Associate Director, Strategic Partnerships

Weekly outpatient therapy isnt always enough and a trip to the ER isnt the only answer. Patients and their families rely on CompassHealth Center whenincrisis every day wehelp people overcome depression anxiety suicidality obsessions/compulsions trauma chronic pain and other obstacles in order for our patients to live freely.

About This Role

Compass Health Center is a leading provider of Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP) and Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP) delivering immediate access to evidence-based mental health care for children adolescents young adults and adults. With established operations in Illinois and expanding programs across Maryland Virginia the District of Columbia Wisconsin and Minnesota Compass bridges the critical gap between outpatient and inpatient carediverting patients from emergency departments and inpatient hospitalization while achieving measurable clinical outcomes.

As Compass expands in the Mid-Atlantic we are building a high-performing Strategic Partnerships engineone that is accountable market-specific data-driven and deeply centered on the patient and referrer experience. The DMV represents a priority growth region with dense provider networks complex payer environments and increasing demand for both in-person and virtual levels of care.

The Associate Director of Strategic Partnerships DMV is a clinically informed relationship-driven business development leader responsible for driving referral growth building durable partnerships and expanding Compasss footprint across the District of Columbia Maryland and Northern Virginia.

This role blends clinical fluency consultative sales and regional market strategy. It is not a traditional community liaison roleit is a performance-based partnership sales position accountable for referral volume admissions growth partner satisfaction and long-term referral behavior across a complex multi-jurisdictional healthcare market.

The Associate Director will also play a key role in advancing virtual and hybrid programming positioning Compass as a flexible accessible partner for providers navigating capacity constraints geographic barriers and evolving patient needs.

Location: Hybrid - DC/MD/VA

What Youll Do:

Business Development & Account Management (DMV Focus)

• Own and grow a portfolio of High-Value Target (HVT) accounts across the DMV including:
  • Hospital systems and EDs
  • Academic medical centers
  • Large outpatient and group practices
  • School districts and university counseling centers
  • Employer and EAP partners
• Develop and execute territory-specific account plans informed by:
  • Local admissions trends
  • State-specific access and payer dynamics
  • Referral friction points unique to DC Maryland and Virginia
• Build trusted relationships with psychiatrists therapists case managers discharge planners school counselors PCPs and emergency department staff
• Translate relationships into measurable qualified referrals admissions and pipeline growth
• Partner closely with Admissions to ensure:
  • Warm handoffs
  • Clear admission criteria alignment
  • Rapid resolution of referral and access barriers

Regional Market Intelligence Strategy

• Serve as the eyes and ears of the DMV market monitoring:
  • Competitive dynamics across in-person and virtual providers
  • State-specific regulatory and referral nuances
  • Capacity gaps and unmet clinical needs
• Track referral behavior volume and feedback using HubSpot CRM and Sigmund Aura
• Identify trends and translate insights into strategic recommendations for:
  • Program development
  • Access improvements
  • Market prioritization
• Provide regular market intelligence to senior leadership to inform regional growth strategy

Virtual & Hybrid Programming Growth

• Position Compasss virtual and hybrid PHP/IOP offerings as a strategic solution for:
  • Referrers with long waitlists or geographic barriers
  • Patients requiring continuity of care across state lines (where clinically appropriate)
  • School-based and employer partners seeking flexible access models
• Educate referral partners on:
  • Clinical appropriateness of virtual and hybrid care
  • Admission criteria and patient selection
  • Outcomes and engagement expectations
• Collaborate with clinical and operations leaders to identify:
  • Opportunities to expand virtual programming reach in the DMV
  • Referral workflows that integrate seamlessly with virtual care pathways
• Support virtual CE events webinars and digital partner education initiatives

Clinically Informed Messaging & Credibility

• Maintain a strong working knowledge of:
  • Compass treatment models (PHP IOP TMS specialty programming)
  • Admission criteria and payer considerations
  • Clinical outcomes and differentiators
• Confidently articulate Compasss value proposition to:
  • Hospital leadership
  • Senior clinicians
  • Administrative and operational decision makers
• Leverage clinical background to:
  • Build credibility and trust
  • Translate program offerings into real-world referral solutions
  • Ensure alignment between referring providers and Compass clinical teams

Growth Campaigns & Strategic Initiatives

• Execute DMV-specific growth campaigns tied to:
  • New program launches
  • Access expansion
  • Payer alignment
  • Seasonal surges (e.g. back-to-school winter acuity increases)
• Partner with Marketing on:
  • Co-branded outreach
  • CE programs and partner webinars
  • Digital and virtual engagement strategies
• Support regional initiatives such as:
  • Concierge referral pathways
  • Expedited admissions processes
  • CompassForward discharge and step-down strategies

External Visibility & Community Presence

• Represent Compass across the DMV at:
  • Professional associations
  • Behavioral health coalitions
  • Hospital and provider roundtables
• Facilitate connections between Compass clinical leaders and:
  • Speaking engagements
  • Panel discussions
  • Educational sessions
• Manage a strategic calendar of in-person and virtual engagements aligned with pipeline and growth goals

Who You Are:

• Clinical license or license-eligible preferred
• 2 years of clinical experience in mental health; PHP/IOP or higher levels of care strongly preferred
• Demonstrated business development or partnership experience; healthcare sales or account management a plus
• Strong understanding of multi-market or multi-state healthcare environments preferred
• Proven ability to build trust with senior clinical and executive stakeholders
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Data-driven and tech-savvy; experience with CRM systems and performance dashboards
• Entrepreneurial mindset with strong accountability and growth orientation

Success In This Role Means:

• Driving consistent qualified referral and admission growth across the DMV
• Building sticky high-trust partnerships that sustain long-term funnel strength
• Effectively integrating virtual and hybrid programming into referral strategies
• Acting as a connector strategist and advocatenot just a representative
• Helping Compass become the provider of choice for PHP/IOP care in the Mid-Atlantic

We know job descriptionscan be intimidating so if this sounds like an opportunity for you please dont hesitate to apply!

Who We Are

Compass Health Center is a recognized leader in crisis-level mental health bringing passion connection and patient-centered care to the PartialHospitalizationand Intensive Outpatient space (PHP/IOP). Based in Chicagoland we serve hundreds of patients every day ranging from ages 5 through adulthood in our onsite facilities or through our flourishing virtual fills a critical gap between outpatient and inpatient care through an intermediate level of Behavioral Healthcare.

A few more things we want you to know: our values are super important to us and hopefully will be to you too. Cultural humility teamwork continuous improvement connection patient centered care passion innovation and agility should be your power sources. Joining Compass is an opportunity to feel fulfilled through a joint mission towards healing our communities.

Benefits & Perks

We know that you will be dedicated to your purpose here. We look at that investment as a two-way street. We are proud to offer plenty of space for growth and opportunities to pursue continuous development within our organization.

For eligible positions our other benefits include: comprehensive medical/dental/vision plans 401k program with company matching generous PTO (including competitive parental leave after 1 year of employment) and continuous training through CEU seminars and volunteering opportunities.

Whats Next

Compass is committed to cultivating diverse and dynamic teams who exude passion for their craft so whether or not you check all the boxes we encourage you to apply wed be grateful to hear from you!