Behavioral Health Program Manager
Saratoga Springs-NY-12866-United States
Summary of Position:
This job description provides information essential to understanding the scope of the position and is not intended to be an exhaustive list of skills, efforts, duties, responsibilities or working conditions associated with the position.
The Behavioral Health Program Manager is responsible for overseeing the intake, triage, and assignment of behavioral and community health referrals, ensuring patients are matched with the most appropriate service and provider within the Behavioral and Community Health Departments. This role plays a strategic leadership function, balancing operational efficiency, provider capacity, and patient access while maintaining high-quality care. This role is part of a behavioral and community health leadership team and plays a critical role in program development and quality improvement. Operating within a matrixed leadership structure, this position collaborates across all operational teams. The Program Manager will also drive data-informed decision-making, monitor caseload distribution, and implement process improvements to optimize access and performance.
Primary Job Responsibilities:
These requirements are representative, but not all-inclusive, of the knowledge, skill, and ability required of the position. Primary job responsibilities constitute approximately 90% of the positions work. To be successful, individuals must be able to perform each essential responsibility satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions outlined in this position description.
Operational Leadership
- Lead and oversee the referral, intake, and triage process; ensuring efficient patient assignment based on clinical, behavioral, and social needs, provider availability, and service capacity.
- Develop and implement standardized workflows to enhance efficiency and reduce bottlenecks in referral management.
- Leverage data to assess referral patterns, caseloads, and patient access trends, making informed recommendations for operational improvements.
- Ensure compliance with regulatory and organizational standards while driving best practices in behavioral health service delivery.
Cross-Functional & Matrixed Leadership
- Work within a matrixed leadership structure, engaging with clinical leadership, operational teams, and external stakeholders to align referral and care coordination strategies with broader organizational goals.
- Partner with internal and external stakeholders to optimize referral pathways and enhance patient experience.
- Facilitate communication between internal and external behavioral health providers and referring clinicians to ensure a seamless patient journey.
- Advocate for equitable access to behavioral health services, identifying and addressing gaps in service delivery.
Quality, Performance & Process Improvement
- Help develop and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) related to patient access, provider capacity, and referral efficiency, using data to drive continuous quality improvement.
- Identify and implement innovative solutions to enhance care coordination, provider workload balance, and patient satisfaction.
- Participate in performance management initiatives, including staff training, workflow optimization, and strategic planning efforts.
Department Planning and Operations
- Participates in the development of department goals.
- Monitors progress towards goals and provides Director with regular updates.
- Ensures resources are available to meet patient volume.
- Ensures department policies are current and reflect up to date and evidence based clinical practice.
- Maintains current knowledge of trends and incorporates updated standards and practice into departmental operations in collaboration with physicians and other departments.
Additional Responsibilities
- Regulatory Compliance: Maintains current knowledge in all aspects of regulatory compliance.
Minimum Qualifications:
Education, Training & Experience
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Nursing, Social Work, Psychology, Healthcare Administration, or a related field.
- Minimum of 3-5 years of experience in behavioral health services, care coordination, or referral management.
- Proven leadership experience in a matrixed environment, with strong cross-functional collaboration skills.
- Expertise in healthcare operations, quality improvement, and performance management.
- Data-driven mindset, with experience using analytics to drive decision-making.
- Familiarity with EHR systems (Epic highly preferred).
- Strong organizational, problem-solving, and interpersonal communication skills.
Required Skills, Abilities and Attributes:
- Excellent communication skills both written and verbal,
- Ability to work collaboratively with diverse constituents including staff, leaders, medical staff and the community,
- Possess a working knowledge of and effectively able to use Microsoft products and other computer-based programs as needed,
- Demonstrates a thorough understanding of general financial principles and procedures pertaining to budget development, monitoring and justification,
- Effective problem solving skills,
- Able to perform high level conceptual analysis, formulate plans and implement,
- Able to prepare complex reports, memoranda and other written materials,
- Understand, interpret and apply laws, rules, regulations and policies related to assigned areas,
- Demonstrates commitment to customer service
- Displays integrity
- Flexibility and adaptability to both in-person and remote work settings.
Expected Salary Range: $77,896-$137,217/annually. Compensation may vary based upon, but not limited to: overall experience and qualifications, shift, and location.
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