Director of Continuous Quality Improvement

Valley Cities Behavioral Health Care; Tacoma (WA); On-site; USD 99,000 - 138,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, & Vision coverage

Health Savings Account with $2,000/yr

Retirement plan with employer match

Paid time off & holidays

Employee assistance program (EAP)

Training and licensure support

Student loan forgiveness programs

Annual longevity bonuses

Recognition programs

Training fund

Job summary

Valley Cities Behavioral Health Care seeks a Director of Continuous Quality Improvement to lead agency-wide CQI, performance measurement, and outcomes management across outpatient, residential, and community programs. You will design and maintain the CQI plan and drive data-driven improvement initiatives that meet regulatory and accreditation standards.

The role partners with Compliance, IT, and Clinical leadership to embed a culture of continuous improvement, safety, and accountability.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in public health, health administration, behavioral health, nursing, or related field.
• 5+ years in quality improvement, performance measurement, or compliance in behavioral health.
• 2+ years of supervisory or program leadership experience.
• Knowledge of CQI methodologies (PDSA, Lean) and healthcare quality measurement.
• Understanding of Medicaid, managed care, and Washington State licensing requirements.

Responsibilities

• Develop and update the agency-wide CQI plan aligned with regulatory requirements.
• Lead the CQI Committee and report outcomes to executive leadership and Board.
• Lead improvement initiatives using PDSA, root cause analysis, and process mapping.
• Establish KPIs for access, engagement, outcomes, safety, and operations.
• Oversee client satisfaction surveys and integration of client voice into improvements.
• Coordinate accreditation readiness and corrective action plans.

Skills

CQI methodologies

Quality improvement

Supervisory leadership

Data analysis

Project management

Education

Master's degree in public health or related field

Tools

EHR systems

Analytics tools

Quality reporting platforms

Job description

Job description

Job Type: Full-time

Director of Continuous Quality Improvement

About Us:

Valley Cities has recently been selected to lead efforts in Washington State to become a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC), reflecting compliance with stringent national standards in behavioral health care. This status enables broader service availability, improved integration of mental health and substance use treatment, enhanced crisis intervention capabilities, and ensures services are accessible to all, regardless of financial circumstances.
We are excited about the future ahead! We’re looking for people who want to make a real difference in behavioral health while growing alongside a mission‑driven team. Employees joining Valley Cities at this time will become part of an impactful organization dedicated to advancing community behavioral health, that is grounded in compassion, equity and community impact. Join us to make significant contributions during pivotal moments in the lives of others!

Role Overview:

The Director of Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) provides agency-wide leadership for Valley Cities Behavioral Health Care’s quality improvement, performance measurement, and outcomes management functions across all outpatient, residential, and community programs. The Director designs, implements, and maintains the agency’s Continuous Quality Improvement Plan; leads data-driven improvement initiatives; and ensures quality activities meet the requirements of federal, state, and payer regulations, accreditation standards, and contractual obligations.

