Chief Executive, Behavioral Health

About the role

Northern Light Health seeks an accomplished behavioral health executive to provide systemwide leadership for behavioral health strategies and services across Maine while serving as Chief Executive of Behavioral Health, which includes operational leadership for Northern Light Acadia Hospital. This is a distinctive opportunity to shape a more integrated, accessible, and coordinated continuum of behavioral healthcare throughout Northern Light Health’s statewide network while leading one of Maine’s two inpatient behavioral health hospitals.

Responsibilities

• Provide overall leadership, operations, and performance oversight for Northern Light Acadia Hospital.
• Establish and advance a clear strategic vision for behavioral health across Northern Light Health.
• Oversee inpatient, outpatient, community-based, school-based programs and behavioral health services embedded throughout the statewide network.
• Work collaboratively with system, hospital, nursing, and physician leaders to strengthen clinical and administrative operations, improve access and care coordination, and develop services that respond to behavioral health needs across Maine.
• Address the needs of behavioral health patients presenting in hospital emergency departments.
• Identify opportunities for integration with primary care.
• Cultivate partnerships with state government, community organizations, and other stakeholders.
• Strengthen Acadia’s pediatric inpatient program, establishing greater structure, accountability, and consistency while improving clinical quality, patient safety, workforce stability, and patient and family experience.
• Balance responsibility for Acadia’s operational and financial performance with broader accountability for advancing behavioral health across Northern Light Health, guided by the Unified Philosophy of Care.
• Report to Dean Kindler, MD, Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer, Northern Light Health.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in healthcare administration, business administration, public health, nursing, social work, psychology, or another relevant healthcare or behavioral health discipline.
• Candidates with an MD, DO, MSN or similar advanced clinical degree are encouraged to obtain an MHA or MBA within 18 months of hire.
• Candidates whose professional background requires clinical licensure must possess, or be eligible to obtain, the appropriate licensure in the State of Maine.
• Minimum