Ken Vick started out as a behavioral health tech and peer specialist. Then he worked his way up through counselor and clinical supervisor to leading a program. Now he runs Avalon Wellness & Recovery in Lawrence, Kansas, a medical detox and residential treatment center he joined one week after it opened.

In this episode of Around the Embers, Mitchell and Ken talk about what it takes to build a treatment program from scratch (a "de novo"). They cover insurance contracting, getting Joint Commission accreditation, and making a brand-new name known in a small town. Ken explains why he builds a team instead of a staff, and why he puts quality of care ahead of productivity numbers. His view is that when a team takes care of itself, clients stay in treatment longer and do better. He also gives a controversial take: behavioral health's workforce shortage is really a leadership and culture problem. He points out he hasn't had a staffing shortage in over a decade.

In this episode:

• The two fires Ken is tending: insurance and billing setup, and preventing burnout on his team
• How a de novo is different from an established program, and why the right leader for months 0–6 may not be the right one after that
• "You can teach skills, you can't teach attitude": hiring for culture fit
• Mitchell's framework for hiring at three levels: frontline, specialist ("widget makers"), and leadership
• Company values that people actually live, not just talk about
• The "what car does she drive" problem: knowing your people as human beings
• The hot take: less of a workforce shortage, more of a culture problem
• Why HR in behavioral health has gotten stuck on compliance, and why benefits need to catch up
• Why Joint Commission surveys aren't as scary as people think: "Just do the right thing."

Connect with Ken and Avalon Wellness & Recovery:

• Phone: 785-340-0300
• Website: avalonwrc.com
• LinkedIn: Ken Vick | Avalon Wellness & Recovery