Director of Provider Relations & Referral Development

Brief Description

Working Model:
Hybrid

Employee Type:
Full time, 1.0 FTE

At Sagent Behavioral Health, we believe profound change is possible. As one of the largest behavioral health organizations in the Midwest—with 2,000+ team members across 80+ locations in five states,we offer the stability and resources to help you thrive.

Backed by more than 100 years of combined behavioral health experience, Sagent brings together the trusted legacies of Ellie Mental Health, Life Works, Nystrom & Associates, Psychiatric Associates, Sandhill Counseling & Consultation, and Vantage Point.

Here, you'll find a supportive, inclusive culture where you can hone your skills, collaborate with a fantastic team, and build a rewarding career focused on what matters most: helping others find hope. Guided by our HOPE values—Humility, Optimism, People-Centered, and Ethical Practice—we provide flexible schedules and competitive compensation.

As the Director of Provider Relations & Referral Development, you will lead the Sagent's strategy to grow access to behavioral health services—including mental health, substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, and integrated care programs. This role is responsible for strengthening referral networks, cultivating community and healthcare partnerships, increasing program visibility, and driving responsible, mission-aligned growth. The Director ensures outreach efforts reflect clinical best practices, ethical guidelines, and the organization’s commitment to compassionate, recovery-oriented care.

• Medical, Dental, Vision
• 401k, Long Term Disability, Short Term Disability and Life Insurance
• Reasonable caseload expectations and flexible scheduling
• Comfortable offices and clinic environment
• Free attendance for internal CEUs

• Develop and execute a strategic outreach and sales plan to increase referrals across behavioral health service lines (mental health, SUD treatment, MAT, residential, outpatient, crisis, etc.).
• Build strong relationships with referral partners including hospitals, primary care, behavioral health clinics, justice involved programs, schools, community organizations, payers, and social service agencies.
• Identify new markets, partnership opportunities, and service gaps while ensuring all growth efforts align with clinical capacity and regulatory requirements.
• Represent the organization at community events, coalitions, health fairs, conferences, and cross sector work groups while serving as a knowledgeable ambassador for behavioral health services.
• Lead, coach, and support the outreach/sales team, including developing KPIs, performance expectations, and training on service lines, referral protocols, compliance boundaries, confidentiality, and ethical engagement.
• Collaborate with clinical leadership and internal teams to ensure outreach strategies align with clinical operations, service capabilities, and referral criteria, and to ensure smooth referral handoffs and timely communication.
• Partner with marketing to develop outreach materials that reflect regulatory guidelines, clinical accuracy, and stigma sensitive, trauma informed, person centered, and culturally responsive messaging.
• Ensure outreach practices comply with HIPAA, 42 CFR Part 2, state regulations, payor contracts, and ethical marketing standards for behavioral health.
• Maintain accurate tracking of referral activity, partner interactions, and community engagement metrics, and provide regular reports and insights to executive leadership regarding trends, barriers to access, and strategic opportunities.

• Bachelor’s degree in behavioral health, Business, Public Health, Communications, or related field—or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years of experience in outreach, business development, healthcare sales, or community engagement.
• Experience working in behavioral health, SUD treatment, healthcare, or social services.
• Strong relationship-building, public speaking, and community engagement skills.
• Understanding of behavioral health systems, referral workflows, and social determinants of health.

The salary range for this position is $ - $ per year. Actual compensation may be determined by various factors such as education, experience, skillset, internal equity, schedule and/or location. This is an exempt, W2 position.

Sagent Behavioral Health is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.