Sr. Director, Social Connection & Behavioral Health Innovation

About the role

Institute on Aging (IOA) is seeking an entrepreneurial, mission-driven behavioral health leader to build the next generation of social connection and behavioral health services for older adults. The role is not a traditional clinical or program leadership position: it builds on Friendship Line, a long-standing crisis and emotional support line for older adults, and expands it into a broader continuum of services. Working with executive leadership and strategic partners, including a major health care organization, the leader will turn an ambitious vision into a scalable, financially sustainable operating model.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and execute the strategic vision for the behavioral health and social connection division, including a multi-year roadmap for growth, impact and financial sustainability.
• Identify, design, test, evaluate and scale evidence-based programs, including group interventions, peer and paraprofessional supports, navigation, community programs and technology-enabled approaches.
• Provide senior behavioral health leadership, ensure services are clinically sound, culturally responsive and trauma-informed, and set up clinical oversight, supervision and risk management.
• Define outcome measures for behavioral health, loneliness, social connection, quality, access, equity and financial performance, and use data to improve programs.
• Build a financially sustainable portfolio of services, develop business plans and financial models, and lead programs with multi-million-dollar budgets.
• Develop reimbursement and contracting strategies across Medi-Cal/Medicaid, Medicare, Medicare Advantage, managed care, value-based care, private pay and philanthropy, and partner on billing, contracting, technology and data infrastructure.
• Lead a major strategic partnership with a health care organization and build partnerships with health plans, health systems, government, community organizations, academic institutions and funders.
• Provide strategic and operational leadership for Friendship Line, strengthening referrals, follow-up and navigation while preserving its human connection.
• Recruit, develop and lead a multidisciplinary team of clinicians, peers, paraprofessionals, program leaders, volunteers and operational staff.

Required profile

• Advanced degree in behavioral health or mental health (e.g. PsyD, PhD in psychology, MSW, MFT).
• Significant behavioral health experience with strong knowledge of clinical practice, interventions, risk, quality and evidence-based care.
• 8+ years of progressively responsible leadership experience with responsibility for people, programs, operations and financial performance.
• Demonstrated success building, scaling or transforming a program or service line with a multi-million-dollar budget or revenue, and launching new services, partnerships or business models.
• Strong business and financial acumen, and proven ability to build high-performing teams.

Preferred qualifications

• Active California behavioral health licensure (Psychologist, LCSW, LMFT or similar).
• Experience with older adults and knowledge of aging, loneliness and social isolation.
• Experience with health plans, managed care, population health or value-based care.
• Knowledge of Medi-Cal/Medicaid, Medicare, healthcare contracting, billing and reimbursement.