Director of Operations | Naperville, Illinois

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

Director of Operations | Naperville, Illinois

Naperville, United States | Posted on 10/15/2026

• Salary $90,000–$100,000 annually, commensurate with directly relevant experience
• Country United States

Job Description

Director of Operations | Naperville, Illinois

About the Organization

Forrest Behavioral Health is a growing behavioral health treatmentorganization serving individuals with substance use disorders, mental healthconditions, and co-occurring diagnoses.

As the organization continues to expand, Forrest Behavioral Health ispreparing to open its newest Illinois location in Naperville. The organizationis focused on creating treatment environments where strong clinical care,thoughtful operations, accountability, and a positive patient and employeeexperience work together.

The Opportunity

We are seeking a hands-on Director of Operations to lead the day-to-dayoperations of Forrest Behavioral Health Illinois South, our newest location inNaperville, Illinois.

This is a highly involved facility leadership position for someone whounderstands the operational realities of behavioral healthcare and iscomfortable stepping into different areas of the program as needs arise.

The Director of Operations will have direct responsibility for severalfunctions central to the patient experience and facility performance, includingintakes, staffing and scheduling, utilization review coordination, admissions,discharges, and AMA situations.

As part of a new location, this individual will also play an importantrole in establishing strong operational practices, supporting the team, andhelping ensure Forrest's existing operating model is implemented consistentlyfrom the start.

This is not a behind-the-desk management role. The person in thisposition will be expected to understand what is happening throughout thefacility, identify problems early, support the team, and step in when necessaryto keep operations moving.

Who Thrives Here

The strongest fit is someone who genuinely cares about recovery andbehavioral healthcare and brings energy, accountability, and a willingness towork alongside the team.

You understand that strong facility operations require attention to bothpeople and performance. You can hold employees accountable while maintaining apositive culture, communicate effectively across admissions and clinical teams,and recognize operational problems before they become larger issues.

You are also comfortable getting into the details. Whether the needinvolves an intake, staffing challenge, utilization review issue, difficultdischarge, referral relationship, or patient experience concern, you arewilling to get involved and help find a solution.

This is an opportunity for someone with directly relevant behavioralhealth experience who wants meaningful ownership of a facility's day-to-daysuccess and the opportunity to help establish and grow a new location.

What You'll Do

• Lead the day-to-day operationalfunctions of the Naperville facility
• Conduct the majority of patientintakes and help ensure a smooth transition into treatment
• Maintain direct responsibilityfor facility staffing and scheduling
• Manage and coordinate utilizationreview activities
• Maintain operational oversight ofadmissions, discharges, and AMA situations
• Communicate closely withadmissions, clinical, and other facility team members
• Develop and maintain productiverelationships with referral sources and facility partners
• Identify operational problemsearly and implement practical solutions
• Step into different areas offacility operations when additional support is needed
• Establish clear expectations andhelp hold staff accountable while contributing to a positive workplaceculture
• Support census, patientretention, and the overall patient experience
• Help ensure consistent executionof organizational policies, workflows, and operational expectations
• Partner with organizationalleadership on facility performance and improvement initiatives
• Support the successfulestablishment and continued growth of Forrest Behavioral Health IllinoisSouth
  

Requirements

Required:

• Direct professional experiencewithin substance use disorder and/or mental health treatment
• Operational or leadershipexperience within a behavioral health treatment environment
• Working knowledge of behavioralhealth facility operations and levels of care such as PHP, IOP, OP,residential, detox, or similar treatment settings
• Experience with one or more coreoperational functions such as patient intake, admissions, utilizationreview, staffing, scheduling, discharges, census management, or patientretention
• Ability and willingness tomaintain an active, visible presence in day-to-day facility operations
• Strong organizational,communication, leadership, and problem-solving skills
• Ability to work effectivelyacross admissions, clinical, and operational teams
• Ability to hold team membersaccountable while contributing to a collaborative and positive workplaceculture
• Commitment to behavioralhealthcare, recovery, and a strong patient experience

Preferred:

• Previous Director of Operations,Executive Director, Program Director, or comparable behavioral healthleadership experience
• Experience supporting theopening, launch, or growth of a behavioral health treatment program
• Experience coordinatingutilization review and insurance authorization processes
• Experience managing patientadmissions, discharges, and AMA situations
• Experience managing behavioralhealth staffing and scheduling
• Experience supporting censusgrowth and patient retention
• Established understanding ofreferral relationships within behavioral healthcare

Compensation and Schedule

• Salary: $90,000–$100,000annually, commensurate with directly relevant experience
• Schedule: Monday through Friday,approximately 8:30 AM–4:30 PM
• Travel: None required

Additional Benefits

• Employer contribution towardhealth insurance premium
• Performance incentiveopportunities available after 90 days
• Hands-on leadership role withmeaningful ownership of facility operations
• Opportunity to help establish and grow Forrest BehavioralHealth's newest Illinois location
• Opportunity to work closely withorganizational leadership
• Mission-driven environmentfocused on both patient care and employee experience

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