Senior Behavioral Health Manager - Quality Care

THE POSITION
Under general direction, the Senior Behavioral Health Manager- Quality Care provides senior management of a major program operation and/or services within the Health Care Agency's Behavioral Health Department. This position will oversee major program areas within the department; supervise Behavioral Health Managers within assigned program areas; provide recommendations and support to the Behavioral Health Division Managers in formulating policy; make critical clinical and administrative decisions; and ensure that operations are in alignment with applicable strategic goals and governing regulations. The Senior Behavioral Health Manager will be responsible for quality assurance and clinical review, quality improvement and outcomes, and training and education units within the Division of Managed Care Operations. 
 

 
EDUCATIONAL/BILINGUAL INCENTIVE:  Incumbents may be eligible for educational incentive of 2.5%, 3.5%, or 5% based on completion of an Associate's, Bachelor's, or Master's degree that is not required for the classification. Incumbents may also be eligible for bilingual incentive depending upon operational need and certification of skill.
 
DEPARTMENT/AGENCY:  Health Care Agency - Behavioral Health
 
Senior Behavioral Health Manager is a Management classification and is not eligible for overtime compensation. Incumbents in this classification are eligible for benefits at the MB3 level.
 
The eligible list established from this recruitment may be used to fill current and future Regular (including Temporary and Fixed-term), Intermittent, and Extra Help vacancies for the Health Care Agency. There is currently one (1) Regular vacancy.
 
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
OPENING DATE: 2/5/25
CLOSING DATE:  Continuous and may close any time; therefore, the schedule for the remainder of the process will depend upon when we receive a sufficient number of qualified applications to meet business needs. It is to your advantage to apply as soon as possible.Duties may include but are not limited to the following areas:

• Leadership & Operations:
  • Plans, organizes, manages, and coordinates the activities of Quality Assurance, Quality Improvement, and Training units.
  • Supervises subordinate management, administrative, technical, or operational staff to achieve departmental and agency objectives.
  • Provides critical analysis and decision-making to support Managed Care Operations, ensuring alignment with strategic goals.
• Quality & Compliance:
  • Oversees policy development and monitoring to ensure compliance with federal and state mandates (e.g., DHCS and CMS initiatives).
  • Establishes performance benchmarks and develops programs to meet and exceed outcome expectations.
  • Validates and enhances service delivery methods, ensuring they align with strategic transformation efforts.
• Data & Financial Analysis:
  • Monitors and reports on performance outcomes and quality indicators across agency and divisions.
  • Analyzes statistical and financial data to improve operations, drive efficiencies, and inform resource allocation.
  • Oversees and ensures maximum revenue enhancement through operational efficiency and compliance.
• Program Development & Collaboration:
  • Develops and implements new initiatives and oversees the execution of state-mandated changes, such as system transformations.
  • Provides interagency collaboration to address determinants of care and improves service integration.
  • Engages in oversight of contracted service components and ensures program alignment with quality objectives.
• Strategic Planning:
  • Supports long-term strategic transformation initiatives in alignment with the Department's Strategic Plan.
  • Leads efforts to integrate changes in care models, including all CalAIM initiatives and DHCS mandates.
  • Addresses special client cases or extraordinary situations as necessary.

• Performs other related duties as required.

These are entrance requirements to the exam process and assure neither continuance in the process nor placement on an eligible list.
 
EDUCATION, TRAINING, and EXPERIENCE 

Extensive supervision, program operation or management experience, or technical related experience which has led to the acquisition of the required knowledge, skills and abilities. The required knowledge, skills, and abilities may also be obtained by:

Any combination of education, training, and experience equivalent to a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in mental health, public administration, business administration, or related field, AND four (4) years of management or compliance experience which includes supervisory experience in behavioral health, mental health, or substance use services. 
 
NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Must possess and maintain a valid California driver's license
• Must have intermediate skills using MS PowerPoint, Word, and Excel
• Excellent written communication skills must be demonstrated in your application and Supplemental Question responses

Desired

• Demonstrated experience in:
  • System transformation, including updates to meet current state mandates for mental health.
  • Project management and/or quality management.
  • Managing programs and staff within a Behavioral Health system.
• Extensive knowledge of Behavioral Health policies, procedures, and service delivery models.
• Master’s degree in psychology, counseling, or related field. 
• Licensed as a Clinical Social Worker, Professional Clinical Counselor, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, or Clinical Psychologist

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge of: 

• Mental health and substance abuse treatment practices
• Principles and techniques of program management, team building and collaboration, budgetary preparation, organization and staffing, public relations, and public policy development and integration

Skill in:

• Strong organizational, prioritization, and leadership; team development
• Establishing and implementing goals and objectives
• Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Demonstrating high integrity
• Navigating state and federal regulatory environments 

Ability to:

• Plan, organize and direct the work of complex, multi-disciplinary teams. 
• Understand, interpret, and apply laws, rules, and regulations as they relate to assigned area of responsibility
• Assist in developing written policies and procedures
• Be innovative and flexible in managing program operations and problem solving
• Communicate effectively, orally and in writing, and to present findings and recommendations to both individuals and large groups
• Exercise excellent judgment
• Simultaneously manage multiple tasks
• Visualize "big picture" needs of the department while remaining focused on specific tasks
• Earn trust and respect within a challenging work environment
• Make decisions driven by data.

FINAL FILING DATE:  Continuous and may close at any time; therefore, it is to your advantage to apply as soon as possible.
 
To apply online, please refer to our website at ventura.org/jobs. If you prefer to fill out a paper application form, please call (805) 654-5129 for application materials and submit them to County of Ventura Human Resources, 800 South Victoria Avenue, L-1970, Ventura, CA 93009.

Note to Applicants:  It is essential that you complete all sections of your application and supplemental questionnaire thoroughly and accurately to demonstrate your qualifications.  A resume and/or other related documents may be attached to supplement the information in your application and supplemental questionnaire; however, it/they may not be submitted in lieu of the application.
 
LATERAL TRANSFER OPTION:  If presently permanently employed in another "merit" or "civil service" public agency/entity in the same or substantively similar position as is advertised, and if appointed to that position by successful performance in a "merit" or "civil service" style examination, then appointment by "Lateral Transfer" may be possible.  If interested, please click here for additional information.

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE – qualifying:  All applicants are required to complete and submit the questionnaire for this examination at the time of filing. The supplemental questionnaire may be used throughout the examination process to assist in determining each applicant's qualifications and acceptability for the position. Failure to complete and submit the questionnaire will result in the application being removed from consideration.
 
APPLICATION EVALUATION – qualifying:  All applications will be reviewed to determine whether the stated requirements are met. Those individuals meeting the stated requirements will be invited to continue to the next step in the screening and selection process.

TRAINING & EXPERIENCE EVALUATION:
A Training and Experience Evaluation (T&E) is a structured evaluation of the job application materials submitted by a candidate, including the written responses to the supplemental questionnaire. The T&E is NOT a determination of whether the candidate meets the stated requirements; rather, the T&E is one method for determining who are the better qualified among those who have shown that they meet the stated requirements. In a T&E, applications are either scored or rank ordered according to criteria that most closely meet the business needs of the department. Candidates are typically scored/ranked in relation to one another; consequently, when the pool of candidates is exceptionally strong, many qualified candidates may receive a score or rank which is moderate or even low resulting in them not being advanced in the process.
 
ORAL EXAMINATION - 100%:  A job-related oral examination may be conducted to evaluate and compare participating examinees' knowledge, skills, and abilities in relation to those factors that job analysis has determined to be essential for successful performance of the job. Examinees must earn a score of seventy percent (70%) or higher to qualify for placement on the eligible list.
 
It is recommended that your application materials clearly show your relevant background and specialized knowledge, skills, and abilities. It is also highly recommended that the supplemental questions within the application are completed with care and diligence. Responses such as "See Resume" or "Refer to Resume" are not acceptable and may disqualify an applicant from further evaluation.  

If there are three (3) or fewer qualified applicants, an oral examination will not be conducted. Instead, a score of seventy percent (70%) will be assigned to each application, and each applicant will be placed on the eligible list.
 
Candidates successfully completing the examination process may be placed on an eligible list for a period of one (1) year.
 
BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION:  A thorough pre-employment, post-offer background investigation, which may include inquiry into past employment, education, criminal background information, and driving record, may be required for this position.
 
For further information about this recruitment, please contact Lorin Calderon by e-mail at lorin.calderon@ventura.org or by telephone at (805) 654-2959.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
The County of Ventura is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

Salary : $120,319 - $168,463