CCBHC AND 988 STRATEGIST JOB DESCRIPTION.docx

Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) & 988 Systems & Performance Strategist

The Mississippi Department of Mental Health (DMH) is seeking a CCBHC & 988 Systems and Performance Strategist. This is a full-time contract worker position. DMH certifies, provides, and/or supports a network of services for people with mental illness, intellectual/developmental disabilities, and substance use disorders.

The CCBHC & 988 Systems & Performance Strategist provides statewide strategic planning, coordination, implementation support, and performance oversight for Mississippi's Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) and 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline initiatives. The position plays a key role in advancing CCBHC implementation and system development, strengthening integration of 988 within Mississippi's broader behavioral health crisis system, and evaluating program performance and outcomes.

The Strategist works across programs, agencies, providers, and community partners to identify opportunities for improved coordination, translate state and federal priorities into actionable strategies, and support successful implementation of complex behavioral health initiatives. The position develops and maintains relationships with key partners, including community mental health centers, the Division of Medicaid, 988 contact centers, 911, mobile crisis response teams, first responders, healthcare providers, and other stakeholders.

The position is responsible for coordinating project activities and implementation strategies; researching and applying national best practices; monitoring project requirements, timelines, and deliverables; overseeing the collection, management, and analysis of project data; evaluating progress toward program objectives; and developing reports and recommendations using quantitative and qualitative analysis. The Strategist also supports SAMHSA and other federal reporting requirements and uses performance data to identify system gaps, inform continuous quality improvement, and support data-informed decision-making.

Primary job duties for the incumbent will include, but are not limited to the following:

· Support statewide planning, implementation, and continuous improvement of Mississippi's Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) and 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline initiatives.

· Strengthen coordination among CCBHCs, 988 contact centers, 911, mobile crisis response teams, community mental health centers, first responders, healthcare providers, and other behavioral health system partners.

· Coordinate project activities, workgroups, implementation plans, timelines, milestones, and deliverables to advance CCBHC, 988, and broader behavioral health system goals.

· Support CCBHC readiness, certification, implementation, and ongoing compliance with applicable state and federal requirements, including coordination with participating providers and state partners.

· Translate CCBHC certification criteria, federal guidance, quality measures, and program expectations into actionable implementation strategies, tools, and technical assistance.

· Research national best practices, emerging standards, and innovative approaches related to CCBHCs, 988, crisis response, care coordination, and behavioral health system transformation and recommend strategies for implementation in Mississippi.

· Lead the collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of quantitative and qualitative data to evaluate program implementation, performance, effectiveness, and outcomes.

· Develop and monitor performance measures, benchmarks, trends, and outcomes to identify service gaps, operational challenges, implementation barriers, and opportunities for continuous quality improvement.

· Coordinate data collection and reporting necessary to meet SAMHSA and other state and federal grant, performance, and evaluation requirements.

· Translate data and evaluation findings into meaningful reports, dashboards, presentations, and actionable recommendations to support program improvement and data-informed decision-making.

· Coordinate stakeholder meetings, workgroups, training, and technical assistance activities and develop supporting agendas, presentations, reports, and implementation materials.

· Identify opportunities to strengthen connections between crisis response and ongoing community-based behavioral health treatment, recovery, and support services.

· Use data, stakeholder feedback, and best practices to identify system-level gaps and recommend strategies to improve access, coordination, quality, efficiency, and outcomes across the behavioral health continuum.

· Support alignment of CCBHC, 988, mobile crisis response, and other behavioral health initiatives to reduce fragmentation and advance a more integrated, accessible, and responsive statewide behavioral health system.

· Monitor emerging federal policy, funding opportunities, performance expectations, and national trends affecting CCBHC, 988, crisis services, and behavioral health system transformation.

Minimum Education/Experience Requirements

Master’s degree from an accredited college or university in public health, behavioral health, healthcare administration, social work, psychology, public administration, business administration, or related field, and a minimum of eight (8) years of relevant professional experience in behavioral health, healthcare, program implementation, project management, performance improvement, data analysis, program evaluation, or a related area.

Preference will be given to candidates with demonstrated experience managing or supporting SAMHSA-funded grants and initiatives, including grant writing and implementation, performance monitoring, evaluation, and federal reporting. Experience with 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline operations, crisis system development, Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) implementation, or related behavioral health system transformation initiatives is highly preferred.

Skills and Knowledge Required

Thorough understanding of evaluation and evidence-based programming; experiencing in high-level program management; demonstrated knowledge of Mississippi’s public behavioral health system; demonstrated knowledge of the CCBHC model, Mississippi’s crisis continuum, and 988; and competency in using Microsoft Office Suite products.

Salary

Hourly Rate: $45 Hours: Up to 40 per week