DIRECTOR OF CRISIS SERVICES, SUICIDE PREVENTION AND DISASTER MANAGEMENT - 82779

Executive Service

DIRECTOR OF CRISIS SERVICES, SUICIDE PREVENTION AND DISASTER MANAGEMENT

TN Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

Mental Health Services

Nashville, TN

Annual Salary: $79,320.00 - $125,604.00

Closing Date: 11/23/2026

Background Check:

This position requires a criminal background check. Therefore, you may be required to provide information about your criminal history in order to be considered for this position.

Who we are and what we do:

The Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS) is the state's lead agency for planning, developing, funding, and overseeing services and supports for Tennesseans experiencing mental illness, substance use disorders, and co-occurring conditions. TDMHSAS works with community providers, state agencies, healthcare systems, courts, law enforcement, emergency responders, individuals and families, and other partners to promote prevention, recovery, resiliency, and access to effective behavioral health services.

Through statewide leadership, funding, policy development, workforce initiatives, and quality improvement, TDMHSAS supports a coordinated behavioral health system that promotes hope, advances recovery, reduces suicide, responds to crises, and improves outcomes for individuals, families, and communities.

How you make a difference in this role:

The Director of Crisis Services, Suicide Prevention, and Disaster Management provides strategic leadership within TDMHSAS for statewide behavioral health crisis response, suicide prevention, and disaster behavioral health initiatives. This position oversees the development, implementation, coordination, and evaluation of programs designed to reduce suicide, strengthen crisis services, support communities during disasters, and ensure timely access to high-quality behavioral health care.

The Director works collaboratively with state agencies, behavioral health providers, hospitals, emergency departments, law enforcement, emergency management, community organizations, individuals with lived experience, and other partners to build an integrated and sustainable crisis and prevention system consistent with the mission and priorities of TDMHSAS.

Job Overview:

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Provide leadership and oversight for statewide crisis services, suicide prevention, and disaster behavioral health programs.

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Develop and implement strategic plans, policies, standards, and performance measures to improve crisis response and suicide prevention outcomes.

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Coordinate the behavioral health crisis continuum, including crisis call centers, mobile crisis services, walk-in and crisis stabilization services, emergency department partnerships, and follow-up care.

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Strengthen coordination among behavioral health providers, hospitals, emergency medical services, law enforcement, courts, schools, emergency management agencies, and community partners.

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Support evidence-based suicide prevention, intervention, postvention, and means-safety strategies.

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Promote early identification and intervention for individuals at risk of suicide or experiencing a behavioral health crisis.

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Oversee statewide disaster behavioral health planning and response, including preparedness, training, deployment, recovery, and long-term community support.

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Coordinate behavioral health response during natural disasters, public health emergencies, mass casualty events, and other critical incidents.

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Ensure crisis and disaster response plans address rural communities and other underserved populations.

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Expand workforce capacity through training, technical assistance, recruitment, retention, and professional development.

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Engage individuals and families with lived experience in program planning, implementation, and evaluation.

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Monitor contracts, grants, budgets, deliverables, and compliance requirements.

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Use data, technology, and continuous quality improvement methods to identify service gaps and improve access, outcomes, and coordination.

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Prepare reports, presentations, policy recommendations, grant applications, and legislative or executive briefings.

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Represent TDMHSAS in statewide, regional, and national meetings, workgroups, task forces, and emergency response activities.

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Supervise, mentor, and evaluate assigned staff while promoting accountability, collaboration, innovation, and respect.

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Perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

Required:

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Master's degree in behavioral health, public health, emergency management, social work, counseling, psychology, public administration, or a related field.

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Significant experience in behavioral health crisis services, suicide prevention, disaster behavioral health, emergency management, public health, or a related area.

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Demonstrated experience managing complex programs, contracts, grants, budgets, and multi-agency initiatives.

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Experience developing policies, procedures, performance measures, and strategic plans.

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Strong understanding of behavioral health crisis systems, suicide prevention practices, and disaster response principles.

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Experience leading teams and working effectively with diverse stakeholders.

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Excellent written, verbal, organizational, and problem-solving skills.

Preferred:

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Licensed behavioral health professional or relevant professional certification.

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Experience working in a statewide behavioral health or public sector system.

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Experience with crisis system transformation, 988 implementation, mobile crisis services, crisis stabilization, or emergency department behavioral health partnerships.

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Experience with federal grants, performance reporting, and program evaluation.

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Training or certification in emergency management, suicide prevention, incident command, or disaster behavioral health.

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Experience incorporating data-driven technology and health information systems into service delivery.

This position may require travel throughout Tennessee and occasional work outside normal business hours. The Director may be required to participate in emergency response activities, disaster deployments, critical incident briefings, and other time-sensitive events.

Pursuant to the State of Tennessee's Workplace Discrimination and Harassment policy, the State is firmly committed to the principle of fair and equal employment opportunities for its citizens and strives to protect the rights and opportunities of all people to seek, obtain, and hold employment without being subjected to illegal discrimination and harassment in the workplace. It is the State's policy to provide an environment free of discrimination and harassment of an individual because of that person's race, color, national origin, age (40 and over), sex, pregnancy, religion, creed, disability, veteran's status or any other category protected by state and/or federal civil rights laws.