Associate Manager - Behavioral Health Services

POSITION SUMMARY

The Associate Manager, Behavioral Health Services, provides daily clinical and operational leadership for non-nursing staff within STCF and PES, including social workers, therapists, mental health screeners, peer support specialists, and Arrive Together team members. The role ensures high-quality clinical care, supports interdisciplinary collaboration, maintains regulatory readiness, and assists in culture building, workflow oversight, and performance improvement. The incumbent is responsible for providing supervision, leading meetings, supporting staff development, and functioning as a liaison with community agencies and law enforcement partners. This is a working supervisory role within a high-acuity psychiatric environment.

 

This position establishes and maintains communication with physicians, patients and their families, and other professionals to promote mutual understanding of problems and plans of care. 

 

This position supports organizational goals by providing quality customer service, participating in performance improvement efforts and demonstrating a commitment to teamwork and cooperation.

 

The Associate Manager, Behavioral Health Services must possess

• Strong clinical assessment and crisis intervention skills.
• Ability to lead teams in a fast-paced, high-acuity psychiatric environment.
• Strong communication and documentation skills.
• Knowledge of involuntary commitment law, crisis standards, and psychiatric emergency workflows.
• Trauma-informed, culturally competent leadership approach.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and resolve conflict constructively.

Leadership & Operations

 

• Provides daily leadership and support to social workers, therapists, screeners, peer advocates, and Arrive Together staff.
• Assists with staffing oversight, scheduling support, attendance monitoring, and performance reviews.
• Supports onboarding, training, and competency development for non-nursing staff.
• Collaborates closely with nursing leadership, psychiatry, security, and emergency department partners to ensure safe and efficient operations.

Clinical Supervision & Staff Development

 

• Provides individual and group supervision to social work, therapy, screener, and peer support staff.
• Responsible for clinical supervision of LSW and LAC staff, if appropriately credentialed per state regulations.
• Responsible for supervision of any counseling, addictions, or social work interns utilized in the units.
• Ensures documentation quality, completeness, and adherence to regulatory timelines.
• Facilitates staff coaching, professional development, and performance improvement.

Mental Health Screening & Crisis Operations

 

• After certification, functions as a Mental Health Screener as needed.
• Supports screeners with complex cases, involuntary commitment evaluations, and regulatory compliance.
• Ensures adherence to DMHAS and county screening guidelines.

Arrive Together Program Oversight

 

• Collaborates with law enforcement and community outreach partners.
• Supports scheduling, documentation oversight, program coordination, and data reporting.
• Ensures staff safety and adherence to program protocols.

Meetings, Communication & Culture

 

• Leads regular staff meetings for non-nursing disciplines.
• Communicates expectations, follows up on action items, and promotes a cohesive, trauma-informed culture.
• Responds to staff concerns and supports conflict resolution.

Interdisciplinary Collaboration

 

• Participates in treatment team meetings, patient disposition planning, and case reviews.
• Builds strong working relationships with internal and external partners.
• Facilitates smooth patient transitions and continuity of care.
• Close coordination with emergency department staff/team.

Regulatory & Quality Improvement

 

• Ensures compliance with DMHAS standards, NJAC 10:37G (STCF)