Chief Nursing Officer

Santa Maria Hostel•Houston, TX

About The Position

Position Summary: The CNO provides strategic and operational leadership for all clinic operations and participant care services within the residential SUD treatment program and I-Care Clinic, including nursing, medication management, MAT, and integrated primary and behavioral health services. This role ensures coordinated, trauma-informed, and evidence-based care across medical providers, clinical teams, Recovery Advocates, and external partners while prioritizing participant safety and continuity of care. The position is accountable for regulatory compliance, survey readiness, medication management practices, and the development and enforcement of clinical policies, standards, and documentation requirements. In collaboration with the Medical Director and executive leadership, the role participates in quality improvement, risk management, infection control, and emergency preparedness efforts using data-driven outcomes. As a member of the executive team, this position oversees department staffing and budgets, supports staff development and retention, and partners with the CEO and Board of Directors to advance the organization’s mission and strategic goals. Other duties may be assigned. Essential Duties and Responsibilities: Clinical and Integrated Care Oversight · Oversee all clinic operations and participant care services, including nursing, medication management, MAT, integrated primary and behavioral health services, and residential medical care. · Ensure coordination of care across medical providers, nursing, behavioral health, Recovery Advocates, and external partners. · In collaboration with the Medical Director, establish, implement, and enforce clinical standards that support participant safety, trauma-informed care, and evidence-based SUD treatment. · Provide clinical oversight of MAT services, including assessments, follow-up, participant education, and referrals to higher levels of care as indicated. Regulatory Compliance · Ensure compliant medication practices, including ordering, storage, self-administration, inventory control, and disposal, in accordance with Chapter 564 and applicable regulations. · Oversee medication documentation, audits, error reporting, and corrective action processes. · Ensure clinical services are survey-ready and compliant with all licensing, accreditation, and funder requirements. Direct Care and Recovery Advocate Oversight · Provide leadership and operational oversight of Recovery Advocates and other direct care staff to ensure consistent, safe, and therapeutic residential services. · Ensure appropriate staffing levels, scheduling, training, and supervision to meet clinical, regulatory, and participant safety requirements. · Promote effective communication and collaboration between direct care, nursing, and clinical teams. Patient Safety & Infection Control · In collaboration with the Medical Director, oversee infection prevention, control, and quarantine protocols for communicable diseases. · Ensure participant safety practices, incident reporting, and risk mitigation processes are consistently implemented. · Oversee clinical emergency preparedness and continuity of care procedures. Quality, Risk Management, and Clinical Governance · Collaborate with Medical Director on clinical performance standards and quality of care. · Lead the development, approval, and ongoing review of clinical policies, procedures, and protocols to Job Title: Chief Nursing Officer Department: Administration Reports To: Chief Executive Officer FLSA Status: Exempt Date: 12/15/2025 ensure alignment with evidence-based practice and regulatory requirements. · Participate in organizational risk management, compliance, and quality committees. · Ensure accurate, timely, and compliant documentation in Electronic Health Records (e.g., CMBHS, Athena). · Use clinical data and outcomes to guide quality improvement initiatives and support reporting requirements. · Ensure ethical clinical practice and compliance with patient rights, confidentiality, and informed consent standards. Staff Leadership and Development · Foster a supportive, accountable, and rewarding work environment that promotes staff engagement, retention, and performance. · Lead recruitment, onboarding, training, evaluation, and professional development for nursing, medication services, and direct care leadership staff. Executive Leadership and Administration · Provide strategic oversight of clinical budgets, staffing models, and resource allocation to support clinical quality and organizational sustainability. · Collaborate with the CEO, executive team, and Board of Directors to advance organizational strategy and mission. · Attend Board meetings and provide clinical and operational reports to the CEO. · Represent the organization in advocacy, community, and public events as needed. Qualifications: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Requirements

Current, unrestricted Registered Nurse (RN) license in the State of Texas (BSN required; MSN or higher preferred).
Minimum of 5–7 years of progressive nursing leadership experience, preferably in SUD treatment, behavioral health, residential treatment, or integrated care settings.
Demonstrated experience with MAT/OBOT programs, medication management, and regulatory compliance in substance use treatment environments.
Strong executive leadership, clinical judgment, and decision-making skills.
In-depth knowledge of SUD treatment, MAT, trauma-informed care, and behavioral health regulations.
Excellent communication, collaboration, and organizational skills.
Commitment to patient-centered care, ethical practice, and continuous quality improvement.
Ability to read, analyze and interpret general scientific and technical journals and documents.
Ability to follow technical procedures, or governmental regulations.
Ability to effectively present information to groups such as CEO, Board of Directors, top management, public groups and clients.
Ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide in all units of measures, using whole numbers, common fractions and decimals.
Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.
Ability to interpret a variety of instructions finished in written, oral, diagram or schedule form.
Must have strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook).
Previous EHR software experience.

Nice To Haves

MSN or higher preferred

Responsibilities

Oversee all clinic operations and participant care services, including nursing, medication management, MAT, integrated primary and behavioral health services, and residential medical care.
Ensure coordination of care across medical providers, nursing, behavioral health, Recovery Advocates, and external partners.
In collaboration with the Medical Director, establish, implement, and enforce clinical standards that support participant safety, trauma-informed care, and evidence-based SUD treatment.
Provide clinical oversight of MAT services, including assessments, follow-up, participant education, and referrals to higher levels of care as indicated.
Ensure compliant medication practices, including ordering, storage, self-administration, inventory control, and disposal, in accordance with Chapter 564 and applicable regulations.
Oversee medication documentation, audits, error reporting, and corrective action processes.
Ensure clinical services are survey-ready and compliant with all licensing, accreditation, and funder requirements.
Provide leadership and operational oversight of Recovery Advocates and other direct care staff to ensure consistent, safe, and therapeutic residential services.
Ensure appropriate staffing levels, scheduling, training, and supervision to meet clinical, regulatory, and participant safety requirements.
Promote effective communication and collaboration between direct care, nursing, and clinical teams.
In collaboration with the Medical Director, oversee infection prevention, control, and quarantine protocols for communicable diseases.
Ensure participant safety practices, incident reporting, and risk mitigation processes are consistently implemented.
Oversee clinical emergency preparedness and continuity of care procedures.
Collaborate with Medical Director on clinical performance standards and quality of care.
Lead the development, approval, and ongoing review of clinical policies, procedures, and protocols to ensure alignment with evidence-based practice and regulatory requirements.
Participate in organizational risk management, compliance, and quality committees.
Ensure accurate, timely, and compliant documentation in Electronic Health Records (e.g., CMBHS, Athena).
Use clinical data and outcomes to guide quality improvement initiatives and support reporting requirements.
Ensure ethical clinical practice and compliance with patient rights, confidentiality, and informed consent standards.
Foster a supportive, accountable, and rewarding work environment that promotes staff engagement, retention, and performance.
Lead recruitment, onboarding, training, evaluation, and professional development for nursing, medication services, and direct care leadership staff.
Provide strategic oversight of clinical budgets, staffing models, and resource allocation to support clinical quality and organizational sustainability.
Collaborate with the CEO, executive team, and Board of Directors to advance organizational strategy and mission.
Attend Board meetings and provide clinical and operational reports to the CEO.
Represent the organization in advocacy, community, and public events as needed.