Interim Director of Mental Health – California Behavioral Health Hospital
About the Opportunity
Our client is a mid-sized behavioral health hospital in California who is seeking an inspiring Interim Director of Mental Health to lead its inpatient programs and spearhead the opening of a new Crisis Stabilization Unit. This role can be strictly interim or evolve into a permanent placement, offering the right leader a pathway to shape the hospital’s future and expand access to urgently needed services.
Role Highlights
Launch a Crisis Stabilization Unit: You will develop and implement a state-of-the-art Crisis Stabilization Unit, building protocols, staffing models and community partnerships to ensure rapid, compassionate care for individuals experiencing acute behavioral health crises.
Lead Clinical Operations: Oversee inpatient psychiatric services across a diverse population, ensuring evidence-based care, regulatory compliance and continuous quality improvement.
Inspire & Support Staff: Mentor multidisciplinary teams of nurses, social workers, therapists and physicians, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability and professional growth.
Champion Patient Safety & Outcomes: Implement performance metrics, patient-centered policies and trauma-informed care principles to deliver exceptional outcomes and patient satisfaction.
Collaborate Externally: Work closely with local health departments, law enforcement and community agencies to strengthen referral pathways and continuity of care.
Shape Future Strategy: Provide strategic guidance to leadership on program expansion, resource allocation and service innovation.
What Makes This Role Attractive
Build Something New: Be the architect of a crisis stabilization program that fills a critical gap in the region’s mental health continuum.
Flexible Path: Take on a high-impact interim assignment with the option to transition into a permanent leadership role based on mutual fit.
California Lifestyle: Enjoy all that California has to offer—mild weather, diverse cultural amenities and outdoor recreation—while making a difference in behavioral health.
Mission-Driven Environment: Join a hospital dedicated to compassionate, patient-centered psychiatric care and poised for growth.
Preferred Qualifications
Master’s degree in nursing, social work, psychology, health administration or related field; current clinical license (e.g., RN, LCSW, LMFT) strongly preferred.
Minimum five years’ leadership experience in behavioral health settings, ideally at the director level.
Proven success in launching new programs or service lines, with emphasis on crisis or emergency psychiatric care.
Deep knowledge of California state and federal mental health regulations and accreditation standards.
Excellent communication, collaboration and change-management skills.
If you’re an experienced mental health leader seeking a career-defining opportunity to innovate and transform care, we encourage you to apply. This role offers the satisfaction of immediate impact and the possibility of long-term leadership in a dynamic California facility.
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