Associate Director, Crisis Services

Help Shape the Future of Crisis Care: Join our team to build relationships with crisis service providers and anticipate system needs. You will be at the forefront of planning for key crisis services such as 988, mobile crisis teams, and crisis stabilization center. Collaborate with partners like 911 and EMS to improve program outcomes. Manage system-level work in a dynamic field and help others meet evolving standards.

The Associate Director, Crisis Services manages the team to assist in the coordination and oversight of program planning, development, and implementation of crisis services for adults, children and families served within the grant funded and non-grant funded public behavioral health system.  These include but are not limited to the 988 Helpline, Mobile Crisis Teams, Open Access Project, crisis residential programs and the Stabilization Center. This position provides oversight for Central Maryland crisis programming as well as Baltimore City specific programming.

This position reports to the Director, Crisis Services and is a full-time position working in a hybrid work environment in Baltimore, MD. BHSB will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Essential Functions

Strategic Planning and System Management:

• Provide assistance to and maintain effective working relationships with service/treatment providers, community stakeholders, and residents in Central Maryland.
• Engage in strategic planning in collaboration with internal and external stakeholders to develop and implement strategies for enhancing access to and the quality of care provided in the Public Behavioral Health System, informed by national best practices and federal and state guidance.
• Collaborate with other local behavioral health authorities and systems of care in Central Maryland to plan for addressing the behavioral health needs of residents served in those systems.
• Assist with responding to stakeholders’ complaints and issues identified by communities to assist with developing positive working relationships between providers and their surrounding communities.
• Review and evaluate information on service delivery system methods, outputs, and activities to identify gaps in resources and recommend changes when warranted. Collaborate with BHSB Leadership and funders to facilitate changes to funding agreements to reflect agreed-upon recommendations.
• Participate in development of new and renewal funding proposals related to crisis services.
• Organize and/or participate in internal work teams and external task forces and committees as indicated, including participating in efforts to collect and present key performance measures to internal and external stakeholders.

Team Management:

• Provide personnel management, supervision and support to Coordinators within the Crisis Services team.
• Assist in the oversight of day-to-day activities of Crisis Services team, including budgeting, planning, staff recruitment and development, and monitoring staff performance.
• Develop and support staff in oversight and management of Crisis Services system work and contract portfolio, including formulating quality indicators and reviewing data to ensure benchmarks are met and collaboration with other BHSB staff on contracting and budgetary requirements. 
• Maintains knowledge of all tasks assigned to Crisis Services team.
• Facilitate collaboration with other BHSB staff to improve coordination of services.

Contract and Programs Management:

• Serve as program lead for assigned contracts and work collaboratively with all members of the contract team to ensure that all administrative, fiscal, quality assurance and program components of each contract are being adequately addressed.
• Oversee programmatic contracts assigned to the Crisis Services team through leading staff involvement in:
  • new contract development
  • development and approval of budgets and budget modifications
  • development of deliverables
  • oversight of contract performance and quality improvement
  • annual repurposing process
  • timely renewal process
• Serve as primary agency point of contact for assigned service lines and facilitate communication between community providers and other stakeholders about relevant issues and information. This includes regular contact and support to contracted sub-vendors and facilitating or supporting team in facilitating regular service line meetings open to all PBHS service providers. 
• Gather, evaluate, analyze facts and resolve problems and/or determine and recommend appropriate course of actions for assigned areas of work.
• Actively participate in BHSB Request for Proposal (RFP) process for new or re-procurements 
• Prepare project reports and correspondence as needed.

Other:

• Work effectively and collaboratively with others, both internally and externally to BHSB.

• Foster open and honest dialogue within and across teams and between colleagues who have different backgrounds. Engage in honest dialogue and navigate conflict in day-to-day interactions. 

• Uphold and operationalize the values of BHSB, which are Integrity, Equity, Innovation, Collaboration and Quality.

• Consistently work to apply a lens of equity, inclusion and anti-racism.
• Serve as part of BHSB’s disaster response team as needed, in any capacity that is needed. 
• To perform assigned work functions, this position and those it supervises may have access to protected health information (PHI). It is expected that the employee will operate from a place of integrity and assume an ethical obligation to protect the security and confidentiality of all PHI in accordance with BHSB’s policies.
• An offer of employment for this position at BHSB is contingent upon the results of a thorough background check, including criminal history, which will require prior authorization from the candidate.  
• Perform other duties as assigned.  

