Improve Your Management Skills as a Behavioral Health Supervisor
You were recently promoted to the role of behavioral health supervisor, and you couldn’t be more excited — or intimidated. Previously, you worked as a clinician, so you haven’t had much management experience or training. You’re eager to continuously improve your management skills, but you’re not sure how to go about it.
As the boss, you need a strong skillset, including abilities like decision-making, self-awareness, and communication. This will allow you to build trust with employees, help them grow in the right direction, and support organizational goals.
This probably all sounds great, but since this is your first time in this type of role, you’re not sure how to go about it. Here’s a look at four areas to focus on as a manager, so you can be the best possible leader for your behavioral health team.
Improve Your Management Skills with These 4 Tips
Embrace Change
Being in management gives you the power to make changes that have a positive impact on patients’ lives. Since you’re leading the pack, employees look to you for guidance. It’s your job to constantly seek out ways your team can better serve patients, implement new policies, and get workers on board. If you’re currently a bit risk-averse, this will require stepping out of your comfort zone, but it’s a must.
Support Employee Development
Now that you’re a manager, you’re in charge of more than your own professional development. You’re responsible for learning about each of your employee’s goals for the future and helping make them a reality. This means creating learning opportunities, so they can acquire the skills needed to meet — and exceed — their professional objectives. You’ll need to check in with each person regularly to monitor their performance and work with them to make any necessary adjustments.
Ensure Performance Targets are Hit
In addition to supporting employee goals, managers are also responsible for ensuring their team meets organizational objectives — i.e., increasing patient volume, expanding care offerings, providing treatment through non-traditional platforms. This involves paying close attention to your team’s progress toward performance targets and changing patient needs. Together, they work to ensure your staffers are doing their part to help the organization remain profitable while providing the best possible patient experience.
Foster a Strong Sense of Team
Your team is a group of unique individuals who all need to be on the same page. As a manager, you’re tasked with helping employees create and maintain a tight bond. This involves creating a culture of respect, encouraging people to help one another, and helping people get to know one another. To accomplish this, you’ll need to plan regular team-building activities outside your healthcare facility — i.e., group lunches, happy hours, paint nights — so people can grow their relationships in a more relaxed setting.
As an ambitious professional, you’re always looking toward the next step of your career. After you’ve mastered the role of behavioral health supervisor, you’ll want to move on to the next chapter. If you would like to learn more about how we can help you find your next behavioral health position, contact us today at (513) 651-9500 or by email at [email protected].