Director of Admissions

Valley Behavioral Health•Barling, AR

About The Position

Valley Behavioral Health System is a premier behavioral health provider serving the Fort Smith and River Valley community from its beautiful campus in Barling, Arkansas. Open 24/7, Valley offers comprehensive age‑specific treatment programs — including child/adolescent sub‑acute and inpatient care, adult inpatient stabilization, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient services — all designed to support individuals and families affected by mental health and co‑occurring disorders. Each patient receives a personalized treatment plan developed and delivered by a multidisciplinary team of board‑certified psychiatrists, therapists, social workers, and other behavioral health professionals focused on dignity, respect, and long-term recovery. We are seeking a dynamic Director of Admissions (Acute) to lead our Admissions Department by directing the intake process, driving revenue‑generating strategies, and ensuring exceptional service delivery in crisis triage, evaluation, intake, and admissions. The successful candidate will provide operational leadership, develop departmental policies and goals, supervise and train admissions staff, and serve as a clinical liaison with referral sources. This is an exciting opportunity to make a direct impact on patient access to critical behavioral health care within a respected regional treatment facility.

Requirements

Master’s Degree in Human Services Field or RN nursing license required.
Three plus years’ experience in healthcare-related admissions preferred.
Three years of work experience as a Director of Admissions in a Behavioral health facility preferred.
May require licensure by the state for this position.
CPR and de-escalation/restraint certification required (training available upon hire and offered by facility).
First aid may be required based on state or facility.

Responsibilities

Provide leadership to the Admissions Department and cultivate the function of the department as an integrated team.
Implement the strategic plan of the business development and marketing department as it pertains to admission to the facility and direct potential clients to treatment.
Provide leadership in addressing quality management issues related to crisis triage, evaluation, intake, and admission to the facility.
Assign/distribute scheduled evaluations, intakes, or admissions as dictated by request and hospital census.
Conduct quality assurance and quality improvement programs for all crisis triage, evaluation, intake, and admission services.
Perform follow-up communication functions and generate recommendations for organization leadership.
Develop and implement program policies and procedures that guide the provision of services.
Responsible for the hiring decisions for Admissions Department personnel, providing orientation, in-service, and continuing education programs for department staff and other internal positions responsible for crisis triage and/or evaluation services.
Serve as a clinical liaison with referral sources.
Work to improve efficiency and quality in delivering services within the department, responsible for developing and meeting departmental goals and objectives.
Ensure that the department is up to date on and compliant with new laws and regulations.
Recruit, train, and supervise staff.
Manage the finances of the department, and prepare and monitor budgets and spending to ensure the department operates within allocated funds.
Determine and implement admissions best practices, promote the hospital, and maintain a satisfied patient base.
Perform other functions and tasks as assigned.