EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

Job Description Summary

The Executive Director of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at South Shore Health is a newly created leadership position, reflecting the organization's commitment to advancing psychiatric and behavioral health care as a core component of its mission. Reporting directly to the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and working in close collaboration with the Chair of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health through a dotted line reporting structure, this role provides strategic, operational, and administrative oversight for the newly formed Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Department. The Executive Director will also partner closely with the Physician Director of Addiction Medicine, nursing leadership, and operational leaders to ensure seamless integration and alignment of behavioral health services across the system.

Job Description

South Shore Health is an independent, not-for-profit, regional health system, based in Weymouth,

Massachusetts, offering high-value, high-quality primary, secondary and tertiary care as well as specialty

care, home health, community care, emergency, urgent care and preventative and wellness services.

At South Shore Health, we are committed to working toward the common goal of providing the highest quality,

exceptional, patient-centered care to all of our patients. We unite top-caliber talent, technology

and service with the personal needs of patients and their families to develop individualized treatment

plans.

South Shore Health is committed to providing all patients with equitable access to quality care

regardless of race, ethnicity, preferred language, disability, gender identity and sexual orientation.

Our health system includes the following entities :

South Shore Hospital is our region's leading provider of emergency, acute and outpatient care. It is the

first and only verified and designated Level II Trauma Center south of Boston, including the Cape and

Islands. It is also one of only three hospitals in Massachusetts with a Level II license. It is also the only

community hospital with a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in Massachusetts, staffed 24 / 7

on-site by neonatologists from Boston Children's Hospital. We offer Level II maternity services with

interventional radiology and onsite Maternal Fetal Medicine services to manage high-risk, complex

obstetric conditions. South Shore Health supports residents within its service areas with their

cardiovascular care -emergent, inpatient, cardiac testing, and ambulatory care. Our state-of-the-art

critical care unit offers 24-hour access to life-saving heart treatment and the region's busiest,

modernized cardiac catheterization lab (cath lab). The team performs 650 minimally invasive

percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) annually with about 200 emergency interventions annually

Code AMI's). In total, they perform more than 3500 total procedures annually making South Shore

Hospital the 3rd busiest cath lab in the state as well as recipients of AMA's Gold Rating for highest

quality.

South Shore Hospital is consistently recognized for quality of care including being named one of the top

10 hospitals in Massachusetts by U.S. News and World Report and one of only two community hospitals

in the top ten. The hospital has also been recognized as part of the American Nurse Credentialing

Center's Magnet Recognition Program for the fourth consecutive time for its continuous demonstration

of excellence in nursing services - a distinction only eight percent of U.S. hospitals achieve. South Shore

Health is one of only 14 organizations in the state to earn this honor, and one of only 128 organizations

worldwide to be designated for the fourth straight time. South Shore Health also launched one of the

state's first Hospital at Home programs providing hospital-level care to qualified patients who are well

enough to be treated at home.

South Shore Medical Center (SSMC) has eight locations offering comprehensive primary and specialty

care, including internal and family medicine, pediatrics, general surgery, dermatology, gastroenterology,

cardiology, wound care, women's health / OBGYN, along with on-site laboratory, physical therapy and

radiology services. With more than 100 board-certified primary care practitioners in internal medicine,

family medicine and pediatrics on staff, SSMC provides care for more than 57,000 patients on the South

Shore.

• South Shore Urology offers high quality urological, advance urological cancer, and

urogynecology services.

cardiac expertise and resources.

state-of-the-art diagnostics to provide individualized care for women at every stage of

their lives.

South Shore Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) is one of the state's largest providers of Medicare certified

home health care and consistently receives the highest patient satisfaction scores from the

Centers of Medicare & Medicaid Services. In addition, South Shore VNA has been named a Top Agency

of the HomeCare Elite® for many years running, a recognition that ranks the organization among the

top percentage of 10,000 home care agencies.

Health Express , part of South Shore Health has six urgent care locations from Braintree to Plymouth

staffed by emergency room-trained practitioners equipped to treat a wide range of injuries and minor

illnesses across the South Shore. X-ray and lab services are provided on site.

