Salary : $81,348.00 - $113,880.00 Annually
Location : Thurston County - Olympia, WA
Job Type: Agency Internal - Permanent
Remote Employment: Remote Optional
Job Number:
Department: Health Care Authority
Division: BHR
Opening Date: 07/17/2026
Closing Date: 7/27/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

Description
State Hospital Diversion Programs Supervisor (WMS2/DBHR)

71094047

This opportunity is internal and available to current HCA employees only.
This Supervisory role leads a team of behavioral health professionals developing and implementing programs that divert individuals from involuntary psychiatric hospitalization through community-based mental health services, long-term civil commitment options, and wraparound supports. This position oversees statewide behavioral health capacity planning, advises executive leadership on funding sustainability, and interfaces with multiple State agencies. Well-suited for a seasoned leader with clinical and systems-level experience, this role drives recovery policy across Washington's public mental health system.
All HCA employees will apply an equity lens to their work, which may include but is not limited to all analyses of core business and processes.
About the position:

The State Hospital Diversion Programs Supervisor is located within the Adult Services and Involuntary Treatment section, a section within the Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery. This position is supervised by the Adult services and Involuntary Treatment Section Manager. The State Hospital Diversion team functions within DBHR as the hub for long term civil commitment services, transitional psychiatric residential care services, and programs that provide intensive outpatient treatment with the goal of reducing re-admissions to inpatient psychiatric hospitalization. These programs utilize a variety of purchasing strategies and serves a diversity of specialized populations.
This position is eligible to telework and is typically not required to report on-site. The default assigned work location of all Health Care Authority (HCA) positions - both on-site and telework eligible positions - is within the State of Washington. This position reports to Olympia, WA. Frequency of onsite work will vary based on business and operational needs. All agency employees are required to report on-site in Olympia on their first and last days of employment to pick up and return state-issued equipment, regardless of telework status or location.
Duties
Some of what you will do:

• Review behavioral health system needs and provide leadership that supports adult and older adult mental health services within Federal regulations, Medicaid State Plan, 1915 (b) and 1115 Medicaid Transformation implementation, SAMHSA Federal Block Grant requirements, other federal grant activities, and WAC/RCW.
• Provide executive leadership with strategies related to recovery-oriented and community-based behavioral health services for adults and older adults.
• Provide strategic oversight of behavioral health facility capacity within Washington State. Create and maintain an inventory of existing and incoming behavioral health facilities as well as assessing community and statewide impacts related to the locations and quantities of those facilities.
• Lead an internal steering committee to facilitate organization and structure within the planning of new and existing behavioral health service capacity with an emphasis on evaluating funding sustainability and service delivery where it is most needed.
• Determine and approve strategies for program implementation and development, utilizing management information, clinical expertise, and an in-depth understanding of the overall public community behavioral health system, while ensuring communication and coordination with MCOs, BH-ASOs, providers, individuals and families, and other stakeholders.
• Provide direct supervision to State Hospital Diversion team members, reviewing status of current projects, contracts, initiatives, and reports. Ensuring timely and accurate authorizations and provider payment. Identify obstacles and develop strategies to work around obstacles and implement change.
• Provide support, supervision, and guidance related to PACT, IRT and IBHTF program managers to maximize availability, sustainability, and high-quality service delivery in partnership with internal, external and contracted entities.
• Oversight of the LTCC Quality Assurance program and associated activities.
• Provide guidance for politically sensitive issues, significant incidents, or reported actions that may have a negative impact on the division or the agency.
• Secure final approval of significant budgetary actions and new division level policy. Manage and monitor proviso/legislative initiatives.
• Represent adult and older adult mental health in quality management and measurement activities and committees.

Qualifications
Required qualifications:

Qualifying candidates will meet one of the following criteria options:

Option 1:

Master's or other advanced degree in a behavioral health related field and five (5) years of experience working in the public community behavioral health system, including experience as a Mental Health Professional in a community behavioral health agency to demonstrate clinical acumen and knowledge of the operations within the public behavioral health service settings.

Option 2:

Bachelor's degree in a field identified above, and seven (7) years of experience working in the public community behavioral health system, including experience as a Mental Health Professional in a community behavioral health agency to demonstrate clinical acumen and knowledge of the operations within the public behavioral health service settings.

Option 3:

Associate degree and nine (9) years of experience working in the public community behavioral health system, including experience as a Mental Health Professional in a community behavioral health agency to demonstrate clinical acumen and knowledge of the operations within the public behavioral health service settings.

Option 4:

Eleven (11) years of experience working in the public community behavioral health system, including experience as a Mental Health Professional in a community behavioral health agency to demonstrate clinical acumen and knowledge of the operations within the public behavioral health service settings.
Required competencies:

• The ability to take action to learn and grow.
• The ability to take action to meet the needs of others.
• Direct knowledge of Washington State's community behavioral health system, including outpatient and inpatient care, systems and coordination of treatment (e.g.: MCOs, Behavioral Health Agencies, Dept. of Corrections).
• Experience and knowledge related to the role and function of DCRs and involuntary treatment, HCLA, and Developmental Disabilities Administration, understanding of crisis and commitment services/statutes, evaluation and treatment facilities, community psychiatric hospitalization, state hospitals, and pertinent CFR, RCW, and WAC related to mental health, including Medicaid regulations.
• Knowledge of behavioral health programs and models of care based on recovery and resilience and national and local trends in care and practice, including evidence-based and research-based practices.
• Knowledge of mental health managed care principles and contract issues related to federal funding, medical necessity, resource management, access, quality improvement, cultural competency, and provider contracting.
• Knowledge of the protocols and processes of the executive and legislative branches of state and local government.
• Knowledge of continuous quality improvement principles.
• Knowledge of state contracting, contract management principles, and contract compliance regulations.
• Knowledge of the Washington State Centennial Accord and the Government-to-Government relationship with Tribes.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills and ability to work collaboratively with multiple stakeholders including individuals with lived experience, advocates, partner state agencies, providers, state and local government officials and/or legislators and legislative staff in the analysis / development of policies and procedures, WAC and statute for management of publicly funded mental health services.

Preferred qualifications:

• Demonstrated experience supervising staff or direct reports.
• Experience in the provision and supervision of inpatient and outpatient behavioral health services within Washington's public behavioral health system.
• Project management skills
• Grant writing experience

How to apply:

Only candidates who reflect the minimum qualifications on their NEOGOV profile will be considered. Failure to follow the application instructions below may lead to disqualification. To apply for this position, you will need to complete your profile which includes three professional references and attach in separate files:

• A cover letter that specifically addresses how you meet the qualifications for this position
• Current resume

To take advantage of veteran preference, please do the following:

• Attach a copy of your DD214 (Member 4 long-form copy), NGB 22, or USDVA signed verification of service letter.
• Please black out any PII (personally identifiable information) data such as social security numbers. Include your name as it appears on your application in careers.wa.gov.