Chief Clinical and Operations Officer

Paragon•Lakewood, CO

1d•$160,000 - $210,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Paragon Behavioral Health Connections is a comprehensive behavioral health organization dedicated to positively impacting individuals and families through compassionate, client-centered care. We aim to deliver personalized care that uplifts clients and builds supportive connections within communities. Our services include community-based or in-home care, and digital solutions, meeting clients where they are physically and emotionally to provide the right support at the right time. Serving communities across Colorado, we offer equitable and creative "one-stop" behavioral health services, including in-home mental health and substance use treatment, crisis stabilization, early childhood support, intensive outpatient programs, assertive community treatment, medication management, and wrap-around support. Our vision is to empower individuals and families with complex needs to overcome challenges, build essential skills, and access resources for long-term well-being. We provide step-down care from inpatient hospitalization, comprehensive support for children and families, and specialized treatment for adults with depression, trauma, substance use, and other mental health needs. Our programming encompasses intensive care management, Crisis Stabilization, Assertive Community Treatment (ACT), Child First, integrated co-occurring Intensive Outpatient treatment, individual and family therapy, medication management (including MAT), peer support, supported employment/housing, and holistic recovery services.

Requirements

Master's or doctoral degree in a behavioral health field, with active, unrestricted license required.
Ten years of progressively responsible management experience, including at least five years in community behavioral health management, spanning behavioral health administration, clinical practice, and/or other administrative experience relevant to this role.
Demonstrated experience with utilization management programs, medical necessity/level-of-care review, and payer authorization processes.
Proven track record building and interpreting behavioral health outcomes reporting, quality dashboards, and data-driven performance management.
Working knowledge of HIPAA privacy and security requirements and experience coordinating and ensuring compliance with healthcare privacy regulations.
Strong knowledge of financial principles and the diverse funding streams in community mental health organizations, with demonstrated experience partnering with finance leadership on budgeting, forecasting, and growth strategy.
Demonstrated ability to implement, maintain, and lead others to a high level of clinical quality, efficiency, and compliance with administrative and best-practice standards.
Excellent interpersonal, writing, and presentation skills, with the ability to communicate clinical and operational performance to boards, payers, and regulators.
Experience with relevant clinical, reporting, and business computer applications (EHR, UM platforms, reporting/BI tools).

