Living Room Behavioral Health Manager

Northwestern Medicine; DeKalb (IL); On-site; USD 52,348 - 79,900; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Tuition Reimbursement

Student Loan Repayment

Professional Development

Well‑Being Fund

Matching 401(k)

Medical, dental and vision coverage

Life insurance

Annual incentive bonus

Paid time off and holiday pay

Job summary

Northwestern Medicine Ben Gordon Center in DeKalb seeks a Living Room Manager to lead a 24/7 crisis support program, delivering trauma‑informed, recovery‑oriented care and ensuring high‑quality service delivery. You will supervise a multidisciplinary team, manage budgets and regulatory compliance, and collaborate with external partners to drive continuous improvement and connect guests with ongoing care.

This leadership role requires a Master’s in behavioral health and at least two years of

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in behavioral health field or related area.
• Two years of behavioral health experience.
• Preferred: CRSS credential, WRAP facilitator, leadership and grant management experience.

Responsibilities

• Provides direct supervision, coaching, mentoring, and performance management for Living Room team members.
• Creates an environment that fosters employee engagement, accountability, professional growth, and continuous learning.
• Recruits, hires, develops, and retains highly qualified staff.
• Promotes a culture of recovery, inclusion, teamwork, psychological safety, and service excellence.
• Supports workforce development initiatives and succession planning efforts.
• Oversees day‑to‑day operations of a 24/7 crisis support program.
• Ensures services are delivered in accordance with organizational policies, regulatory standards, grant requirements, and evidence‑based practices.
• Develops, implements, and monitors departmental workflows, policies, and procedures.
• Evaluates operational performance and opportunities to improve efficiency, effectiveness, and guest experience.
• Maintains adequate staffing and scheduling to support continuous program operations.
• Supports implementation of trauma‑informed, recovery‑oriented, and person‑centered approaches throughout the program.
• Ensures guests receive timely screening, crisis stabilization, risk assessment, de‑escalation support, wellness planning, and linkage to community resources and ongoing treatment services.
• Collaborates with Behavioral Health Services leadership, Mobile Crisis Response teams, law enforcement, emergency departments, inpatient psychiatric services, and community partners to ensure continuity of care.
• Promotes a culture of safety consistent with Zero Suicide principles and best practices in crisis care.
• Maintains compliance with Northwestern Medicine policies, state regulations, accreditation standards, and grant‑funded program requirements.
• Oversees quality assurance, continuous quality improvement, incident review, and risk‑management activities.
• Monitors key performance indicators, guest satisfaction data, and outcome measures to drive program improvements.
• Ensures documentation, reporting, and operational practices support regulatory and audit readiness.
• Supports development and management of departmental budgets.
• Monitors productivity, utilization, staffing resources, and operational performance metrics.
• Collaborates with organizational leadership on strategic planning, grant implementation, and service line growth initiatives.
• Demonstrates responsible stewardship of financial, human, and operational resources.
• Serves as a representative of Northwestern Medicine Ben Gordon Center within the community and behavioral health system.
• Develops and maintains collaborative relationships with healthcare providers, emergency departments, schools, law enforcement agencies, emergency responders, social service organizations, and other community stakeholders to strengthen the local crisis continuum of care.
• Serves as the primary program liaison with Illinois Department of Human Services Division of Behavioral Health (IDHS‑DBHR) grant managers, fiscal managers, and other state partners supporting Living Room services.
• Participates in required state technical assistance calls, grant meetings, trainings, and policy discussions related to Living Room operations, crisis services, and behavioral health system transformation.
• Represents Northwestern Medicine Ben Gordon Center in Living Room Program Learning Collaboratives, statewide workgroups, and communities of practice designed to advance quality, innovation, and best practices in crisis care.
• Collaborates with state and community partners to implement grant objectives, monitor performance outcomes, and support program growth and sustainability.
• Participates in community outreach, education, coalition work, and crisis system development activities.
• Supports efforts to increase awareness of behavioral health services, recovery resources, and crisis intervention programs throughout the region.
• Identifies opportunities to strengthen partnerships, improve care coordination, and expand access to behavioral health and crisis services.

Skills

Two years behavioral health experience

Education

Master’s degree

Job description

Northwestern Medicine Ben Gordon Center in DeKalb seeks a Living Room Manager to lead a 24/7 crisis support program, delivering trauma‑informed, recovery‑oriented care and ensuring high‑quality service delivery. You will supervise a multidisciplinary team, manage budgets and regulatory compliance, and collaborate with external partners to drive continuous improvement and connect guests with ongoing care.

This leadership role requires a Master’s in behavioral health and at least two years of