Director of Operations | Naperville, Illinois

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

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance premium coverage

Performance incentives

Ownership of facility operations

Growth of new location

Job summary

Forrest Behavioral Health is seeking a hands-on Director of Operations in Naperville, Illinois, to lead day-to-day facility operations for our new Illinois South location. You will oversee intakes, staffing, scheduling, admissions, and AMA processes, ensuring smooth transitions into treatment and strong patient experiences.

The role demands operating leadership across admissions, clinical and operational teams, with accountability for performance, culture, and census growth.

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 such as PHP, IOP, OP, residential, detox, or similar treatment settings.
• Experience with one or more core operational functions such as patient intake, admissions, utilization review, staffing, scheduling, discharges, census management, or patient retention.
• Ability and willingness to maintain an active, visible presence in day‑to‑day facility operations.
• Strong organizational, communication, leadership, and problem‑solving skills.
• Ability to work effectively across admissions, clinical, and operational teams.
• Ability to hold team members accountable while contributing to a collaborative and positive workplace culture.
• Commitment to behavioral healthcare, recovery, and a strong patient experience.

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 operational oversight of admissions, discharges, and AMA situations.
• Communicate closely with admissions, clinical, and other facility team members.
• Develop and maintain productive 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 help hold staff accountable while contributing to a positive workplace culture.
• Support census, patient retention, and the overall patient experience.
• Help ensure consistent execution of organizational policies, workflows, and operational expectations.
• Partner with organizational leadership on facility performance and improvement initiatives.
• Support the successful establishment and continued growth of Forrest Behavioral Health Illinois South.

Skills

Operational leadership

Behavioral health

Staffing & scheduling

Intake & admissions

Utilization review

Census management

Cross-functional collaboration

Problem-solving

Communication

Job description

Director of Operations | Naperville, 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.

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

The Opportunity

We are seeking a hands‑on Director of Operations to lead the day‑to‑day operations of Forrest Behavioral Health Illinois South, our newest location in Naperville, Illinois.

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

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

As part of a new location, this individual will also play an important role in establishing strong operational practices, supporting the team, and helping ensure Forrest's existing operating model is implemented consistently from the start.

This is not a behind‑the‑desk management role. The person in this position will be expected to understand what is happening throughout the facility, identify problems early, support the team, and step in when necessary to keep operations moving.

Who Thrives Here

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

You understand that strong facility operations require attention to both people and performance. You can hold employees accountable while maintaining a positive 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 need involves an intake, staffing challenge, utilization review issue, difficult discharge, referral relationship, or patient experience concern, you are willing to get involved and help find a solution.

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

What You'll Do

• 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 operational oversight of admissions, discharges, and AMA situations
  
• Communicate closely with admissions, clinical, and other facility team members
  
• Develop and maintain productive 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 help hold staff accountable while contributing to a positive workplace culture
  
• Support census, patient retention, and the overall patient experience
  
• Help ensure consistent execution of organizational policies, workflows, and operational expectations
  
• Partner with organizational leadership on facility performance and improvement initiatives
  
• Support the successful establishment and continued growth of Forrest Behavioral Health Illinois South
  

Requirements

Required:

• 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 such as PHP, IOP, OP, residential, detox, or similar treatment settings
  
• Experience with one or more core operational functions such as patient intake, admissions, utilization review, staffing, scheduling, discharges, census management, or patient retention
  
• Ability and willingness to maintain an active, visible presence in day‑to‑day facility operations
  
• Strong organizational, communication, leadership, and problem‑solving skills
  
• Ability to work effectively across admissions, clinical, and operational teams
  
• Ability to hold team members accountable while contributing to a collaborative and positive workplace culture
  
• Commitment to behavioral healthcare, recovery, and a strong patient experience
  

Preferred:

• Previous Director of Operations, Executive Director, Program Director, or comparable behavioral health leadership experience
  
• Experience supporting the opening, launch, or growth of a behavioral health treatment program
  
• Experience coordinating utilization review and insurance authorization processes
  
• Experience managing patient admissions, discharges, and AMA situations
  
• Experience managing behavioral health staffing and scheduling
  
• Experience supporting census growth and patient retention
  
• Established understanding of referral relationships within behavioral healthcare
  

Benefits

Compensation and Schedule

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

Additional Benefits

• Employer contribution toward health insurance premium
  
• Performance incentive opportunities available after 90 days
  
• Hands‑on leadership role with meaningful ownership of facility operations
  
• Opportunity to help establish and grow Forrest Behavioral Health's newest Illinois location
  
• Opportunity to work closely with organizational leadership
  
• Mission‑driven environment focused on both patient care and employee experience
  

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