Behavioral Health Director

Primary Health Care Inc

Des Moines (IA)

On-site

USD 120,000 - 180,000

Full time

4 days ago

Be an early applicant

Application generator

An application made for this job — a tailored resume and cover letter that speak straight to the posting.

Get past ATS filters

Benefits offered by this job

PTO

License reimbursement

CE reimbursement

401k with company match

Life Insurance

Disability Insurance

Flexible spending account

Health savings account

Job summary

Primary Health Care Inc. seeks a Behavioral Health Director to oversee BH care delivery across PHC clinics in Ames and Des Moines area. This full-time role includes supervising clinicians, ensuring quality and regulatory compliance, and integrating services across care teams.

The position allocates 16 hours per week for therapy, with the remainder overseeing operations. Ideal candidates will have a Master’s in a relevant field and Iowa licensure (LISW/LMSW, LMHC, or LMFT) plus 2+ years of

Qualifications

Must be licensed in Iowa (LISW/LMSW, LMHC, or LMFT).
Master's degree in social work, counseling, or related field.
Minimum 2 years in clinical behavioral health.
Experience with third‑party payers and regulations.
Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers.

Responsibilities

Leads the behavioral health team with direct supervision and coaching.
Monitors quality and outcomes, updates policies, ensures regulatory compliance.
Participates in budget planning and productivity targets.
Integrates behavioral health with primary care and supportive services.
Provides direct patient care coverage as needed.

Skills

Leadership

Management

Communication

Interpersonal skills

Collaboration

Problem solving

Detail oriented

Resilience

Bilingual Spanish

EHR proficiency

Education

Master's degree in Social Work or related field

Licensed clinical social worker / LMHC / LMFT / LISW / LMSW (Iowa)

Tools

EHR systems

Job description

If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability, contact this employer to ask for an accommodation or an alternative application process.

Behavioral Health Director

Full Time Ames, IA, US

About Company:

As a Behavioral Health Director at PHC, you will be responsible for the oversight and direction of PHC's behavioral health care delivery model, directly supervising the behavioral health team. The Director will establish standards for care delivery that are consistent and compliant with the organization's delivery models and grant requirements for behavioral health care.

This position will be responsible for behavioral health care services at PHC clinic(s) in the Des Moines area, Ames, & Marshalltown. This position is full-time with 16 hours per week spent providing therapy.

What You Will Do

Leads the behavioral health team. Provides direct supervision and oversight to the behavioral health clinicians and team. Mentors, coaches, evaluates and provides feedback to team members. Assists with recruiting, interviewing, and hiring for new BH team members. Ensures orientation and training of BH team members, oversees credentialing of BH clinicians.
Monitors behavioral health quality and outcomes in collaboration with the Quality and Operations departments. Develops and updates organizational policies and procedures for assigned areas, supporting implementation and ongoing compliance. Ensures department compliance with the ethics of the profession, as well as all applicable regulations and laws.
Facilitates process improvement work. Ensures behavioral health representation on committees when needed. Maintains current knowledge of trends in ambulatory/community health centers. Identifies and implements best practices in conjunction with internal and external resources.
Participates in the annual budget planning process. Collaborates with clinic leadership to establish behavioral health clinician and team productivity targets and ensures that the department’s budget expectations are achieved. Monitors staffing levels to respond to patient demand.
Integrates behavioral health, primary care, and supportive services in collaboration with internal partners.
Participates in strategic planning and leads assigned strategic initiatives. Oversees and applies for related grants and contracts.
Provides direct patient care coverage for the behavioral health team as needed, which may include but is not limited to brief targeted therapy, assessment, and behavioral interventions.

Qualifications You Need

Required Qualifications

Must be obtained within 90 days of employment:

Social Worker (LISW or LMSW), Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) or Marital and Family Therapist (LMFT) license recognized by the State of Iowa.
Master's degree in Social Work, Marital and Family Therapy, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, or related field accepted for required license.
A minimum of 2 years of experience in clinical behavioral health.
Experience with and working knowledge of third-party payers and associated regulations.
Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers.
Mandatory Reporter Training for Child Abuse and Dependent Adult Abuse recognized by the State of Iowa.

Required Skills

Excellent leadership skills with ability to inspire, guide and mentor others towards goal achievement while fostering collaboration and employee engagement.
Excellent management skills with ability to organize, prioritize, and consistently meet timelines.
Excellent interpersonal skills with ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with diverse groups and individuals.
Effective verbal and written communication skills and listening skills.
Excellent collaboration and team-oriented skills.
Outstanding problem-solving skills with analytical and critical thinking capability.
Detail oriented with a high degree of accuracy.
Flexible and adaptive with ability to manage stress and maintain resilience.
Strong professional skills with ability to interact with others calmly and empathically along with de-escalating difficult situations.
Basic computer proficiency, including use of email, word processing and spreadsheet applications, and electronic health records.

Preferred Qualifications and/or Skills

Experience in a supervisory role.
Experience in a clinic, community health center, or working with underserved populations.
Fluency in spoken English and Spanish, with the ability to communicate clearly and accurately in both languages.
Additional related certifications including: CADC, IADC, or tCADC.

We Take Care of Our People

Your related experience and skills determine your base pay within our pay range. In addition to base pay, PHC offers a comprehensive benefits package, including: