Interim Director Behavioral Health

Interim Director of Mental Health – California Behavioral Health Hospital

About the Opportunity

Our client is a mid-sized behavioral health hospital in California who is seeking an inspiring Interim Director of Mental Health to lead its inpatient programs and spearhead the opening of a new Crisis Stabilization Unit. This role can be strictly interim or evolve into a permanent placement, offering the right leader a pathway to shape the hospital’s future and expand access to urgently needed services.

Role Highlights

• Launch a Crisis Stabilization Unit: You will develop and implement a state-of-the-art Crisis Stabilization Unit, building protocols, staffing models and community partnerships to ensure rapid, compassionate care for individuals experiencing acute behavioral health crises.

• Lead Clinical Operations: Oversee inpatient psychiatric services across a diverse population, ensuring evidence-based care, regulatory compliance and continuous quality improvement.

• Inspire & Support Staff: Mentor multidisciplinary teams of nurses, social workers, therapists and physicians, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability and professional growth.

• Champion Patient Safety & Outcomes: Implement performance metrics, patient-centered policies and trauma-informed care principles to deliver exceptional outcomes and patient satisfaction.

• Collaborate Externally: Work closely with local health departments, law enforcement and community agencies to strengthen referral pathways and continuity of care.

• Shape Future Strategy: Provide strategic guidance to leadership on program expansion, resource allocation and service innovation.

What Makes This Role Attractive

• Build Something New: Be the architect of a crisis stabilization program that fills a critical gap in the region’s mental health continuum.

• Flexible Path: Take on a high-impact interim assignment with the option to transition into a permanent leadership role based on mutual fit.

• California Lifestyle: Enjoy all that California has to offer—mild weather, diverse cultural amenities and outdoor recreation—while making a difference in behavioral health.

• Mission-Driven Environment: Join a hospital dedicated to compassionate, patient-centered psychiatric care and poised for growth.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in nursing, social work, psychology, health administration or related field; current clinical license (e.g., RN, LCSW, LMFT) strongly preferred.

• Minimum five years’ leadership experience in behavioral health settings, ideally at the director level.

• Proven success in launching new programs or service lines, with emphasis on crisis or emergency psychiatric care.

• Deep knowledge of California state and federal mental health regulations and accreditation standards.

• Excellent communication, collaboration and change-management skills.

If you’re an experienced mental health leader seeking a career-defining opportunity to innovate and transform care, we encourage you to apply. This role offers the satisfaction of immediate impact and the possibility of long-term leadership in a dynamic California facility.