THE ORGANIZATION:
Tamarack Center is a Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility (PRTF) in Spokane, Washington providing long-term, medically supervised, 24-hour residential treatment. Tamarack admits youth ages 12-17 on a voluntary or involuntary status who manifest severe psychiatric impairment. In addition to residential services, Tamarack also provides outpatient day treatment services.
Since 1984, Tamarack has been providing a quiet refuge of treatment and hope. Working with adolescents whose problems may include suicide attempts, mood or thought disorders, ADHD, learning disabilities, aggressive behavior, or histories of abuse and neglect, Tamarack focuses its program on helping young people break the desperate cycle of emotional illness and regain their place in their communities. With a combination of intensive treatment, compassion, family involvement, and community resources to address their multiple needs, the cornerstone of Tamarack’s treatment philosophy is learning to establish healthy relationships. This is because, across the entire spectrum of diagnosis, an underlying cause and/or effect of the condition is a disruption in relationships. Tamarack believes that through a healthy, developmentally appropriate relationship, youth can begin to face their emotional difficulties and prepare for the future. The goal of Tamarack is for young people to continue life’s path better equipped to handle the challenges of growing into adult life.
After 37 years of dedicated service to Tamarack, Tim Davis will be retiring from his position as Executive Director at the end of 2023.
To learn more about Tamarack, please visit https://tamarack.org/.
THE OPPORTUNITY:
Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director is responsible for the vision and strategic direction, oversight and management of all programs, services and activities, as well as the fiscal health and structural soundness of the organization. The Executive Director is responsible for developing and maintaining strong relationships with various constituencies including children and their families, Board members, funders, government, and partner agencies. Tamarack’s annual budget is approximately $5 million and has roughly 40 employees. The Executive Director provides support and direct oversight of the following direct reports: Ancillary Services Director, Director of Nursing and Training, and Therapy Director.
Working in collaboration with direct reports, the Executive Director’s specific duties include, but may not be limited to:
Leadership – Articulates vision and strategic direction of Tamarack, recommending short-term and long-range plans and budgets to the Board of Directors; formulates budgets for plans, programs, and objectives, and directing all programs, services, and activities; articulates both the short-term and long term vision of the agency and ensuring that overall agency objectives and milestones are met; administers policies and procedures and assures that program objectives are accomplished.
Management and Staff Development – Leads senior management team to strengthen and support the programmatic, financial, and operational goals of Tamarack; involved in recruiting, developing, and motivating staff; identifies training needs and ensures development and implementation of programs that address needs; oversees succession planning and assessment of staff; reviews current practices and methods, and initiating the development of new ones as necessary to reduce costs, encourage growth, and improve efficiency.
Funding – Develops effective partnerships, collaborations, and strategic alliances with government agencies, corporations, and other sources of funds within the nonprofit industry, as well as with individuals.
Board Relations – Facilitates operations and administration of the Board, by promoting proactive Board development, advising and informing Board members, interfacing between Board and staff, and supporting the Board to fulfill its governance function.
Clinical – Completes required training certificates and maintains certifications/credentials required by state and/or national accreditation institutions; develops and implements Tamarack’s treatment philosophy and approaches per professional standards and all WAC and DSHS requirements; reviews all clinical treatment approaches and milieu activities so that children’s individualized treatment plans are fully developed and implemented; oversees the Tamarack School operation including continued licensure and contract negotiations with School District #81; remains current in matters about residential treatment programs and child and adolescent psychiatric illness.
Quality, Compliance and Reporting – As the point of contact, ensures that agency activities and operations meet or exceed expectations with local, state, and federal regulations and laws governing business operations; assures the development and continuation of a high-quality residential program serving the needs of children and adolescents with severe psychiatric impairments following professional, accrediting, and regulatory standards; acts as a mandated reporter, ensuring strict adherence to child abuse reporting requirements; establishes systems to regularly and systematically evaluate the results of overall operations and programs; procures, maintains, and oversees all private contracts to ensure compliance.
Financial Duties – Oversees the development of budgets for submission to the Board; ensures the Board is regularly informed on the financial status of the agency; develops and implements the budget and all fiscal management procedures per WAC, DSHS regulations, federal standards, and provisions of private contracts; provides the appropriate control and accountability of all funds, physical assets, and other property.
Advocacy, Community Relations and Communications – Assures that the agency and its mission, programs and services are consistently presented in a strong, positive image to relevant stakeholders; maintains leadership and program advocacy role of the agency by interfacing with other community organizations and key constituent groups, County departments, and political leaders through direct contact and local and state provider associations; participates in the Children’s Long-Term Inpatient Program (CLIP) and state and county meetings to ensure that the best interests of psychiatrically impaired children are addressed.
TRAITS AND CHARACTERISTICS DESIRED:
The Executive Director must possess a passion for working with and encouraging adolescents and their families to lead self-reliant, stable and productive lives. The ideal candidate is a collaborative team builder, mentor, and seasoned leader who operates with a strategic perspective while executing day-to-day activities. A strong business acumen that will enable the Executive Director to make effective decisions for the agency is key.
The incoming Executive Director will be a politically astute leader with the ability to inspire and motivate others with energy, creativity and charisma. As such, the ideal candidate should possess strong communication skills, both written and oral, including outstanding public speaking skills as the Executive Director will relate and connect with diverse audiences internally and externally. The Executive Director should be a highly responsive, motivated, resourceful, results-oriented leader with the ability to think strategically, generate new ideas, prioritize, plan, and set goals and objectives, as well as implement and follow through. An inclusive leadership style that endorses collaboration and open, transparent communication will be highly valued. The successful candidate will have critical thinking skills and will display integrity, good judgment, technical expertise, strong organizational skills, and logical priority-setting skills as well as a great sense of humor.
CAREER TRACK LEADING TO THIS POSITION:
The successful candidate will have a minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible nonprofit executive experience. A proven track record of leading a human service and administration of contract-funded programs with general knowledge of the regulations governing child welfare agencies is essential. It will be important for candidates to have an appreciation for, and ideally experience working with residential programs. Experience working with county and state funding agencies would be beneficial. While experience in Washington is preferred, candidates with appropriate experience in other states are also encouraged to apply.
EDUCATION:
An advanced degree in psychology, social work, or other mental health profession is preferred.
COMPENSATION:
The salary range is $225,000 to $275,000 based on experience. The Executive Director may be eligible for an annual bonus at the discretion of the Board. Relocation assistance, if needed, is negotiable. A comprehensive benefits package will be provided.
TO APPLY:
Qualified candidates are invited to submit a resume and compelling letter of interest via Morris & Berger’s website. Please direct inquiries and nominations in confidence to:
Karin Stellar, Partner
kstellar@morrisberger.com
Morris & Berger
Telephone 818-507-1234
Electronic submission is required.