Forensic HARPS Program Manager (HCPM/DBHR)

Salary : $80,496.00 - $108,228.00 Annually
Location : Thurston County - Olympia, WA
Job Type: Full Time - Permanent
Remote Employment: Remote Optional
Job Number:
Department: Health Care Authority
Division: BHR
Opening Date: 10/30/2026
Closing Date: 11/8/2026 11:59 PM Pacific
Salary Information: The high end of the salary range, Step M is typically a longevity step

Description
Forensic HARPS Program Manager

This is a full-time, permanent, remote position. Occasional travel throughout Washington is required to meet with contracted providers to conduct annual site visits.

All HCA employees are required to be Washington state residents upon their first day of employment.

The Opportunity

Support and manage programs that help people with behavioral health conditions who are involved in the criminal legal and competency systems find stable housing and lasting support. The Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery (DBHR) is seeking a Health Care Program Manager to lead the Forensic Housing and Recovery through Peer Services (F-HARPS) program, along with the Tribal Housing Vouchers and Crisis Housing Vouchers programs. These programs are key parts of the Trueblood v. Washington settlement, a statewide effort to end unconstitutional delays in competency evaluation and restoration services for people held in jails. You will manage the programs statewide, from contracts and budgets to policy, data, and quality improvement.

Key Responsibilities Include:

• Serve as the primary point of contact and subject matter expert for F-HARPS, Tribal Housing Vouchers, and Crisis Housing Vouchers, providing guidance to top-level HCA managers DSHS leadership, Attorney Generals, State Councils on matters regarding the Trueblood Settlement Agreement.
• Develop, execute, implement, and manage contracts with community behavioral health providers and Behavioral Health Administration Service Organizations (BHASO) to administer Forensic HARPS and Crisis Housing Voucher programming.
• Update contracts with amendments for current providers or add contracts with new providers as needed to meet goals and allocate program resources based on the needs and feedback from system partners.
• Provide written and verbal presentations related to implementation plans for policy makers and partners.
• Formulate statewide policy and provide long range strategic direction for the agency by providing subject matter expertise related to Forensic HARPS supportive housing services.
• Act as the Trueblood Element lead on Forensic HARPS, Tribal Housing Vouchers, and Crisis Housing Voucher programs by directing the development of homeless/healthcare initiatives to ensure access to quality behavioral health and healthcare services
• Manage a significant number of multi-million-dollar contracts related to the legislatively funded work under the Trueblood Settlement Agreement.
• Serves as the primary point of contact for the Forensic HARPS services, Tribal Housing Vouchers, and Crisis Housing Vouchers related to supportive housing, technical assistance, and consultative services.
• Ensure that Forensic HARPS programs utilize and adhere to SAMSHA Permanent Supportive Housing Model and other contract requirements.
• Manage, train, and develop policies related to the implementation of Forensic HARPS teams.

Why You'll Love This Role:

• You'll oversee programs helping people exiting, or at risk of entering, the criminal legal system find safe, supportive housing.
• You'll lead a high-impact statewide program whose outcomes are reported directly to the federal court.
• You'll partner with providers, courts, Tribes, housing agencies, and DSHS in communities across Washington.
• You'll work remotely, with occasional travel to connect with partners and communities around Washington.

What You Bring:

You are a steady, organized leader who keeps complex work on track when deadlines matter. You build trust with providers, courts, and community partners, and you bring a recovery-oriented, person-centered approach that respects individual choice and dignity. You make sound, data-informed decisions, communicate clearly with audiences from front-line staff to executive leaders, and stay flexible in a fast-changing environment.

Required Qualifications

Experience may have been gained through paid or unpaid activities. Please ensure any relevant experience defined below is outlined in your cover letter, resume, and application.

