Director of Behavioral Health Services

Job Description

Northwest Human Services is a non-profit leader in providing advocacy, quality healthcare and social services in Marion and Polk counties since 1970.  We are a mission focused organization providing compassionate and professional medical, dental, psychiatry, mental health, and wraparound services for those in our community who need it most - uninsured individuals, families, the homeless, and migrant workers.  Our organization embraces innovation, collaboration, and work-life harmony.

Director of Behavioral Health Services

Northwest Human Services is seeking a clinically grounded and operationally strong Director of Behavioral Health Services to provide strategic leadership for our Mental Health and Crisis Hotline programs.

Job Status: Full-Time | Exempt 
Location: 681 Center St. NE, Salem, Oregon 
Reports To: Clinic Director

Position overview:

This role leads high-quality, trauma-informed behavioral health services across an integrated care environment while providing senior-level oversight of 24/7 crisis and 988 hotline operations. The Director partners closely with clinical, operational, and executive leadership to strengthen program performance, support staff development, ensure regulatory and contractual compliance, and advance safe, patient-centered care for the community.

This is an opportunity for a behavioral health leader who can balance clinical quality, people leadership, operational execution, and strategic planning in a mission-driven community health setting.

What You Will Lead

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

Mental Health Services
The Director will support the delivery of integrated behavioral health services within a primary care environment, helping ensure clinical quality, effective workflows, strong documentation practices, staff support, and alignment with organizational goals.

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.

Integrated Behavioral Health Services

Partner with clinical leadership and medical providers to support the integration of behavioral health within primary care.

Support evidence-based behavioral health models, including brief intervention approaches and population-based care.

Provide consultation and support for complex patient cases, risk assessment, safety planning, and coordination with internal and external resources.

Support crisis response protocols and ensure staff are trained and prepared to respond to behavioral health emergencies.

Provide limited Primary Care Behavioral Health Consultant coverage, including support for complex cases, as needed, with an anticipated clinical coverage expectation of approximately .1 FTE.

Crisis Hotline and 988 Oversight

Provide senior-level oversight of Crisis Hotline and 988 operations to ensure continuous, safe, and effective service coverage.

Partner with Hotline leadership to support staffing readiness, service continuity, crisis response quality, accreditation readiness, contract compliance, training expectations, and operational recovery planning.

Ensure hotline practices reflect trauma-informed principles across phone, chat, text, and related crisis service modalities.

Oversee key hotline-related functions, including the public resource directory, emergency financial assistance program, and coordination with state, national, and community crisis response partners.

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: [email protected] | 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.