Director of Behavioral Services

Location: Ithaca, NY (Finger Lakes Region) | Schedule: Full-Time, On-site | Compensation: $120,000–$145,000 Overview A leading healthcare organization is seeking an experienced Director of Behavioral Services to provide clinical and administrative leadership for an inpatient behavioral health program. This leader will oversee treatment services, patient safety, regulatory compliance, staffing, financial management, performance improvement, and day-to-day departmental operations, collaborating closely with physicians, nurses, social workers, therapists, and other clinical professionals, while playing an active role within the organization's behavioral health and substance use disorder service line. What you'll do Provide overall direction, supervision, and evaluation of treatment services within the inpatient behavioral health unit Lead the clinical and administrative operations of the department Develop, implement, and evaluate departmental policies, procedures, and programs Ensure staff and providers understand and comply with departmental policies and procedures Develop and manage the departmental budget Identify opportunities for cost savings while maintaining high-quality patient care Identify opportunities for revenue enhancement Ensure appropriate and efficient staffing levels Provide administrative and clinical supervision to assigned staff Conduct performance evaluations and establish employee goals and objectives Monitor and evaluate patient-care outcomes Develop and implement strategies for continuous quality improvement Ensure compliance with accreditation and regulatory requirements Implement performance-improvement initiatives using data-driven analysis Partner with health-system departments regarding utilization review, corporate compliance, operations, and patient safety Collaborate with medical staff, nursing, social work, therapy, and other disciplines to ensure effective treatment programs Support the broader behavioral health and substance use disorder service line Promote a culture of safety, accountability, collaboration, and patient-centered care Required qualifications BSN or New York State LMSW Strong clinical and administrative leadership capabilities Experience working with individuals experiencing mental health conditions Ability to effectively manage clinical operations, staff, budgets, and resources Preferred qualifications Certification in psychiatry or another applicable behavioral-health field Five or more years of leadership experience in an acute mental health setting Master's degree, such as MSN, MBA, MHA, or another leadership-focused graduate degree Experience leading inpatient behavioral health programs Demonstrated success with quality improvement and regulatory compliance Compensation and benefits $120,000–$145,000 Excellent benefits package Why this role This is an excellent opportunity for an accomplished behavioral-health leader to assume responsibility for a significant inpatient service line and help shape the future of behavioral health and substance use disorder services within a growing healthcare organization. #J-18808-Ljbffr