South Shore Hospital's Center for Orthopedics, Spine and Sports Medicine offers convenient access to

an extensive team of surgical, pain management, orthopedic, podiatric, diagnostic imaging, and

rehabilitation experts who specialize in treating a broad range of musculoskeletal conditions. South

Shore Orthopedics' surgeons, along with nurses, physical and occupational therapists, and home care

providers work collaboratively in the diagnosis, management and treatment of disorders of the

musculoskeletal system, including skeleton, joints, muscles, ligaments, cartilage and other connective

and supporting elements that support mobility and range of motion.

South Shore Emergency Medical Services has more than 100 EMS professionals who follow a model of

integrated care that ensures patients get appropriate medical services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It

serves as the Town of Weymouth's EMS provider.

South Shore Health Foundation is the philanthropic arm of South Shore Health. Through the generosity

and goodwill of our community, donations support technological advances, facilities improvements,

caring for the underserved and expanding vital programs.

The health system is also one of the only regional health systems that offers clinical affiliations with

Boston-based academic medical centers offering world-leading medical care to the community as well

as community-based partnerships. Our Partners include :

services and outpatient pediatric clinics are provided in association with practitioners from this

world-leading children's hospital.

surgical specialties including general surgery, neurosurgery, breast surgery, acute care / trauma

surgery, thoracic surgery, colorectal surgery, vascular surgery and bariatric surgery. South Shore

Health's Breast Care Center, Reproductive Endocrinology, and Surgical Residency Program are all

provided in association with practitioners from Brigham and Women's Hospital. The

Department of Neurology at Brigham and Women's Hospital provides general and specialized

neurology clinical services at South Shore Hospital, including outpatient evaluation and

management, second opinions for complex cases, diagnostic testing, and comprehensive

neurological care for diseases of the brain, spine and peripheral nerves, including movement

disorders, cerebrovascular disease, stroke, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, dementia, Alzheimer's

disease, post-concussion syndrome and sleep disorders. Brigham and Women's Neurosurgery

at South Shore Health program cares for patients with a variety of neurological disorders

including brain and spine tumors, trauma, degenerative spine disorders and hydrocephalus.

Center at South Shore Health provides residents south of Boston with the highest level of

advanced cancer care and support in the region. Experts from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute,

Brigham and Women's Hospital and South Shore Hospital collaborate to offer many advanced

treatments locally, including radiation therapy, medical oncology, surgical oncology, clinical

trials, advanced diagnostic imaging, a Multidisciplinary Clinic and Breast Care Center.

South Shore Health and Aspire Health Alliance are working together to provide integrated and

innovative behavioral health programs for the community.

South Shore Health's Mission, Vision and Values :

We never stop learning, never stop improving. We know our employees are the best thing about

our organization. We love the community we serve. We love our work.

This is an amazing opportunity for a senior healthcare executive to serve as a member of a senior

leadership team that is high performing and quality focused within a system that has a reputation for

exceptional care throughout the communities we serve.

Visit http : / / www.southshorehealth.org for more information about the organization.

Position Summary

The Executive Director of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at South Shore Health is a newly created

leadership position, reflecting the organization's commitment to advancing psychiatric and behavioral

health care as a core component of its mission. Reporting directly to the Chief Medical Officer (CMO)

and working in close collaboration with the Chair of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health through a dotted line

reporting structure, this role provides strategic, operational, and administrative oversight for the

newly formed Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Department. The Executive Director will also partner

closely with the Physician Director of Addiction Medicine, nursing leadership, and operational leaders to

ensure seamless integration and alignment of behavioral health services across the system.

South Shore Health delivers a comprehensive range of services across psychiatry, addiction medicine,

and perinatal behavioral health. Key service volumes include :

o 2,000 inpatient psychiatric placements

o 4,200 emergency service evaluations

o 6,000 psychiatric consults across emergency and inpatient settings

o 1,000 addiction consults in ED or inpatient settings

o 4,000 Screening and Brief Interventions and Referrals to Treatment

o 1,000 behavioral health therapy treatments

o 6,000 appointments of all types with a 7% compounding annual growth rate

o 4,200 outpatient consults / visits by providers

o 800 behavioral health therapy treatments

o 300 SHORE (substance use combined with perinatal care) consults and visits

o 5,300 appointments of all types

As a key leader in this newly established department, the Executive Director will be responsible for

developing and implementing strategic plans that enhance access to high-quality psychiatric and

behavioral health services. This includes overseeing operations for critical initiatives such as the Grayken

Center for Treatment, Aspire clinical affiliation programs, and emergency psychiatric services. The role

encompasses managing contracts, provider staffing, financial performance, facilities planning, and

resource allocation to support departmental goals.

