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Director, Behavioral Health Transfer Center
100% Remote Position
$90,000 to $140,000 Base compensation based on experience
- Must be a licensed clinician such as Registered Nurse. Would possibly consider a Licensed Clinical Social Worker or Licensed Professional Counselor depending on experience
- Must hold a multi-state license (e.g., RN Compact or equivalent)
Position Overview
The Director of the Behavioral Health (BH) Transfer Center provides senior-level leadership for a centralized, 24/7 behavioral health access and admissions operation supporting multiple facilities across several states. This role is accountable for operational performance, clinical integrity, regulatory compliance, and relationship management across a multi-state healthcare system.
The ideal candidate is an experienced Behavioral Health leader at the Director level, highly operationally focused, data-driven, and comfortable leading remote clinical and non-clinical teams. This leader serves as the subject matter expert for BH transfer operations and works closely with executive leadership, hospital CEOs, and clinical teams to ensure safe, timely, and compliant patient transfers.
Company Overview
The Behavioral Health Transfer Center functions as a centralized, 24/7 hub responsible for the timely and appropriate placement of patients requiring acute behavioral health care. The center streamlines the transfer process by conducting clinical assessments, confirming bed availability, and coordinating transportation to ensure patients are placed in the appropriate level of care without delay across 18 facilities.
Staffed by a multidisciplinary team of 31 experienced behavioral health professionals—including licensed clinicians, nurses, EMTs, and case managers—the Transfer Center serves as the primary liaison for referring facilities and manages more than 6,000 patient transfers each month. The mission is to reduce wait times, eliminate gaps in care, and ensure safe, seamless transitions for individuals experiencing mental health or substance use crises. This role offers the opportunity to work remotely within a high-volume, fast-paced, and purpose-driven environment focused on clinical excellence and operational efficiency.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide overall leadership and accountability for Behavioral Health Transfer Center operations, including remote clinical (RNs/licensed clinicians) and non-clinical staff.
- Drive operational excellence through metrics, KPIs, service-level management, and continuous process improvement.
- Ensure appropriate clinical decision-making and level-of-care recommendations for behavioral health patients across all age populations.
- Partner with hospital CEOs, Directors of Nursing, Directors of Assessment, and executive leadership to ensure consistent admissions and transfer processes across all facilities.
- Maintain full compliance with EMTALA, CMS, TJC, HIPAA, and applicable multi-state regulatory requirements; lead regular audits and corrective actions.
- Collaborate with Workforce Management and Finance to ensure appropriate staffing models and resource allocation.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with physicians, referral sources, internal stakeholders, and external partners.
- Work closely with Training and Quality teams to audit calls, referral packets, and documentation to ensure quality and consistency.
- Identify and resolve operational gaps, service failures, and process breakdowns in a timely manner.
- Lead performance management, coaching, and development of staff; conduct annual and real-time performance evaluations.
- Support recruiting, hiring, onboarding, and retention of clinical and non-clinical transfer center staff.
- 10% travel requirement
Must-Have Qualifications
- Director-level leadership experience in Behavioral Health (required).
- Strong operational mindset, with demonstrated success managing metrics, workflows, and scalable processes.
- Active clinical license required, preferably Registered Nurse (RN).
- Must hold a multi-state license (e.g., RN Compact or equivalent).
- Candidates with LCSW or LPC licensure may be considered if they hold appropriate multi-state licensure and possess significant leadership experience.
- Proven ability to communicate effectively and build relationships across all levels of the organization, including executive leadership and frontline clinical teams.
- Experience supporting or leading 24/7 healthcare operations.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience leading a Behavioral Health Transfer Center, Access Center, or centralized admissions function.
- Background managing remote or distributed clinical teams.
- Direct experience supporting a multi-facility, multi-state behavioral health system.
- Master’s degree in Nursing, Social Work, Psychology, or Healthcare Administration.