Chief Executive Officer - Lakeland Behavioral Health

Lakeland Behavioral Health System•Springfield, MO

9d•Onsite

About The Position

Lakeland Behavioral Health System, a 106-bed psychiatric facility in Springfield, Missouri, is seeking a visionary, hands-on Chief Executive Officer to advance its mission of providing compassionate behavioral health care. Part of the Acadia Healthcare network, Lakeland serves children, adolescents, adults, and seniors through acute inpatient psychiatric care, residential treatment, adolescent Intensive Outpatient Programs, trauma-informed and evidence-based therapies, and accredited educational programming through Lakeland Regional School. The CEO leads the facility’s strategy, operations, clinical quality, safety, financial performance, regulatory compliance, and business development. The role calls for a visible, collaborative leader who can build trust among staff, medical professionals, and community partners; develop the leadership team; expand services and access; and strengthen Lakeland’s position as a community voice for mental health, addiction treatment, and recovery. The CEO reports to and works with the governing body, while coordinating with Acadia’s corporate teams and network. The successful candidate will guide a high-performing, accountable organization focused on quality, service excellence, inclusion, innovation, and continuous improvement. They will oversee financial and operational results, develop community and payer relationships, recruit clinicians, and support the continuum of care, including outpatient and community-based programs.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Healthcare Administration, Public Health, Marketing, a clinical discipline, or a related discipline.
Three to five years of experience in a senior leadership or CEO role in a behavioral health, acute care, and/or managed care environment.
Thorough knowledge of facility administration and clinical operations.
Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously within inflexible timeframes and adapt to frequent priority changes.
Initiative, self-direction, effective communication, and problem-solving skills.
Ability to handle sensitive and proprietary information confidentially.
Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to interact professionally with internal and external individuals at all levels.
Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to work under pressure, multitask, and respond effectively to emergencies.
Knowledge of state and federal laws, regulations, and funding governing inpatient mental health and addiction treatment, including CMS, Joint Commission, AHCA, DCS, HIPAA, and 42 CFR.
Strong knowledge of Joint Commission standards and demonstrated ability to lead licensure, accreditation, and compliance efforts in a behavioral health facility.
Ability to work within organizational policies, procedures, and practices.
Strong financial acumen and business orientation, including working knowledge of fiscal management and business development.
Experience developing high-performing teams and creating followership.
Sufficient English proficiency to provide and receive instructions and directions.
Passion for and alignment with the organization’s mission, and empathy toward people experiencing crisis or mental health and substance use disorders.
Integrity, honesty, transparency, empathy, and the ability to make firm decisions, hold teams accountable, and drive change.
Visible, inspiring, humble, self-aware, collaborative, and service-oriented leadership; ability to listen and lead with gratitude and grace.
Visionary and innovative leadership, including the ability to leverage technology to advance the organization’s mission.
Courage and willingness to make complex decisions in the organization’s best interests.
Exceptional communication, emotional intelligence, and people skills.
Commitment to accountability and advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
Strategic thinking and strong execution skills, including the ability to direct crisis and inpatient behavioral health services.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in healthcare administration, business administration, a clinical discipline, or a related field.
Experience turning around an organization.
Hospital Administrator experience or experience in a similarly visible leadership position.
Experience developing robust succession plans in partnership with HR.

Responsibilities

Develop a culture emphasizing high-quality care and patient safety.
Manage day-to-day facility operations and staff to meet patient care, fiscal, licensing, accreditation, regulatory, and business development objectives.
Organize facility operations through departmentalization, delegation, and alignment of responsibilities.
Build and maintain relationships with government agencies, local businesses, affiliate health providers, and the surrounding community.
Assess leadership team performance and competencies, and provide coaching or corrective action as appropriate under the governing body’s direction.
Ensure staff participation in facility-wide in-service and continuing education, including education relevant to adults, seniors, adolescents, and families.
Recruit allied health professionals and psychiatrists to expand the facility’s services.
Work with the corporate contracting team on payer contract negotiations, compliance, performance reporting, and revenue growth.
Lead development of a continuum of care, including comprehensive outpatient services and community-based programs.
Resolve staff performance concerns and lead performance improvement activities as appropriate.
Attend and, when appropriate, chair meetings with the governing body, medical staff, executive management, and facility departments.
Follow company policies and procedures and maintain personal integrity and professionalism.
Stay current with national healthcare initiatives through participation in relevant professional and state facility associations.
Maintain survey readiness through auditing, corrective actions, and preventive actions that support accreditation and regulatory compliance.
Ensure adherence to the Corporate Compliance program, including follow-up on reported issues, staff training, and proactive auditing.
Lead accurate governing board reporting and quarterly calls.
Ensure prompt, thorough follow-up on patient safety issues, including system corrections and proactive assessment of high-risk areas.
Provide appropriate resources and support for QAPI activities, including staffing and training.
Plan, develop, and implement long-range goals and annual objectives; identify critical issues and understand the marketplace and factors affecting the organization’s future.
Manage organizational performance against budgets and short- and long-term financial goals, including budgets and census.
Support the executive team in achieving objectives that fulfill the organization’s mission and vision.
Enhance the organization’s community reputation and broaden involvement in mental health, addiction, treatment, and recovery.
Build trust and credibility with facility leadership, nurses, medical staff, and nursing leadership, and maintain a visible presence in the hospital.
Maintain financial soundness and a positive operating margin; increase occupancy, payer mix, and customer satisfaction.
Promote innovation and opportunities for revenue diversification, virtual programs, and services.
Build a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, transparency, and collaboration to support employee engagement and satisfaction among patients, physicians, and clinical staff.
Advance performance improvement, quality, and service excellence.
Develop and refine a strategy positioning the organization as a voice for mental health, addiction, treatment, and recovery in the United States.
Work with HR to develop succession plans that identify, develop, and advance future leaders.
Lead crisis and inpatient behavioral health services and make complex decisions in the organization’s best interests.