Aligned with South Shore Health's mission, vision, and values, the Executive Director will lead efforts to

expand psychiatric and behavioral health services through innovative care models and community

partnerships. The role requires close collaboration with clinical teams to optimize workflows for

emergency psychiatric evaluations, discharge planning, and care transitions. Additionally, leveraging

data analytics to monitor outcomes and drive continuous improvement will be a critical component of

this position.

The Executive Director will play a pivotal role in building a multidisciplinary team committed to

excellence in psychiatric and behavioral health care. This includes recruiting and mentoring clinicians

and staff while fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and professional growth. The position

requires a dynamic leader with expertise in psychiatric and behavioral health management, financial

stewardship, quality improvement, team development, and strategic planning.

This is an exceptional opportunity for an experienced healthcare executive to shape the future of

psychiatric and behavioral health at South Shore Health by leading this newly formed department

dedicated to addressing the evolving needs of the community.

Key Responsibilities and Functions

General Responsibilities

Behavioral Health, the Physician Director of Addictions Medicine, operational managers, and

Directors of Patient Access, Nursing, and administrative leadership, the Executive Director will

support the development and implementation of the overall Psychiatric and Behavioral Health

mission, vision, and goals. This includes participating in the development and execution of

strategic and capital plans and ensuring the implementation of strategic business plans aligned

with South Shore Health's organizational objectives.

and partnerships to advance the growth and service objectives of the department and South

Shore Health. This involves working with departmental and hospital leadership as well as the

Office of General Counsel to prepare necessary business plans and documentation. The

Executive Director will also be responsible for renewing such arrangements.

and implement hospital- and department-level policies and procedures. This includes assessing

clinical, human resource, and financial factors required to meet patient needs effectively.

alignment and collaboration across all aspects of Psychiatric and Behavioral Health services.

Executive Director will work to enhance the efficiency, safety, and efficacy of systems and

processes across the department.

will support Psychiatric and Behavioral Health Services meetings, including weekly operational

committees, case presentations, and quarterly executive / strategic committee meetings with

Aspire leadership, senior South Shore Health executives, and other relevant forums as required.

Clinical Program Management

oversee service call schedules to ensure 24 / 7 service coverage for Psychiatry and Behavioral

Health. This includes managing all contractual relationships and invoicing for call coverage

services and providers for South Shore Hospital.

landscape, monitoring and evaluating the adequacy of existing Psychiatric and Behavioral Health

services. They will ensure the development of new programs and services to meet market

demands, focusing on improving clinical outcomes, reducing costs, and enhancing network

development.

and implementation of improvements for both existing and new clinical services.

of its associated budget, as well as any other Psychiatric and Behavioral Health-related contracts

that may arise.

Director's purview. They will recommend and create business plans for capital equipment

purchases to support programmatic needs.

will serve as the lead administrative resource for Psychiatric and Behavioral Health's clinical

quality and safety programs. They will foster a culture aligned with South Shore Health's

Collaborative High Reliability Organization (HRO) principles.

including those set by The Joint Commission (TJC), Occupational Safety and Health

Administration (OSHA), Department of Public Health (DPH), Department of Mental Health

DMH), and other state and federal regulations. They will lead the department's participation in

compliance audits in collaboration with South Shore Health's Risk Department.

division providers. They will assess these agreements on an ongoing basis to ensure financial

viability and compliance with current regulatory standards.

efficiency, and quality / safety improvements across Psychiatric and Behavioral Health services.

This includes utilizing dashboards and data analytics to identify opportunities, oversee project

plans, and monitor programmatic interventions.

department, leveraging the robust Behavioral Health Registry built within Epic. They will oversee

processes related to research development, submission, review, notification, and administrative

planning for potential new research funding sources in collaboration with South Shore Health's

Institutional Review Board (IRB) leadership.

Financial Management

department to ensure alignment with departmental and organizational objectives.

compliance with the prescribed formats and timelines set forth by the CMO, Chair of Psychiatry

and Behavioral Health, Physician Director of Addictions Medicine, and the South Shore Health

Finance Team.

