Director of Behavioral Health Operations

Atlantic Health Strategies; Naperville (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Forrest Behavioral Health in Naperville, Illinois seeks a hands-on Director of Operations to lead the day-to-day facility operations at our Illinois South location. This role emphasizes active involvement across all operational aspects to ensure strong patient experiences and compliant, efficient workflows.

The Director will oversee patient intake, staffing, scheduling, and utilization review, while partnering with admissions, clinical teams, and leaders to drive performance.

Qualifications

• Direct professional experience within substance use disorder and/or mental health treatment.
• Operational or leadership experience within a behavioral health treatment environment.
• Working knowledge of behavioral health facility operations and levels of care (PHP, IOP, OP, residential, detox).
• Experience with core operational functions: patient intake, admissions, utilization review, staffing, scheduling, discharges, census management, patient retention.
• Active, visible presence in day-to-day facility operations.
• Strong organizational, communication, leadership, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work across admissions, clinical, and operational teams.
• Ability to hold staff accountable while maintaining a positive workplace culture.

Responsibilities

• Lead the day-to-day operational functions of the Naperville facility.
• Conduct the majority of patient intakes and help ensure a smooth transition into treatment.
• Maintain direct responsibility for facility staffing and scheduling.
• Manage and coordinate utilization review activities.
• Maintain oversight of admissions, discharges, and AMA situations.
• Communicate with admissions, clinical, and other facility team members.
• Develop relationships with referral sources and facility partners.
• Identify operational problems early and implement practical solutions.
• Step into different areas of facility operations when additional support is needed.
• Establish clear expectations and hold staff accountable while fostering a positive culture.
• Support census, patient retention, and overall patient experience.
• Help ensure consistent execution of organizational policies and workflows.
• Partner with organizational leadership on facility performance and improvement initiatives.
• Support the establishment and growth of Forrest Behavioral Health Illinois South.

Skills

Leadership

Operational expertise

Behavioral health

Communication

Team collaboration

Problem solving

Staffing & scheduling

Census management

Job description

Forrest Behavioral Health in Naperville, Illinois seeks a hands-on Director of Operations to lead the day-to-day facility operations at our Illinois South location. This role emphasizes active involvement across all operational aspects to ensure strong patient experiences and compliant, efficient workflows.

The Director will oversee patient intake, staffing, scheduling, and utilization review, while partnering with admissions, clinical teams, and leaders to drive performance.