Description

About the Organization

Bronzeville Wellness Collective (BWC) will be a new community-funded mental health and wellness center in the Bronzeville community where culturally grounded support meets high-quality care. Opening later in 2026, BWC will offer mental health services, medication management, as well as alternative healing services and community programming for residents of Douglas, Grand Boulevard, Oakland, Fuller Park, Washington Park, and the Near South Side. This intergenerational care will be available for all age groups.

For more information, please see www.bronzevillewellness.org

About the Position

Reporting to the Bronzeville Expanded Mental Health Services Governing Commission (Commission), BWC is seeking its first Executive Director (ED) to lead its planning, development, and early implementation as well as initially manage the center’s operations. This role is responsible for the clinical leadership and community accountability; additionally, the operational responsibilities will ensure high-quality, sustainable care while assuring regulatory compliance and demonstrating sound financial stewardship. This role will also be responsible for hiring the core leadership team, including the inaugural Clinical Manager.

This is a high-autonomy leadership role in which the ED initially operates as the sole senior administrator on-site, making independent operational and clinical decisions within the policy, oversight, and financial framework established by the Commission. This role will function with a high degree of self-direction, proactive communication, and organizational accountability. Additionally, the ED will independently manage a complex public service environment while maintaining the transparency and accountability standards required of a taxpayer-funded governmental entity, where financial accountability is a core and non-negotiable responsibility.

How to Apply

BWC has retained Morten Group, LLC to conduct this Executive Director search. Applications are accepted via the form available at https://www.mortengroup.com/active-searches/bwc and includes submission of a cover letter and resume in PDF format by the best consideration date of Friday, September 11, 2026. Cover letters will be evaluated as a writing sample and should address the following in one and a half pages or less:

• Why are you interested in leading this work in the Bronzeville area?
• Describe your specific or related experience leading community mental health services; additionally, what draws you specifically to community-based mental health services?
• What do you believe are the most important priorities for expanding mental health access in Bronzeville and surrounding areas?

Please note that only those applicants invited to a screening interview will be contacted the week of September 14.

Bronzeville Wellness Collective encourages individuals from traditionally underrepresented communities to apply and provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, order of protection status, physical or mental disability, veteran/military status, unfavorable discharge, marital status, pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation. All forms of unlawful discrimination, including discrimination because of any one of the protected statuses listed above, is strictly prohibited.

Requirements

Position Qualifications

The successful candidate will have strong clinical leadership and the ability to provide sound professional judgment across complex, high-stakes situations while holding strategic thinking and demonstrated capacity for program development and growth. Further, this person will possess a deep commitment to culturally responsive, equitable, and trauma-informed care, with the ability to build authentic trust with communities that have experienced historical disinvestment or harm.

It is important this person has an innovative start-up mentality while simultaneously comfortable operating within a governance structure in which ultimate authority rests with the Commission.

Desired Qualifications, Skills and Experiences

Education and Licensure

• Master's or Doctoral degree in a behavioral health discipline (e.g., social work, psychology, counseling, psychiatry, or related field) from an accredited institution.
• Active, unrestricted Illinois clinical license required (e.g., LCSW, LCPC, PsyD, PhD, or equivalent); licensure must remain current and in good standing as a continuing condition of employment and the successful candidate must disclose any history of licensure discipline, restriction, or investigation at the time of application.

Skills

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present complex information clearly to both professional and community audiences.
• Financial and operational management skills appropriate for a publicly accountable entity; nonprofit and/or community mental health management a plus.
• Demonstrated effective staff supervision, team leadership, and organizational management.
• Strong collaboration and partnership-building skills across diverse stakeholder groups.
• Presents with a high degree of integrity, professional ethics, and personal accountability.
• Ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment under uncertainty, and escalate appropriately when Commission input is needed.
• Demonstrated awareness of trauma-informed principles and practices required to maintain an organizational culture and climate of inclusion of diverse customers.
• Knowledge, understanding, and application of prevention and de-escalation approaches, and crisis management to maintain a safe and welcoming treatment and work environment.
• Ability to think strategically about program development with a strong understanding of community-based mental health service delivery.
• Readiness to manage or grow operational complexity over time.
• Alignment with the values and goals of the Bronzeville Expanded Mental Health Services Program.

Experience

• A minimum of five (5) years of leadership experience in mental health program management, clinic operations, or behavioral health service delivery and community-based behavioral health services.
• A minimum of five years of experience supervising clinical staff or leading workforce development efforts.
• Along with the above, a minimum of three (3) years of direct experience in one or more of the following:
  • Medicaid, Medicare, or commercial insurance billing and compliance.
  • Effective staff supervision, team leadership, and organizational management.
  • Financial and operational management skills appropriate for a publicly accountable entity.