Finance Team. Presents and justifies budget requests to the CMO, Chair of Psychiatry and

Behavioral Health, and other relevant stakeholders.

guidance of the Chair of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health. Recommends salary levels for

employed providers, communicates compensation plans to team members as directed, and

monitors productivity to recommend financial adjustments as needed.

financial data to ensure fiscal responsibility. Supervises activities related to expenditure

approvals, cost center assignments, budget compliance monitoring, and problem resolution.

Recommends cost-saving measures based on a thorough understanding of operations, policies,

funding agency regulations, and strategic priorities.

Department structure to provide accurate, detailed, real-time reporting on financial status and

staffing distribution across all operating accounts. Manages grant fund flows through

Foundation Accounts and oversees billable revenue for all department services.

department funds. These reports include current expenditures, future expense projections,

budget variances, and compliance assurances in collaboration with SSH's Compliance

Department.

understanding of clinical reimbursement models and managed care issues specific to psychiatric

and behavioral health services. Identifies opportunities to optimize clinical reimbursement

processes, implements necessary policy changes, and educates providers and staff on

reimbursement-related issues.

Human Resources Management

services to carry out the goals and objectives of the department.

policies and procedures.

management and support as needed. Supports the provider recruitment and retention process

to ensure the stability of staffing for the department.

recruitment, interviewing, compensation, benefits, orientation, performance evaluations,

promotions, transfers, and terminations. They will transmit and interpret policies to supervisors

and employees. They will ensure appropriate training of employees. They may be asked to write

job descriptions and opine on compensation of colleagues under their purview. He / she will

assess employee work loads and recommend changes as needed. They will monitor market

compensation rates to ensure our competitiveness. The Executive Director may represent the

department in employee relations matters.

Other Administrative Responsibilities

recruitment and retention, quality and safety initiatives, daily operations, and other assigned

meetings to ensure alignment with departmental and organizational goals.

programs. This includes involvement in the selection process, establishing salary policies,

resolving salary and benefit issues, and ensuring compliance with hospital policies.

renovations for facilities and identifies and resolves facility-related issues as they arise to ensure

an optimal environment for patient care and staff operations.

department to ensure compliance with hospital bylaws and to secure appropriate

reimbursement for clinical services.

with South Shore Health's Foundation and other relevant departments to enhance program

visibility and support growth initiatives.

Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, and divisional / departmental policies and standards.

Health to represent the interests of the department and contribute expertise to system-wide

initiatives.

of the department or organization.

The Executive Director of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health will embody South Shore Health's mission,

vision, and values, leading with integrity, strategic focus, and an unwavering commitment to excellence.

This role is critical to building a strong, integrated Psychiatric and Behavioral Health department,

enhancing patient care delivery, driving program innovation, and improving access to high-quality

behavioral health services across the South Shore region.

Education & Experience

Qualifications

o MBA or equivalent degree required.

Work Experience

is required.

effectively.

Position Requirements

stakeholders, including clinical, operational, and administrative teams.

human resources management within healthcare settings.

compliance with regulatory standards.

Skills & Abilities

sensitive human resources issues and supervise a large, diverse staff. Proven ability to foster

collaboration and build productive relationships across all levels of the organization.

competing priorities and responsibilities. Capable of delegating tasks effectively and planning for

the successful completion of both short- and long-term objectives.

effectively with a wide range of stakeholders, including senior hospital leaders, department

providers, support staff, and external partners. Ensures clear and concise messaging at all

organizational levels.

human resources aspects of the position. Utilizes data-driven approaches to monitor outcomes

and drive continuous improvement.

negotiations for agreements and contracts. Able to advocate effectively for

departmental needs while maintaining collaborative relationships.

methodologies such as High Reliability, Lean Six Sigma, Kaizen, and PDSA to enhance operational

efficiency and reduce variation.

excellence. Demonstrates the ability to mobilize teams around common goals, fostering a

culture of collaboration, trust, and mutual respect.

teams. Advocates for responsible budgeting, resource allocation, and financial oversight to

support program sustainability and growth.

introducing new ideas, approaches, and solutions. Skilled in change management with the

ability to anticipate challenges, resolve resistance, and effectively address conflicts