Associate Director of Clinical Services - $8000 sign on bonus

Jewish Family Service • Buffalo, NY

7d • $73,000 - $80,000

About The Position

The Associate Director of Clinical Services provides clinical and operational leadership for Jewish Family Services of Western New York’s Mental Health Outpatient Treatment and Rehabilitative Services (MHOTRS) clinic and Critical Time Intervention (CTI) program. Reporting to the Senior Director of Behavioral Health, this role oversees program staff and day-to-day operations while promoting high-quality, trauma-informed, person-centered, culturally responsive, and recovery-oriented services. The Associate Director supports staff development, clinical practice, regulatory compliance, documentation standards, program performance, and coordination of care across behavioral health, medical, and community-based systems.

The position provides clinical supervision and consultation, supports complex cases and crisis response, and oversees service delivery, clinical workflows, access, utilization, and documentation. It monitors compliance with OMH regulations, Medicaid requirements, agency policies, contractual obligations, and quality standards. The Associate Director also works with agency leadership to develop program goals, improve operations and client access, support staffing and training, strengthen community partnerships, and implement services, policies, and workflows.

The role works both in the office and in the community, including travel to various sites for meetings and support services. Flexible hours are required, including days and some evenings and/or weekends. Access to a reliable vehicle, a valid clean driver’s license, and liability insurance of $100/$300k are required.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in Social Work, Mental Health Counseling, Psychology, or another related behavioral health discipline.
• Current New York State professional licensure appropriate to the position.
• Demonstrated experience providing behavioral health services to people with complex mental health and psychosocial needs.
• Clinical supervision and/or behavioral health program leadership experience.
• Strong knowledge of clinical assessment, treatment planning, risk assessment, crisis intervention, care coordination, and clinical documentation.
• Ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and manage competing clinical and operational priorities.
• Strong written, verbal, organizational, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively with people from diverse cultural, socioeconomic, and lived-experience backgrounds.
• Proficiency with electronic health records and ability to use data to support program management and quality improvement.
• Commitment to and understanding of Jewish Family Service’s values.
• Access to a reliable vehicle, a valid clean driver’s license, and liability insurance in the amount of $100/$300k.
• Ability to work flexible hours, including days and some evenings and/or weekends.
• Physical ability to perform office duties, maintain and review files and reports, communicate by phone and in person, and move around a normal office environment and community.

Nice To Haves

• LCSW or LCSW-R licensure in New York State.
• Experience working in an OMH-licensed outpatient mental health program.
• Knowledge of New York State OMH regulations and Medicaid behavioral health requirements.
• Experience supervising licensed and/or license-eligible behavioral health professionals.
• Experience working with individuals with serious mental illness and complex social needs.
• Experience with Critical Time Intervention, care transitions, community-based behavioral health services, or intensive care coordination.
• Experience with quality improvement, regulatory audits, utilization management, and program development.

Responsibilities

• Provide clinical leadership and oversight for the MHOTRS clinic and CTI program.
• Supervise assigned clinical and program staff and maintain appropriate supervisory structures.
• Support staff with complex clinical situations, including risk assessment, safety planning, crisis intervention, and care coordination.
• Promote evidence-based, trauma-informed, recovery-oriented, person-centered, and culturally responsive practices.
• Develop staff skills in clinical assessment, treatment planning, documentation, and care coordination.
• Facilitate or participate in clinical consultations, team meetings, case conferences, and interdisciplinary meetings.
• Collaborate with psychiatric providers and multidisciplinary teams to coordinate behavioral health care.
• Oversee day-to-day clinical operations of the MHOTRS clinic and ensure services comply with regulations, requirements, policies, and professional standards.
• Monitor caseloads, productivity, access, scheduling, utilization, and other operational indicators.
• Support intake, assessment, admission, treatment planning, ongoing treatment, and discharge processes.
• Monitor clinical documentation quality and timeliness and address identified concerns with staff.
• Coordinate psychotherapy, psychiatric services, care management, and internal and external providers; address barriers to access and continuity of care.
• Support implementation and optimization of the electronic medical record and clinical workflows.
• Provide clinical and programmatic oversight of CTI services and promote fidelity to the CTI model.
• Consult on complex CTI cases and support engagement, risk management, care coordination, and connection to community services.
• Monitor CTI referrals, enrollment, caseloads, service delivery, phase transitions, outcomes, and program completion.
• Build coordination with hospitals, behavioral health and housing providers, care management organizations, social service systems, and other community partners.
• Support integration and utilization of peers and other multidisciplinary team members within CTI.
• Ensure compliance with OMH regulations, Medicaid requirements, contracts, agency policies, and applicable accreditation or quality standards.
• Monitor clinical records, including treatment plans, assessments, progress notes, and discharge documentation.
• Participate in chart reviews, quality assurance, audits, corrective action planning, and continuous quality improvement.
• Work with agency leadership and Quality Improvement and Compliance departments to identify and address clinical and operational risks.
• Assist with preparation for regulatory reviews, Medicaid audits, program monitoring, and funding reviews.
• Use program data to monitor trends and performance and improve access, quality, outcomes, and efficiency.
• Ensure clinical incidents, safety concerns, and reportable events are addressed, documented, and escalated appropriately.
• Participate in staff recruitment, interviewing, selection, onboarding, and retention.
• Coach staff, provide feedback and performance management, and identify training and professional development needs.
• Support staff through high-acuity periods, organizational change, program growth, and operational challenges.
• Assist with staffing coverage planning during vacancies, leaves, and transitions.
• Work with the Senior Director of Behavioral Health to establish program goals, priorities, workflows, and performance expectations.
• Monitor program capacity, service utilization, staffing, referrals, and other operational indicators.
• Identify opportunities to improve workflows, access, care coordination, and client experience.
• Participate in implementing initiatives, clinical services, technology, workflows, and regulatory requirements.
• Assist in developing and implementing policies, procedures, clinical protocols, and program standards.
• Participate in leadership meetings and communicate relevant information to program staff.
• Maintain relationships with internal departments and external community partners and represent the programs at meetings as assigned.
• Travel outside the office to various sites to attend meetings and provide support services.

Benefits

• Competitive annual salary of $73,000–$80,000, commensurate with experience and qualifications.
• Health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Accrued paid time off of 4+ weeks.
• Paid agency-wide shutdown between Christmas and New Year’s Day.
• 401(k) retirement plan with 4% agency contribution.
• 13+ observed holidays annually.
• Reduced full-time work week of 35 hours and early close on Fridays.
• $8,000 sign-on bonus.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager