Senior Director, Behavioral Health

Calling All Esteemed Leaders!

This role offers a rare opportunity to lead and shape a comprehensive behavioral health continuum across both acute and ambulatory settings in Oregon. The Senior Leader in this role will have system‑level influence, guiding strategy, operations, and care delivery for some of the region’s most complex and essential behavioral health services.

The Role

This position provides oversight—through direct leadership and collaborative coordination—of the Providence Oregon acute and ambulatory behavioral health programs. Responsibilities span operations, clinical programming, and regulatory compliance across a broad portfolio of services, including but not limited to:

• Senior Psychiatric Unit (PMH)
• Adult Psychiatric Units (PPMC & PSV)
• Child/Adolescent Psychiatric Unit (PWF)
• Adult Partial Hospital / IOP (PPMC & PSV)
• Pathways Adolescent Partial / IOP (PSV & PWF)
• Substance Use Disorder services (PPMC & PSV)
• Behavioral Health Integration Teams (PSV & PPMC)
• Emergency Department Crisis Intervention Specialists (PPMC & PSV)
• ProvAIR
• BOB Program (PSA, PNMC)
• Emergency Department Social Work (PWF, PMH, PSH, PMMC)
• Urgent Care Behavioral Health (in development)

In addition, this role provides strategic leadership and administrative direction to drive continuous improvement and development across all ministries as it relates to the care and treatment of behavioral health patients.

This role ensures alignment with the organization’s vision, mission, values, and strategic goals, supporting achievement of the Triple Aim. In partnership with Finance and Contracting, the role also ensures the financial stability of the behavioral health continuum and the strategic development of additional services across the region.

What You’ll Do

• Develop and implement a strategy for integrated, evidence‑based, coordinated behavioral health care across Providence Oregon ministries.
• Facilitate, coordinate, and be accountable for all acute and ambulatory behavioral health services across every phase of patient recovery.
• Ensure compliance with state, CMS, and Joint Commission regulatory standards across all behavioral health service levels.
• Promote and sustain ProvAIR as the regional hub for behavioral health referrals, including intake, utilization management, and prior authorization.
• Develop and implement a regional behavioral health care coordination strategy tailored to individual ministry populations and demographics.
• Build strong partnerships with caregivers, physicians, providers, leaders, and external organizations to support the full continuum of care.
• Lead budget development, financial monitoring, accountability, and achievement of operational targets across all areas of responsibility.
• Hire, coach, direct, and evaluate leaders and staff to maintain a high‑performing behavioral health team.
• Design, implement, and evaluate inpatient behavioral health infrastructure aligned with Providence strategic goals and the Triple Aim.
• Collaborate with executive leaders, behavioral health medical leadership, nursing leadership, administrators, and support services to ensure operational and financial success.
• Contribute to multidisciplinary initiatives and special projects that advance behavioral health strategy.
• Oversee delivery of high‑quality customer service that is timely, accurate, and promotes goodwill.
• Partner with Communications, Public Relations, and Government Affairs to support effective and transparent regional messaging.
• Collaborate with ministries to ensure compliance with reporting and oversight requirements from Oregon Health Authority and Disability Rights of Oregon.
• Participate in system committees and Behavioral Health Leadership Council focus groups supporting acute and ambulatory services.

What You’ll Bring

• Education

• Master’s degree in a behavioral health–related field (e. g., Social Work, Psychology).

• Licensure / Professional Affiliation

• Encouraged upon hire: membership in a professional organization relevant to the discipline.
• Preferred upon hire: Licensed Psychologist with post‑certification in integrated behavioral health in primary care.

• Experience

• Ten (10) or more years of senior‑level operations administration and management experience in inpatient psychiatric services.
• Experience applying financial management, compliant charging practices, reimbursement strategies, regulatory compliance, personnel and facility management, and physician relations.
• Experience across multiple service lines, including outpatient services (preferred).
• Strong strategic and business development planning experience.

• Clinical & Professional Expertise

Expert Knowledge Of

• Trauma‑Informed Care
• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapies (CBT)
• ACEs research and evaluation strategies
• Skills and Capabilities
• Strong collaborative, team‑based leadership skills.
• Ability to build consensus among diverse stakeholders with differing needs.
• Demonstrated facilitation and consensus‑building skills across healthcare organizations and agencies.
• Excellent written, verbal, organizational, and customer service skills, particularly in high‑stress environments.
• Strong analytical, problem‑solving, and decision‑making abilities.
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities effectively.

Why Join Us?

• Lead a Statewide Behavioral Health Continuum: Oversee and shape one of the most comprehensive acute and ambulatory behavioral health portfolios in Oregon.
• System‑Level Influence: Partner with executive, clinical, and operational leaders to drive transformation across ministries and service lines.
• Mission‑Driven Impact: Advance care models that support vulnerable populations and improve outcomes across the full continuum of behavioral health services.
• Build for the Future: Create sustainable infrastructure, standardized pathways, and innovative care models that position behavioral health services for long‑term success.

Ready to Shape the Future of Healthcare?

If you are a senior behavioral health leader with the expertise to guide complex systems, lead meaningful change, and strengthen care across acute and ambulatory settings, we invite you to apply. Join Providence in advancing integrated, high‑quality behavioral health care for communities across Oregon.

At Providence we believe in the importance of human connection and the impact of in-person collaboration towards team cohesion and caregiver engagement. Further, we want our leaders to live in or near the communities we serve. Therefore, leaders applying for this role will be required to work a hybrid schedule, which consists of three days onsite, two days remote and live within a reasonable commuting distance to the ministry or service area they support and lead.

At Providence, our strength lies in Our Promise of “Know me, care for me, ease my way.” Working at our family of organizations means that regardless of your role, we’ll walk alongside you in your career, supporting you so you can support others. We provide best-in-class benefits and we foster an inclusive workplace where diversity is valued, and everyone is essential, heard and respected.

Together, our 120,000 caregivers (all employees) serve in over 50 hospitals, over 1,000 clinics and a full range of health and social services across Alaska, California, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas and Washington. As a comprehensive health care organization, we are serving more people, advancing best practices and continuing our more than 100-year tradition of serving the poor and vulnerable.

Posted are the minimum and the maximum wage rates on the wage range for this position. The successful candidate's placement on the wage range for this position will be determined based upon relevant job experience and other applicable factors. These amounts are the base pay range; additional compensation may be available for this role, such as shift differentials, standby/on-call, overtime, premiums, extra shift incentives, or bonus opportunities.

Providence offers a comprehensive benefits package including a retirement 401(k) Savings Plan with employer matching, health care benefits (medical, dental, vision), life insurance, disability insurance, time off benefits (paid parental leave, vacations, holidays, health issues), voluntary benefits, well-being resources and much more. Learn more at providence.jobs/benefits.

Applicants in the Unincorporated County of Los Angeles: Qualified applications with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Unincorporated Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.

Providence has been serving the Pacific Northwest since 1856 when Mother Joseph of the Sacred Heart and four other Sisters of Providence arrived in Vancouver, Washington Territory. As the largest healthcare system and largest private employer in Oregon, Providence is located in areas ranging from the Columbia Gorge to the wine country to sunny southern Oregon to charming coastal communities to the urban setting of Portland.

Our award-winning and comprehensive medical centers are known for outstanding programs in cancer, cardiology, neurosciences, orthopedics, women's services, emergency and trauma care, pediatrics and neonatal intensive care. Our not-for-profit network also provides a full spectrum of care with leading-edge diagnostics and treatment, outpatient health centers, physician groups and clinics, numerous outreach programs, and