Chief Operating Officer | Massachusetts & Illinois

Atlantic Health Strategies; Hoffman Estates (IL); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Hybrid work

Growth opportunity

Ownership partnership

Job summary

Forrest Behavioral Health is seeking a hands-on Chief Operating Officer to lead the operational performance and continued growth across Massachusetts and Illinois, with potential involvement in Rhode Island.

This role is not about rebuilding; it focuses on strengthening the existing operating model, identifying inefficiencies, and scaling the model as the organization grows. Expect travel approximately one week per month and close collaboration with ownership and facility Directors.

Qualifications

• Direct professional experience within substance use disorder and/or mental health treatment operations.
• Leadership experience within behavioral healthcare at senior level.
• Willingness to travel approximately one week per month and maintain a home base in MA or IL.

Responsibilities

• Oversee operations and performance across multiple behavioral health treatment locations.
• Partner with facility Directors to identify operational shortcomings and opportunities for improvement.
• Hold facility leadership accountable to organizational expectations, deliverables, performance standards, and deadlines.
• Support licensing, accreditation, regulatory compliance, and facility readiness initiatives.
• Help implement new programs, operational systems, processes, and locations.
• Support recruiting and hiring for key leadership positions and frontline roles.
• Monitor operational performance and strengthen facility-level execution.
• Serve as an operational resource to ownership and carry initiatives through to completion.
• Collaborate across admissions, clinical operations, staffing, utilization review, census, retention, and other functions.

Job description

About the Organization

Forrest Behavioral Health is a growing behavioral health treatment organization serving individuals with substance use disorders, mental health conditions, and co-occurring diagnoses. The organization operates with a strong focus on delivering high-quality treatment while building environments where both patients and employees feel supported.

As the organization continues to grow across multiple states and locations, leadership is focused on strengthening an operating model that is already working well, identifying opportunities for improvement, and ensuring consistent execution across facilities.

The Opportunity

We are seeking a hands‑on Chief Operating Officer to help lead the operational performance and continued growth of Forrest Behavioral Health across Massachusetts and Illinois, with potential involvement in Rhode Island.

This is not a role focused on rebuilding an underperforming organization. The facilities are established and generally operate near target capacity. The opportunity is to understand an existing operating model, identify weaknesses and inefficiencies, strengthen execution, and help leadership scale that model successfully as the organization grows.

The COO will partner closely with ownership and facility Directors while maintaining the independence and accountability necessary to move initiatives forward. Approximately one week of travel per month is expected, depending on operational needs.

Who Thrives Here

The strongest fit is a behavioral health operator who is ambitious, adaptable, accountable, and comfortable getting directly involved when necessary.

You may currently be a COO, VP of Operations, Regional Director, Executive Director, or similar leader who has spent several meaningful years within substance use disorder or mental health treatment and is ready to take on broader responsibility.

This role does not require decades of executive experience. It does require someone who understands how behavioral health facilities actually operate and can move comfortably between strategic leadership and practical problem‑solving.

You should be able to walk into a facility, recognize where something is not working, collaborate with the appropriate leaders to develop a solution, and stay involved long enough to ensure that solution is executed.

What You'll Do

• Oversee operations and performance across multiple behavioral health treatment locations


• Partner with facility Directors to identify operational shortcomings, inefficiencies, and opportunities for improvement


• Hold facility leadership accountable to organizational expectations, deliverables, performance standards, and deadlines


• Support state licensing, accreditation, regulatory compliance, and facility readiness initiatives


• Help implement new programs, operational systems, processes, and locations


• Support recruiting and hiring for key leadership positions and frontline roles when necessary


• Monitor operational performance and help leadership strengthen facility-level execution


• Serve as an operational resource to ownership while independently carrying initiatives through completion


• Work across admissions, clinical operations, staffing, utilization review, census, retention, and other functions that influence facility performance


• Travel between Massachusetts and Illinois facilities as operational needs require, with potential involvement in Rhode Island


• Help establish measurable performance goals and a bonus structure tied to facility and organizational success

Chief Operating Officer | Massachusetts & Illinois

About the Organization

Forrest Behavioral Health is a growing behavioral health treatment organization serving individuals with substance use disorders, mental health conditions, and co-occurring diagnoses. The organization operates with a strong focus on delivering high-quality treatment while building environments where both patients and employees feel supported.

