Crisis Services Manager

Santa Barbara County’s Behavioral Wellness Department is seeking a full-time Crisis Services Manager to oversee crisis programs countywide from any location in Santa Barbara County. The role requires travel to Santa Barbara, Lompoc, and Santa Maria.

About the role

The Crisis Services Manager reports to the Branch Chief of Specialty Programs and serves on the Behavioral Wellness Department management team. This position manages prevention, intervention, and treatment addressing alcohol and other drug-related problems, mental illness, and/or co-occurring conditions within the county’s Crisis Services teams. Responsibilities include close collaboration with the Psychiatric Health Facility (PHF), the Crisis Stabilization unit, crisis residential facilities, overseeing hospital discharges, and monitoring utilization review for crisis services.

The manager oversees countywide programs including Mobile Crisis, Co-Response teams, and the Access Line, and serves as the department’s liaison with contractors for the Crisis Stabilization Unit and Crisis Residential Treatment facilities.

About the Department

Founded in 1962, the Department of Behavioral Wellness promotes prevention of and recovery from mental illness and addiction among individuals, families, and communities by providing effective leadership and delivering state-of-the-art, culturally competent services. The department serves 10,000 clients annually through a professional staff of over 400 and contracted Community-Based Organization (CBO) providers. Guiding values include:

• Quality services for persons of all ages with mental illness and/or substance abuse
• Integrity in individual and organizational actions
• Dignity, respect, and compassion for all persons
• Active involvement of clients and families in treatment, recovery, and policy development
• Diversity and cultural competency in service delivery
• A clearly defined system of care and recovery that promotes recovery and resiliency
• Emphasis on prevention and treatment
• Teamwork in a respectful and creative atmosphere
• Continuous quality improvement in service delivery and administration
• Wellness modeled for clients at all levels
• Safety for everyone

Responsibilities

• Lead Crisis Services, including multiple major programs addressing behavioral health crisis situations, emergency response, crisis stabilization, safety planning, and referrals/linkage.
• Set program goals and measurements; assume accountability for program results.
• Make broad policy decisions for the program, including work performed and expansion of services.
• Oversee program budget development; balance fiscal priorities, allocate resources, and coordinate with other programs or departments.
• Directly supervise Behavioral Wellness Team Supervisors responsible for Behavioral Wellness programs.
• Exercise independent action, sound judgment, and decision-making in support of departmental goals.
• Serve on the department’s management team and participate in strategic planning processes.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university in public health administration, public administration, behavioral/mental health, or a related field.
• Five years of progressively responsible experience in a behavioral health field (mental health, substance use, social work, etc.), including at least two years in a supervisory or managerial role.
• Valid California clinical license in one of the following:
  • Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
  • Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)
  • Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC)
  • Clinical Psychologist
  • Psychiatrist
• Possession and maintenance of a valid California driver’s license and ability to meet automobile insurability requirements.

Skills

Knowledge of:

• Principles, practices, and techniques of health care management in a public agency setting, including public health, mental health, recovery, correctional health, and medical health.
• Trends in public, mental, medical, and correctional health, and recovery education, treatment, prevention, and related issues.
• Principles and practices of public administration and program management, including strategic planning, implementation, and evaluation.
• Management principles, practices, and techniques.
• Principles and practices of fiscal management and budgeting.
• Principles and practices of program planning and administration.
• Personnel management principles and practices, including employee supervision, training, and evaluation.
• Principles and applications of critical thinking and analysis.
• Principles and practices of group facilitation, conflict resolution, and consensus building.
• Principles and practices of procurement and contract administration.
• Principles and techniques of effective oral presentations.
• Applicable federal, state, and local laws, codes, regulations, and standards.
• Business systems, equipment, and applications relevant to the area of assignment.
• Social, economic, cultural, and other issues impacting the program area.

Ability to:

• Administer public health, mental health, recovery, correctional health, and/or medical health programs and activities effectively.
• Manage assigned operations/programs; ensure compliance with strategic objectives and performance measures.
• Develop and implement policies and procedures.
• Manage and evaluate assigned staff, including training, coaching, and participating in goal-setting and strategic objectives.
• Analyze and evaluate operational programs, projects, and procedures.
• Plan, organize, coordinate, and supervise changes and improvements in public agency projects and studies.
• Manage budgets, contracts, grants, and resource allocation.
• Interpret, monitor, and report financial information and statistics.
• Oversee quality assurance activities and standards.
• Research, recommend, and implement industry trends, solutions, and best practices.
• Resolve complex problems within the area of assignment.
• Prepare and oversee reports, grant proposals, documents, and presentations.
• Make presentations to stakeholders, elected officials, County leadership, and the public.
• Collaborate with program stakeholders, elected and appointed boards, the public, and internal leadership.
• Interpret and apply applicable laws, codes, regulations, and standards.
• Communicate effectively, clearly, and concisely.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with a diverse range of individuals.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will have:

• Extensive experience with the LPS Act and 5150/5585 codes, and the ability to train and stay current with industry standards.
• Proven track record in managing mental health programs, especially those involving crisis evaluation, de-escalation, and stabilization.
• Ability to manage and understand difficult and stressful situations.
• Experience building and maintaining positive, collaborative relationships with community partners, providers, stakeholders, consumers, and family members.
• Strong skills in collecting and analyzing data.
• Ability to respond effectively in adversarial situations.
• Ability to inspire, coach, develop, and empower staff.
• Experience leading change initiatives.

Benefits

The County of Santa Barbara offers generous benefits. Applicants from other public sector employers may qualify for:

• Retirement reciprocity
• Time and service credit toward an advanced vacation accrual rate

Hiring Incentive

The Behavioral Wellness Department may offer the following incentives to attract top talent:

• Reimbursement for reasonable relocation expenses
• Flexible relocation assistance, housing, and student loan offsets
• Cash incentives
• Vacation and sick leave pre-accruals