Texas Behavioral Health Center

Join our team and help launch the first state psychiatric hospital in Dallas-Fort Worth, where innovative caregivers will make a lasting impact on behavioral health in Texas.

The Texas Behavioral Health Center is a newly completed state-funded psychiatric hospital opening in Dallas’ Southwestern Medical District through a partnership between UT Southwestern Medical Center and the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC).

When fully operational, the 505,000-square-foot facility will house 292 beds – 200 for adult patients and 92 for children and adolescents. As DFW’s first state-funded behavioral health hospital, it is designed to deliver state-of-the-art, patient-centered care in a modern and healing environment. The center provides comprehensive behavioral health treatment and features private patient rooms, abundant access to natural light and nature, and thoughtfully designed spaces that promote recovery. The hospital will also provide training to all behavioral health disciplines.

As employees of UT Southwestern, team members will join a world-class academic medical center committed to patient-centered care, innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and preparing patients for successful reintegration into their families and communities. With competitive benefits and a mission-driven culture, Texas Behavioral Health Center offers an unparalleled opportunity to make a lasting impact on mental health care in North Texas. Learn more about Texas Behavioral Health Center here!

WHY UT SOUTHWESTERN?
With over 75 years of excellence in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, UT Southwestern is committed to excellence, innovation, teamwork, and compassion. As a world-renowned medical and research center, we strive to provide the best possible care, resources, and benefits for our valued employees. Ranked as the number 1 hospital in Dallas-Fort Worth according to U.S. News & World Report, we invest in you with opportunities for career growth and development to align with your future goals. Our highly competitive benefits package offers healthcare, PTO and paid holidays, on-site childcare, wage, merit increases and so much more. We invite you to be a part of the UT Southwestern team where you’ll discover a culture of teamwork, professionalism, and a rewarding career! 

JOB SUMMARY
The Associate Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer (CNO), Texas Behavioral Health Center (TBHC) is the senior nursing executive responsible for providing strategic leadership, clinical direction, and administrative oversight for all nursing practice across TBHC. This includes inpatient behavioral health units, therapeutic programs, and clinical support services. TBHC is a state-funded psychiatric hospital in Dallas with approximately 296 beds, offering comprehensive inpatient psychiatric care for adults and children, and serves as a cornerstone in expanding Texas’s mental health infrastructure. The TBHC CNO ensures that nursing care reflects the highest standards of safety, quality, and patient-centered behavioral health practice in alignment with UT Southwestern Medical Center’s mission. The TBHC CNO will report directly to the TBHC Chief Executive Officer with a dotted-line/matrix reporting structure reporting relationship to the UT Southwestern Health System Chief Nurse Executive. 

BENEFITS
UT Southwestern is proud to offer a competitive and comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees. Our benefits are designed to support your overall wellbeing, and include:

• PPO medical plan, available day one at no cost for full-time employee-only coverage
• 100% coverage for preventive healthcare-no copay
• Paid Time Off, available day one
• Retirement Programs through the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS)
• Paid Parental Leave Benefit
• Wellness programs
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Qualified Employer
• Learn more about these and other UTSW employee benefits!

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Job Duties

• In partnership with Health System leadership, works to develop, articulate, and execute the long-term vision and strategic direction for nursing at TBHC, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and the unique needs of behavioral health populations.
• Leads initiatives to strengthen nursing practice, patient safety culture, and evidence-based behavioral health care delivery.
• Designs strategies for the recruitment, retention, development, and recognition of exceptional nursing talent, including recommendations on compensation and benefits tailored to behavioral health competencies.
• Builds a supportive and safe professional environment that enhances staff engagement, resilience, and retention.
• Partners with operational and clinical leaders to plan, implement, and evaluate inpatient and therapeutic services, ensuring appropriate resources and staffing models for safe, high-quality psychiatric care.
• Serves as the primary spokesperson and advocate for nursing at TBHC, advising senior leadership, medical staff, and other stakeholders on how decisions impact nursing practice and patient care.
• Represents TBHC nursing perspectives in organizational planning, policy development, and change management.
• Promotes a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach to behavioral health care, ensuring seamless coordination among nursing, psychiatry, psychology, social work, and other clinical disciplines.
• Supports initiatives that strengthen continuity of care across all touchpoints in the patient journey.
• Ensures nursing practice and patient care delivery are grounded in current research, professional standards, and the principles of high-reliability behavioral health care.
• Ensures full compliance with all regulatory and accreditation requirements (e.g., The Joint Commission, State Board of Nursing, CMS, etc.); promotes and actively seeks recognition beyond the regulatory requirements, for patient care services and for nursing.
• Drives continuous quality improvement, patient safety, and risk-mitigation efforts specific to behavioral health environments.
• Collaborates with nursing schools and academic partners to support clinical education, create strong nursing pipelines, and foster high-quality learning experiences for students.
• Supports community engagement efforts that enhance the visibility and reputation of TBHC’s nursing workforce.
• Cultivates a care environment built on dignity, respect, safety, and therapeutic engagement, ensuring that nursing staff are well-supported in delivering high-quality behavioral health care.
• Works closely with medical staff leadership to ensure alignment around patient care standards, clinical pathways, and quality outcomes.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Experience

Required

• Education
  Master’s Degree in Nursing or
  Master’s Degree in Healthcare Administration, Finance, Business, or a related field, in addition to a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing.

• Experience
  10 years of progressive leadership experience in a large, complex health care system, including at least 5 years of experience in behavioral health or psychiatric services.

Preferred

• Education
  PhD or DNP

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Work may require ability to monitor and maintain budget.
• Work may require telephone and personal contact with all levels of internal and external personnel and organizations.
• Work requires ability to effectively interpret and apply organizational policies, procedures, and systems.
• Work requires ability to ensure adherence to all policies and procedures of university.
• Work requires ability to plan, organize, coordinate, and supervise work of employees as necessary to ensure desired results are achieved.
• Work requires proven supervisory, customer service, and written and verbal communication skills.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS/WORKING CONDITIONS

• Working Conditions
  Office Setting

PACT STATEMENT

The following is the acronym, “PACT”, and is fundamental to all clinical positions at UT Southwestern Medical Center:

• P-Problem Solving: To achieve excellence in patient care and service, all employees are expected to take ownership in solving problems effectively, efficiently and to the satisfaction of the patient.
• A-Ability, Attitude and Appearance: In keeping with a professional healthcare environment, all employees are expected to have the ability to perform their jobs and to appear and conduct themselves in a professional and positive manner.
• C-Communications and Compassion: It is our goal that all our communications are clear, courteous, timely, and delivered with compassion, respect and appropriate confidentiality.
• T-Teamwork: In our medical environment, our patients regard every employee they encounter as a member of the Southwestern Medical Center team. Our goal is to individually work hard to contribute to our team, support our co-workers, and to achieve not only excellent patient care and service, but also a satisfying, caring environment for each other.

Salary
Salary Negotiable

Security

This position is security-sensitive and subject to Texas Education Code 51.215, which authorizes UT Southwestern to obtain criminal history record information.

EEO Statement

UT Southwestern Medical Center is committed to an educational and working environment that provides equal opportunity to all members of the University community. As an equal opportunity employer, UT Southwestern prohibits unlawful discrimination, including discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, or veteran status.