As the organization continues to grow across multiple states and locations, leadership is focused on strengthening an operating model that is already working well, identifying opportunities for improvement, and ensuring consistent execution across facilities.

The Opportunity

We are seeking a hands‑on Chief Operating Officer to help lead the operational performance and continued growth of Forrest Behavioral Health across Massachusetts and Illinois, with potential involvement in Rhode Island.

This is not a role focused on rebuilding an underperforming organization. The facilities are established and generally operate near target capacity. The opportunity is to understand an existing operating model, identify weaknesses and inefficiencies, strengthen execution, and help leadership scale that model successfully as the organization grows.

The COO will partner closely with ownership and facility Directors while maintaining the independence and accountability necessary to move initiatives forward. Approximately one week of travel per month is expected, depending on operational needs.

Who Thrives Here

The strongest fit is a behavioral health operator who is ambitious, adaptable, accountable, and comfortable getting directly involved when necessary.

You may currently be a COO, VP of Operations, Regional Director, Executive Director, or similar leader who has spent several meaningful years within substance use disorder or mental health treatment and is ready to take on broader responsibility.

This role does not require decades of executive experience. It does require someone who understands how behavioral health facilities actually operate and can move comfortably between strategic leadership and practical problem‑solving.

You should be able to walk into a facility, recognize where something is not working, collaborate with the appropriate leaders to develop a solution, and stay involved long enough to ensure that solution is executed.

What You'll Do

• Oversee operations and performance across multiple behavioral health treatment locations


• Partner with facility Directors to identify operational shortcomings, inefficiencies, and opportunities for improvement


• Hold facility leadership accountable to organizational expectations, deliverables, performance standards, and deadlines


• Support state licensing, accreditation, regulatory compliance, and facility readiness initiatives


• Help implement new programs, operational systems, processes, and locations


• Support recruiting and hiring for key leadership positions and frontline roles when necessary


• Monitor operational performance and help leadership strengthen facility-level execution


• Serve as an operational resource to ownership while independently carrying initiatives through completion


• Work across admissions, clinical operations, staffing, utilization review, census, retention, and other functions that influence facility performance


• Travel between Massachusetts and Illinois facilities as operational needs require, with potential involvement in Rhode Island


• Help establish measurable performance goals and a bonus structure tied to facility and organizational success

Requirements

• Direct professional experience within substance use disorder and/or mental health treatment operations


• Leadership experience within behavioral healthcare, such as COO, VP of Operations, Regional Director, Executive Director, Director of Operations, or a comparable multi‑site or senior operational role


• Working knowledge of behavioral health treatment operations and levels of care such as PHP, IOP, OP, residential, detox, or similar programs


• Experience supporting or overseeing operational areas such as staffing, admissions, utilization review, insurance authorization, census management, patient retention, clinical operations, licensing, accreditation, or regulatory compliance


• Demonstrated ability to identify operational problems, develop practical solutions, and drive those solutions through implementation


• Experience holding facility or department leaders accountable for expectations, deliverables, and deadlines


• Ability and willingness to travel approximately one week per month, with flexibility to travel more or less depending on operational needs


• Ability to maintain a home base in Massachusetts or Illinois


• Strong communication, leadership, problem‑solving, and organizational skills

Preferred

• Multi‑site behavioral health leadership experience


• Experience supporting facility launches, expansion initiatives, new programs, or licensing and accreditation processes


• Experience recruiting and developing behavioral health leadership teams


• Familiarity with both substance use disorder and mental health treatment operations


• Experience operating across multiple states or regulatory environments

Benefits

Compensation and Schedule

• Salary: Up to $150,000 annually, commensurate with directly relevant experience


• Performance‑based bonus structure


• Home Base: Ideally Massachusetts or Illinois


• Hybrid/work‑from‑home flexibility when appropriate


• Travel: Approximately one week per month, based on operational needs

Additional Benefits

• Employer contribution of 60% toward health insurance


• Performance‑based incentive opportunity


• Significant opportunity to influence operational strategy and organizational growth


• Direct partnership with ownership and facility leadership


• Opportunity to help strengthen and scale an established behavioral health operating model

This opportunity is posted by Atlantic Health Strategies on behalf of Forrest Behavioral Health.