Responsibilities

Provide executive leadership for the clinical, medical, and operational functions of Paragon Behavioral Health Connections, ensuring services are clinically sound, operationally efficient, financially sustainable, and aligned with the organization's mission, vision, and values.
Carry direct executive accountability for utilization management, behavioral health outcomes reporting, and the clinical navigation of high-acuity and complex cases.
Drive the standardization of patient communication and person-centered care delivery across all programs.
Oversee service delivery, program operations, and quality outcomes while advancing innovation, integration, and value-based care.
Serve as (or directly oversee) the organization's designated Privacy Officer, ensuring the protection of patient information across clinical and operational systems.
Partner closely with the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to connect clinical and operational performance to financial strategy, translating service line, payer mix, and utilization data into growth planning, investment priorities, and long-range financial forecasts.
Partner with the Chief Medical Director to connect medical and prescribing services with clinical operations to ensure coordinated care and services and aligned operational practices.
Provide direct executive leadership, goal-setting, and performance management for the Chief Clinical Director, Quality & Outcomes Director, Product Owner, and PR & Communications Specialist.
Develop organizational decision-making frameworks and accountability structures to align organizational objectives.
Champion and lead Center-wide projects as applicable and build a culture of accountability and collaboration.
Develop a governance infrastructure (decision rights, escalation paths, and review cadences) that ensures change management priorities are sequenced, resourced and sustained as Paragon grows and expands across Colorado.
Mentor, coach, and develop direct reports, building bench strength and supporting their growth into future leadership roles.
Review current meeting structures, project management practices, and organizational design, and recommend improvements that support efficiency and clarity of accountability.
Own executive accountability for the utilization management (UM) function, including authorization workflows, medical necessity review, level-of-care determinations, and concurrent/retrospective review.
Monitor and report UM performance metrics (e.g., service utilization tied to acuity, length of stay, readmission rates) and drive continuous process improvement in partnership with the Quality & Outcomes Director.
Ensure UM practices meet payer, regulatory, and accreditation requirements and support success in value-based payment arrangements.
Establish and maintain clinical quality standards, outcome measures, and measurement-based care practices across all programs.
Direct the design and delivery of behavioral health outcomes reporting for executive leadership, the Board, funders, payers, and regulatory bodies, ensuring data integrity, timeliness, and clarity.
Advance clinical and medical innovation and population health initiatives using outcomes data to guide decision-making.
Improve outcomes and demonstrate measurable impact across clinical, medical, and operational domains.
Develop, standardize, and continuously improve clinical pathways and escalation protocols for high-acuity, complex, and crisis-level cases to ensure safe, timely, and well-coordinated care across all levels of service in partnership with Quality and Clinical Teams.
Establish case review and escalation structures so high-risk cases receive appropriate clinical oversight, interdisciplinary coordination, and follow-up.
Oversee all clinical and medical services to ensure delivery of evidence-based, person-centered, and culturally responsive care, and lead licensing processes.
Serve as, or provide direct executive oversight of, the organization's designated HIPAA Privacy Officer, ensuring privacy policies, workforce training, breach response, and safeguards are current and effective across clinical and operational systems.
Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations, and oversee the Contract Compliance Director's management of licensing, payer, and regulatory obligations.
Direct the standardization of patient communication across all touchpoints — scheduling, care plans, follow-up, and educational materials — ensuring consistency, plain-language accessibility, and cultural responsiveness, in partnership with the PR & Communications Specialist.
Implement systems that strengthen access, scheduling, and customer service consistent with a person-centered care model in partnership with Clinical Director, Admissions and Technology partners.
Partner with the CFO to develop and execute the organization's multi-year growth strategy, aligning clinical program expansion, service line investment, and payer strategy with financial capacity and targets.
Co-develop financial forecasts and business cases for new programs, service lines, and markets, providing the clinical/operational assumptions (utilization, staffing ratios, outcomes impact) that underpin CFO-led financial models.
Partner with the HR Director and CFO to forecast staffing needs against clinical volume, program growth, and budget, ensuring workforce planning is aligned with financial and operational targets.
Report jointly with the CFO to the CEO and Board on the financial performance of clinical operations, including cost-per-episode, payer mix, margin by service line, and the financial impact of UM and outcomes initiatives.
Ensure value-based and risk-based payer contracts negotiated are structured to support both clinical goals and financial sustainability, in coordination with the CFO.
Identify and evaluate growth opportunities (new programs, partnerships, acquisitions, geographic expansion) and lead clinical/operational due diligence in partnership with the CFO and CEO.
Provide executive oversight of daily operations, facilities, and administrative functions in partnership with Contract Management and Procurement staff.
Establish and oversee operational policies and procedures, and engage in strategic planning using a systems approach.
Partner with the Human Resources Director on talent assessments and succession planning, applying a growth-minded lens to identify talent gaps and build development plans for key roles.
Set operational and performance goals with departments tied to organizational goals, and monitor performance against those goals.
Support CFO in fiscal and budgetary planning, including implementing and facilitating entrepreneurial and development efforts and initiatives.
Participate in decision-making and negotiation of payer contracts in collaboration with CEO and CFO.
Determine organizational priorities for selection of new technology solutions including EHR.
Demonstrate flexibility and responsiveness to shifting priorities and trends, maintaining focus on implementing change while supporting and engaging staff.
Ensure all program activities operate consistently and ethically within the mission and values of Paragon.
Foster integration with the community by demonstrating leadership and partnership with external organizations, serving as a liaison for committees, and maintaining relationships, and partnerships with local communities.
Ensure recruitment and retention of quality staff and promote the professional growth of staff, in partnership with the Human Resources Director.
Participate in Board meetings and other Board activities.
Other duties and project leadership as assigned.