Behavioral Health Director
Compensation
Pay not listed
The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed
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Job Description
About Company
As a Behavioral Health Director at PHC, you will be responsible for the oversight and direction of PHC's behavioral health care delivery model, directly supervising the behavioral health team. The Director will establish standards for care delivery that are consistent and compliant with the organization's delivery models and grant requirements for behavioral health care.
This position will be responsible for behavioral health care services at PHC clinic(s) in the Des Moines area, Ames, & Marshalltown. This position is full-time with 16 hours per week spent providing therapy.
What You Will Do
1. Leads the behavioral health team. Provides direct supervision and oversight to the behavioral health clinicians and team. Mentors, coaches, evaluates and provides feedback to team members. Assists with recruiting, interviewing, and hiring for new BH team members. Ensures orientation and training of BH team members, oversees credentialing of BH clinicians.
2. Monitors behavioral health quality and outcomes in collaboration with the Quality and Operations departments. Develops and updates organizational policies and procedures for assigned areas, supporting implementation and ongoing compliance. Ensures department compliance with the ethics of the profession, as well as all applicable regulations and laws.
3. Facilitates process improvement work. Ensures behavioral health representation on committees when needed. Maintains current knowledge of trends in ambulatory/community health centers. Identifies and implements best practices in conjunction with internal and external resources.
4. Participates in the annual budget planning process. Collaborates with clinic leadership to establish behavioral health clinician and team productivity targets and ensures that the department’s budget expectations are achieved. Monitors staffing levels to respond to patient demand.
5. Integrates behavioral health, primary care, and supportive services in collaboration with internal partners.
6. Participates in strategic planning and leads assigned strategic initiatives. Oversees and applies for related grants and contracts.
7. Provides direct patient care coverage for the behavioral health team as needed, which may include but is not limited to brief targeted therapy, assessment, and behavioral interventions.
Qualifications You Need
Required Qualifications
- Social Worker (LISW or LMSW), Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) or Marital and Family Therapist (LMFT) license recognized by the State of Iowa.
- Master’s degree in Social Work, Marital and Family Therapy, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, or related field accepted for required license.
- A minimum of 2 years of experience in clinical behavioral health.
- Experience with and working knowledge of third-party payers and associated regulations.
- Must be obtained within 90 days of employment:
- Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers.
- Mandatory Reporter Training for Child Abuse and Dependent Adult Abuse recognized by the State of Iowa.
Required Skills
- Excellent leadership skills with ability to inspire, guide and mentor others towards goal achievement while fostering collaboration and employee engagement.
- Excellent management skills with ability to organize, prioritize, and consistently meet timelines.
- Excellent interpersonal skills with ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with diverse groups and individuals.
- Effective verbal and written communication skills and listening skills.
- Excellent collaboration and team-oriented skills.
- Outstanding problem-solving skills with analytical and critical thinking capability.
- Strong customer service skills.
- Detail oriented with a high degree of accuracy.
- Flexible and adaptive with ability to manage stress and maintain resilience.
- Strong professional skills with ability to interact with others calmly and empathically along with de-escalating difficult situations.
- Basic computer proficiency, including use of email, word processing and spreadsheet applications, and electronic health records.
Preferred Qualifications And/or Skills
- Experience in a supervisory role.
- Experience in a clinic, community health center, or working with underserved populations.
- Fluency in spoken English and Spanish, with the ability to communicate clearly and accurately in both languages.
- Additional related certifications including: CADC, IADC, or tCADC.
We Take Care of Our People
Your related experience and skills determine your base pay within our pay range. In addition to base pay, PHC offers a comprehensive benefits package, including:
- Generous PTO accrual
- Eight paid holidays
- License/certification fee reimbursement*
- Paid time off for continuing education & continuing education reimbursement*
- Tuition reimbursement program
- 401k with company match
- Medical, dental, vision
- Life & disability insurance
- Flexible spending & health savings accounts
- Supplemental accident & critical illness insurance
- Discounted pet insurance
- PHC Pride rewards program
Visit phciowa.org for a summary of PHC’s benefits.
*Applies to positions requiring clinical licensure or certification.
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Key Responsibilities
The Behavioral Health Director oversees the behavioral health care delivery model and supervises the clinical team across multiple clinic locations. This role also involves managing budgets, ensuring regulatory compliance, and providing direct patient therapy for 16 hours per week.
Requirements
Candidates must hold a Master's degree in a relevant field and a valid Iowa license such as LISW, LMSW, LMHC, or LMFT. A minimum of 2 years of clinical behavioral health experience is required.
Qualifications
- Education
- Master's degree (postgraduate degree)
- Experience
- 2+ years of experience
Certifications
Key Skills
Behavioral Health Career Context
The cost-of-living index for Iowa is 87.8 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 59.8% of Iowa clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).
Of the 50 active Behavioral Health listings this role was benchmarked against, 18% are remote, 36% have no call, 70% require no weekends.
Primary Health Care holds silver-tier status on WeekdayDoc's Top Employers work-life index, composite score 75/100, 10 active listings.
Behavioral Health pay on WeekdayDoc is up 14.2% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).
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