King County’s Department of Community & Human Services (DCHS) is recruiting for candidates for the position of Director of the Behavioral Health and Recovery Division (BHRD). Qualified individuals will bring a passion for delivering critical public services, specifically as related to behavioral health and recovery. 
This recruitment is open until December 31, 2022.  The first review of applications is scheduled to begin on Monday, December 4, 2022. A hiring decision may be made at any point thereafter, so interested candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. 

Note: Salary rates reflected will be effective January 1, 2023.

The individual selected for this role will be a seasoned people leader with deep knowledge in behavioral health and integrated care systems. They will bring an authentic appreciation for the critically important mission of the division and will have proven success navigating politically sensitive environments.

The Director will be relied on to:  

1. Lead the Department’s Behavioral Health and Recovery Division and its operations

• Lead and exercise overall responsibility for the effective, equitable and ethical operations of the full range of King County’s behavioral health functions including: 
  1. King County’s Integrated Care Network (KCICN) to administer Medicaid-funded Behavioral Health System; 
  2. Crisis and Commitment Services, including Designated Crisis Responders, and other crisis response services; 
  3. Administration and implementation of the MIDD; and
  4. Diversion and reentry services.
• Foster strong relationships with a broad coalition of partners including behavioral health peers and persons with lived experience, providers, managed care organizations, the Washington Healthcare Authority, State legislators, King County Councilmembers, and political and crisis response leaders in King County’s 39 cities.
• Set strategic direction and guide, align and empower the Division’s senior leaders, teams, sections, and partners to support a continuum of care that achieves healthcare integration, high-quality and equitable behavioral health outcomes, responsive crisis intervention, and connection to DCHS’s broad network of social determinant of health services. 

2. Lead, coach, and supervise a high-performing team
   • Inspire, coach, lead, manage, and support a team of more than 165 behavioral health and public service professionals, including direct services teams who provide 24/7 services.
   • Champion and embrace principles of equity and racism as a public health crisis and provides exceptional  leadership skills to further equity in the public behavioral health system , including alignment with and implementation of King County’s Equity and Social Justice Strategic Plan 
   • Foster a culture of leadership development that challenges, engages, and develops the next generation of public servant behavioral health leaders
   • Inspire and exemplify ethical conduct and develop expertise in King County’s Code of Ethics
   • Provide and seek candid and caring feedback and coaching to help all members of the team continually improve and develop. Supervise and mentor staff including planning work assignments and conducting employee development and performance evaluation. 

3. Direct the development and implementation of the Division's $465 million annual budget. 

• Ensure the effective development and administration of the BRHD bi-annual budget; directs the annual forecast of funds for program execution and approves directional changes; Partner with CFO to manage all BHRD resources.
• Understand and build coalitions with the diverse group of funders (Federal, State, and local governments, non-profit and private sector organizations) to achieve and leverage common goals.
• Develop short and long-term objectives and strategies to optimize financial resources and monitors changing funding landscape and ensures BHRD is adherent to all fund source, regulatory requirements.
  

4. Serve as the County’s lead representative and advisor on behavioral health matters, including frequent presentations before the Metropolitan King County Council and other legislative bodies, routine discussions with the media, and politically sensitive discussions with other departments, community stakeholders, legislative bodies and governments.        

The Division

Fully qualified candidates will submit a resume and cover letter that convey:

1. The ability to articulate a vision for a regional government’s ideal role in creating and maintaining an equitable, effective, and sustainable continuum of behavioral health services in large and diverse region like King County. 

2. Demonstrated experience leading a team, including leading other supervisors, preferably for five or more years.  

3. Ten or more years of experience in behavioral health or a closely related field, or the ability to describe other experience that provides similar professional preparation. 

4. The ability to describe previous experience in creating, administering, or being responsible for a multi-million dollar budget, as well as familiarity with typical public sources of behavioral health or other healthcare funding such as Medicaid. 

5. Deep knowledge and demonstrated practice of the principles of equity and social justice and the ability to describe previous experiences in designing, leading, or implementing a program or initiative that incorporated pro-equity or anti-racist strategies or tactics. 

6. Advanced experience with or knowledge of how public entities procure services and contract with provider agencies to provide behavioral health or other related services. 

7. Demonstrated experience working with elected officials, representatives of other governmental agencies, co-workers, and the public. 

8. Outstanding spoken and written communications skills, including the ability to clearly convey concepts despite complexities, in addition to experience communicating with media.    

9. A willingness to be good colleague, leader, and follower while doing some of the community’s hardest, most complex, and most important public service work.

10. A strong belief in the value of public service and the importance of ethical conduct. 

 To Apply:

This position is open to all qualified candidates.

The Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) values diverse perspectives and life experiences. The Department encourages people of all backgrounds to apply, including people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ, people with disabilities, veterans and those with lived experience.

Please submit a resume and cover letter that clearly convey the qualifications outlined in this announcement.  

If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process or if you have questions please contact: sbuelow@kingcounty.gov 

The Department of Community and Human Services
DCHS provides equitable opportunities for people to be healthy, happy, and connected to community. DCHS annually administers more than $1B in public funds to provide King County residents much-needed services for behavioral health prevention, treatment, and recovery, housing and community development, supports for children and their families, youth and adult education and employment, veterans, older adults, women's program services and developmental disabilities to help our county’s most vulnerable residents and strengthen our communities. DCHS has five divisions in the department that offer much-needed resources for our residents.

We believe in working as a team to build solutions and solve problems. We work at the cutting edge of human services, recognizing how intense community collaboration and innovative use of data are both necessary to support our communities. DCHS envisions a welcoming community that is racially just because the field of human services exists to undo and mitigate unfair structures. We seek to lead the way by working as respectful and responsible stewards for our community.

Please click here for more about: The Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS)

Forbes recently named King County as one of Washington State's best employers. 

Together, with leadership and our employees, we're changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence. Are you ready to make a difference? Come join the team dedicated to serving one of the nation's best places to live, work and play. 

Guided by our "True North", we are making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. 

We value diversity, inclusion and belonging in our workplace and workforce. To reach this goal we are committed to workforce equity. Equitable recruiting, support, and retention is how we will obtain the highest quality workforce in our region; a workforce that shares and will help advance our guiding principles--we are one team; we solve problems; we focus on the customer; we drive for results; we are racially just; we respect all people; we lead the way; and we are responsible stewards. 

We encourage people of all backgrounds and identities to apply, including Native American and people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+, people living with disabilities, and veterans. 

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement King County Executive Branch employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. 

If you are the successful candidate for the position you applied for, the County will send you a conditional offer letter. 

As a condition of employment, prior to a final offer of employment, you will be required to: 

• Submit proof of vaccination, or have an approved request for medical or religious exemption and an approved accommodation. 
  1. Philosophical, political, scientific, or sociological objections to vaccination will not be considered for an exemption or accommodation. 
  2. People are considered fully vaccinated against COVID-19 two weeks after receiving the final dose of a vaccination approved by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 
  3. The Executive Branch includes employees in the Executive branch, the Assessor's Office, Elections, the King County Sheriff's Office, and the Executive Office. 

King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class. 

Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.