Project Specialist, Risk

Location: Remote with 90%-100% travel
Our Mission
Acadia Healthcare’s purpose is to Lead Care with Light and our mission is to be a world-class organization that sets the standard for excellence in the treatment of mental health and addiction concerns. We strive to maintain our standing as a thought leader in the behavioral healthcare industry, providing treatment that is synonymous with compassion and innovation.
About The Role
The Project Risk Specialist will support and travel extensively to Acadia facilities nationwide, primarily within an assigned division. This role provides expert leadership in risk management, patient/staff safety, and regulatory compliance. The role may act as the facility Risk Director during vacancies, provide extended onsite support to interim leaders, and ensure smooth transitions when permanent risk leaders are hired.
The Project Risk Specialist role is responsible for implementing and sustaining Acadia’s enterprise risk management strategies, including incident trend analysis, mitigation planning, regulatory readiness, and compliance with federal, state, and accreditation standards. Through significant onsite presence, data monitoring, and collaboration with facility leadership, the role ensures proactive risk reduction and promotes a culture of safety and excellence.
Compensation & Benefits
We value your expertise and dedication—and we invest in your success.
Competitive Base Salary commensurate with experience
Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
401(k) Plan with Company Match
Paid Time Off (PTO) and recognized holidays
Company-paid Basic Life and AD&D Insurance
Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and mental wellness resources
Opportunities for professional growth and advancement within Acadia’s nationwide network
Essential Functions
Serve as facility-based Risk Director when needed, ensuring continuity of risk management operations
Monitor daily, weekly, and monthly incident volumes and trends; identify deviations from expected practice and enterprise targets
Conduct root-cause analyses and Failure Mode and Effects Analyses for serious incidents and sentinel events
Develop and implement multidisciplinary action plans to remediate escalating incident trends and safety risks
Ensure proper reporting of adverse events and regulatory violations to enforcement agencies as required
Lead investigations into complex risk-related events; ensure timely documentation and compliance with regulatory standards
Collaborate with facility CEOs, COOs, and Risk leaders to implement sustainable best practices in risk management
Provide education and coaching to facility leadership on risk mitigation strategies and regulatory compliance
Analyze risk-related data to anticipate losses, reduce exposures, and prevent recurrence of incidents
Support adoption of Acadia’s technology platforms for risk monitoring and reporting
Maintain ongoing regulatory readiness through audits, early-issue identification, and corrective action planning
Communicate regularly with facility and corporate leadership regarding risk trends, mitigation efforts, and performance improvement initiatives
Serve as a technical advisor and educator on risk management principles, regulatory standards, and investigative techniques
Collaborate with Quality, Compliance, Legal, and Human Resources teams on ethics investigations and resolution of reports
Develop and evaluate goals aligned with Acadia’s strategic objectives for risk management
May serve in a focused role to support facilities with overall risk and compliance monitoring
Performs other duties as assigned
Standard Expectations
Ability to manage multiple projects under tight deadlines
Maintain confidentiality of sensitive data and proprietary information
Build constructive relationships and foster trust among team members
Maintain regular and predictable attendance
Position requires flexibility for weekend coverage and off-hour support
Education/Experience/Skill Requirements
Bachelor’s degree in healthcare or related field OR 5 years of risk leadership experience in healthcare is REQUIRED
Master’s degree in behavioral health/risk discipline or nursing is preferred
Minimum 2 years in psychiatric healthcare operations and/or healthcare risk management
Knowledge of Joint Commission, CMS, CARF, DEA, and state/local regulations
Experience conducting complex investigations; root-cause and FMEA experience preferred
Advanced computer skills (Microsoft Office Suite)
Strong organizational, analytical, and interpersonal skills
Ability to adapt to frequent priority changes and manage multiple tasks simultaneously
Licenses/Designations/Certifications
CPHRM preferred but not required
CPR and de-escalation / restraint certification required (training available upon hire)
First Aid may be required based on state or facility.
Supervisory Requirements
This position is an Individual Contributor
We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants for employment regardless of an individual’s characteristics protected by applicable state, federal and local laws.
While this job description is intended to be an accurate reflection of the requirements of the job, management reserves the right to add or remove duties from particular jobs when circumstances (e.g. emergencies, changes in workload, rush jobs or technological developments) dictate.
AHCORP

Work arrangement
Yes