Clinical Director Outpatient

Ascension Recovery Services • Pleasant Hill, IA

1d

About The Position

Thrive Now Recovery Centers is preparing to open an outpatient behavioral health and substance use disorder treatment program in Des Moines, Iowa, in late 2026. The Clinical Director will help build the program from the ground up and lead clinical services through its opening and continued growth. This founding leadership role offers the opportunity to shape the clinical model and culture, develop the team, establish programming and workflows, and support a program focused on quality, accountability, accessibility, and long-term recovery.

Thrive Now Recovery Centers, in partnership with Ascension Recovery Services, provides compassionate, evidence-based treatment to people experiencing substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health needs. Its person-centered, outcomes-focused approach involves collaboration among clinical, medical, peer recovery, case management, and community partners.

The Clinical Director will balance patient care with the operational needs of a growing behavioral health program. The role provides leadership and oversight of clinical programming, staff development, documentation, quality improvement, compliance, patient care coordination, and community relationships. The position requires a master's degree in a related behavioral health field and a current Iowa behavioral health license or the ability to obtain one before employment. Independent clinical licensure is strongly preferred.

Requirements

• Master's degree in Social Work, Counseling, Marriage and Family Therapy, Psychology, or another related behavioral health field.
• Current Iowa behavioral health license or ability to obtain Iowa licensure prior to employment.
• Experience providing behavioral health and/or substance use disorder treatment.
• Strong knowledge of clinical documentation, treatment planning, utilization management, medical necessity, and discharge planning.
• Knowledge of HIPAA and 42 CFR Part 2 confidentiality requirements.
• Strong leadership, communication, organization, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to thrive in a growing organization and help build programs, systems, and teams.

Nice To Haves

• Independent clinical licensure, such as LISW, LMHC, LMFT, or another Iowa-recognized independent behavioral health credential.
• Previous clinical leadership, supervision, or program-management experience.
• Experience in outpatient, IOP, PHP, SUD, co-occurring disorder, or behavioral health programming.
• Experience supervising and developing clinicians.
• Understanding of ASAM criteria and level-of-care decision making.
• Experience with accreditation, regulatory compliance, quality improvement, or Joint Commission standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development, implementation, and ongoing oversight of outpatient clinical programming.
• Help build the clinical program before opening, including workflows, schedules, program structure, documentation expectations, and clinical processes.
• Recruit, onboard, develop, and retain therapists, counselors, case managers, peer recovery professionals, and other clinical team members.
• Provide clinical leadership, supervision, coaching, and professional development to clinical staff.
• Establish a culture of clinical excellence, accountability, teamwork, and compassionate patient care.
• Ensure services are individualized, evidence-based, trauma-informed, and aligned with patients’ clinical needs and appropriate levels of care.
• Oversee individual, group, and family programming, including outpatient and intensive outpatient services as applicable.
• Ensure timely completion and quality of assessments, treatment plans, progress notes, discharge planning, and other clinical documentation.
• Monitor documentation for quality, medical necessity, consistency, and regulatory compliance.
• Coordinate care with medical providers, nursing, admissions, case management, peer recovery, operations, and utilization review.
• Participate in multidisciplinary treatment team meetings and promote communication across disciplines.
• Support patient placement, continued-stay decisions, transitions between levels of care, and discharge planning.
• Monitor clinical outcomes, patient engagement, program completion, attendance, and other performance indicators; use trends and data to improve programming and patient experience.
• Lead clinical quality improvement initiatives and participate in QAPI activities.
• Ensure compliance with organizational policies, Iowa requirements, payer expectations, accreditation standards, HIPAA, and 42 CFR Part 2.
• Maintain readiness for regulatory, licensing, payer, and accreditation reviews.
• Address clinical concerns, patient grievances, safety concerns, and higher-risk clinical situations in partnership with appropriate leadership.
• Help establish referral relationships and collaborate with community providers, hospitals, courts, recovery organizations, and other community partners.
• Support census growth by helping build a clinically strong program trusted by referral partners and patients.
• Serve as a clinical resource and leader for the broader Thrive Now team.
• Maintain appropriate professional boundaries and model ethical clinical practice.
• Perform other leadership responsibilities as needed to support the successful opening and operation of the program.

Benefits

• Medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Paid time off
• Paid holidays
• Company-paid and supplemental life insurance options
• Professional development opportunities
• Leadership growth opportunities within a rapidly expanding behavioral health organization
• Competitive compensation and benefits package

What This Job Offers

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