THE WEST OAKLAND HEALTH COUNCIL is Hiring a Chief Behavioral Health Officer Near Oakland, CA

Responsibilities:

DEPARTMENT:            Clinical
POSITION:                    Chief Behavioral Health Officer
REPORTS TO:               Chief Clinical Officer
SALARY:                      $170,000 - $190,000/year

Summary of Position

The Chief Behavioral Health Officer will provide visionary leadership in the planning, developing, and implementing behavioral health services tailored specifically to the San Francisco Bay Area's Black community. This role is pivotal in ensuring our organization remains culturally concordant and humble while delivering high-quality care. Reporting directly to the Chief Clinical Officer, the successful candidate will lead and supervise our behavioral health team, foster collaborative relationships with outside agencies, and oversee comprehensive behavioral health services delivery.

Organization Background

Fifty years ago, four African American mothers, aided by 25 volunteer Black physicians, launched West Oakland Health amid the Civil Rights and Black Power movements.  It immediately became an anchor for the Black communities in West Oakland, East Oakland, and Berkeley for healthcare, health education, food and housing programs, and voter registration. The clinic became a spark that transformed healthcare advocacy in California and the nation.

West Oakland Health’s purpose is to be the trusted hub advancing the Bay Area Black community’s health and dignity. We work to do this by providing high-quality, comprehensive adult and family medicine, pediatric health care, dental care, optometry, podiatry, behavioral health services, and pharmacies at two central locations. And while medical care is our central but not our sole aim, we are also a place where community members can receive assistance on things that would make our community socially, economically, and physically healthy.

The Chief Behavioral Health Officer plays a critical role in the success of West Oakland Health in realizing this purpose. Our Behavioral Health program serves a part of our community that needs targeted support and services - namely, children, adolescents, and adults who need support addressing their mental health, emotional health, and substance abuse issues. By successfully serving as a steward of West Oakland Health’s dedication to providing culturally concordant and culturally humble behavioral healthcare services, the Chief Behavioral Health Officer will directly contribute to our community's health, well-being, and dignity.
 

RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Cultural Concordance and Humility: Infuse cultural concordance and cultural humility into all aspects of the behavioral health program’s services and care for the Bay Area's Black community.
2. Leadership and Vision:
   • Provide visionary leadership in the development and execution of the Behavioral Health Department's objectives and key results.
   • Foster a highly functioning work environment that promotes cultural concordance and humility.
   • Develop and provide clinical trainings and workshops to Behavioral Health staff, emphasizing cultural consistency and relevance.
   • Establish and enforce work behavior and performance criteria that align with our beliefs, purpose, and vision.
3. Community Engagement:
   • Coordinate with external agencies to ensure seamless referrals and services for our patients.
   • Build working relationships and referral networks within the Black community and other relevant stakeholders.
   • Represent the Chief Clinical Officer and Behavioral Health Department to external stakeholders, presenting data and information about our services.
4. Program Development:
   • Facilitate parent meetings, workshops, presentations, and trainings relevant to behavioral health services.
   • Oversee the development of our Student Health and Wellness Program, conducting annual strategic planning sessions to set goals and objectives.
5. Financial Management:
   • Directly oversee and manage West Oakland Health’s contract with Alameda County Behavioral Health to improve financial and programmatic efficiency.
   • Direct and oversee data collection and management systems to improve financial and programmatic efficiency.
   • Manage the administrative budget for necessary equipment and resources.
6. Marketing and Promotion:
   • I attend community and school events to promote our behavioral health services.
7. Policy and Procedure Development:
   • Update existing quality protocols to enhance the BH program, ensuring the delivery of quality care.
   • Engage in human resource activities for the BH department, including hiring, credentialing, and performance evaluations.
8. Supervision and Team Development:
   • Collaborate with BH clinician supervisors to ensure the delivery of high-quality services.
   • Mentor and train managers, developing criteria for work behavior and performance.
9. Communication and Reporting:
   • Prepare internal and external reports as required by the Chief Clinical Officer.
   • Be an active member of the multidisciplinary West Oakland Health primary care team.
10. Other Responsibilities:
    • Undertake additional tasks and projects as assigned by the Chief Clinical Officer.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Clinical expertise in behavioral health and an understanding of the mental health needs of the Black community.
• Possess the ability to effectively lead and manage a team of behavioral health professionals in a labor union environment. This includes developing and implementing strategic plans, managing budgets, and ensuring the highest quality of care.
• An understanding of the concepts of cultural concordance and cultural humility and the unique challenges and experiences of the Black community.
• A commitment to improving the health and well-being of the Black community. This includes addressing the social determinants of health.

• Experience working with underserved populations, including the Black community.
• An appreciation of working with FQHCs or other community health centers.
• Experience with providing trauma-informed care, creating a safe and supportive environment for patients and staff, and using interventions tailored to the needs of Black individuals.
• Experience with providing culturally responsive care sensitive to their patients' cultural needs.
• A commitment to contributing to West Oakland Health’s purpose to serve as a hub for advancing the Bay Area’s Black Community’s health and dignity.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• A Master's degree in Social Work (MSW), Psychology, Counseling, or Public Health focusing on behavioral health or equivalent experience.
• Appropriate licensure for California behavioral health professionals, such as Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), or Psychologist licensure (Ph.D. or Psy.D.).
• A minimum of 10-15 years of clinical experience in behavioral health, especially working with diverse populations and focusing on mental health and well-being, is crucial. This experience may include providing therapy, counseling, or other mental health services.
• At least three years of demonstrated leadership experience, including supervisory roles in behavioral health settings or experience managing programs and teams focused on mental health.
• Familiarity with healthcare administration and the operational aspects of healthcare regulations, billing, and quality improvement initiatives.
• Additional training or certifications in trauma-informed care, substance abuse treatment, or child and adolescent mental health are ideal but not required.
• Strong communication and community engagement skills are ideal but optional.
• A commitment to ongoing professional development and continuing education is ideal but optional.

MENTAL AND PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• The pace of Work: High stress, very rapid, and demanding
• Concentration: Constant
• Standing and Walking Time Required: At least 20% of the time.
• Sitting and typing: 60% - 70%  
• Environmental and Health Hazards: Frequent exposure to communicable diseases and other conditions common to a clinic environment. 

An employee must meet the physical demands described here to perform the essential functions of this job successfully. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit. The employee must frequently use hands and fingers to operate a computer keyboard, mouse, and telephone keyboard and talk or hear. The employee must occasionally bend, lift, and move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, peripheral vision, and the ability to adjust focus.
 

POSITION DESCRIPTION REVISIONS

This is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, duties, requirements, efforts, or working conditions associated with these roles.  While this is intended to reflect the current position accurately, management reserves the right to revise the job or require other or different tasks to be performed when circumstances change.  This position description replaces all previous position descriptions for this position.

Job Summary