Director of Behavioral Health Services

Within the Hotline department, the Director provides senior-level oversight of 24/7 crisis and 988 hotline operations, ensuring continuous coverage, high-quality clinical services, and compliance with accreditation, funding, and contractual requirements across all service modalities. This role leads the operational integrity of crisis response systems, protocols, partnerships, and reporting to ensure safe, effective, and trauma‑informed crisis services for the community.

The Director of Behavioral Health Services will oversee three key service areas:

Integrated Behavioral Health within Primary Care

• Partner with clinical leadership and medical providers to integrate behavioral health services into primary care workflows and services.
• Support implementation and sustainability of evidence-based models (e.g., brief interventions, population-based care).
• Provide on-call Primary Care Behavioral Health Consultant coverage for complex cases (approx. 0.1 FTE).
• Assist clinicians with complex patient management, including risk assessment, safety planning, and coordination with internal/external resources.
• Support and reinforce crisis response protocols; ensure staff are trained and prepared for behavioral health emergencies.

Mental Health Counseling Services

• Monitor and review clinical documentation for accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with organizational and legal standards.
• Support clinicians in addressing high-risk cases, including suicide risk assessment and safety planning.
• Review and analyze critical incidents (including suicide attempts and completions), present findings, and lead discussions to drive operational improvements and prevention strategies.

Crisis Hotline and 988 Services The Director will provide senior-level oversight of crisis hotline operations, including continuous 24/7/365 coverage, quality standards, trauma-informed crisis response, accreditation readiness, contractual expectations, and coordination with community and crisis response partners.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic and Operational Leadership

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for behavioral health services, ensuring alignment with organizational mission, values, goals, and service standards.
• Use data, KPIs, audits, dashboards, and operational trends to support decision-making and continuous improvement.
• Support responsible fiscal stewardship through budget oversight, staffing planning, resource allocation, and productivity management.
• Develop and evaluate departmental goals, workflows, and performance improvement efforts while addressing operational barriers that impact care, staff effectiveness, or service delivery.

People Leadership and Staff Development

• Lead, coach, develop, and support behavioral health leaders, clinicians, and program staff.
• Promote a culture of transparency, psychological safety, accountability, inclusion, ethical conduct, and continuous improvement.
• Respond to employee relations matters in partnership with HR and organizational leadership.
• Support staff engagement, performance feedback, professional development, succession planning, and change management efforts that strengthen team performance and leadership growth.

Clinical Quality, Compliance, and Risk

• Ensure behavioral health services are delivered safely, effectively, and in alignment with clinical standards, organizational policies, and regulatory requirements.
• Support compliance with applicable standards and requirements, including HIPAA, Oregon regulations, HRSA/FQHC expectations, contracts, accreditation standards, payer requirements, and organizational policies.
• Promote trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and equity-centered care across behavioral health programs.
• Partner with Quality, Compliance, Risk, and clinical leadership to address incidents, trends, documentation standards, corrective actions, and improvement opportunities.

What We Are Looking For

The ideal candidate is a licensed behavioral health leader who brings strong clinical judgment, operational discipline, and a people-centered leadership style. This person should be comfortable leading through complexity, supporting multidisciplinary teams, using data to guide decisions, and building systems that improve care quality, staff experience, and community impact.

A successful candidate will bring experience in behavioral health leadership, integrated care, clinical supervision, compliance, performance improvement, and cross-functional collaboration.

Required Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Social Work, Counseling, Psychology, or a closely related field.
• Active, unrestricted Oregon licensure, such as LCSW, LPC, LMFT, or Psychologist.
• Minimum of 5 years of clinical experience in behavioral health, including direct patient care.
• Minimum of 2 years of progressive leadership or supervisory experience in a healthcare or behavioral health setting.
• Experience supervising licensed clinicians and/or behavioral health consultants.
• Strong knowledge of integrated care models, including Primary Care Behavioral Health and/or Collaborative Care.
• Experience working in a multidisciplinary healthcare environment.
• Knowledge of federal and state regulations impacting behavioral health services, including HIPAA, 42 CFR Part 2, Oregon Administrative Rules, and HRSA/FQHC expectations.
• Experience using clinical, operational, quality, and EHR data to support documentation standards, program improvement, and performance outcomes.
• Strong leadership, communication, coaching, conflict resolution, and prioritization skills in a complex healthcare environment.
• Commitment to trauma-informed care, cultural humility, and health equity.
• Valid Oregon Driver’s License and proof of automobile insurance.
• Current BLS/CPR certification, if required by the organization.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in an FQHC, community health center, safety-net, or community-based healthcare setting.
• Experience leading integrated behavioral health programs, crisis services, 988/Lifeline operations, or behavioral health crisis response systems.
• Experience with grant-funded programs, contract compliance, regulatory reporting, budget oversight, staffing models, or resource planning.
• Familiarity with Oregon-specific behavioral health initiatives, payer requirements, value-based care models, or alternative payment methodologies.
• Experience with process improvement, staff training, coaching, professional development, public speaking, telehealth, or digital behavioral health tools.
• Bilingual or multilingual skills relevant to the communities served.

Please note: This posting is intended to provide a high-level overview of the role and is not the full, all-inclusive job description.

SUMMARY OF BENEFITS: Our Agency strives to provide a benefits program that is comprehensive and competitive within our industry.

• Healthcare insurance plans: Medical, Dental, Vision

• Group Life: Short-Term & Long-Term Disability 100% paid by employer

• 403(b) retirement plan with 2% of employer contribution and up to 3% employer match

• Flex Spending Account

• PTO - 10 hours a month for FT positions 40 hrs./wk. up to 20 hours monthly as your tenure grows

• 7½ Paid Holidays a year + 2 paid floating holidays for full-time positions

• Continuing Education & Training Benefits

• Employee Healthy Living Program – Gym Membership & Smoking Cessation

Why Join NWHS? 

At NWHS, your work matters! Join a mission-driven organization dedicated to improving the health and well-being of underserved and resilient communities. Be part of a compassionate, forward-thinking team that values collaboration, inclusion, and innovation in delivering exceptional services and community support.

TO APPLY:

To join our team please visit our website Employment (northwesthumanservices.org)

For more information, contact the HR/Recruiting Department at: HR@nwhumanservices.org | 503.588.5828

All candidates who receive a written offer of employment will be required to undergo a criminal records check.

Equal Opportunity Employer | We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.