MHSAS ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

Executive Service

MHSAS ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

Division of Mental Health Services

Nashville, TN

Annual Salary: $68,436.00 - $109,140.00

Closing Date: 10/28/2026

Background Check:

This position requires a criminal background check. Therefore, you may be required to provide information about your criminal history in order to be considered for this position.

Who we are and what we do:

The Division of Mental Health Services is responsible for planning and promoting a comprehensive array of services and supports for individuals of all ages, living with mental illness, co-occurring disorders, and/or serious emotional disturbances. This is accomplished through the creation, expansion, and oversight of community-based programs and community support services. Initiatives include: affordable housing programs; homelessness prevention services; 24-hour crisis services; wellness and recovery services; peer recovery services; supported employment services; suicide prevention services; geriatric services/PASRR services; disaster MH services; a comprehensive System of Care-based child, youth, and family supports services.

Job Overview:

Under supervision of the Director of Wellness and Employment, the Assistant Director position is responsible for day-to-day administration of 15 agency contracts for the provision of the Co-located Mental Health Services programs. These programs include the Co-located Mental Health and Peer Wellness Services at County Health Departments Program, Co-located Mental Health Services at County Health Departments Program, Rural Health Transformation Co-located Mental Health Services at County Health Departments Program. These programs function in collaboration with the Tennessee Department of Health and Community Mental Health Centers, requiring frequent and consistent communication and coordination. Contracts administration includes development and processing of annual contracts and amendments; collection and analysis of program data reports; monitoring and approving contract spending; monitoring of program contact compliance; provision of program consultation, training, and technical assistance; program development; and program quality enhancement. This position will also serve as Project Lead for the Promoting Integration of Primary and Behavioral Health Care grant and will oversee project implementation and data reporting, be responsible for managing the overall project budget as well budgets of funded agencies, complete all necessary federal reporting in a timely manner, and represent the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services in all required meetings.

Key Responsibilities:

Contract development, management, and oversight:

• Develop annual contracts and needed amendments, initiate timely contract and amendment processing, and monitor timely contract and amendment approval.

• Communicate with contract agencies regarding contract changes, contract funding, and budget requests.

• Review program data reports submitted by agencies for timeliness, data quality, and effectiveness in meeting program process and outcome goals; suggest and oversee implementation of data system adjustments and enhancements as indicated.

• Develop and support collaborative relationships with staff of contract agencies 

• Develop relationships and collaborate with state agencies and departments

• Oversee and ensure that all program goals are met or exceeded.  

• Oversee implementation of program service delivery adjustments needed to meet program goals and program improvement plans. 

• Negotiate and oversee implementation of program plan adjustments with agencies as indicated. 

• Oversee and ensure timely and accurate submission of required program data by local and federal providers, ensuring all contracted reporting requirements are met.

• Oversee and approve monthly payments to contractors; monitor provider spending patterns, facilitating adjustments in spending patterns as indicated; negotiate and implement budget revision requests as indicated.

• Perform formal monitoring of programs according to state and federal guidelines.

• Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, leadership technique, time management, and coordination of people and resources

• Knowledge of grant management, federal grant systems, and data reporting on a large scale

• Demonstrated skills of critical thinking, active listening, verbal and written communication

• Demonstrated skills in determining how system work and how changes will affect outcomes

• Skills in management of financial resources, analyzing program data to determine goal achievement and needed adjustments

• Skills in facilitating interaction with contract agency staff to optimize program goal implementation while maintaining cordial working relationships

• Skills in identifying measures or indicators of system performance and actions needed to improve or correct performance of the system.

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelors or Master's degree in a social or behavioral science field.

• 5 or more years professional experience in mental health and/or substance use disorder program

• 2 or more years in program monitoring, evaluation, planning, or coordinating program activities

• Government and grants/projects administration experience

• Willingness to travel approximately 25% - 35%, primarily in-state.

Pursuant to the State of Tennessee's Workplace Discrimination and Harassment policy, the State is firmly committed to the principle of fair and equal employment opportunities for its citizens and strives to protect the rights and opportunities of all people to seek, obtain, and hold employment without being subjected to illegal discrimination and harassment in the workplace. It is the State's policy to provide an environment free of discrimination and harassment of an individual because of that person's race, color, national origin, age (40 and over), sex, pregnancy, religion, creed, disability, veteran's status or any other category protected by state and/or federal civil rights laws.

Salary : $68,436 - $109,140