Chief Operating Officer

Mental Health Cooperative•Nashville, TN

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Ranked one of Tennessee’s top places to work, MHC is a rare and special place where outstanding company culture is intentional. Where clients and associates are treated the same, as equals. Mental Health Cooperative, Inc. (MHC) was formed in 1993 to serve individuals with severe and persistent mental illness. Since then, we have expanded our services to children and adolescents with severe emotional disorders across Middle and East Tennessee. Our sole purpose is to support and treat those challenged with serious mental illness and poverty. Although based out of Nashville, we serve several communities across middle and East Tennessee with satellite offices in Antioch, Gallatin, Dickson, Columbia, Cleveland, Murfreesboro, Clarksville, Cookeville, Chattanooga, and Memphis. If you are interested in joining a team that is caring, collaborative, innovative and energizing this might be a great place for you! Job Summary The Chief Operating Officer (COO) is responsible for the overall operational effectiveness, consistency, and performance across all Mental Health Cooperative (MHC) locations and lines of business. As a key member of the executive leadership team, the COO ensures alignment of operations with MHC’s mission, vision, and strategic priorities while driving high-quality, accessible behavioral health services across the organization. This role provides strategic and operational leadership to optimize performance, enhance care delivery, and achieve key outcomes related to quality, access, and total cost of care. The COO will lead scalable operational structures, foster a high-performing leadership culture, and ensure MHC remains responsive to the evolving TennCare Medicaid landscape and community needs.

Requirements

Executive leadership experience in healthcare or behavioral health operations (COO, VP, or equivalent)
Strong knowledge of TennCare Medicaid, value-based care, and regulatory environment
Deep understanding of Tennessee behavioral health landscape and market
Proven experience leading multi-site, multi-service line operations
Demonstrated ability to lead large teams and drive performance outcomes
Experience with operational transformation and scalable growth strategies
Knowledge of organizational policies and procedures to manage operations and ensure effective patient care.
Knowledge of the principles and practices of health care administration, fiscal management, human resource management, government regulations, compliance requirements and reimbursements.
Knowledge of computer systems and applications.
Skill in exercising a high degree of initiative, judgment, and discretion.
Skill in analyzing situations accurately and taking effective action.
Skill in establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with the medical and administrative staff, patients and the public.
Skill in planning, organizing, and prioritizing work; delegating and achieving goals and objectives.
Skill in exercising judgment and discretion in developing, interpreting, and implementing departmental policies and procedures.
Skill in identifying and resolving problems.
Skill in developing comprehensive reports.
Ability to effectively lead in a changing environment.
Ability to plan, organize, and integrate priorities and deadlines.
Ability to create an atmosphere that encourages motivation, innovation, and high performance.
Ability to identify, analyze, and interpret complex data and, resolve operational problems.
Ability to evaluate and make recommendations for continuous quality improvement.
Ability to anticipate and react calmly in emergency situations.
Ability to communicate clearly and effectively orally and in writing.
to competently use Microsoft Office, including Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and appropriate practice management software.

Nice To Haves

MBA, MHA or Licensed clinician (LCSW, LPC-MHSP, LMFT, or similar strongly preferred)
Established community relationships within Tennessee
Experience with community mental health and safety-net populations
Familiarity with integrated care and population health models
Demonstrated progressive leadership trajectory

Responsibilities

Serve as a strategic partner to the CEO and executive team
Lead growth execution of the agency’s strategic plan across all service lines by Operationalizing New program launches, Site expansions, &Service line scaling
Ensure operational alignment with mission, values, and growth strategy
Provide oversight of organizational performance and accountability
Helps support alignment between: Clinical, Compliance, Finance, HR, & IT
Oversee operational effectiveness and consistency across all programs and locations
Drive continuous improvement through data-informed decision-making (PDCA, MDI, etc.) including data integrity and performance transparency
Develop and monitor KPIs tied to access, quality, engagement, and financial sustainability
Standardize workflows, staffing models, and service delivery
Identify and implement scalable operational efficiencies
Oversight of clinical operations performance in partnership with CMO/Clinical Leadership
Responsible for execution of strategic priorities through operational leadership
Partner with finance and value-based care teams to monitor performance
Drive initiatives to improve payor outcomes and total cost of care
Oversee performance improvement plans aligned with payor expectations
Utilize data analytics to inform service line and operational decisions
Accountability for: Operational budgets by service line, Staffing models tied to financial performance & Cost containment initiatives
Build and lead a high-performing leadership team
Ensure effective staff allocation and utilization across service lines
Develop scalable leadership structures to support growth
Foster a culture of accountability, engagement, and continuous improvement
Oversight of: Staff safety initiatives, Retention, burnout mitigation, Productivity vs. compliance balance
Maintain strong relationships with payors (Wellpoint, BlueCare, UHC, etc.) and community partners across Tennessee
Represent MHC in external meetings and initiatives in the CEO’s absence
Ensure services align with community needs and state priorities
Leverage relationships to support growth and partnerships
Partnership with Compliance/Risk to drive organization-wide risk reduction
Oversee quality assurance and performance improvement efforts
Maintain adherence to Corporate Compliance standards
Promote a culture of safety and regulatory excellence
Oversight of enterprise risk management framework
Oversight of Crisis Management, Emergency Preparedness, & business continuity planning
Drive staff and patient safety initiatives, including workplace violence prevention
Responsible for attending all mandatory in-services, continuing education and annual health requirements
Comply with all Corporate Compliance policies, practices and procedures. Report all unethical activities to supervisor, Corporate Compliance Office, Values Hotline number or Human Resource Director
Comply with all OSHA and safety policies, practices, and procedures. Report all unsafe practices or accidents to supervisor, Safety Supervisor and/or OSHA Coordinator
Will be compliant with the relevant regulations concerning the privacy and security of consumer’s protected health information (PHI) as established by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)
Participate in proactive team efforts to achieve departmental and company goals
Perform other duties as assigned