Director of Behavioral Services - Seattle, WA

Director of Behavioral Services

Setting: Skilled nursing facility

Status: Full-Time

Shift: Day Shift

Pay: $40-$50/hourly DOE

Location: Queen Anne Healthcare - 2717 Dexter Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109

Job Summary

A Director of Behavioral Services in a skilled nursing facility (SNF) directs, plans, and manages mental health and psychosocial programs, ensuring regulatory compliance and high-quality care.

Key responsibilities include clinical oversight, conducting assessments, and improving patient outcomes for residents with behavioral challenges.

Essential Duties and Job Responsibilities


* Identifies residents' emotional, mental, and psychosocial needs and ensures that comprehensive care plans are in place and up to date.


* Develops and implements behavioral health policies, programs, and care plans for residents.


* Advises and collaborates patient care with nursing, social workers, therapists, and behavioral health staff.


* Ensures services meet federal, state, and local regulations (e.g., CMS guidelines, HIPAA), particularly regarding psychotropic medication management.


* Monitors and improves psychosocial well-being, cognitive, mood, and behavioral care.


* Works with nurses, doctors, and specialists to coordinate care, participate in discharge planning, and resolve complex behavioral issues.


* Audits clinical documentation, analyzes program effectiveness, and implements corrective actions.


* Writes Behavior Care plans for patients diagnosed with mental illness, Developmental Disabilities and/or substance use disorder.


* Conducts trainings for licensed and certified nursing staff who work with behavior patients


* Facilitates Enhanced Behavior Services meetings twice monthly.


* Documents weekly behavior progress notes in behavior patient records.


* Completes onsite evaluations of behaviors and adapts behavior care plans accordingly


* Works in coordination with Home and Community Services and onsite social services to develop discharge plan.


* Works in coordination with prescribers and therapists to coordinate Behavior Care plan.


* Participates in facility quality assurance program and other meetings as required


* Performs other duties as assigned

Qualifications


* Must possess a bachelor's degree in social work or psychology.


* Certified Behavioral Health Support Specialist, Certified Counselor or Licensed Behavioral Analyst.


* Experience in behavioral health, with previous supervisory and or administrative experience, preferably with geriatric patients.


* Experience working with electronic medical records and computer documentation systems.


* Expertise in geriatric mental health, dementia care, psychotropic medication management, and SNF regulations.


* Strong leadership, communication, crisis intervention, and interdisciplinary collaboration skills.

Benefits: At Avamere, we believe in taking care of our employees.

We offer a compr...