Clinical Project Manager - HOST

Downtown Emergency Service Center•Seattle, WA

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

DESC is a nationally recognized social services organization, supportive housing operator, and licensed behavioral health treatment provider dedicated to serving individuals experiencing long-term homelessness and complex behavioral health and medical conditions. With a vision of a community where everyone has a safe, stable, and affordable home, DESC provides a wide range of services including shelter, permanent supportive housing, and various behavioral health treatments. The HOST Project Manager, under the guidance of the Senior Clinical Program Manager, will lead the daily operations of the HOST program, ensuring consistent delivery of outreach, engagement, stabilizing services, case management, and transition services. This role involves direct supervision of HOST Clinical Supervisors and the Peer Supervisor, overseeing staffing, quality assurance, documentation, reporting, hiring, and operational systems. The Project Manager will monitor performance against contractual and program expectations and foster collaboration across internal programs, shelter partners, and behavioral health providers. Collaboration with the Senior Clinical Program Manager will extend to program strategy, budget development, significant operational decisions, and overall program scope.

Requirements

Eligible for a Licensed AAC credential or any other superseding credential that meets RCW 71.05.020 requirements to act as a Mental Health Professional whose scope of practice includes independently conducting mental health assessments and making mental health diagnoses.
Master's degree in social work, psychology, or other relevant behavioral science.
Two or more years' experience in community-based behavioral health services.
One or more years' supervisory experience.
Experience working with adults experiencing homelessness, mental illness and/or substance use disorders.
Ability to drive an agency or personal vehicle for agency business.
A current Washington State driver’s license and an insurable driving record are required.
Be able to pass a Washington State Criminal background check.
Strong leadership, collaboration, communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
Familiarity with Recovery Principles, Crisis Intervention and Stabilization, Integrated Treatment of Co-occurring Disorders, Intensive Case Management, Illness Management, and relevant Evidenced based/Emerging best practices.
Knowledge of Harm Reduction strategies.
Strong working knowledge of DSM-5-TR.
Be able to assess situations quickly and respond appropriately and calmly to any type of mental health and/or substance use disorder crisis to ensure the physical and psychological safety of clients.
Be willing to seek to understand each client's unique circumstances and personal preferences and goals and incorporate them into the crisis response to help the client regain a sense of control.
Have a strong understanding of recovery and resilience, the value of client partnerships and client choice, and the balance between protection from harm and personal dignity.
Possess strong communication and writing skills.
Ability to work flexible hours as required by program and staffing needs including evenings, weekends, and/or holidays.
Able and willing to provide community outreach anywhere in King County from which a referral may originate, at times with no first responders present.
Ability to communicate with and supervise staff from diverse backgrounds.
Ability to work effectively with clients displaying a wide range of unpleasant and/or bizarre behaviors.
Subscribe to the philosophy of cooperation and continuity across programs and of consideration and respect for clients.

Nice To Haves

Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Licensed Mental Health Counselor, or another applicable independent clinical license in Washington State.
Qualified to serve as an approved supervisor for LICSW, LMFT, and/or LMHC licensure candidates under applicable Washington State requirements.
Experience supporting hiring, onboarding, staff development, and performance management.
Ability to provide effective administrative and internal clinical supervision within the individual’s education, training, credential, and scope of practice.
Ability to supervise program leaders, establish accountability, interpret program requirements, monitor performance, and coordinate corrective action.
Literate with computer functions included and not limited to Microsoft Office Suite and Electronic Health Record Systems
Experience supervising program leaders or overseeing multi-site behavioral health operations.
Experience with publicly funded contracts, program reporting, quality assurance, and budget monitoring.
Bi-cultural and/or bilingual background/experience.

Responsibilities

Lead day-to-day HOST operations across multiple service locations, ensuring adequate staffing, consistent service delivery, effective communication, and implementation of program priorities.
Oversee implementation of client screening, eligibility, enrollment, assessment, service delivery, and transitions.
Provide consultation on complex situations and coordinate with shelter, housing, and behavioral health partners to support continuity of care.
Collaborate with supervisors and agency leadership to develop and improve program workflows, address operational needs, and maintain familiarity with frontline service delivery.
Elevate proposed changes affecting program scope, contractual obligations, or service models for senior leadership review.
Provide leadership support for urgent operational and safety concerns, ensuring appropriate incident response, escalation, and identification of trends requiring intervention.
Lead quality assurance, continuous improvement, and program reporting in collaboration with HOST leadership.
Monitor clinical documentation, contractual compliance, and program outcomes, ensuring timely audits, accurate reporting, and corrective action when needed.
Monitor program expenditures and contract spending in collaboration with the Senior Clinical Program Manager.
Lead monthly financial reviews with Accounting, identify significant variances, and participate in annual budget development.
Ensure program operations comply with agency policies, applicable Washington Administrative Code requirements, and relevant City of Seattle and King County Behavioral Health and Recovery Division requirements.
Directly supervise and develop HOST Clinical Supervisors and the Peer Supervisor, providing regular administrative and internal clinical supervision, consultation, performance management, and professional development support.
Oversee hiring and onboarding in collaboration with supervisors, Human Resources, and agency leadership.
Ensure consistent application of personnel policies and the collective bargaining agreement.
Facilitate leadership meetings, clinical consultations, and multidisciplinary collaboration to promote shared accountability, staff development, and effective clinical decision-making.
Maintain current knowledge of evidence-based and emerging practices for multidisciplinary teams serving vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations, integrating relevant approaches into clinical supervision and program service delivery.
Develop and maintain collaborative relationships with DESC programs and external partners, including shelter, housing, behavioral health, health care, and other community service providers, to strengthen service coordination and access to resources.
Represent HOST in relevant internal and external meetings.
Communicate program information and elevate significant contractual, financial, personnel, clinical, or organizational concerns to the Senior Clinical Program Manager.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Ensure that teams support clients in achieving and maintaining healthy living conditions, as applicable, which may include participating in unit cleaning when the need arises.