Tennessee Voices Inc. is Tennessee’s collaborative leader in mental health and family well-being. Each year, we serve thousands of children, parents, and adults across all 95 counties with services that prevent crises, heal trauma, and build long-term stability. Our model works because it’s whole-family, trauma-informed, and community-driven. By healing parents alongside their children, providing critical resources like housing and mental health support, and advocating for systemic change, TN Voices helps families thrive and communities grow stronger.
Summary: The Director of Rural THRIVE Tennessee provides leadership, oversight, and strategic direction for TN Voices' Rural THRIVE Tennessee initiative. Rural THRIVE Tennessee is a peer-led, Whole Family coaching and navigation initiative designed to improve access to healthcare, behavioral health, preventive services, workforce and economic mobility resources, and other health-promoting supports for individuals and families living in rural Tennessee. The program is designed to expand from 30 high-need rural counties in Year 1 to all 89 rural Tennessee counties by Year 3.
The Director is responsible for successful implementation of the grant, achievement of contractual and programmatic requirements, staff development and supervision, fiscal and operational oversight, community and statewide partnerships, quality improvement, data-informed decision-making, and sustainability planning. The Director ensures that Rural THRIVE Tennessee maintains a consistent, high-quality, peer-led model while remaining responsive to the needs and resources of rural communities across Tennessee.
The position provides day-to-day authority for grant implementation once hired, consistent with TN Voices' MARTHA implementation planning.
Essential Duties & Responsibilities:
- Program Leadership and Implementation
•
- Provide overall leadership and day-to-day management of Rural THRIVE Tennessee.
•
- Ensure implementation is consistent with the approved grant application, contract, budget, work plan, logic model, deliverables, and TN Voices policies and procedures.
•
- Lead phased expansion of the program across rural Tennessee while maintaining quality and fidelity to the Rural THRIVE model.
•
- Develop, implement, and continuously improve program procedures, workflows, referral processes, documentation standards, and service expectations.
•
- Ensure the program maintains its peer-led, Whole Family, strengths-based, person-centered approach.
•
- Coordinate implementation across East, Middle, and West Tennessee.
•
- Identify operational barriers and develop timely corrective action strategies.
•
- Staff Leadership and Supervision
•
- Directly supervise and support Regional Program Managers and other assigned staff.
•
- Provide leadership for recruitment, onboarding, training, supervision, coaching, and retention of grant-funded employees.
•
- Establish clear performance expectations and promote consistency across regional teams.
•
- Support Program Managers in supervising Rural THRIVE Coaches and coordinating regional staff.
•
- Foster an organizational culture that values lived experience, family voice, collaboration, accountability, professional development, and continuous improvement.
•
- Collaborate with Human Resources and TN Voices leadership regarding workforce planning and staffing needs as the program expands.
- Grant and Contract Management
•
- Maintain working knowledge of grant requirements, approved activities, performance measures, allowable expenses, and reporting requirements.
•
- Monitor implementation against established deliverables, timelines, and performance expectations.
•
- Collaborate with Finance to monitor grant expenditures and budget performance.
•
- Ensure program activities and expenditures remain consistent with grant requirements and TN Voices policies.
•
- Prepare and contribute to required programmatic reports and participate in monitoring activities, site visits, and grant reviews.
•
- Communicate implementation risks, performance concerns, and needed corrective actions to senior leadership.
- Data, Outcomes, and Continuous Quality Improvement
•
- Work closely with the Data Coordinator, Program Managers, Quality/Compliance staff, and organizational leadership to ensure accurate and timely data collection.
•
- Routinely review participant, county, regional, and statewide performance data.
•
- Monitor enrollment, service utilization, geographic reach, referral completion, healthcare and behavioral health connections, preventive service access, participant engagement, and progress toward family goals.
•
- Use program data to identify service gaps, emerging needs, staffing adjustments, training needs, and opportunities for program improvement.
•
- Ensure data are used to demonstrate the value and impact of peer-led rural health navigation.
- Community and Systems Partnerships
•
- Develop and maintain strategic relationships with the Tennessee Department of Health, County Health Councils, health departments, healthcare providers, behavioral health providers, workforce organizations, educational institutions, recovery organizations, community-based organizations, and other stakeholders.
•
- Represent TN Voices and Rural THRIVE Tennessee in state, regional, and community meetings.
•
- Work with Community Engagement Coordinators to strengthen referral pathways and identify gaps in local and regional resources.
•
- Promote collaboration that improves families' ability to successfully connect with healthcare and community resources.
- Fiscal and Administrative Oversight
•
- Collaborate with Finance and senior leadership to monitor expenditures and ensure responsible stewardship of grant funds.
•
- Review staffing patterns, operational expenditures, travel, training, and other program costs.
•
- Ensure program records and documentation are maintained in accordance with funder, regulatory, accreditation, and organizational requirements.
•
- Monitor productivity and workload expectations across the program.
•
- Support preparation for audits, monitoring reviews, and compliance activities.
- Sustainability and Program Development
•
- Lead sustainability planning beginning during the early stages of program implementation.
•
- Use program outcomes and utilization data to demonstrate the effectiveness and value of Rural THRIVE Tennessee.