Experience and Education

• Possession of master’s degree in social work, counseling/psychology, human services, public health, public administration or related field
• Five years research and/or administrative experience in behavioral health.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience with behavioral health services including rehabilitative and clinical services and how services are delivered within the Public Behavioral Health System.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience working with regulations, legislation, emerging trends, measures of quality and evidence-based/informed practices within behavioral health services.
• Substantial working knowledge of the system of publicly financed behavioral health services. 
• Substantial working knowledge of Baltimore City’s Behavioral Health System preferred. 
• Demonstrate cultural competence and a commitment to equity. 
• Demonstrate proficiency in program administration, design and management, including program governance, financial management, service delivery, data collection and reporting, and communications.
• Ability to manage a comprehensive service array of mental health and substance use disorder services and develop effective channels of communication that foster confidence and cooperation with a variety of stakeholders.
• Ability to analyze service delivery and system-level challenges, generate and evaluate creative interventions, formulate recommendations and institute effective solutions.
• Proven track record of demonstrating sound independent judgment to determine appropriate course of action in resolving problems and implementing project goals.
• Experience using data to inform program and system management. 
• Ability to work effectively with community organizations, community leaders, service providers, consumers and their family members and other stakeholders.
• Ability to develop and lead collaborative teams. Experience recruiting, managing, and developing a strong team. This individual will serve as a coach to motivate and mentor team members. 
• Ability to work effectively and collaboratively with others, both internally and externally.
• Must be able to express self adequately in written and oral communication and to communicate effectively in an interdisciplinary, culturally diverse setting with staff, stakeholders, and regulatory agencies.
• Intermediate to advanced expertise in using technology to support work processes, including but not limited to Microsoft 365 programs.
• Ability to interact with leadership in Baltimore City and other Central Maryland jurisdictions.
• Ability to work in a professional, confidential, and collaborative capacity.
• Ability to resolve complex issues and prioritize tasks.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to interact in a hybrid/virtual environment 
• Proficient using Microsoft Office Suite Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint

Supervisory Requirements: This position supervises two positions.

This role may require travel to other locations for meetings and other business-related needs.  Ability to travel locally 50% of the time is required. It is important to have access to some form of transportation to independently travel to off-site meetings, conferences, and site visits.

Compensation:

BHSB values each and every employee as an important contributor to fulfilling the organization’s mission. The ongoing health and wellness of employees is critical to BHSB’s success, and we continuously assess employee benefits, policies and practices to ensure opportunities are available for all people. The organization offers its employees a competitive compensation package which includes base pay, a comprehensive benefits plan and hybrid, family-friendly work practices.

BHSB is an equal opportunity employer and does not utilize practices that give preference to individuals in hiring or promotion. Salaries are based on the requirements of each job, are non-negotiable and step increases are offered at regular intervals. The starting hourly/ annualized salary rate for this position is $90,334.

The benefits plan includes comprehensive medical, dental and vision coverage, employer paid life insurance, short-term and long-term disability, a 403(b) plan with employer contribution, a choice of 4 FSA plans, an employee paid legal benefit, generous PTO and 13 days paid holiday. In addition, medical plan participants receive an employer paid HRA accessed by a $5,000/$10,000 debit card to cover eligible deductible and copay expenses, depending on chosen coverage.

BHSB - About Us

Behavioral Health System Baltimore, Inc. (BHSB) is a non-profit organization that serves as the Local Behavioral Health Authority (LBHA) on behalf of Baltimore City. BHSB is responsible for planning, managing and monitoring resources, programs and policies within the larger Medicaid fee-for-service system, as well as services directly funded by BHSB through private and public grants. BHSB partners closely with Baltimore City and the State of Maryland to build an efficient and responsive system that comprehensively addresses mental illness and substance use and meets the needs of the whole person. BHSB serves as an “on the ground” expert to support the Maryland Department of Health (MDH), using our knowledge of the behavioral health needs of Baltimore City and services that are available, along with our expertise, to structure the system’s resources to meet the unique needs of our communities. BHSB has connections to other local systems, such as law enforcement, schools, social services, and courts, to ensure there is broad access to behavioral health services across systems and in communities.

Culture

BHSB is intentional about advancing a healthy work environment that builds trust, fosters a sense of belonging, promotes learning, and supports leadership opportunities for all. BHSB uses practices that honor the diverse perspectives of all people and cultivate authentic interpersonal interactions based on mutual trust. How BHSB conducts its work internally is directly connected to the organization’s impact externally. The principles that BHSB embraces in its everyday work are flexibility, empowerment, transparency, shared decision making, authentic communication, readily available information, promotion and support of individual growth, individual accountability and collective accountability. 

BHSB values all people and their experiences, including those who have had prior contact with the legal system. We are committed to providing individuals with criminal records, including formerly incarcerated individuals and individuals with arrest or conviction records, a fair chance at employment. 

BHSB also takes steps to proactively prevent and address conflict and discrimination by investing in organizational education to foster the development of an accountable and respectful workplace where all employees are supported and encouraged to do their best work.