Program Director, Behavioral Health
Listed compensation
$150k-$175k
The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed
Ask the employer about the work setting, weekend coverage, nights and shift pattern and time off.
Job Description
Program Director, Behavioral Health
Your Experience Matters
Lifepoint Health is committed to a culture of service excellence as demonstrated by our employees’ adherence to the service excellence principles of Pride, Teamwork, Compassion, Integrity, Respect, Fun, Professionalism, and Responsibility. Our mission is to promote healing, provide hope, preserve dignity and produce value for each patient, resident, family member, customer and employee we serve.
How You'll Contribute
A Program Director Who Excels in This Role
- Maintains overall responsibility for all aspects of operations.
- Responsible for hiring, training, supervision, and evaluation of all nursing staff.
- Participates in providing nursing care as needed and ensures services are carried out and documented appropriately.
- Participate in on-call schedule accordingly.
- Assures that all policies established by the Governing Body are implemented appropriately.
- Directs the strategic planning and marketing for programs, with input from division leadership.
- Prepares and submits an annual budget for program as directed by VP, Finance Behavioral Health, showing the expected revenue and expenditures as required by the board.
- In coordination with the board, the medical staff, and other finance personnel, responds to the community’s needs for quality health care services by monitoring the adequacy of the hospital’s medical activities.
- Oversees and provides direction to leadership regarding behavioral health programs’ mission and objectives, expected productivity and efficiency, establishing policies and procedure and compliance with federal, state and local laws, regulations and ordinances.
- Consults with leaders on a regular basis; evaluates leadership competence and makes changes as necessary; keeps lines of communication open; works with hospital leadership to foster high employee morale and a positive work environment for employees.
- Ensures maintenance of physical properties in good and safe state of repair and operation.
- Presents to the hospital board, and/or the committees, periodic reports reflecting the services and financial activities of the hospitals and such special reports as may be required by the boards.
- Attends all meetings of the hospital board and committees.
- Ensures compliance with all regulatory agencies and governing health care delivery and the rules of accrediting bodies by continually monitoring behavioral program operations, programs and physical properties, and ensuring changes where required.
- Ensures that programs maintain accreditation, licensing and quality patient care through the establishment of performance improvement monitoring programs and standards.
- Reviews plans for the achievement of programs’ specific objectives and established goals, and periodically reviews, evaluates and updates such plans. Said plans shall at all times reflect the hospital’s mission statement.
- Ensures that the leadership team acts as effective liaisons between the hospital and the medical staff; meets with and communicates with program and hospital medical staff as needed; represents the behavioral health programs and hospital at external functions.
Why Join Us
We believe that investing in our employees is the first step to providing excellent patient care. In addition to your base compensation, this position
also offers:
- Comprehensive Benefits: Multiple levels of medical, dental and vision coverage — tailored benefit options for part-time and PRN employees, and more.
- Financial Protection & PTO: Life, accident, critical illness, hospital indemnity insurance, short- and long-term disability, paid family leave and paid time off.
- Financial & Career Growth: Higher education and certification tuition assistance, loan assistance and 401(k) retirement package and company match.
- Employee Well-being: Mental, physical, and financial wellness programs (free gym memberships, virtual care appointments, mental health services and discount programs).
- Professional Development: Ongoing learning and career advancement opportunities.
What We're Looking For
Applicants should have a Master’s Degree in Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, Professional Counseling or Nursing preferred; Nursing - minimum Bachelor’s degree preferred.
Additional Requirements Include
- Licensure in state of practice
- 5 years of leadership experience
- 7 years of experience in this discipline
Salary Range: $150,000- $175,000
EEOC Statement
Lifepoint Behavioral Health is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Lifepoint Behavioral Health is committed to Equal Employment Opportunity for all applicants and employees and complies with all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination and harassment in employment."
Lifepoint Health is a leader in community-based care and driven by a mission of Making Communities Healthier.
Our diversified healthcare delivery network spans 29 states and includes 63 community hospital campuses, 32 rehabilitation and behavioral health hospitals, and more than 170 additional sites of care across the healthcare continuum, such as acute rehabilitation units, outpatient centers and post-acute care facilities.
We believe that success is achieved through talented people. We want to create places where employees want to work, with opportunities to pursue meaningful and satisfying careers that truly make a difference in communities across the country.
Lifepoint Health is a leader in community-based care and driven by a mission of Making Communities Healthier.
Our diversified healthcare delivery network spans 29 states and includes 63 community hospital campuses, 32 rehabilitation and behavioral health hospitals, and more than 170 additional sites of care across the healthcare continuum, such as acute rehabilitation units, outpatient centers and post-acute care facilities.
We believe that success is achieved through talented people. We want to create places where employees want to work, with opportunities to pursue meaningful and satisfying careers that truly make a difference in communities across the country.
We employ and provide care to people from all walks of life. We are committed to promoting healing, providing hope, preserving dignity and producing value with an inclusive workforce in which diversity is leveraged, respected, and reflective of the patients, family members, customers and team members we serve.
Key Responsibilities
The Program Director maintains overall responsibility for behavioral health operations, including staff supervision, strategic planning, and budget management. They ensure compliance with regulatory standards, oversee facility maintenance, and act as a liaison between the hospital and medical staff.
Requirements
Applicants must hold a Master’s degree in Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, Professional Counseling, or Nursing. Candidates are required to have at least 5 years of leadership experience and 7 years of experience in the behavioral health discipline.
Qualifications
- Experience
- 5+ years of experience
Key Skills
Healthcare Professional Career Context
Of the 40 active healthcare listings this role was benchmarked against, 33% are remote, 30% have no call, 75% require no weekends.
The cost-of-living index for Virginia is 101.1 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$163k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $161k in an average-cost state. 61.1% of Virginia clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).
| Measure | This job | Market |
|---|---|---|
| Listed pay | $150k–$175k | healthcare median $133k (middle half $104k–$182k)13 comparable listings, Oct 2026 |
| Cost-of-living adjusted pay | ~$161k in purchasing power | Virginia index 101.1 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) |
| healthcare listings in Virginia | 61 active | 2,042 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Oct 2026 |
| Work setting | on-site | peers: 33% remote · 30% no call · 75% no weekends40 benchmarked listings |
| healthcare pay trend | +12.4% vs prior quarter | —through Sep 2026 |
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