Director Clinical Services

North Port Behavioral Health•North Port, FL

1d•Onsite

About The Position

North Port Behavioral Health Hospital is seeking an experienced Director of Clinical Services to provide leadership and clinical oversight for a new 144-bed acute hospital in North Port, Florida. The hospital serves adolescents ages 13–17, adults ages 18 and older, and seniors ages 55 and older who have mental health concerns and co-occurring substance use disorders. Its approach addresses mental, physical, emotional, and social well-being. The Director provides strategic direction for clinical teams and oversees clinical operations, programs, staff development, care coordination, quality, and regulatory compliance. The role develops and sustains evidence-based treatment programs, including CBT and DBT, and promotes measurable outcomes, patient-centered care, staff competency, and fidelity to evidence-based practices. The Director collaborates with hospital leaders, interdisciplinary teams, community organizations, healthcare providers, and referral sources to align services with organizational goals and support recovery across the continuum of care. The role includes participation in an on-call rotation, maintaining a limited caseload when necessary, and providing onsite coverage for other programs. Applicants must complete a Level 2 Background Screening through the Florida Care Provider Background Screening Clearinghouse.

Requirements

License-bearing Master's or Doctorate degree in behavioral or mental health, such as an MSW, master's degree in marriage and family therapy or professional counseling, PhD in Clinical, Counseling, or Educational Psychology, or PsyD.
At least 4 years of experience working with the facility's clinical population.
At least 2 years of supervisory experience.
Familiarity with regulatory standards such as Joint Commission, CMS, and CARF, and experience ensuring compliance.
Excellent leadership, collaboration, and communication skills with audiences ranging from frontline clinical staff to facility leadership.
Independent clinical licensure, such as LCSW, LPC, LMFT, or psychologist license.
Ability to complete a Level 2 Background Screening through the Florida Care Provider Background Screening Clearinghouse.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in Social Work (MSW/LCSW) is strongly preferred.
Experience in an inpatient psychiatric or behavioral health hospital.
Experience in a specialty provided at the facility, such as substance use or eating disorders.

Responsibilities

Provide strategic direction to clinical teams, including therapists, social workers, and other staff.
Oversee day-to-day clinical operations, including budget management, marketing and strategic plans, and independent clinical decision-making.
Promote accountability, continuous improvement, patient-centered care, and collaboration between departments.
Serve on the facility leadership team and make clinical decisions to support quality care and organizational goals.
Provide staff direction, clinical consultation, case-planning oversight, and care-coordination oversight.
Direct crisis intervention efforts and intervene as required.
Supervise, mentor, and support clinical staff, including providing clinical supervision as needed.
Ensure staff are trained in and consistently apply evidence-based practices, assessments, measurement-based care, and evidence-based interventions.
Monitor fidelity of clinical programming and groups, and provide training when practice drift occurs.
Manage staff hiring, development, training, and performance management.
Review caseloads regularly to optimize utilization of services.
Ensure staff maintain current certifications and meet regulatory requirements.
Develop and implement clinical programs based on evidence-based models such as CBT and DBT, and integrate evidence-based practices into treatment plans.
Evaluate clinical performance metrics, including service delivery, patient-reported outcomes, satisfaction, length of stay, treatment completion, and discharge effectiveness.
Conduct clinical audits of documentation, fidelity to care models, and levels of care.
Promote best practices in suicide risk assessment, safety planning, and risk mitigation across facilities.
Facilitate continuity of care and partner with outpatient facilities to develop step-down processes.
Provide clinical oversight for other programs and levels of care as needed.
Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations and accrediting-body requirements, including Joint Commission, CMS, CARF, and state licensing boards.
Monitor clinical performance and implement corrective actions as needed.
Oversee documentation and reporting to maintain accurate patient records.
Ensure safety and infection-control requirements are met.
Align clinical services with hospital-wide initiatives and organizational values.
Liaise between clinical staff, administration, and external partners to foster clear communication.
Engage community organizations and healthcare providers to improve patient access to services.
Maintain a limited caseload when necessary and provide onsite coverage for other programs.
Develop operating policies aligned with regulatory requirements and standards of care.
Prioritize patient safety and work to resolve complaints when needs are unmet.
Participate in the facility’s on-call rotation as required.
Support business development, participate in community and educational events, and maintain relationships with referral sources.
Demonstrate a positive, empathetic, and professional attitude toward customers and communicate effectively with patients, families, guests, and healthcare team members.
Comply with organizational policies, procedures, performance-improvement initiatives, and confidentiality requirements.
Build constructive working relationships and foster trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
Maintain regular and predictable attendance and perform other assigned duties.