• Statewide Health Care Program Management - Demonstrated expertise in developing, implementing, administering, and evaluating complex statewide health care programs, including establishing program goals, priorities, operational strategies, performance expectations, and work plans aligned with agency objectives.
• Strategic Planning and Program Development - Demonstrated ability to translate organizational priorities, legislative directives, health care policies, and emerging program needs into short- and long-term strategies, implementation plans, measurable objectives, and program outcomes.
• Policy, Legislative, and Regulatory Leadership - Demonstrated knowledge of complex state and federal health care laws, regulations, administrative rules, and legislative processes, including the ability to assess policy impacts, evaluate implementation requirements, and develop recommendations that support regulatory compliance and program effectiveness.
• Fiscal and Resource Management - Demonstrated proficiency in managing program budgets, expenditures, contracts, staffing, and operational resources, including establishing priorities, evaluating competing demands, and allocating resources to achieve program objectives while maintaining fiscal accountability.
• Program Performance and Continuous Improvement - Demonstrated ability to establish performance measures, evaluate program effectiveness, assess operational outcomes, and analyze qualitative and quantitative data to identify risks, address deficiencies, and implement continuous improvement strategies.
• Executive Consultation and Decision-Making - Demonstrated expertise in evaluating complex or sensitive health care program issues, assessing organizational impacts, and providing executive leadership with evidence-based recommendations, viable alternatives, and defensible solutions that support informed decision-making.
• Leadership and Partner Management - Demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary teams, professional staff, contractors, providers, and internal and external partners, including establishing accountability, resolving competing priorities, and fostering collaboration to achieve statewide program objectives.
• Risk Management and Organizational Accountability - Demonstrated ability to identify, assess, and mitigate significant programmatic, regulatory, fiscal, contractual, and operational risks through effective controls, corrective actions, and accountability measures that protect program integrity and support organizational objectives.

Required Competencies:

Equity lens - All HCA employees are required to consider equity in their decisions, processes, and day-to-day work, including how their work may affect the people and communities we serve.

The ability to take action to learn and grow - You take action to learn and grow by seeking new perspectives, learning from experiences, and using what you've learned to continuously improve how you work and serve others.

The ability to take action to meet the needs of others - You take action to meet the needs of others by listening, understanding different perspectives, and responding with care, respect, and solutions that support the people of the communities we serve.

Preferred Qualifications

While these are not required, having them may help you stand out as an applicant.

• Evidence-Based Permanent Supportive Housing Model, including its principles, practices, and application within community behavioral health services.
• Demonstrated knowledge of local, state, and federal housing programs, resources, and supportive services available to individuals experiencing behavioral health conditions, including opportunities for community-based housing and employment.
• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain supportive, trusting relationships with individuals experiencing serious and persistent mental health conditions while respecting individual rights, personal preferences, and treatment decisions and promoting access to appropriate community-based services and supports.
• Demonstrated knowledge of behavioral health managed care principles, including contract administration, service access, medical necessity, resource management, quality improvement, cultural competency, provider contracting, and federal funding requirements.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
• Demonstrated understanding of the role of Certified Peer Counselors within the community behavioral health system and the application of recovery-oriented principles that promote individual choice, self-determination, independence, and community integration.
• Demonstrated ability to plan, coordinate, implement, and monitor projects, manage competing priorities, establish timelines, and achieve organizational objectives.
• Demonstrated proficiency in written and verbal communication, including developing and delivering presentations to diverse audiences and utilizing Microsoft Office applications to support reporting, data management, and administrative functions.
• Masters' degree in psychology, sociology, social work, or related human services or rehabilitation services field.
• Demonstrated knowledge of Washington State's community behavioral health system, including federal and state statutes, rules, regulations, policies, and applicable Medicaid requirements.

About the Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery (DBHR)

DBHR provides support for substance use treatment, mental health services, and problem gambling services through prevention, treatment, peer, and recovery support. Programs promote strategies that support healthy lifestyles by preventing the misuse of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs, supporting recovery from substance use, promoting recovery and resiliency, reducing stigma, and mitigating the effects of problem gambling on the individual and family. DBHR brings operational elements such as substance use and mental health into closer working relations to serve individuals more effectively and efficiently. The Outpatient Competency Restoration Program (OCRP) program manager is located within the Trueblood Team, a unit within Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery. The position is supervised by the Trueblood Team Supervisor.

Supplemental Information
About the Washington State Health Care Authority