Allegheny County is seeking a visionary, creative, caring and collaborative Director of the Office of Behavioral Health. This is the leader who sets the priorities for using $500 million to improve the behavioral health of the county’s most vulnerable children, youth and adults and who leads a well-organized system of care that impacts those individuals and the community as a whole. This position reports to the Director of the Department of Human Services (DHS) and oversees 4 direct- and 120 indirect-report staff. The salary range for this position is $159,000-$175,000.
 
DHS is at an exciting juncture in its history, with opportunities that will allow the new Director to propel the county’s behavioral health (BH) system forward—including through building a new crisis response system, reducing the criminalization of mental illness and substance use disorders, expanding housing and other supports for people with BH issues, improving the diversity of those who deliver services and the equity of those services, and improving the quality of services through a newly-formed team that oversees Medicaid-funded services. The Director will lead the county in seizing these and other opportunities to build and run an outstanding system of care, serving as:

 

• A leader who works with our communities, partners, and 200+ provider agencies to articulate an ambitious vision for behavioral health in Allegheny County—and then set the goals, establish the structure, and support the teams who deliver accessible, quality care to vulnerable people in the county.

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• An excellent administrator of a system of care with dozens of programs and services.

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• The chief communicator about mental health and substance use disorders—educating the county’s residents in ways that help them prevent harm and get assistance, advocating for policies and decisions that improve health, and inspiring the thousands of staff devoted to behavioral health care to help their clients thrive.

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• An executive member of DHS’s leadership team.

 

Allegheny County offers a generous benefits package including health, dental, vision, flexible spending accounts, health savings account, life insurance, long and short-term disability, employee assistance program, vacation and sick leave, and the County's retirement program.

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Ideal Candidate:

We are looking for a leader in the field of behavioral health or health care who approaches their work with a strong sense of urgency because they care about our community and are advocates for marginalized populations. 

 

This person knows a lot about the field (behavioral health, health care, insurance, community needs) but asks questions, listens well, and gathers others’ points of view because they are comfortable not knowing it all. They’ve successfully administered large-scale programs or agencies, created strategic plans, are very results-focused, and readily embrace the responsibility for leading a large, complex system. They value staff as well as hold their team accountable. And they behave with professionalism and expect professionalism from all who work for behavioral health care in Allegheny County.
 
Minimum Qualifications:

Six years of professional experience in the field of mental health, substance use disorders, social services, or public administration, including three years of administrative experience in a physical health or behavioral health organization and a bachelor’s degree; or an equivalent combination of experience and training.

Job Responsibilities:

The Director of Behavioral Health:

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• Builds a BH system of care that becomes known for being responsive to the most pressing community needs, is creative/willing to think anew about solutions, recovery-oriented, and respectful of clients and their families, providers, and other colleagues.

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• Establishes a vision for behavioral health in the county (individual, family, and community) and develops the strategic plan for BH in Allegheny County—driven by data and in collaboration with key stakeholders.

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• Prepares budgets to align resources (funding, partnerships) with that plan—directing funding to address key issues and serve those with greatest needs.

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• Optimizes funding to ensure DHS can serve as many high-need individuals and families as possible; and is able to increase resources available for the social services that are critical to health (e.g., housing).

 

• Builds and leverages partnerships with organizations that have the trust of clients/members in communities; with health care providers and health insurance organizations; and with the courts and county, state, and federal agencies.

 

• Ensures the system of care helps prevent BH crises; and, through work with the Courts, Jail, Juvenile Probation, police, local governments, and funders, increases the BH system response to crises and reduces that of justice systems.

 

• Collaborates with other offices at DHS to connect/integrate services and programs so that our clients and caregivers get all the supports and resources they need.

 

• Ensures the office applies a consistent framework for continuous improvement of programs and for streamlining processes (with reduced bureaucracy for providers and consumers alike).

 

• Identifies opportunities for growth and improvement; and seizes those chances.

 

• Communicates a strategic vision through frequent public presentations, listening sessions and presentations with staff and providers; and by cultivating relationships.

 

• Remains current on national affairs, policies, and legislation that impacts BH care; and is highly knowledgeable about the parameters of BH funding sources, including Medicaid.

 

• Represents DHS and builds relationships with BH-related governmental entities, including those at the state and federal levels.

 

• Models and supports staff in developing a consistent approach to identifying and solving problems that includes seeking information (about needs and strengths, client experience of service delivery, best practices, and results) and using data and analysis to frame and make decisions.

 

• Supervises a team of direct reports and oversees all Office of Behavioral Health staff responsible for working with other offices at DHS, community stakeholders, and the BH managed care organization to understand population health and needs, design programs to meet needs and establish results and set measures, contract for services with service providers/agencies, monitor progress, results and spending and support providers in achieving results, operate a subset of programs, identify needs for changes in processes, and implement improvements.

 

This position will close on 6/13/25.

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Why Allegheny County?

 

Located in the heart of southwestern Pennsylvania, Allegheny County is a vibrant community that offers a balance of affordable living, cultural richness, excellent healthcare, and plenty of outdoor recreational opportunities. With access to Pittsburgh, the county seat, you can enjoy a dynamic urban experience alongside family-friendly suburbs and stunning natural landscapes.

 

The county is easily accessible via major highways, including Interstate 376. It is located approximately 135 miles east of Cleveland, Ohio, and 243 miles north of Washington, D.C.

 

We invite you to consider joining us in a meaningful leadership role to help shape the future of behavioral health care for our community. This is a challenging yet rewarding opportunity. If you are interested, please contact us.

Kevin N. Tyler Sr. 

Account Executive, The Meyers Group

KNT@mr-themeyersgroup.com 

(443) 255-5361