Clinical Director (52651)

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Clinical Director provides clinical leadership, supervision, and oversight for the program to ensure the delivery of high-quality, evidence-based behavioral health services to individuals experiencing mental health and behavioral health crises. This position is responsible for maintaining appropriate clinical standards, supervising and supporting clinical staff, monitoring clinical documentation and service delivery, and ensuring compliance with applicable licensing, contractual, accreditation, regulatory, and organizational requirements.

The Clinical Director provides leadership in the development and implementation of trauma-informed, recovery-oriented, culturally responsive, and person-centered services. The position serves as a clinical resource for complex and high-risk cases and may provide direct clinical services as needed, including mental health assessments, crisis intervention, suicide and safety risk assessments, individual and and group counseling, treatment planning, and clinical consultation.

 Essential Job Functions include those listed below.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

Clinical Leadership and Oversight

• Provides clinical leadership, direction, and oversight for behavioral health services delivered within the program.
• Ensures clinical services are consistent with evidence-based practices, applicable standards of care, contractual requirements, and organizational policies and procedures.
• Promotes trauma-informed, recovery-oriented, person-centered, and culturally responsive approaches throughout delivery service.
• Provides clinical consultation and guidance regarding complex, high-risk, or challenging cases.
• Supports the development, implementation, and evaluation of clinical programming, protocols, workflows, and service-delivery practices.
• Participates in interdisciplinary treatment planning and case consultation as appropriate.
• Collaborates with program leadership to identify clinical service needs, barriers, trends, and opportunities for program improvement.

Clinical Supervision and Staff Development

• Provides clinical supervision, consultation, coaching, and support to assigned clinical staff in accordance with organizational and regulatory requirements.
• Provides or coordinates clinical supervision for staff working toward independent licensure when permitted by applicable state requirements and the Clinical Director's licensure.
• Supports clinical staff in developing competencies related to assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, crisis intervention, suicide prevention, documentation, and evidence-based practices.
• Participates in the recruitment, selection, orientation, training, and development of clinical staff.
• Monitors clinical performance and provides timely feedback, coaching, and corrective guidance when appropriate.
• Identifies training and professional development needs and assists in developing strategies to strengthen clinical practice.
• Promotes effective communication, interdisciplinary collaboration, professional boundaries, and ethical clinical practice.

Crisis Intervention and Risk Management

• Provides clinical leadership and consultation for individuals experiencing behavioral health crises.
• Conducts or oversees suicide risk assessments, safety assessments, crisis evaluations, and other clinical assessments as appropriate.
• Assists staff in determining appropriate interventions, safety planning, referrals, escalation, and levels of care for individuals presenting with elevated clinical risk.

• Provides consultation regarding psychiatric emergencies, suicidal ideation, self-harm risk, behavioral escalation, and other complex clinical situations.
• Ensures appropriate documentation, communication, follow-up, and reporting related to significant clinical events.
• Collaborates with emergency services, hospitals, behavioral health providers, community partners, and other resources when necessary to support continuity and safety of care.

Direct Clinical Services

As program needs require, the Clinical Director may:

• Conduct comprehensive mental health and behavioral health assessments.
• Conduct suicide, self-harm, violence, and other safety risk assessments within the scope of professional practice.
• Develop and review individualized treatment and service plans.
• Provide crisis intervention, stabilization, and safety planning.
• Provide individual, family, and group counseling or psychotherapy within the scope of licensure.
• Provide clinical consultation for complex cases.
• Facilitate referrals and coordination with appropriate behavioral health, medical, psychiatric, and community-based services.
• Maintain an assigned clinical caseload when required by program needs.

Documentation, Compliance, and Quality Improvement

• Ensures clinical documentation is accurate, timely, complete, clinically appropriate, and compliant with applicable standards.
• Reviews clinical records, assessments, treatment plans, progress notes, discharge documentation, and other clinical records as required.
• Conducts or participates in clinical chart reviews, audits, utilization reviews, and quality assurance activities.
• Monitors clinical practices for compliance with applicable federal and state requirements, licensing standards, accreditation requirements, contractual obligations, and organizational policies.
• Works collaboratively with Quality Assurance, Compliance, Human Resources, program leadership, and other departments to address identified concerns.
• Develops and implements corrective actions and clinical improvement strategies when deficiencies are identified.
• Participates in quality improvement initiatives and uses clinical and program data to identify trends and opportunities to improve service delivery and outcomes.
• Assists with preparation for licensing, accreditation, contractual, and regulatory reviews as applicable.

