Job Details

Behavioral Health Director-Arcata-Closes 11/3/2025

SUMMARY:

Oversee all services and activities in the Behavioral Health Section of United Indian Health Services, including mental health, substance abuse programs, psychiatric treatment, and Traditional healing. Provides strategic leadership to and administrative responsibility for Behavioral Health Services. Responsible for the general management of all operational aspects of Behavioral Health care; ensures integration of services and compliance with long range strategic objectives, including provisions of quality excellence and responsible fiscal management. Responsible for selection, hiring, and training of employees; ensuring the planning, assigning, and direction of work; appraising performance and conducting staff evaluations; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems. This position is primarily administrative but will include approximately one in five days of clinical duties including chart review and overseeing students, interns, and associates.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Responsible for overall managerial duties with planning, organizing, directing, and evaluating Behavioral Health services at UIHS. Evaluates programmatic problems/concerns relative to Behavioral Health services at all sites, solves/resolves current problems and coordinates work efforts with Managers/Directors from all UIHS services/divisions.
• Assign caseloads and other duties, and coordinate activities of staff in providing counseling services to assist clients. Develops and implements plans for the improvement of present programs and services to meet the changing needs of the client population; participates in decisions which affect the ability of the organization to provide adequate client care.
• Works collectively with UIHS's Quality Improvement staff to assure ongoing quality within Behavioral Health.
• Responsible for grant related aspects of the Behavioral Health program including identifying, seeking funding and grant development, budget preparation, project management, and report submissions as well as collaboration with other UIHS sections and grant affiliates.
• Accountable for the financial aspects of Behavioral Health services such as planning, forecasting, developing, and managing the annual budget. Analyzes and manages financial outcomes; understands the payer environment, billing and fee scale requirements of the facility. Estimates and justifies resources needed to accomplish plans and goals of Behavioral Health services. Monitors and controls resource utilization and expenditures to ensure adherence to operating budget.
• Ensures that all organization activities and operations are carried out in compliance with UIHS policies/procedures, UIHS Clinical Staff Bylaws and AAAHC guidelines, as well as tribal, state, and federal regulations/ laws governing business operations.
• Oversees the preparation, analysis and distribution of Behavioral Health reports and correspondence; directs the electronic establishment, organization, and retention of various types of Behavioral Health records and files, including client files.
• Participates as an active member of Clinical Executive Committee, Quality Improvement Committee, and Compliance Committee, as well as other meetings as assigned.
• Provide individual and group clinical supervision in accordance with established standards and guidelines to licensed and unlicensed Behavioral Health Staff in various environments and modalities. The emphasis of the Behavioral Health services is multi-faceted and includes meeting of clinical benchmarks for quality care and productivity, ensuring proper care is being provided. Duties may include establishing of clinical practice policy, case conferencing, creating, and reviewing treatment plans as needed. The position requires direct service to patients and clients, as well as the ability to respond to clinical crisis situations.
• Collaborates with other departments and community agencies as a vital component of coordinated and integrated care.
• Promotes and sustains organizational and systemic cultural competence, diversity and inclusion via ongoing cultural competence education and training, promoting stakeholder participation and partnerships on advisory groups, workgroups, and program planning committees; and developing community relations and partnerships.
• Assist behavioral health staff through individual and group supervision and/or case meetings in analyzing clinical issues and improving treatment skills.
• Review case records, evaluates performance of staff members, and recommends indicated action.
• Develop and implement section policy and procedures.
• Carry a small caseload to counsel clients individually or in groups; provide crisis counseling as needed.
• Ensure the training of new employees in all required areas, including agency and section policy and procedure, safety protocol, and electronic health record use.
• Provide in service training for staff on pertinent clinical topics including, confidentiality, mandated reporting, dual relationship, therapeutic approaches.
• Promote and support staff development activities.
• Attend section, department and other meetings as assigned.
• Work collaboratively with staff and managers in other UIHS sections to facilitate high-quality care.
• Maintain a professional, organized, clean working environment by following organizational policies, guidelines, and safety standards.
• Assist in development of UIHS policy, procedures, and quality improvement activities within the clinic as directed.
• Must be willing to learn more about the American Indian culture and attend at least one Cultural Presentation/Training per year.
• Must be willing to work with American Indian/Alaska Native people and demonstrate cultural awareness and humility
• Must be willing to deliver services in a culturally responsive manner.
• Adheres to accreditation and compliance standards/guideline
• Other duties may be assigned.

SUPERVISORYRESPONSIBILITIES: Exercises full administrative responsibility for the planning, development, organization, integration, and evaluation of Behavioral Health services as outlined in the organizational chart.

• Conducts meetings and conferences with staff to explain work requirements, methods, and procedures; gives special instruction on difficult or unusual assignments, and answers technical questions about work assignments.
• Interviews, hires, orients, and trains direct reports; plans, assigns and directs work.
• Exercises approval or disapproval authority of all personnel actions requested by section managers/supervisors.
• Approves, modifies, or rejects formal requests for promotions, reassignments, status changes, awards, training requests, etc.
• Prepares formal evaluation of direct reports and reviews evaluations prepared by them.
• Assesses and plans for educational and training needs of self and Behavioral Health services staff. Institutes orientation systems for each position and makes provisions for in-service education and training.
• Addresses client and employee complaints as well incidents and resolves identified issues.
• Responsible for ensuring a safe and healthy work environment. Works through direct reports to ensure a safe working environment in Behavioral Health services in accordance with OSHA and CDC standards for client/employee safety.

QUALIFICATIONS: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. All individuals must demonstrate a commitment to the provision of culturally sensitive counseling services to American Indians.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE: Educational degrees must be from a US Department of Education accredited school

• Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist or Clinical Psychologist with five (5) years or more of clinical experience.
• Must have two (2) years' experience in clinical supervision and program management.
• Must meet the Board of Behavioral Sciences requirements to provide clinical supervision to Interns, Associates, Trainees and Students.

COMPUTER OPERATIONS:

• Proficient personal computer skills including electronic mail, record keeping, routine database activity, word processing, spreadsheet, graphics, etc.
• Must be able to learn an Electronic Health Records (EHR) system.
• Experience with electronic health records (EHR) preferred.