The posting
Alaska Rural Behavioral Health Leadership Opportunities
Alaska, USA AK-RSS Rural Talent Network Full-Time On-Site
Alaska Rural Behavioral Health Leadership Opportunities
Help Us Build a Better Way for Rural Healthcare
This application may connect you with the specific opportunity you were viewing, as well as other current or upcoming rural healthcare positions that align with your experience and goals.
By joining the RSS Rural Talent Network, you are helping us build a more thoughtful and connected approach to rural recruitment, one that allows experienced professionals and Alaska healthcare organizations to find one another more quickly when the right need arises.
Every application helps strengthen a growing network of people who are willing to bring their experience, leadership, adaptability, and heart to rural, remote, and frontier communities.
Explore Rural Healthcare Opportunities at RSSJobs.org
This application may connect you with the specific opportunity you were viewing, as well as other current or upcoming rural healthcare positions throughout Alaska that align with your experience and goals.
Visit www.RSSJobs.org to explore additional rural healthcare opportunities and communities.
Behavioral Health Leadership Opportunities Across Alaska
Rural Staffing Services partners with rural hospitals, clinics, Tribal health organizations, regional health systems, community health centers, behavioral health programs, and community-based organizations throughout Alaska to identify experienced leaders who understand the unique challenges and opportunities of serving rural, remote, frontier, and Alaska Native communities.
We are currently connecting with professionals who may be interested in active and upcoming behavioral health leadership opportunities across Alaska.
These opportunities may include leadership within Critical Access Hospitals, Rural Health Clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers, Tribal health organizations, village clinics, regional health corporations, community hospitals, integrated care programs, outpatient behavioral health clinics, substance-use treatment programs, crisis services, residential programs, telebehavioral health services, and community-based organizations.
This Is More Than a Behavioral Health Role
Behavioral health access can be especially limited across Alaska, where distance, weather, transportation barriers, workforce shortages, and limited local resources may prevent people from receiving timely care.
Strong behavioral health leadership is essential.
Behavioral health leaders help organizations create programs that are accessible, sustainable, culturally responsive, compassionate, and grounded in the needs and strengths of each community.
They may lead mental health, substance-use treatment, crisis response, social services, prevention, wellness, or integrated behavioral health programs while working closely with clinical teams, Tribal leaders, community health aides, schools, public agencies, village organizations, emergency responders, and regional healthcare partners.
The strongest leaders understand that behavioral health care does not exist in isolation. It is connected to primary care, emergency services, housing, food security, transportation, family systems, workforce shortages, historical trauma, community connection, and the overall health and well-being of the region.
In Alaska, behavioral health leadership may also require coordinating services across enormous geographic distances, supporting teams in multiple communities, expanding telebehavioral health, developing local workforce pathways, and creating systems that remain effective when travel or specialty access is limited.
This work requires creativity, humility, collaboration, cultural awareness, resilience, and a genuine commitment to meeting people where they are.
Opportunities May Include
This application may connect you with current or upcoming roles such as:
Behavioral Health Director Director of Mental Health Services Behavioral Health Program Manager Integrated Behavioral Health Director or Manager Substance Use Disorder Program Director Crisis Services Director or Manager Community Behavioral Health Manager Tribal Behavioral Health Director Regional Behavioral Health Director Psychiatric Services Director Clinical Director of Behavioral Health Social Services Director Counseling Services Manager Prevention and Wellness Program Director Residential Treatment Program Director Village Behavioral Health Program Leader Telebehavioral Health Program Leader Care Integration or Population Health Leader Behavioral Health Operations Leader
What You May Lead
Responsibilities will vary by organization, community, and position and may include:
Providing strategic and operational leadership for behavioral health services
Developing, expanding, or strengthening mental health, substance-use, crisis-response, prevention, and wellness programs
Supporting integrated behavioral health within primary care, hospital, Tribal health, or village-based settings
Leading clinical and nonclinical behavioral health teams across one or multiple communities
Recruiting, developing, mentoring, and retaining behavioral health professionals
Supporting local workforce development, internships, supervision, and professional growth pathways
Strengthening access to care in rural, remote, frontier, underserved, and Alaska Native communities
Supporting crisis response, suicide prevention, postvention, stabilization, and care-transition programs
Developing culturally responsive services in partnership with local communities, Tribal leaders, elders, and regional organizations
Building relationships with schools, law enforcement, emergency medical services, public agencies, village councils, Tribal partners, and community organizations
Overseeing program quality, compliance, documentation, credentialing, accreditation, and regulatory readiness
Managing budgets, grants, contracts, staffing, facilities, and program performance
Developing policies, procedures, workflows, referral systems, and service-delivery models
