Behavioral Health Division Director

A career with a purpose in the community you love! Salt Lake County invites you to explore our exciting career opportunities. We seek highly enthusiastic individuals to enrich our County with your experience and talent. If you enjoy working in a team environment that is committed to changing the lives of its community, please keep reading. What it’s like to work here: At Salt Lake County, our culture is woven into all aspects of our work and our employees’ lives, from the way we treat each other to the way we support the community. To promote and foster a fun and healthy work environment, we appreciate employees through great benefits, a healthy work-life balance, and room to grow and develop. Surround yourself with: Peers who are motivated to make a difference in the lives of those we serve. We serve Salt Lake County and envision a safe and beautiful place for all to live, work, and have fun. Salt Lake County is about connecting people and championing our community. Our community is more than a place; it's our heart and service that brings us together. We encourage work-life balance: Working for Salt Lake County is more than just a paycheck. A career with us includes several benefits and perks. We support our employees with 12 Holidays, up to 24 vacation days, 12 sick days, and one personal day every year. Some positions have a hybrid work environment, giving you the flexibility to manage working from home and being in the office. Additional Benefits Include: Retirement options for hybrid pension/401(k) or 401(k) only with 10% employee contribution Medical coverage, including a 100% County-paid premium option Dental and Vision coverage with coverage for adult designees Health Savings account with a County contribution of up to $1,200 per year, or a Flexible Spending Account 100% County-paid Long-Term Disability and employee-paid Short-Term Disability options Professional Development and professional membership fees paid Tuition Reimbursement Plus: Onsite medical clinic and gym; hospital insurance, auto insurance, and home insurance, and discounts at County facilities Salt Lake County is seeking a Director of the Division of Behavioral Health to lead innovative, collaborative efforts to address substance misuse and mental illness in Salt Lake County. This position will oversee a team of 25 and a budget of more than $150M, including approximately $100M in Medicaid funding; manage the relationship and contract with the Managed Care Organization; develop an outcomes reporting structure; engage state and local policymakers to improve behavioral health policy and funding; and participate in high-level partnerships to address the intersection of behavioral health, criminal justice and homelessness. This role requires a deep understanding of behavioral health treatment system models and funding strategies, strong organizational and people skills, attention to detail, ability to work in high-pressure and evolving circumstances, positive relationships with non-profit providers, and the ability to communicate effectively with state, county and municipal leaders as well as a broad spectrum of stakeholders. The County Council serves as the Behavioral Health Authority for Salt Lake County, approving policy and funding to support behavioral health efforts. The Behavioral Health Division sits within the Human Service Department under the Mayor’s portfolio. The Department includes Aging and Adult Services, Criminal Justice Services (pretrial and probation), Public Health, Youth Services, and contracts for Indigent Legal Services and USU Extension Services. This Director position reports to the Human Services Department Director. The Behavioral Health Division administers the legacy Medicaid benefit (the state oversees Medicaid expansion products), federal block grant, state and county funding. The Division contracts with a managed care organization to administer the Medicaid benefit. The provider network includes more than 100 providers across Salt Lake County to ensure network adequacy for all individuals qualifying for services. The Division also coordinates closely with the housing authority and local providers to expand supportive housing stock for people with mental illness and/or in recovery from substance misuse. The Behavioral Health Division serves a key leadership role in efforts to implement the 10-year Behavioral Health and Justice Action plan – a multi‑faceted effort to transform how our systems address behavioral health, criminal justice and homelessness. JOB SUMMARY Directs, plans, oversees, and evaluates all programs and services for the division, including short‑and long‑range strategic planning, talent management, fiscal accountability, quality management, and process improvement. Develops, recommends, and implements strategic organizational policies and procedures. Manages, directs, and coordinates activities through managers and supervisors. ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS Provides leadership in short‑and long‑range planning to accomplish operational planning and development goals and objectives for an effective managed care system of service delivery. Oversees policies, contracts, and quality assurance protocols, including peer review, ensuring subcontracted providers are prepared for competitive service delivery. Manages, directs, and coordinates activities through managers and supervisors, including hiring, firing, promoting, orienting, training, assigning, and reviewing work performance, annual work performance appraisals, and discipline. Manages annual division budget development, presentation, and management. Provides leadership for the administration of Medicaid, federal block grant, and state funding. Oversees development of the Behavioral Health Area Plan for submittal to the state. Develops, recommends, and implements policies and procedures necessary for the effective management and operation of the division. Provides ongoing oversight of the electronic health information system, a program evaluation system, and data management reports to guide quality assurance efforts. Oversees the ongoing implementation of an outcome‑based research and evaluation system for client treatment services. Establishes effective working relationships with other local and state human service agencies, community members and individuals with lived experience, law enforcement and justice agencies, housing providers, and federal agencies to ensure coordinated service delivery systems that meet the needs of communities. Interacts with elected officials and other policymakers at the state and county levels to influence policy to improve services and service access for people with substance misuse and mental health conditions. Participates in organizations and boards working to support people with behavioral health conditions to develop policies and funding mechanisms for services. Advises management of industry trends and legislative changes affecting programs. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES (KSA) Knowledge of: Medicaid finance and policy Managed care (risk‑based contracts) systems Federal, state, and local laws pertaining to substance misuse and mental health treatment, including those covering funding and data privacy Behavioral Health Local Authority structure and requirements Budgetary processes and financial management techniques Behavioral health treatment principles and techniques Community‑based providers and other organizations, public relations, and media relations Research and program evaluation, theory, and practice Methods and techniques of administration, management, and supervision Advisory board development and oversight; parliamentary procedures Contracts and grants management Management of information systems and techniques for data analysis Skills and Abilities to: Negotiate Medicaid programs and rates Communicate effectively both verbally and in writing with clients, staff, other agencies, the public, policy makers and funders Engage community members and those with lived experience to determine system needs Organize and establish priorities; coordinate and direct programs Respond professionally and calmly in crisis situations Act independently Supervise and direct a complex, multi‑faceted program Relate positively with various community agencies, providers, and systems Conceptualize and problem‑solve complex issues Develop, interpret, and administer policies and procedures Compensation: $130,000.00 - $170,000.00 Depending on experience MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in Social Work, Psychology, Public Administration, Business or other closely related field, plus eight (8) years of related progressively more responsible experience, four (4) years of which must have been in a leadership or managerial capacity; OR an equivalent combination of education and experience. Education may not be substituted for the required supervisory experience. A Master’s degree in a related field of study or a Clinical Social Worker license issued by the State of Utah is preferred. Due to the nature of this position, the successful applicant must pass a required background check through fingerprinting and enrollment in the continuous RAP Back (Record of Arrest and Prosecution Back) program in accordance with current County Human Resources policy requirements. #J-18808-Ljbffr Capacity Path