Executive Director

About Journeys in Community Living

Journeys was founded in 1975 by Rutherford County families who wanted something better for their adult children with disabilities than institutional care or going it alone. It began as the Rutherford County Adult Activity Center with about six participants in a gymnasium basement, moved to its Haley Road campus in 1988, and took the name Journeys in Community Living in 2012.

Today Journeys supports more than 170 people and operates more than 20 residential homes. Its mission is to empower adults with disabilities and older adults to live, work, and socialize as they choose.

Services include:

•     Residential and supported living

•     Healthcare oversight and case management

•     Community-based and facility-based day services

•     Employment services, including job development and job coaching

•     Medicaid Alternative Pathways (MAPs), a three-year enabling technology program for young adults with IDD

•     Social services and benefits navigation

•     Transportation

Journeys holds accreditation from CQL (The Council on Quality and Leadership) and Tech First. Services are funded primarily through TennCare programs administered with the Tennessee Department of Disability and Aging (DDA), including the 1915(c) waivers and Employment and Community First (ECF) CHOICES.

The Opportunity

The next Executive Director will succeed Frances Cook, who is retiring after a long career at Journeys that began in social work and includes about six years as Executive Director. The new leader inherits a seasoned senior team, a strong reputation with families, and an agency at a decision point.

The margins in Medicaid-funded disability services are thin and the regulatory load keeps growing. Journeys must decide how best to secure its future, whether through growth, new service lines, partnerships, or a combination. The board is looking for a leader who can protect the health and safety of every person supported while making clear, sometimes difficult, strategic decisions.

In the first 12 to 18 months, the Executive Director will:

•     Maintain full compliance with TennCare, DDA, and MCO requirements, with clean survey and audit results

•     Build a strategic plan with the board that sets direction on growth and partnership

•     Stabilize direct support staffing and strengthen retention

•     Build a fundraising program that diversifies revenue beyond Medicaid reimbursement

•     Become a visible voice for Journeys in Rutherford County and across Middle Tennessee

Key Responsibilities

Health, Safety, and Regulatory Compliance

•     Serve as the accountable executive for compliance with TennCare, the Department of Disability and Aging (DDA), managed care organizations, and CQL and Tech First accreditation standards

•     Lead preparation for and response to DDA quality monitoring surveys, MCO audits, and licensing reviews, including corrective action plans

•     Oversee the Reportable Event Management (REM) process, including incident reporting, investigations, and follow-through on findings

•     Ensure healthcare oversight systems meet standards for medication administration, nursing oversight, behavior supports, and coordination with physicians and specialists

•     Protect the privacy of health and personal information under HIPAA and state requirements

•     Ensure documentation and billing are accurate, supported, and audit ready across all waiver programs

•     Monitor changes in state and federal policy, including the HCBS Settings Rule and TennCare program updates, and adjust practice ahead of deadlines

Person-Centered Services

•     Uphold person-centered planning and the rights, choices, and dignity of each person supported

•     Oversee quality and outcomes across residential, day, employment, MAPs, social services, and transportation

•     Maintain trusting relationships with families, conservators, and support coordinators

•     Support the needs of an aging population, including people with IDD who are growing older and older adults served by the agency

Strategy and Board Partnership

•     Work with the board to set strategic direction, including evaluating growth, new services, and partnership opportunities

•     Keep the board fully informed on compliance, finances, risk, and program quality

•     Support board development, committee work, and governance best practice

Financial Stewardship

•     Lead budgeting and financial planning for an agency funded primarily through Medicaid reimbursement

•     Manage rate structures, billing performance, cash flow, and reserves

•     Oversee facilities, residential homes, vehicles, and capital needs

Fundraising and External Relations

•     Build and lead a fundraising program, including major gifts, grants, events, and corporate partners

•     Represent Journeys with donors, elected officials, state agencies, and community partners

•     Advocate for people with disabilities and for the direct support workforce at the local and state level

People and Culture

•     Lead and develop the senior leadership team

•     Strengthen recruitment, training, and retention of direct support professionals

•     Build a culture of accountability, safety, and respect for the people Journeys serves

Required Qualifications

•     At least seven years of leadership, supporting and building teams

•     Experience managing budgets funded primarily through Medicaid or government reimbursement

•     Bachelor's degree in social work, human services, nursing, public health, healthcare administration, business, or a related field

•     Ability to pass background checks required for service to vulnerable adults

Preferred Qualifications

•     Master's degree in social work, public health, healthcare administration, business, or nonprofit management

•     Direct experience leading Medicaid home and community-based services (HCBS), such as residential, supported living, day, or employment services

•     Working knowledge of healthcare oversight for people with complex medical and behavioral needs, including medication administration, incident management, and coordination of care

•     Proven record of managing regulatory compliance in a health or human services setting, including state surveys, MCO audits, accreditation reviews, and corrective action plans

•     Clinical or healthcare credentials such as RN, LCSW, or QIDP, or equivalent experience

•     Experience with Tennessee's TennCare programs, including ECF CHOICES and the 1915(c) waivers, and with DDA

•     Experience with CQL accreditation or a comparable quality framework

•     Experience leading growth, mergers, affiliations, or new service lines

•     Fundraising success with individual donors, foundations, and corporate partners

•     Experience serving older adults or people with IDD who are aging

Leadership Competencies

•     Sound judgment on health and safety, with a steady hand in a crisis

•     Willingness to make and own difficult decisions

•     An outward-facing presence that builds trust with donors, partners, and state officials

•     Respect for families and for the direct support professionals who do the daily work

•     Clear, direct communication with the board and staff

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range is $140,000 - $160,000 based on experience. Journeys in Community Living pays 75% of employee health insurance premiums and 50% of family premiums, and also provides employer-paid short-term disability, and optional dental coverage. Full-time staff begin with 10 days of PTO that grows to as many as 30 days with service and carries over year to year, along with 11 paid holidays (including their birthday), longevity bonuses, holiday bonuses, and employer-paid term life insurance after three years.

How to Apply

 This search is led by Elle Benson, Nonprofit Leadership LLC. To apply, send a resume and a cover letter describing your experience in leading an organizational strategy to: elle@nonprofit-leadership.com. Deadline to apply is November 20, 2026. More information available at www.nonprofit-leadership.com/jcled.

Journeys in Community Living is an equal opportunity employer. In accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Journeys does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or age.

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