As a member of the agency’s leadership team, the Director plays a central role in Valley Cities’ Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) certification and ongoing compliance, with primary responsibility for the CQI plan and quality reporting obligations established under CCBHC program requirements. The Director partners closely with Compliance and Risk Management, Clinical Leadership, Business Intelligence & Analytics, Information Technology, and Human Resources to embed a culture of continuous improvement, safety, and accountability throughout the organization.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop, implement, and annually update the agency-wide Continuous Quality Improvement Plan, ensuring alignment with the agency’s mission, vison and strategic plan, and applicable regulatory and accreditation requirements.
• Chair and provide staff leadership to the agency CQI Committee, including agenda development, action tracking, and reporting of committee outcomes to executive leadership and the Board of Directors.
• Lead structured improvement initiatives using recognized methodologies (e.g., Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles, root cause analysis, process mapping) across clinical and administrative operations.
• Establish, monitor, and report key performance indicators (KPIs) for access, engagement, clinical outcomes, safety, client experience, and operational performance across all sites.
• Oversee client satisfaction and experience-of-care surveys, grievance trend analysis, and integration of client and family voice into improvement activities.
• Coordinate quality-related components of accreditation readiness and ongoing conformance (e.g., The Joint Commission or CARF), including standards crosswalks, mock surveys, and corrective action plans.
• Collaborate with the Director of Compliance and Risk Management on incident reporting trends, sentinel/adverse event reviews, mortality reviews, and follow-up on corrective and preventive actions.
• Partner with Business Intelligence & Analytics, IT and data teams to develop dashboards, data validation processes, and reporting infrastructure that support timely, accurate performance measurement.
• Provide training, coaching, and technical assistance to program leaders and staff on quality improvement principles, data literacy, and outcome measurement.
• Partner and develop CCBHC quality and reporting requirements, ensuring Valley Cities develops, implements, and maintains a CCBHC Continuous Quality Improvement Plan that meets SAMHSA CCBHC Certification Criteria, Program Requirement 5, and Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA) expectations.
• Oversee accurate and timely collection, validation, and submission of required CCBHC quality measures, including clinic-collected measures and coordination with the state on state-collected measures.
• Participate as an active member of the CCBHC implementation team, contributing to certification readiness activities, gap analysis remediation, site visit preparation, and ongoing attestation and recertification processes.

Supervision and Administration

• Hire, train, supervise, and evaluate assigned quality department staff in accordance with agency policy.
• Develop and maintain policies and procedures related to quality improvement, outcomes measurement, and reporting.
• Represent Valley Cities in external quality collaboratives, payer quality meetings, and state or regional workgroups as assigned.Perform other duties as assigned in support of agency operations and strategic priorities.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in public health, health administration, behavioral health, nursing, social work, or a related field; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Five (5) or more years of progressively responsible experience in quality improvement, performance measurement, or compliance within a behavioral health, healthcare, or community-based human services setting.
• Two (2) or more years of supervisory or program leadership experience.
• Demonstrated knowledge of CQI methodologies (e.g., PDSA, Lean, root cause analysis) and healthcare quality measurement.
• Working knowledge of behavioral health regulatory and payer environments, including Medicaid, managed care, and Washington State licensing requirements (or the ability to acquire such knowledge rapidly).
• Must pass a criminal background check in accordance with agency policy and applicable law.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Direct experience with CCBHC certification, demonstration, or expansion grant programs, including CCBHC quality measure reporting.
• Experience with accreditation processes (The Joint Commission or CARF).
• Project Management Professional, Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ), or comparable quality certification.
• Experience with electronic health record systems, data analytics and visualization tools, and quality reporting platforms.
• Experience working in a nonprofit, multi-site behavioral health organization.

Join our Team!

Be a part of a team that is dedicated to making a difference every day. Meaningful work, and comprehensive benefits:

• Medical, Dental, & Vision coverage available for employees and eligible family members and dependents
• Health Savings Account, $2,000 contribution annually, prorated monthly.
• Agency sponsored retirement plan, up to 6% employer contributions, and pre-tax/Roth available
• Access to Employee Assistance Program (EAP) resources
• Comprehensive paid time off, paid holidays, and extended sick leave options
• Access to Student Loan Forgiveness Programs
• Annual longevity bonuses
• Recognition programs and incentives
• Access to training, supervision, and consultation for professional certification and licensure
• Clinical supervision provided toward licensure, if applicable
• Paid training days and yearly training fund

Compensation details: 99056-137820 Yearly Salary

We are dedicated to Equal Opportunity Employment & embrace the contributions of a diverse and inclusive workforce. Valley Cities Counseling and Consultation is an Equal Opportunity Employer of Minorities/Women/Individuals with Disabilities/Protected Veterans and does not unlawfully discriminate under federal, state, or local laws. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, or protected veteran status.