About Claratel Behavioral Health

Claratel Behavioral Health is an innovative, community-based behavioral health and developmental disabilities services organization offering a full range of mental health, developmental disabilities, and substance use disorder services to underserved individuals. As a public, not-for-profit organization, Claratel Behavioral Health operates in more than 20 locations in DeKalb County, Georgia, with a diverse workforce of more than 400 direct-care and support staff.

If you are passionate about driving change in behavioral health and developmental services and are eager to work in an environment that values innovation and inclusivity, Claratel Behavioral Health is the place for you. Here, your work is impactful, your growth is prioritized, and your well-being is supported. Together, we can forge pathways to a healthier future for all.

Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU) Nursing & Operations Manager

Position Summary

The Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU) Nursing & Operations Manager provides comprehensive leadership for all nursing services and day-to-day unit operations within the Crisis Stabilization Unit of the Dekalb Regional Crisis Center. This role is accountable for the operational performance, staffing, workflows, regulatory compliance, and readiness of a 24/7 psychiatric crisis stabilization program.

The CSU Nursing & Operations Manager has direct responsibility and authority for all nursing services within the CSU and directly supervises all Registered Nurses (RNs) and Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) assigned to the unit. This role also has responsibility for the Behavioral Health and Crisis Safety Technician Teams.  In close collaboration with the Crisis Services Director, Medical Director, Clinical Manager, and Behavioral Health Technician Supervisor, and other stakeholders, this role ensures quality and continuity of care. 

Duties and Responsibilities

Nursing Services Leadership

• Provide direct administrative, operational, and professional oversight of all nursing services within the Crisis Stabilization Unit.
• Ensure adherence to nursing standards of practice, scope of practice, organizational policy, and regulatory requirements.
• Ensure safe, effective, and compliant nursing care delivery in a high-acuity psychiatric crisis environment.
• Oversee nursing workflows including shift coverage, medication administration, monitoring protocols, and nursing documentation standards.
• Ensure nursing services support timely admissions, safe observation, crisis intervention, and continuity of care.

Medical Services Coordination

• Collaborate with the Crisis Center Lead Psychiatrist on provider coverage models, workflows and operational processes supporting Physician and APRN services.
• Coordinate operational aspects of medical services, including direct staff scheduling responsibility, coverage continuity, and workflow alignment with nursing operations.
• Partner with the Agency Medical Director, the Compliance Team and other stakeholders to support regulatory compliance, credentialing coordination, and audit readiness related to medical services.
• Ensure medical services are operationally integrated into CSU workflows.
• Serve as an operational liaison between nursing staff, behavioral health technicians, clinical staff, medical providers, and interdisciplinary leadership, and the Psychiatric Emergency Services (PES) Unit.

24/7 Operations & Staffing Accountability

• Maintain appropriate and safe staffing levels for a 24/7 crisis stabilization facility, including nights, weekends, holidays, and periods of increased acuity.
• Ensure continuity of services during inclement weather, disasters, public emergencies, or other critical events, including activation of contingency staffing plans.
• Monitor census, acuity, bed utilization, admissions, transfers, and discharges from an operational and nursing services perspective.
• Respond in real time to staffing shortages, call-outs, or operational disruptions that impact safety or service delivery.
• Ensure operational readiness at all times to meet community crisis response needs.

Operational Oversight & Workflow Management

• Oversee daily CSU operations to ensure efficient, safe, and compliant workflows across nursing and medical services.
• Evaluate and refine operational processes, staffing models, and task distribution to improve responsiveness and staff effectiveness.
• Identify operational barriers impacting patient flow, safety, or staff performance and implement corrective actions.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for unit-level operational issues.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary leadership to align nursing and medical operations with CSU program goals.

Compliance, Quality & Risk Management

• Ensure nursing operations meet all applicable state, federal, and accreditation requirements, including DBHDD and CARF standards.
• Collaborate with the Agency Medical Director to ensure provider medical services remain compliant with regulatory and credentialing requirements.
• Maintain continuous readiness for regulatory surveys, audits, and unannounced inspections.
• Oversee nursing documentation standards within the Electronic Health Record (EHR).
• Participate in incident review, root cause analysis, and development of corrective action plans.
• Monitor trends related to safety events, medication errors, staffing concerns, and regulatory risk.
• Partner with Quality, Risk, and Compliance teams to implement continuous quality improvement initiatives.

Other Duties

• Other duties as required.

Supervisory Responsibility

• Provides direct administrative supervisory authority over all CSU Registered Nurses (RNs), Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRN), and the Behavioral Health Technician (BHT) Supervisor, including hiring recommendations, onboarding, scheduling oversight, performance management, required and developmental training, corrective action, and disciplinary actions in collaboration with Human Resources.
• Ensures adequate leadership presence and supervisory coverage across all shifts in a 24/7 crisis stabilization environment. Directs nursing response during high-risk situations, reallocating staff as needed to maintain safety.

Qualifications

Required

• Active, unrestricted Registered Nurse (RN) license in the State of Georgia.
• Minimum of three (3) years-experience in behavioral health, psychiatric, or crisis stabilization settings.
• Minimum of two (2) years-experience in a leadership, supervisory, or management role.
• Demonstrated experience in 24/7 healthcare operations, staffing management, and regulatory compliance.
• Experience using Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems.

Preferred

• Experience working collaboratively with Physicians and APRNs.
• Experience in crisis stabilization, emergency psychiatry, or inpatient behavioral health settings.
• Familiarity with CARF accreditation standards and behavioral health regulatory requirements.

Physical Requirements & Work Environment

• Work is performed in a fast-paced, high-acuity behavioral health crisis stabilization environment.
• Requires the ability to stand, walk, and move throughout the unit for extended periods of time.
• Must be able to respond rapidly to behavioral emergencies, alarms, codes, and urgent operational situations.
• May be required to physically position self to observe unit activity and support staff during emergencies.
• Regular exposure to individuals experiencing acute psychiatric crises, emotional dysregulation, and unpredictable behaviors.
• Exposure to loud noise, emotionally intense interactions, and high-stress situations inherent to crisis services.
• Requires the ability to communicate clearly, calmly, and decisively in high-stress situations.
• Requires regular use of computers, EHR systems, telephones, and standard office equipment.
• Requires schedule flexibility to support a 24/7 facility, including nights, weekends, holidays, and availability during weather-related or other emergency events.
• May require extended or irregular hours to ensure continuity of services and operational stability.