Director, Behavioral Health

Memorial Health•Springfield, IL

About The Position

The Director of Behavioral Health provides operational and clinical leadership for Memorial Behavioral Health (MBH) clinical service teams. Reporting to the Senior Director, this role leads the coordination of access to and delivery of behavioral health services across the system, ensuring high-quality, client-centered care. This position is responsible for the strategic and operational oversight of core behavioral health service lines throughout Memorial Behavioral Health and the communities it serves. The Director works to align services with organizational goals, regulatory requirements, and community needs while driving continuous improvement in care delivery. In addition, the Director is accountable for building and sustaining strong professional relationships with behavioral health providers, community partners, affiliated hospitals, and relevant state agencies, including DHS divisions. This role serves as a key liaison to strengthen collaboration, enhance service integration, and expand access to care across the region.

Requirements

Graduate clinical degree in a behavioral health care or behavioral medicine field, counseling, psychology or social work required.
Licensure as a LCPC, LCSW, or equivalent is required.
Minimum of 5 years relevant health care management experience.
Demonstrated experience working effectively with state agencies, behavioral healthcare providers, managed care entities, and the community.
Understands professional and regulatory standards for behavioral health inpatient/PHP/outpatient programs
Understands managed care environment
Stay abreast of trends in the funding and delivery of behavioral health services in Illinois, identify changing community needs and design/modify the organization’s programs to meet needs within the funding realities.
Maintain up-to-date knowledge of developing theory, practice and research in the field of behavioral health crisis care and management of the crisis continuum of care.
Being able to effectively work as part of a team work.
Aptitude to work in a changing and ambiguous environment.
Outstanding human relations skills and ability to interact with a broad range of people.
Outstanding oral and written communication skills.
Experience in market analysis, strategic planning and budgeting.

Responsibilities

Provides leadership across MH and MBH to build and maintain an integrated behavioral health system of care.
Provides strategic and operational leadership to identify, design, coordinate and implement clinical initiatives to improve the continuum of comprehensive behavioral healthcare services in regional communities.
Develops and maintains an accessible, efficient, effective, and accountable behavioral healthcare service delivery system.
Implements business plans to support the clinical integration of behavioral health services.
Assists in development of MBH fee-for-value strategy.
Facilitates the implementation of a behavioral health EMR consistent with the MHS strategic plan.
Participates in development of annual goals and objectives consistent with the MHS strategic plan.
Maintains communication and cooperation with MHS leaders and members of the medical staff to coordinate behavioral health needs within MHS.
Provides operational leadership for the MBH service lines.
Develops and builds a cohesive clinical behavioral health treatment team.
Works as part of an interdisciplinary team, internally within MH, MBH, and all of the community organizations and community teams to develop and improve the behavioral health system of care.
Supervises direct reports.
Assures that all scheduling, time and attendance, performance appraisals and other documentation are completed as required.
Follows all the best practices for the ideal behavorial health system.
Develops and implements a long-term behavioral health residential strategy.
Ensures all service lines adhere to the MBH Quality Improvement System, including outcomes-based Key Performance Indicators.
Ensures that clinical service lines and facilities are in compliance with all external regulatory agency standards, as well as managed care payer requirements and appropriate accreditation entities.
Plans, prepares and assumes primary accountability for annual clinical service lines operating and capital budgets.
Facilitates the continual identification and evaluation of quality improvement opportunities and integrated, clinical approaches to identify potential solutions and adopt “best practices.”
Facilitates the development and implementation of detailed care plans focused on client treatment improvement.
Assists in developing working relationships with MHS managers and administration regarding strategic issues associated with system-wide access to behavioral health services.
Fosters and maintains relationships that support the mission and vision of MBH.
Coordinates and participates in regional outreach initiatives and professionally related conferences, committees, and other activities inside and outside MHS.
Represents MH/MBH at community events/activities that support the mission/vision of Memorial.
Serves as representative for CBHA, and DMH/HFS, as requested.
Maintains collaborative working relationships with community partners, such as SIU, LE, other health and social service providers, marginalized community groups, etc.