Program Leadership and Collaboration

• Works collaboratively with program leadership to support effective program operations and integration of clinical and administrative functions.
• Participates in leadership meetings, clinical meetings, case conferences, quality improvement activities, and other program meetings as assigned.
• Develops and maintains effective working relationships with community providers, hospitals, referral sources, regulatory agencies, and other stakeholders.
• Supports continuity of care and coordination among behavioral health, medical, psychiatric, social service, and community-based providers.
• Assists with developing and implementing policies, procedures, clinical protocols, and program standards.
• Represents the program professionally in interactions with clients, employees, community partners, regulatory agencies, and other stakeholders.
• Must Embrace and embody the mission, vision, guiding principles, clinical vision, and goals of WestCare Foundation; and
• Perform all other duties as assigned.

ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the duties and responsibilities satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

Experience and Competencies:

• Advanced knowledge of behavioral health assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, crisis intervention, and evidence-based clinical practices.
• Strong knowledge of suicide prevention, risk assessment, safety planning, and crisis stabilization practices.
• Knowledge of trauma-informed, recovery-oriented, person-centered, and culturally responsive care.
• Knowledge of professional ethics, confidentiality, clinical boundaries, and applicable privacy requirements.
• Knowledge of clinical documentation standards and behavioral health regulatory requirements.
• Ability to provide effective clinical supervision, consultation, coaching, and professional development.
• Ability to exercise sound clinical judgment in complex, urgent, and high-risk situations.
• Ability to effectively evaluate clinical information and make appropriate recommendations regarding treatment, safety, and level of care.
• Strong leadership, communication, interpersonal, and conflict-resolution skills.
• Ability to work effectively with interdisciplinary teams and community partners.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage competing clinical and administrative priorities.
• Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing.
• Ability to use electronic health records, standard office technology, and other systems required to perform assigned duties.
• Adherence to the highest standard of ethical conduct, especially to standards governing confidentiality.
• Professional appearance and demeanor.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a criminal history background check.
• CPR Certification, First Aid Certification, and an annual Tuberculosis test.
• Valid driver’s license and the ability to obtain and maintain eligibility for WestCare’s Vehicle Insurance.
• During your tenure with WestCare there may be new requirements, including, but not limited to vaccinations that are issued by local, State, Federal, and/or Funders that WestCare may have to comply with. Should this occur Human Resources or appropriate personnel will inform you.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE:

• Minimum of three (3) years of post-licensure clinical experience required, including experience providing crisis intervention and behavioral health services.
• Experience conducting suicide risk assessments, safety assessments, crisis evaluations, and crisis response required.
• Previous clinical supervisory, management, or leadership experience preferred.
• Experience providing services to individuals with serious mental illness, co-occurring disorders, substance use disorders, trauma histories, or other complex behavioral health needs preferred.
• Experience working within residential, outpatient, crisis stabilization, community behavioral health, or similar treatment environments preferred.
• Experience with quality assurance, clinical documentation review, regulatory compliance, and/or program development preferred.
• Master's degree from an accredited college or university in Social Work, Counseling, Marriage and Family Therapy, Psychology, or a related behavioral health field required.

LICENSURE/CERTIFICATION:

• Current, unrestricted state licensure as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) or equivalent, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), Licensed Psychologist, or other independently licensed behavioral health professional recognized by the applicable state regulatory authority.
• Must meet any additional clinical supervision requirements established by applicable state law or licensing boards when providing supervision toward licensure.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

• Work is primarily performed in an office, residential treatment, outpatient treatment, crisis services, or other behavioral health setting.
• May require responding to urgent clinical situations and providing clinical consultation during program operating hours.
• Travel throughout the community and between assigned program locations may be required.
• May require occasional evening, weekend, holiday, or on-call availability based on program operations and clinical needs.