Behavioral Resource & Referral Specialist Lead - Center for Child Well Being

Department of Psychiatry

The Center for Child Well-Being, housed within the Department of Psychiatry in the University of Missouri School of Medicine, seeks a Lead for the Behavioral Resource and Referral Specialist Team in Psychiatry Access Programs.

The ideal candidate will be an experienced team leader who has progressive experience in delivering behavioral health services. They will be skilled at building relationships with patients, families, providers, and community partners. They will have strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills, with the ability to assess individual needs and identify appropriate behavioral health resources.

Excellent communication, sound judgment, and the ability to navigate complex challenges are essential. This position exercises independent judgment in guiding program implementation and day-to-day operations while ensuring alignment with funding requirements, project goals, and organizational priorities.

About the Center

The Center for Child Well-Being drives positive change for children and families through innovative programs, collaborative community partnerships, and strategic capacity building. Guided by our mission to improve outcomes for young children and their families, we envision a future where all children have a strong foundation for lifelong health.

Working at the Center means being part of a passionate, collaborative team committed to impact. Staff are supported in their professional growth, empowered to contribute meaningfully, and engaged in work that is purpose-driven and community-centered. Join us in shaping a more responsive and resilient childhood systems landscape across Missouri!

Key Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Team Leadership and Supervision

• Supervise a team of professional staff (currently 4-6 full-time employees) responsible for responding to MHAP/MO-CPAP calls and requests, completing intake and triage, coordinating referrals, and conducting follow-up with patients and families.
• Foster a collaborative, high-performing team culture grounded in accountability, communication, and continuous improvement.
• Maintain clear and consistent communication with team members regarding program priorities, expectations, changes, and operational needs.
• Participate in program and Center meetings and communicate relevant information and decisions to team members.
• Provide coaching, performance feedback, and accountability; address performance concerns appropriately; and support professional development and growth.
• Support workforce planning, hiring, onboarding, and team development in collaboration with Center leadership and appropriate University partners.
• Delegate responsibilities effectively and establish clear expectations, roles, and accountability within the team.
• Build effective working relationships with internal colleagues and external partners to support coordinated services and program operations.

Program Operations and Workflow Management

• Oversee day-to-day Resource & Referral team operations to ensure timely and appropriate response to calls, requests, intakes, referrals, and follow-up activities
• Monitor team workload, coverage, and workflow and make adjustments as needed to maintain service responsiveness and program capacity.
• Identify operational challenges, develop & implement solutions.
• Support implementation of program changes, new workflows, and process improvements and ensure team members understand and consistently apply updated expectations.
• Maintain and reinforce standardized processes that support efficient, consistent, and high-quality service delivery.
• Serve as a point of escalation for complex referrals, challenging situations, service barriers, and other issues requiring additional consultation or judgment.
• Collaborate with the Program Leads and Center leadership to address operational issues and support effective program implementation.

Quality Assurance and Compliance

• Monitor team performance and work products to promote accuracy, timeliness, consistency, and quality.
• Ensure staff maintain accurate, timely, and HIPAA-compliant electronic case documentation, including referral, follow-up, and outcome information.
• Support adherence to HIPAA, health and safety regulations, contractual requirements, and organizational policies and procedures.
• Identify trends, gaps, and opportunities for improvement in service delivery and documentation and work with staff to address them.
• Participate in quality improvement activities and contribute to the development and refinement of program processes, resources, and procedures.

Service Delivery and Program Support

• Maintain sufficient working knowledge of MHAP/MO-CPAP services, workflows, referral processes, and statewide mental and behavioral health resources to effectively supervise and support the team.
• Provide consultation and problem-solving support to staff related to screening, triage, referrals, provider scheduling, follow-up, and complex resource needs.
• Periodically participate in direct service activities, calls, or other program functions as needed to maintain operational knowledge, support coverage, and respond to program needs.
• Support staff in developing individualized resource options based on patient and family needs, geographic location, and available mental health, behavioral health, and substance use resources.
• Promote a responsive, respectful, and service-oriented approach that supports engagement and satisfaction among patients, families, and referral partners.

Resources, Data, and Process Improvement

• Oversee team efforts to maintain accurate and current statewide mental and behavioral health resource information, including identifying, vetting, and updating available resources
• Support the development and maintenance of program resources, materials, policies, data, and processes.
• Monitor team-level data and performance information to identify trends, inform workflow decisions, and support continuous quality improvement.
• Contribute to programmatic updates, process improvement initiatives, and implementation of program changes.
• Partner with the Program Leads and evaluation team, as appropriate, to support accurate data collection and reporting and to use information to improve program performance.

Other

• Perform other duties as assigned

Work Hours:

• Please note that this position requires some after-hours and weekend shifts to provide full coverage for our resource access hotline. Hours may shift on a weekly basis.

Monday - Friday
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Occasional nights and weekends

Master's degree in psychology, counseling, marriage and family therapy, or social work and relevant licensure (or eligible to be licensed within 12 months) within the State of Missouri.

Education: LCSW or LPC.
Years of Experience: Experience in child and adolescent and/or perinatal behavioral health, particularly in primary care & behavioral health integration settings, is desirable.

Salary Range: $70,000 - $79,000 annually
Grade: GGS - 010
University Title: COUNS HLTH/WELFARE/WELLNESS SR
Internal applicants can determine their university title by accessing the Talent Profile tile in myHR.

In addition to the Online Application, please provide Resume and cover letter.

Employment visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

This position is eligible for University benefits. As part of your total compensation, the University offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental and vision plans, retirement, paid time off, short- and long-term disability, paid parental leave, paid caregiver leave, and educational fee discounts for all four UM System campuses. For additional information on University benefits, please visit the Faculty & Staff Benefits website at https://www.umsystem.edu/departments-staff/human-resources/benefits-retirement

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of Missouri is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

To request ADA accommodations, please call the Director of Accessibility and ADA at 573-884-7278.