmental safety.
Ability to occasionally push or pull wheeled equipment or transport patients weighing up to 200 pounds, and occasionally lift or exert force up to 35 pounds.
Ability to safely handle hazardous or infectious waste when required and work around frequent high noise levels, cleaning chemicals, occasional mechanical and electrical hazards, dust, mist, and steam.
Ability to work at a rapid pace, manage repetitive tasks, and maintain performance under pressure.
May be required to work weekends, overtime, and flexible hours.

Responsibilities

Provide direct patient-care support by working as a Mental Health Specialist on patient-care units or assisting with programming as needed.
Assess unit acuity, identify milieu and safety concerns, and communicate recommendations to the staffing coordinator and nursing administration team.
Conduct staff huddles to review the milieu, establish care plans, and identify risk-mitigation strategies for high-risk patients.
Respond promptly to codes and, when appropriate, lead coordination of code responses with the Charge Nurse and/or House Supervisor.
Facilitate post-code staff debriefs to identify improvement opportunities and reinforce best practices.
Assist with, coordinate, and implement MHS orientation, including on-unit orientation for new hires.
Train MHS employees during new-hire orientation and provide follow-up to ensure understanding of processes and procedures.
Coordinate and deliver required employee training, including CPI, verbal de-escalation, milieu management, and other mandated education.
Plan refresher courses and recertification for CPI and other required trainings; monitor expirations and proactively contact employees about enrollment.
Provide real-time education and coaching to staff to support performance and skill development.
Apply accountability and corrective-action processes as needed to uphold practice standards and address performance issues.
Plan, facilitate, and participate in routine MHS staff meetings in coordination with the Director of Mental Health Services.
Complete daily Behavioral Health Service Manager audits and use findings for real-time staff education; submit data to the Director of Mental Health Services for performance monitoring and improvement.
Develop, implement, and maintain structured programming and group activities aligned with clinical goals and facility expectations.
Teach, model, and monitor group structure and facilitation, providing staff education and feedback to support programming, patient engagement, and milieu stability.
Answer routine applicant and employee questions about staffing and training processes.
Communicate effectively and collaborate with others in a spirit of teamwork and cooperation.
Maintain appropriate ongoing education and professional development; attend mandatory in-services and comply with facility safety policies and procedures.
Follow hospital and departmental guidelines, protocols, standards, timelines, and expectations while supporting the organization’s mission, vision, and values.
Provide patient-centered care across the lifespan, adapting interventions and communication to developmental stage, acuity, and individual needs.
Recognize population-specific behaviors, set clear and respectful limits, and adjust approaches for cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and trauma-related factors.
Use clinical judgment in safety interventions, including seclusion and restraint, accounting for patient size, acuity, and behavioral-health or trauma history.
Integrate information from patients, families, and the interdisciplinary team into treatment planning and interventions.
Maintain knowledge of program rules, protocols, and standards of care and serve as a resource on population-specific and acuity-based care.
Adhere to facility, department, corporate, and regulatory policies and procedures; participate in required staff development and quality-improvement initiatives.
Maintain confidentiality of patient and employee information and comply with conduct, dress, attendance, and punctuality standards.