•
- Work with executive leadership to identify potential state, federal, philanthropic, managed care, healthcare system, and reimbursement opportunities.
•
- Support the development of sustainable financing approaches for effective peer-led navigation and support services.
•
- Identify opportunities to integrate successful Rural THRIVE practices into existing TN Voices services and systems.
Skills and Other Abilities:
- Strong leadership, supervisory, collaboration, and customer service skills.
- Knowledge of children’s mental health, serious emotional disturbance (SED), and child-serving systems.
- Excellent written, analytical, reporting, and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to work independently, make sound decisions, and manage complex programs.
- Strong networking and relationship-building skills.
- Ability to analyze data, monitor performance, and support continuous improvement.
- Ability to function effectively in office-based and community-based environments.
Qualifications:
- Master’s degree in Social Work, Psychology, Education, or a related field.
- At least five (5) years of experience working with children, youth, and families, including collaboration with parents/caregivers, state and local agencies, and community partners.
- Experience in children’s behavioral health, care coordination, family support, parent education, consultation, or related services is preferred.
- Three (3) years of supervisory experience preferred.
- Experience networking with agencies, organizations, and coalitions is expected.
- Experience implementing System of Care principles, Wraparound services, program quality improvement, and TennCare-funded behavioral health services is preferred.
Core Competencies:
- Strategic Program Leadership: Provides vision, direction, and operational oversight for statewide program implementation while ensuring alignment with organizational goals, grant requirements, and service-model fidelity.
- Program Expansion & Change Management: Leads phased program growth, develops scalable processes, addresses operational challenges, and ensures consistent service delivery across multiple regions.
- Staff Leadership & Workforce Development: Oversees recruitment, supervision, coaching, performance management, and professional development to build high-performing and mission-driven teams.
- Grant & Contract Administration: Manages grant compliance, performance measures, reporting requirements, budget accountability, and contractual obligations to ensure successful program execution.
- Data-Driven Performance Management: Utilizes program data, outcomes, and performance metrics to monitor effectiveness, identify trends, inform decision-making, and drive continuous improvement.
- Community & Systems Partnership Development: Cultivates strategic relationships with government agencies, healthcare providers, educational institutions, community organizations, and other stakeholders to strengthen service networks and referral pathways.
- Fiscal & Operational Oversight: Ensures responsible stewardship of financial resources, operational efficiency, regulatory compliance, productivity management, and program sustainability.
- Sustainability & Organizational Development: Advances long-term sustainability through strategic planning, funding diversification, program innovation, and integration of successful practices into broader organizational services.
Certificates, Licenses, Registrations: Valid driver’s license, proof of automobile insurance.
Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand, walk, push, pull and carry/lift up to 50 pounds. The employee is occasionally required to climb, bend or crouch. Specific mental abilities required by this job include continuous concentration to detail; ability to remember multiple tasks, oral and written communication; and an attention span of 1+ hour(s) on a task.
Work Environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
Performance Evaluation: Employees are evaluated on an annual basis. Performance Reviews are completed electronically by the employee’s direct supervisor then reviewed and approved by regional or program leadership. Employees are given the opportunity to review their performance evaluation with their supervisor and will be required to acknowledge receipt of the annual review electronically.
Core Values: V.O.I.C.E.
• V – Vulnerability and Integrity. We lead with truth and act with authenticity. We choose deeds over words and transparency over pretense. We hold ourselves and each other accountable by following through on our commitments. Trust is built through kind, honest, ethical, and clear communication. We know our strengths and share them with intention.
• O – Openness and Connection. We foster belonging and celebrate one another. We promote an environment where everyone feels safe, included, and heard. We value diverse perspectives, invite honest feedback, and lead with a welcoming spirit. We celebrate our wins - big and small - and lift each other up through support, presence, and shared pride in our work.
• I – Innovation and Growth. We cultivate curiosity and embrace change. We embrace lifelong learning and welcome questions, feedback, and growth. We keep an open mind and heart, recognizing there is always more to learn and new perspectives to consider. No idea is too small and no voice is too quiet. We lean into the unknown, explore bold ideas together, and support one another across roles because shared growth moves us all forward.
• C – Compassion and Hope. We lead with heart and serve with purpose. We show up with dedication, warmth, empathy, and humility. We listen with care and assume the best in others. We stay present and grounded, even when things are difficult, because we believe in the future we’re building for every child, family, person, and community we serve.
• E – Experience and Insight. We believe in the power of lived and learned experiences. We rise by lifting others. We are driven by a deep passion for service and guided by the voices of those we serve. Our purpose is to help others flourish and build resilience and a better future. Grounded in joy, lifted by humor, and guided by vision, we stay focused on what matters to create lasting, meaningful change.
Promotion & Advancement: To be considered for promotion to a higher position, the employee must have met the personal and professional development requirements established by the company and must have demonstrated strong on-the-job performance. Please see your supervisor or manager for additional details.
Job Accommodations: If you need to request reasonable accommodations to perform the essential functions of this job, please contact Human Resources at hr@tnvoices.org.
All employees are expected to uphold the highest standards of integrity and ethical conduct, comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and organizational policies (including HIPAA and confidentiality requirements), promptly report compliance concerns, and actively participate in required compliance and ethics training to support a culture of accountability and quality care.