Senior Director of Behavioral Health Strategy and Integration

North Central Health Care • Town of Wausau, WI

7d • $154,419 - $168,147 • Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Director of Behavioral Health Strategy and Integration provides strategic leadership for North Central Health Care’s Behavioral Health Services across Marathon, Lincoln, and Langlade Counties. Aligns Acute Care Services, Outpatient Services, and Community Treatment to improve access, care coordination, outcomes, and financial sustainability. Leads Behavioral Health Services strategic planning in alignment with NCHC’s organization-wide strategic plan. This role advances coordinated, person-centered services by translating Behavioral Health Services priorities into measurable initiatives, strengthening partnerships, and supporting consistent leadership across programs.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration, public administration, human services, public health, or a closely related field.
• Seven years of progressively responsible leadership experience in behavioral health, healthcare, human services, public administration, long-term care, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience in strategic planning, implementing complex initiatives, performance improvement, and collaboration with governmental entities and community partners.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams or program leaders, establishing shared goals, and evaluating progress toward organizational priorities.
• Must possess a valid Wisconsin driver's license, maintain unrestricted driving privileges throughout employment and have use of a personal vehicle.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in healthcare administration, public administration, human services, public health, or a closely related field.
• Experience with budgets, sustainable service models, agreements, grants, or multi-county public-sector systems preferred.
• Experience integrating acute, outpatient, and community-based behavioral health services and improving referral processes or transitions of care.
• Experience supervising senior leaders, managing organizational change, and using service and financial data to evaluate results.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development, implementation, and evaluation of the Behavioral Health Services strategic plan and integrated service model.
• Establish shared priorities and accountability across Acute Care Services, Outpatient Services, and Community Treatment; provide strategic direction and coaching to the three reporting directors.
• Lead initiatives that improve access, referrals, care transitions, and coordination across the behavioral health continuum, including community-based alternatives and services for individuals with complex needs.
• Ensure strong external partnerships and effective collaboration with county partners, healthcare organizations, law enforcement, schools, and community providers to advance Behavioral Health Services priorities.
• Identify service gaps and resolve barriers across programs and partner organizations; elevate issues requiring executive decisions or additional resources.
• Work with operational leaders, Compliance and Quality, Information Services, and Finance to monitor performance, use data to guide improvement, and support technology and information-sharing needs.
• Partner with Finance and operational leaders on resource planning, sustainable service models, and assigned grant-funded initiatives.
• Report progress, outcomes, risks, and resource needs to the Executive Director and appropriate leadership and governing bodies; perform other duties consistent with the position’s scope.
• Translate approved strategic priorities into implementation plans with defined milestones, responsible leaders, resource needs, and measures of success; monitor progress and address barriers with the reporting directors.
• Facilitate regular leadership collaboration to align referral pathways, service expectations, and escalation processes; resolve competing priorities that affect access or continuity of care.
• Partner with reporting directors to evaluate proposed service changes, workforce needs, and capacity against community needs, anticipated outcomes, and available resources; recommend options to the Executive Director.
• Incorporate feedback from individuals served, families, staff, and community partners into planning and improvement initiatives; identify and address barriers to equitable access.
• Support consistent approaches to quality and risk management across programs by coordinating with operational directors and Compliance and Quality; ensure strategic initiatives account for applicable service requirements and patient safety.
• Occasional travel to other NCHC locations or community partners.
• Other related duties as assigned.
• Directly supervises the Directors of Acute Care Services, Outpatient Services, and Community Treatment for strategic alignment, integration, and shared performance accountability.
• Establish and communicate performance expectations and strategic goals for direct reports; review progress regularly and complete annual performance evaluations.
• Coach and mentor, support leadership development and succession planning, and encourage effective collaboration across their programs.
• Assign and evaluate strategic initiatives and shared responsibilities; address performance concerns and partner with Human Resources on employee matters as needed.
• Participate in recruitment, selection, onboarding, and retention of direct reports in accordance with NCHC policies and delegated authority.
• Facilitate regular meetings with direct reports to review priorities, performance, resource needs, and issues requiring executive action.

Benefits

• PTO
• paid holidays
• health insurance
• dental insurance
• vision insurance
• on-site bistro and cafeteria
• employee assistance program
• newly updated facility
• Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) participation with 100% employer match on employee contributions

What This Job Offers

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