✨Join a group of passionate advocates on our mission to improve the lives of youth! Rite of Passage Team is hiring Program Executive Director at Silver Oak Academy in Keymar, Maryland✨
Silver Oak Academy is located on a scenic 78-acre campus surrounded by sprawling corn fields, beautiful woods full of local wildlife and foliage, a football stadium, an athletic center (gymnasium, padded wrestling room, a fully equipped weight room & more), a Tech Center, student housing for 96 youth, and an academic building all just a short commute from Frederick, Baltimore & DC. On site dormitories are available for staff use during their shift and overnight for those with a long commute, or limited transportation. At Silver Oak, we will be providing services to adolescent male students with variety of mental health conditions in a class two RCC, Type 1 school, and future potential RTC.
Pay: starting at $120,000 depending on experience and education.
Perks & Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision and company paid Life Insurance within 30 days, and 401k match of up to 6% after 1 year of employment, PTO that can be used as soon asa it accrues and more! ROP-benefits-and-perks-2
What you will do:
We are seeking an extraordinary Program Executive Director to lead a highly specialized residential treatment center serving adolescent males with the most acute clinical and behavioral presentations. This program supports youth with significant histories of aggression, assaultive behaviors, elopement, and justice-system involvement, requiring a leader who is both unflappable and deeply grounded in evidence-based, trauma-responsive care.
This role demands a rare combination of clinical sophistication, operational rigor, and executive presence. The successful candidate will bring demonstrated experience leading secure or high-acuity adolescent programs, with the ability to set uncompromising standards for safety, treatment integrity, and staff accountability while maintaining a culture rooted in dignity, structure, and therapeutic optimism. You will be expected to confidently manage risk, partner effectively with juvenile justice and state agencies, and ensure full compliance with Maryland regulatory and licensing requirements.
We are looking for a “unicorn” leader: someone who can inspire and retain high-performing multidisciplinary teams, make decisive and ethical calls in complex situations, and translate vision into disciplined execution. This is not a turnaround role for the inexperienced, nor a purely administrative post. It is an opportunity for a proven executive who thrives in high-stakes environments and is motivated by the challenge of changing life trajectories for youth others have deemed “too difficult.”
If you have successfully led high-acuity adolescent residential or secure treatment settings—and are seeking a role where your leadership, judgment, and clinical values will be tested and fully utilized—this position offers a rare opportunity to lead work of exceptional consequence. You will join an organization with more than 40 years of experience serving highly complex youth, supported by the resources and clinical expertise of a nationwide behavioral health provider. This role offers meaningful opportunities for professional advancement, along with a strong executive and clinical support structure designed to sustain leaders operating in high-acuity environments.
To be considered you should:
- 5+ years of residential treatment leadership experience (non-negotiable; this isn't a job anyone can learn on as their first go).
- Possess high acuity mental and behavioral health experience.
Preferred:
- Posess clinical education or licensure (LCSW, LMFT, LPC).
- Have experience in Maryland with DJS/DHS licensed or contracted facilities.
Apply today and Make a Difference in the Lives of Youth!
After over 40 years of improving the lives of youth, we are looking for passionate advocates to continue the legacy of helping young people become successful adults. As a Program Executive Director you will have the unique opportunity to create a positive, safe and supportive environment for the youth we serve while building a career rich in growth opportunities and self-fulfillment.
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Qualifications Behaviors Preferred Functional Expert: Considered a thought leader on a subject Education Required Masters or better. Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with DisabilitiesThis employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.
What We Do
Rite of Passage is a leading national provider of programs and services for troubled and at-risk youth. With 35 years of experience in the juvenile justice industry, Rite of Passage has multiple service divisions that work with nearly 2,000 youth and families daily including schools, community-based services, academic-model programs, gender-specific treatment and secure facilities. The agency and its staff provide targeted services, skill-building opportunities and rich programming that promote youth success within their community, and for life.
