Clinical Director, Crisis - Sign-On Bonus Eligible

Heritage Behavioral Health Center – Decatur, Illinois   

Full-Time | Clinical Leadership | Monday–Friday, Standard Business Hours

Lead a mission-driven crisis system without sacrificing your own work-life balance. Heritage Behavioral Health Center is hiring a Clinical Director to lead our crisis and access-to-care programs — a true leadership role with a standard Monday–Friday schedule, strong pay, and some of the best benefits in behavioral health.

What makes this role stand out:

• Pay: $75,000–$98,000/year, depending on education and experience
• Sign-on bonus: $5,000 for a 1-year commitment, or $10,000 for a 2-year commitment
• Schedule: Typically 8:00 am–5:00 pm, Monday–Friday — not overnight shifts — with rotating on-call availability for higher-level crisis consultation
• Time off: 26 paid Wellness Days per year (every other Friday off), plus separate vacation, sick, and personal leave
• Loan forgiveness: Heritage is a National Health Service Corps (NHSC) site, making LCPC, LCSW, LMFT, LPC, MD, APN, RN, CADC, and LSW staff eligible for federal student loan forgiveness
• Flexible licensure path: open to candidates working toward full clinical licensure who bring strong crisis and supervisory experience

As Clinical Director, you'll provide clinical and operational leadership over four high-impact behavioral health crisis programs:

• 24/7 Crisis Response Call Center
• 24/7 Behavioral Health Urgent Care & Crisis Observation
• 24/7 Mobile Crisis Response Team
• Same-day Access to Care / intake services

This is a leadership and oversight position, not a direct crisis-shift role — you'll manage Program Managers and the staff who cover those 24/7 programs, stepping into direct client care only during periods of high demand or staffing shortages.

Heritage Behavioral Health Center is a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) serving individuals and families across a multi-county region in Central Illinois, providing mental health treatment, substance use treatment, crisis services, and recovery support. We're a collaborative, growth-oriented workplace that invests heavily in our clinical leaders.

Leadership & Program Oversight

• Supervise and guide Program Managers overseeing crisis services and access to care
• Lead programs operating 24/7/365, ensuring high-quality, person-centered response
• Step in with direct client care as needed during periods of high demand or staffing shortages

Operational Excellence & Compliance

• Optimize workflows across crisis and access programs for timely engagement, assessment, and linkage to care
• Ensure all clinical activities meet state and federal regulatory requirements for behavioral health and substance use programs
• Operationalize programs for high-quality service delivery and fiscal sustainability

Staff Development & Training

• Participate in hiring, onboarding, and mentoring new staff
• Train staff on assessments, crisis counseling, case management, and discharge planning
• Lead clinical case reviews and support continuous quality improvement

Collaboration & Community Engagement

• Build strong relationships with referral sources, community providers, hospitals, and first responders
• Strengthen internal collaboration across clinical departments for coordinated treatment planning
• Participate in community events, coalitions, and statewide crisis system of care learning communities

• Strong ability to engage individuals in behavioral health treatment
• Leadership experience in programs operating 24/7/365
• Comfort working in fast-paced, evolving environments
• Working knowledge of behavioral health diagnoses and the DSM-5
• Understanding of psychiatric, substance use, medical, and community resources
• Ability to navigate and train staff in electronic health records
• Strong communication, decision-making, and problem-solving skills
• Comfort with ambiguity and change

• Master's degree in Social Work, Counseling, Psychology, or a related human services field (required)
• Licensure as a Licensed Social Worker (LSW), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC), or Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) — or actively working toward one of these
• Full clinical licensure (LCSW, LCPC, or LMFT) is a plus but not required; we're flexible on licensure level for the right candidate with strong crisis and supervisory experience
• Previous experience in crisis services, case management, or clinical/administrative supervision
• Valid driver's license, reliable transportation, and proof of auto insurance required

• Generous vacation, sick, and personal leave; paid holidays
• Health, dental, vision, FSA (health & dependent care), and supplemental life insurance, with a substantial agency contribution to the health plan
• Agency-provided life insurance and short-term disability
• 401(k) and Roth retirement plans
• Health club / fitness reimbursement
• Employee Assistance Program
• Continuing education opportunities and tuition assistance program

If you're a behavioral health leader — whether your background is as a Program Director, Clinical Supervisor, Crisis Services Manager, or licensed clinician ready to step into management — and you want real influence over how your community responds to its hardest moments, with a Monday–Friday schedule and benefits built to sustain a long career, we'd love to hear from you.