Director of Behavioral Health

Director of Behavioral Health Location: Fort Walton Beach, Florida Compensation: $110,000 - $130,000 (based on experience) Relocation Assistance: Case by case Sign-On Bonus: None She Recruits is seeking an experienced Behavioral Health nursing leader to oversee the Behavioral Health Unit (BHU) at a large acute care facility. This Director will be responsible for delivering high-quality, patient-centered psychiatric care while managing clinical operations, staffing, compliance, financial performance, and strategic initiatives. The ideal leader is compassionate, resilient under pressure, and deeply experienced in inpatient behavioral health operations within an acute-care hospital environment. Role Overview: The Director provides full operational and clinical leadership for a 48-bed inpatient Behavioral Health Unit, ensuring safe, therapeutic treatment environments and strong interdisciplinary collaboration. This leader drives performance improvement, oversees staffing and scheduling, supports employee development, ensures compliance with regulatory standards, and partners closely with facility leadership to advance behavioral health outcomes and patient experience. Key Responsibilities: • Oversee all clinical and operational functions of the inpatient Behavioral Health Unit • Ensure compliance with all regulatory, accreditation, and internal policy standards • Provide leadership for staffing, performance management, hiring, coaching, and ongoing staff development • Maintain budget performance through effective labor management and resource utilization • Support patient safety, quality metrics, throughput, and evidence-based behavioral health practices • Promote a culture of accountability, compassion, and therapeutic engagement • Partner with the CNO and executive leadership on program development and strategic goals • Foster a team environment that supports patient-centered care and trauma-informed practices Qualifications: • Minimum 5 years of recent acute-care inpatient Behavioral Health leadership (Manager or Assistant Nurse Manager level; must be within the last year) • Bachelor's Degree required • Active RN License required • Basic Life Support (BLS) - within 30 days of hire • Nonviolent Crisis Intervention - within 90 days of hire • Must pass required background/fingerprint checks • Demonstrated ability to lead a behavioral health clinical team in a high-acuity environment Additional Role Details: • Reports to: Chief Nursing Officer • Beds: 48-bed inpatient BHU, average daily census ~38 • FTEs: Approximately 24 • Trauma Level: II • Reason for vacancy: Previous Director left; interim leader held role for over a year • Desired leadership traits: Compassion, emotional resilience, strong communication, ability to lead under pressure

Created: 2026-03-04