Deputy Director of Adult Behavioral Health and Recovery Services

About the Role

The Deputy Director of Adult Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS) reports to the Director of BHRS and directs the Division's Adult and Older Adult Services. BHRS is a division of San Mateo County Health.

The Deputy Director works closely with other managers in the Behavioral Health System (Children and Youth Services, Alcohol and Other Drug Services, Quality Improvement, Medical Director, and Fiscal/Administrative Services) to plan, organize, direct, and coordinate programs within the Behavioral Health and Recovery Services Division as a Mental Health and Drug Medi-Cal Organized Delivery Services (DMC-ODS) Plan. The role ensures a seamless system of care for clients and a financially sound deployment of resources as part of Health’s management team.

Responsibilities

• Manage, direct, and coordinate the delivery of comprehensive regional and countywide adult and older adult community behavioral health programs.
• Implement and monitor specialized programs; administer and coordinate joint programs with local agencies.
• Negotiate, administer, monitor, and evaluate major contracts for behavioral health services.
• Direct and coordinate the development of divisional strategic plan initiatives, goals, objectives, policies, and procedures to meet current and projected community behavioral health needs.
• Identify division-wide administrative, operational, and service delivery issues; develop, recommend, implement, and evaluate solutions that comply with all laws and regulations to provide quality behavioral health care.
• Ensure coordination of all services with programs and services provided by other divisions in Health and related state and federal programs.
• Stay abreast of pertinent local, state, and federal policy directives.
• Establish, facilitate, and maintain effective communications between medical, professional, clinical, and administrative/support staff, local, state, and federal agencies, and key community leaders and partner organizations.
• Research, prepare, and interpret administrative, program, financial, and technical reports; prepare written correspondence as necessary.
• Manage the delivery of services in a system closely aligned with the needs of diverse communities, especially the most vulnerable.

Challenges & Opportunities

• Preserve the values of the systems of care for adults and older adults in the County while operating as a Mental Health Plan.
• Lead system change initiatives identified in the Division's strategic plan, including an expanded focus on recovery and wellness services and integration of mental health and substance use services.
• Ensure the Division provides quality and client-centered care while managing financial risk.
• Manage a large and multi-culturally diverse staff, including psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, individuals with lived experience, and support staff.
• Oversee a large contract service system and collaborate with the Contracts team to ensure timely contract development and renewals.
• Identify sources for program development/enhancement and infrastructure to reduce long-term costs.
• Utilize outcome data and information systems to support clinical work and effective program management.
• Lead continuous quality improvement processes to improve service delivery and compliance with local, state, and federal regulations.
• Ensure a seamless system of care with other health and social services.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate will possess significant knowledge and experience in program development and implementation, improving performance outcomes, and evidence-based behavioral health care practices. They will have a strong orientation toward delivering client-centered, culturally competent, and community-oriented services.

• Ability to work effectively with a variety of public and private organizations, providers, family members, consumers, and a diverse staff to develop and sustain culturally competent services.
• Work effectively as a member of the Behavioral Health and Recovery Services Executive Team and lead agency-wide initiatives such as the integration of mental health and substance use services and implementation of CalAIM.
• Lead or participate in multi-agency collaborations and coordinate division activities with other program directors, Health division managers, and County partners.
• Apply thorough knowledge of the principles and practices of health and/or behavioral health care delivery, including behavioral health systems of care and managed care.
• Analyze data, evaluate program performance and outcomes, and determine program priorities based on findings (e.g., lead efforts related to statewide Performance Improvement Projects (PIPs) or resolving Corrective Action Plans (CAPs)).
• Interpret laws, regulations, and a wide variety of data to provide policy and programmatic recommendations to the Director.
• Develop creative solutions for difficult problems from a systems perspective while attending to operational details.
• Supervise, coach, evaluate, and train staff engaged in diverse activities and services.
• Successfully resolve complex personnel issues and co-lead focused efforts on increasing employee engagement.
• Communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.

Requirements

Education and Experience

Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to qualify is:

• Four years of increasingly responsible administrative experience in the development of behavioral health care policy or administration of behavioral health services, including at least one year of significant responsibility for one or more of the following: personnel, clinical services, administration, or finance and budget administration.

Knowledge

• Principles and practices of mental health and related drug and alcohol treatment, including current trends in behavioral health care administration, policy, planning, finance, and related issues.
• Principles and practices of organization, public administration, budget, and personnel management.
• Laws, codes, and regulations related to behavioral health services and care.
• Principles of financial administration, including public budgeting, reporting, health care reimbursement, and alternative funding sources and strategies.
• Related state policy, including current trends and developments in legislation, funding, and service delivery.
• Computer systems and applications as used within the County.
• Principles of personnel training, supervision, and evaluation.

Skills & Abilities

• Organize, direct, coordinate, and evaluate the operations of a variety of community behavioral health programs.
• Identify and solve complex administrative, financial, clinical, and operational problems; properly interpret and make decisions in accordance with appropriate laws, regulations, and policies.
• Develop, implement, and interpret objectives, goals, policies, and procedures that meet standards for quality patient care and satisfy all applicable laws, codes, and regulations.
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with other departments, agencies, community groups, and employees.
• Work with a diverse staff, provider, and consumer population to develop and sustain culturally competent services.
• Speak effectively to diverse audiences, including clinical, professional, legislative, and citizen groups.
• Prepare clear, concise reports, policies, contracts, and correspondence.
• Supervise, train, and evaluate subordinate staff; coordinate the activities of clinical, professional, technical, and clerical staff with contractors and volunteer groups.

San Mateo County is centrally located between San Francisco, San Jose, and the East Bay. With over 750,000 residents, San Mateo is one of the largest and most diverse counties in California, serving a multitude of culturally, ethnically, and linguistically diverse communities. The County of San Mateo is committed to advancing equity to ensure all employees are welcomed in a safe and inclusive environment.