Director of Behavioral Health

OUTER CAPE HEALTH SERVICES INC•Harwich, MA

7d•$95,000 - $130,000•Onsite

About The Position

Outer Cape Health Services (OCHS) provides a full range of primary health care and supportive social services that promote the health and well-being of all who live in or visit the ten outermost towns of Cape Cod. With locations in Harwich Port, Wellfleet and Provincetown, OCHS cares for more than 20,000 patients annually, and no one is denied access to services due to an inability to pay. Founded in 1987 through the merger of Health Associates of Provincetown (established in 1972) and the AIM Medical Center in Wellfleet (established in 1966). As a Patient-Centered Medical Home, OCHS holds itself to the highest standards. Ensuring patients have access to care when they need it and request it and validating that staff are working at the top of their licensures are foundations of this model. Outer Cape Health Services, Inc. (OCHS) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and is governed by a Board of Directors representative of its community. All board members live on Cape Cod and the majority are OCHS patients. OCHS offers competitive benefit plans and is an inclusive and equal opportunity employer. Reporting to the Chief Medical Officer, the Director of Behavioral Health is responsible for the overall leadership, clinical governance, operational management, and strategic development of all on-site behavioral health services at OCHS. This role provides oversight of a population-based integrated care program development, the collaborative care program, traditional therapy services, and substance use disorder day treatment and recovery services. This role will ensure high-quality, accessible, compliant, and sustainable care across all OCHS sites. The Director serves as the senior clinical and operational authority for the Behavioral Health Department, supporting whole-person, patient-centered care consistent with the mission and values of OCHS. The Director will also be responsible for providing direct patient care with a focus on time-limited, empirically supported intervention and treatment in keeping with the integrated care services model.

Requirements

LICSW; Master’s degree or Doctorate in social work, psychology, or related behavioral health field.
Current license with no past or present suspensions and/or probations.
Experience leading behavioral health services in community health, integrated care, or primary care settings.
Minimum of three (3) years of supervisory or leadership experience.
Excellent interpersonal, communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
Proficiency with EHR systems (Epic preferred) and standard office technology (e.g. Microsoft Teams, SharePoint).
Ability to work effectively within a collaborative, interdisciplinary team environment.
Demonstrated ability to work in a culturally diverse and inclusive environment.
Ability to adhere to strict confidentiality standards.
Clinically grounded and systems-oriented.
Comfortable holding both strategic and operational responsibility.
Skilled in integrated care, population-based approaches, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Adept at leading teams through change with clarity, transparency, and empathy.
Motivated by mission-driven, community-based healthcare.

Nice To Haves

Experience in integrated care, primary care behavioral health, VA PCMHI, or FQHC/community health settings strongly preferred.
Strong communication, organizational, and change-management skills.

Responsibilities

Assume responsibility, in collaboration with executive and operations leadership, for the oversight, ongoing evaluation, expansion, and enhancement of behavioral health programs.
Report regularly to senior leadership on behavioral health activities, performance, access, quality, compliance, and risks.
Oversee day-to-day behavioral health operations across all clinical sites, including scheduling templates, access management, clinic flow, and coordination with site leadership and operations staff.
Establish, implement, and maintain clinical standards of care, policies, and procedures for all behavioral health, integrated care, and recovery services, consistent with organizational goals, evidence-based practice, and regulatory bodies.
Communicate organizational goals, priorities, and changes to behavioral health staff in a clear and timely manner.
Ensure compliance with all applicable federal, state, and payer requirements related to behavioral health and recovery services.
Provide assistance to the Manager of Recovery Services as needed for compliance with BSAS and SAMHSA standards, readiness for audits, and licensure processes.
Oversee development and spread of clinician manuals, clinical protocols, workflows, and documentation standards across behavioral health services.
Monitor for consistent and high quality EHR documentation practices, referral pathways, and communication practices.
Oversee billing, coding, and documentation alignment to support reimbursement and financial sustainability.
Develop and oversee quality assurance and continuous quality improvement initiatives across all behavioral health service areas.
Monitor clinical quality metrics, access measures, productivity, and patient experience indicators.
Assist in developing and revising organizational risk management protocols; review behavioral health-related events and potential liability concerns.
Represent OCHS behavioral health services in internal leadership meetings and external community partnerships, as appropriate.
Maintain familiarity with ethical and regulatory issues related to behavioral health and serve as a resource to staff, ensuring that any Behavioral Health Department services conducted at OCHS meets the highest standards of ethics and patient care.
Serve as the senior clinical authority for behavioral health, related ethics challenges, and risk management.
Ensure that behavioral health services are delivered in a manner that supports same-day access, warm handoffs, brief interventions, and coordinated care with primary care teams.
Lead implementation and ongoing management of integrated behavioral health models including Collaborative Care and efforts at expanding integrated care services.
Provide clinical content expertise and a population health perspective related to behavioral health interventions, outcomes, and service utilization.
Maintain on-site presence or visits to observe workflows, support staff, and address operational and clinical issues.
Co-lead behavioral health workflows with the Office-Based Addiction Treatment (OBAT) program, ensuring patients receiving Medication for Addiction Treatment (MAT) are actively engaged in recovery support and counseling.
Collaborate with medical and nursing leadership to refine team-based care pathways, ensuring regular communication and coordinated treatment planning between BH, PC, and OBAT.
In collaboration with Human Resources, establish and maintain an ongoing program to onboard, evaluate, and appraise behavioral health staff and clinicians.
Ensure that all behavioral health clinicians complete credentialing, privileging, and payer enrollment requirements prior to providing services.
Support opportunities for clinical education and professional development for behavioral health clinicians in larger group meetings.
Provide and/or arrange for clinical supervision of licensed and pre-licensed behavioral health clinicians, interns, and trainees, in accordance with Massachusetts regulations.
Collaborate with clinical leaders on integrated care and management of complex or high-risk patients.
Review behavioral health clinicians’ cases, treatment interventions, and documentation; oversee and facilitate peer review processes.
Ensure high-quality clinical care by reviewing concerns or complaints and recommending corrective actions as appropriate.
Lead and participate in quality improvement initiatives related to the Behavioral Health Department and operational barriers.
Maintain a limited clinical caseload to support access.
Promote staff well-being, psychological safety, and sustainable workloads in a seasonally impacted care environment.
Other related duties and projects as assigned.