Supporting telebehavioral health and other creative access solutions
Coordinating behavioral health services across village clinics, regional hubs, hospitals, residential programs, and specialty providers
Tracking outcomes and using data to improve care, access, and long-term program sustainability
Preparing for transportation, weather, staffing, and emergency-response challenges that may affect service delivery
Advocating for patients, families, employees, Tribal communities, and the regions being served
Creating programs that reflect the strengths, values, traditions, and priorities of each community
What You Will Bring
Qualifications will vary by opportunity, but organizations may seek:
Progressive experience in behavioral health, mental health, substance-use treatment, social services, prevention, crisis services, or integrated care
Previous leadership experience as a director, manager, clinical supervisor, program administrator, regional leader, or comparable professional
Experience developing, managing, expanding, or improving behavioral health programs
Knowledge of behavioral health regulations, documentation, quality standards, reimbursement, grants, and compliance
Experience leading multidisciplinary and geographically dispersed teams
Strong communication, relationship-building, cultural humility, and problem-solving skills
The ability to make thoughtful decisions when resources, transportation, or specialty support may be limited
Experience working with rural, remote, frontier, underserved, high-need, or culturally diverse populations
Experience working with Alaska Native communities, Tribal health organizations, Indian Health Service programs, or tribally operated healthcare systems may be highly valued for some roles
Familiarity with hospitals, FQHCs, Rural Health Clinics, Tribal health systems, regional health corporations, community behavioral health organizations, or public agencies
Experience supporting telebehavioral health, mobile services, regional programs, or care across multiple communities
Relevant education, licensure, or certification based on the specific position
A compassionate, collaborative, dependable, and community-focused leadership style
Some opportunities may prefer or require licensure such as LCSW, LPC, LMFT, psychologist, psychiatric nurse practitioner, substance-use treatment credential, or another behavioral health credential.
Specific licensure, supervision, credentialing, travel, schedule, and experience requirements will depend on the organization and role.
Types of Opportunities
Opportunities may include:
Permanent leadership positions Interim leadership assignments Regional leadership roles Village-based leadership roles Hybrid or partially remote leadership opportunities Rotational or block-schedule assignments Short-term program-development support Temporary-to-permanent opportunities Direct temporary employment with the healthcare organization Independent contract arrangements where legally appropriate Leadership roles serving multiple communities or facilities
The schedule, compensation, call expectations, travel requirements, housing, transportation, credentialing, community responsibilities, and employment structure will be explained before you decide whether to move forward with a specific opportunity.
Why Rural Alaska?
Alaska is unlike anywhere else.
Its communities stretch across vast regions of mountains, forests, tundra, rivers, islands, and coastline. Some are connected by highways. Others may be reached only by plane, boat, snowmachine, or seasonal transportation.
Distance and workforce shortages can make behavioral health services especially difficult to access, yet the need for compassionate, dependable, community-centered care remains significant.
Leading behavioral health in Alaska offers the opportunity to build meaningful programs, create lasting partnerships, strengthen local teams, and help people receive care closer to home.
The impact of this work may be felt not only by patients, but also by families, schools, elders, employers, healthcare teams, first responders, Tribal organizations, and entire communities.
In some roles, you may help strengthen an established regional program. In others, you may help develop new services, expand telebehavioral health, build a local workforce, improve crisis response, or create stronger connections between village-based care and regional resources.
The work requires flexibility, respect, humility, and a willingness to listen before leading.
It also offers the opportunity to see the direct impact of thoughtful leadership and to help create systems that remain strong long after a single position has been filled.
Join the AK-RSS Rural Talent Network
By applying through this page, you are joining the confidential AK-RSS Rural Talent Network.
You may be considered for current or upcoming behavioral health leadership opportunities that align with your experience, goals, preferred region, availability, and leadership interests.
Please submit your resume and let us know:
Which Alaska communities or regions you would consider
Whether you are interested in road-system, rural, remote, frontier, village-based, or regional opportunities
Whether you are open to relocation, rotational schedules, regional travel, or fly-in assignments
Whether you are interested in permanent, interim, hybrid, remote, rotational, or multiple types of opportunities
Which position or community you were viewing on RSSJobs.org
Our team personally reviews each application.
When we identify an opportunity that may be a strong match, we will contact you directly to share more about the organization, community, program needs, cultural considerations, leadership expectations, travel requirements, housing, and next steps.
Your information will be handled professionally and confidentially.
Discover More Rural Healthcare Opportunities
Visit www.RSSJobs.org to explore additional rural healthcare positions, leadership opportunities, and communities throughout Alaska.
Work Where It Matters.
Built for Rural.
