Behavior Health Director

State of Mississippi; Meridian (MS); On-site; USD 52,000 - 91,000; Full time

Job summary

State of Mississippi's East Mississippi State Hospital seeks a Behavioral Health Director to lead and coordinate inpatient behavioral health services. The role oversees therapeutic programming, supervises staff, and ensures documentation and performance tracking align with clinical standards.

The incumbent drives continuity of care, quality improvement, and compliance while coordinating with the Assistant Director of Psychiatric Services and other disciplines to support recovery-oriented patient

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and 4-7 years of related behavioral health leadership experience.
• Experience in behavioral health, psychology, counseling, therapeutic programming, clinical services, healthcare operations, program coordination, staff supervision.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership, coordination, and oversight for Behavioral Health Services at East Mississippi State Hospital.
• Coordinate therapeutic programming and supervise behavioral health staff.
• Monitor clinical documentation and support interdisciplinary treatment-team activities.
• Track service delivery and performance data; assist with quality improvement and approved program initiatives.
• Ensure services are delivered in a timely, organized, recovery-oriented, and clinically appropriate manner with proper staffing and coverage.

Skills

Leadership

Staff supervision

Communication

Organization

Regulatory compliance

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Behavior Health Director in 38 - LAUDERDALE COUNTY, MS | GovernmentJobs.com page has loaded.

State of Mississippi

$51,693.41 - $90,847.95 Annually

Location

38 - LAUDERDALE COUNTY, MS

Full-Time

Job Number

0372 - MH-EAST MS STATE HOSPITAL

Opening Date

10/26/2026

11/2/2026 at 11:59 PM Central Time (US & Canada)

Agency Minimum Salary

$51,693.41

$90,847.95

About the Agency

East Mississippi State Hospital is a state-operated healthcare facility under the Mississippi Department of Mental Health, providing comprehensive inpatient psychiatric, residential, substance use disorder, and long-term care services to individuals across the region. Through a multidisciplinary approach, EMSH serves a diverse population with an emphasis on safety, quality care, recovery-focused treatment, and person-centered support. In addition to its psychiatric services, EMSH operates specialized programs and nursing home services across multiple campuses, including Meridian, Newton, and Kemper, to meet a broad range of clinical and operational needs. EMSH is committed to delivering high-quality care while maintaining compliance with applicable state, federal, and accreditation standards.

The Behavioral Health Director provides leadership, coordination, and oversight for Behavioral Health Services at East Mississippi State Hospital under the direction of the Assistant Director of Psychiatric Services. The position is responsible for coordinating therapeutic programming, supervising assigned behavioral health staff, monitoring clinical documentation, supporting interdisciplinary treatment-team activities, tracking service-delivery and performance data, and assisting with quality improvement and approved program initiatives. The Director helps ensure that Behavioral Health Services are delivered in a timely, organized, recovery-oriented, and clinically appropriate manner consistent with hospital policies, regulatory requirements, and established clinical standards. The position also supports staff scheduling, workload distribution, survey readiness, documentation improvement, and ongoing evaluation of behavioral health services.

What you'll need to be Successful

To be successful in this position, the Behavioral Health Director must demonstrate strong leadership, organization, communication, and the ability to coordinate behavioral health services within an inpatient psychiatric setting. The Director should be able to supervise staff effectively, monitor documentation and service delivery, identify performance concerns, support quality improvement, coordinate treatment-team communication, and ensure appropriate staffing and service coverage. Success also requires sound judgment, professionalism, accountability, adaptability, and the ability to work collaboratively with the Assistant Director of Psychiatric Services and other disciplines to support recovery-oriented patient care.

Preferred Qualifications

Typically requires a Bachelor’s degree and 4-7 years of experience. Agency preferred qualifications:For this functional assignment, related experience should include behavioral health, psychology, counseling, therapeutic programming, clinical services, healthcare operations, program coordination, staff supervision, or another closely related area.

Address 210 East Capitol Street
Suite 800
Jackson, Mississippi, 39201