PROJECT MANAGER - BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

Freeman Health System • Joplin, MO

2d

About The Position

The Behavioral Health Project Manager supports Freeman Health System and Ozark Center behavioral health initiatives by serving as an embedded project management, integration, and execution resource across multiple behavioral health transformation and performance improvement efforts. This role operates as part of enterprise implementation teams spanning both Freeman and Ozark Center, integrating behavioral health leadership, clinical operations, access, quality, and performance improvement activities with broader organizational transformation initiatives. The position works alongside external consultants and internal stakeholders while remaining accountable to system leadership for execution readiness, adoption, and sustained behavioral health performance improvement.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Administration, Behavioral Health, Social Work, Nursing, Business, or related field.
• 7+ years of experience in behavioral health operations, healthcare transformation, performance improvement, or project management.
• Experience supporting enterprise behavioral health initiatives, community-based services, or integrated care models.
• Strong understanding of inpatient and outpatient behavioral health operations, access models, and regulatory considerations.
• Proven ability to operate effectively in matrixed, multidisciplinary healthcare environments.

Responsibilities

• Serve as an embedded project management resource across multiple behavioral health initiatives supporting Freeman and Ozark Center.
• Support implementation teams for enterprise initiatives, acquisitions, service expansions, and operational changes impacting inpatient, outpatient, and community-based behavioral health services.
• Translate clinical, operational, and access recommendations into executable implementation plans, timelines, and milestones.
• Validate assumptions and recommendations using behavioral health data, regulatory requirements, and operational realities.
• Ensure initiatives align with behavioral health clinical standards, access goals, quality outcomes, and enterprise strategy.
• Support future-state behavioral health workflows, care models, staffing approaches, and service delivery redesign.
• Partner with Behavioral Health leadership, Ozark Center leadership, Clinical Operations, Quality, IT, Access, and Performance Improvement teams to support implementation readiness.
• Identify implementation risks, regulatory considerations, workforce impacts, and cross-entity dependencies; support mitigation planning.
• Support go-live planning, operational transitions, and early stabilization following implementations.
• Track baseline performance, improvement targets, and initiative-level KPIs related to access, throughput, quality, safety, utilization, and patient experience.
• Maintain dashboards, workplans, and executive reporting for behavioral health initiatives.
• Act as a coordination point between Freeman, Ozark Center, consulting partners, and operational teams.
• Prepare executive and governance updates, decision-support materials, and implementation status reporting.

Benefits

• Health, vision, dental insurance
• Retirement with employer match
• Wellness program with discounts to Health Insurance or Cash Bonus with Participation
• Milestone payments with longevity of employment
• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Extended Sick pay
• Learning Center designated only for Freeman Family members
• Payroll deduction at different locations such as The Daily Grind, Freeman Gift Shop, Cafeteria, etc.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager