Behavioral Health Director

Behavioral Health Director 

Full-Time / Exempt 

Center for Learning and Innovation

 
We’re committed to compassionate care for all. Our patients. Our employees. You.

At La Clinica, we love our patients and enthusiastically treat them with the same care, respect, and dignity that we would our friends, family, and neighbors because that's who they are. If this appeals to you, La Clinica might be the right place to build your career. We’re looking for the right team members to treat our patients with this level of care.

We extend our commitment to compassionate care to our employees as well. We invest in our employees' lives through competitive pay, comprehensive benefits packages, easy access to wellness, personal and professional development workshops, and a focus on healthy work-life harmony. Check out our careers page to learn more about why our employees love working at La Clinica.

The Behavioral Health Director provides leadership and oversight for behavioral health services across La Clinica, including integrated services within primary care and dental settings and specialty pediatric behavioral health services co-located with medical services in schools. This role is responsible for the operational, financial, and clinical performance of the department to ensure high-quality, patient-centered care is delivered efficiently and effectively, advancing La Clinica’s mission to improve the health and well-being of the communities we serve. In partnership with the Behavioral Health Officer, this role helps develop and implement strategic goals for the department. 

We are looking for someone who brings both initiative and heart to their work and is deeply committed to expanding access to compassionate, equitable health care. The ideal candidate is a strong clinical and operational leader who can guide and shape programming across multiple behavioral health care models, with a clear understanding of the broader behavioral health system and La Clinica’s role within the continuum of care. In partnership with the behavioral health leadership team, this role is accountable for advancing behavioral health integration across disciplines, driving continuous program improvement, overseeing financial performance, and achieving clinical and operational goals in service of better outcomes for those we serve.

This leader thrives in complexity, approaching challenges with curiosity and a commitment to learning. They are motivated by the opportunity to strengthen systems of care and ensure services are accessible, responsive, and grounded in the needs of the community. They communicate with clarity and empathy, building trust and collaborating effectively with team members, organizational leaders, and community partners to make a meaningful and lasting impact.

Accountabilities Include: 

Operational Effectiveness, Performance Accountability, and Improvement:

• Design criteria and timelines for actionable use of data and reports to identify, analyze, and rectify operational issues across behavioral health services.

• Develop and achieve annual targets as outlined in the Behavioral Health Operations Improvement Plan, focusing on areas such as:

• Timely access to care

• Growth in services, patient metrics, and health outcomes

• Standardized workflows to optimize clinic efficiencies and patient flow

• Workforce development, including recruitment and retention plans

• Financial performance, including execution of value-based pay contracts

• Internal and external communication systems to promote engagement and service awareness

• Integration of services across medical, dental, pharmacy, and the Learning Well.

• Leadership development and support

• Collaborate with operational leaders to set departmental budget targets, supporting growth goals while ensuring fiscal accountability.

• Hold departmental leaders accountable for performance, ensuring regular reporting on successes and challenges that may affect organizational operations.

• Ensure financial performance by managing operational costs and optimizing revenue through reduced redundancies and waste.

Strategic Leadership and Collaboration: 

• Work closely with the Behavioral Health Officer (BHO) and leadership team to set strategic goals and long-term initiatives.

• Lead change management initiatives to foster clinical and operational improvements, ensuring alignment with the organization’s standards and accountability principles.

• Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) and data tracking systems to monitor critical operational and clinical metrics, including health outcomes, service utilization, patient engagement, and financial indicators.

• Use data-driven problem-solving to identify areas of improvement in clinical quality and operational efficiency, including assessing risks, variations across sites, and models of care.

• Develop and implement policies and procedures for behavioral health services across various sites and care models, ensuring that clinical and operational practices align with organizational goals.

• Explore, inform and monitor value-based pay agreements for all behavioral health services

• Collaborate with finance, development, and operational leadership to meet financial goals, manage team-based financials, and achieve behavioral health grant deliverables.

• Promote a culture of accountable communication by modeling and ensuring the consistent application of communication principles and team agreements.

Education and/or Experience:

Required:

• At least  5 years experience in behavioral health leadership, including at least 3 years in behavioral health operations management.
• Minimum: Bachelor's or equivalent degree in behavioral health, healthcare administration, or a related human services field.
• Proven expertise in behavioral health systems of care, with a deep understanding of the integration of behavioral health services with medical and other health disciplines.
• Strong interpersonal communication and problem-solving skills, capable of handling difficult interactions and promoting positive outcomes. Strong leadership and management skills with the ability to inspire and direct teams.
• Experience using electronic health records (EHR) to streamline operations, maximize billing, and improve clinical workflows.
• Knowledge of change management, particularly in healthcare settings, and ability to drive continuous improvements.
• Proficiency in using data-driven strategies to enhance operational performance, financial results, and patient outcomes.

Preferred:

• Master’s degree in related human services field.
• Licensed mental health provider (e.g., LCSW, LMFT) with an Oregon clinical board.
• Ability to provide ongoing clinical supervision to unlicensed behavioral health clinicians.
• Experience in training, education, and application of adult learning models.

Benefits Include the Potential for the Following: 

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance 
• Voluntary Accident, Short Term Disability, and Critical Illness Insurance 
• 403(b) Retirement Savings Plan with Available Company Match 
• Licensure Renewal Fees 
• Organization Paid Standard Life Insurance 
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) and Health Savings Account (HSA)] 
• HRSA Loan Repayment Options (SUD, NHSC, NURSE Corps) and the Oregon Healthcare Provider Incentive Program 
• Wellness Programs Such as Cooking, Zumba, Yoga, and Gardening 
• Personal and Professional Development Seminars 

Equity Statement:

At La Clinica, we commit to engage everyone in a welcoming, respectful, and loving way and to maintain the dignity and value of all people above everything else. These standards align with our organization’s vision of absolute excellence, open-hearted community, and well-being for all.

For more information, please visit our website at: https://laclinicahealth.org/patients/approach/ 

Applications will be reviewed by the appropriate Department for interview; those selected must be able to provide proof of legal right to work in this country. La Clinica is a drug free work environment. Equal Opportunity Employer. La Clinica complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you consider yourself disabled and desire assistance in the application process, please contact the Human Resources Department.