DON - DIRECTOR OF NURSING

NOTE: this position is currently filled. However, it is the policy of Freedom Behavioral to continue to 
take applications so that we can ensure there is no disruption in patient care if a vacancy occurs.

Freedom Behavioral Lake Charles is a rapidly growing psychiatric hospital proudly dedicated to delivering compassionate, high-quality care to adult and geriatric patients. We’ve built a positive, team-driven culture where supporting our patients—and each other—is at the heart of everything we do. Since opening our first facility in Magnolia, Mississippi in 2015, we’ve experienced exciting growth and now operate 12 locations across Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi.

As we continue to expand, we are thrilled to grow our Lake Charles team in preparation for increasing our capacity to 46 beds—allowing us to serve even more members of our community with excellence and care.

Our employees are truly the heart of our success. Their passion, dedication, and compassion make a difference every single day, and we are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered. We proudly support our team with competitive pay, opportunities for advancement, ongoing training and development, and a strong commitment to maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

If you’re looking for more than just a job—if you’re looking for a purpose, a supportive team, and the opportunity to truly make a difference—then Freedom Behavioral Lake Charles is the place for you.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Director of Nursing (DON) at Freedom Behavioral Lake Charles is a dynamic leadership role responsible for driving excellence across all nursing operations and ensuring the delivery of safe, effective, and high-quality patient care. This position is instrumental in building and leading a strong, supportive nursing team while setting the standard for outstanding clinical outcomes.

In this role, the DON provides strategic direction and hands-on leadership to nursing staff through supervision, staffing, scheduling, and ongoing professional development—ensuring the team is empowered to deliver exceptional care. They oversee compliance with all regulatory and accreditation standards and collaborate closely with physicians, therapists, and leadership to implement individualized, patient-centered care plans for those with mental and behavioral health needs.

The DON also leads the development and implementation of policies and procedures, drives staff education and training initiatives, and manages performance to promote accountability, growth, and continuous improvement. They play a key role in fostering a safe, structured, and therapeutic environment where both patients and staff can thrive.

This position calls for strong, confident leadership, clinical expertise in behavioral health, and exceptional communication skills. The Director of Nursing is essential in inspiring team success, supporting staff development, and ensuring every patient receives the highest standard of care.

PREFERRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND/OR EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: 

Education: Registered Nurse for at least 5 years with a minimum of 3 years of clinical psychiatric/mental health nursing care past working experience minimum, with MSN oversight.  

License:  RN License through the Louisiana state board of nursing  

Experience: 3 years of management in mental health nursing 

BENEFITS:

• Challenging and rewarding work environment

• Excellent staff to patient ratio
• Competitive Compensation
• Medical, Dental, Vision, and Prescription Drug Plan
• Generous Paid Time Off
• 401(K) with company match

Freedom provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.  This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training. 

****All applicants selected for employment will be required to undergo a post-offer drug test and federal background investigation. ****