DIRECTOR OF LEARNING INSTITUTE

Gateway Foundation Inc•Chicago, IL

About The Position

Gateway Foundation, Inc. is a national non-profit dedicated to helping individuals with substance use and mental health disorders. Established in 1968, Gateway provides essential tools and knowledge for recovery, positively impacting hundreds of thousands of lives. Operating through its Community Services, Corrections Divisions, and Corporate Headquarters, the organization is recognized for innovative, effective treatment approaches and maintaining high standards. Discover a rewarding career where you can find both personal and professional fulfillment while aligning your values with your work. You'll have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact by aiding individuals in overcoming addiction. We pride ourselves on being an organization that values you and strives to be an employer of choice, fostering a vibrant culture that promotes teamwork and professional growth. Your voice matters here; we actively listen to and value our employees' thoughts, allowing you to be part of organizational decisions. Join Gateway Foundation today and become part of a team dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of others. Job Summary: Leads the development and operation of a behavioral health learning institute that supports internal workforce development and external professional education. Plans and oversees core training strategy, curriculum development, delivery, evaluation, and continuous improvement. Partners with organizational leaders and clinical experts to ensure training reflect evidence-informed practices, regulatory requirements, accreditation standards, and organizational priorities. Builds the infrastructure needed to offer select trainings externally and uses data and feedback to strengthen learning outcomes and institute effectiveness.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in psychology, social work, public health, education, or a closely related field.
Demonstrated ability to build, plan, lead, and evaluate a comprehensive training function and learning institute at a level normally acquired through five or more years of progressive responsibility.
Experience working in clinical settings required, and certification or licensure as a counselor or social worker preferred.
Ability to translate evidence-based practices, treatment standards, regulatory requirements, and clinical workflows into practical curriculum, facilitator guides, case scenarios, competencies, and learning objectives.
Knowledge of evidence-based practices, such as motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral interventions, trauma-informed care, harm reduction, ASAM criteria, clinical documentation, ethics, and culturally responsive care to connect training to clinical quality, patient outcomes, and performance improvement.
Operational knowledge in regulated or accredited behavioral health environments from licensing bodies, accreditation organizations, Medicaid/managed care expectations, correctional or residential treatment standards, or continuing education requirements.
Advanced interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills necessary to collaborate with executives, clinical leaders, managers, subject matter experts, training facilitators, employees, external partners, and training participants; gather learning needs; and clearly communicate learning goals, expectations, and outcomes.
Strong facilitation and presentation skills to engage participants, support adult learning, deliver effective training, and create interactive learning experiences for employees, clinical professionals, external partners, and other training audiences.
Project management skills to assess organizational and external training needs, identify workforce and industry trends, evaluate curriculum effectiveness, manage multiple learning initiatives, and recommend training strategies that support quality care, operational consistency, and professional development.
Demonstrated knowledge of Microsoft Office products, learning management systems, e-learning tools, webinar platforms, virtual facilitation technology, training evaluation methods, and systems used to support registration, tracking, reporting, and continuing education documentation.

Nice To Haves

certification or licensure as a counselor or social worker preferred

Responsibilities

Leads the development of a behavioral health learning institute that serves as the central structure for internal training strategy and external professional education offerings. Establishes institute goals, priorities, operating standards, and measures of success in alignment with organizational strategic priorities, clinical direction, workforce needs, and growth objectives.
Plans, controls, and leads the organization-wide training function, including the development of annual training plans, core curriculum priorities, training calendars, resource allocation, delivery standards, and evaluation processes for both internal and external audiences.
Identifies, develops, and maintains core training curriculum, including required and priority training in behavioral health, trauma-informed care, co-occurring disorders, clinical supervision, leadership development, compliance, safety, and workforce sustainability.
Designs, coordinates, and implements training programs to deliver through multiple formats, including classroom, virtual, blended, e-learning, train-the-trainer, and customized partner training models that align with adult learning principles.
Works in consultation with the Executive Management Team and other subject matter experts to ensure clinical and behavioral health curricula reflect current evidence-based practices, research-informed interventions, regulatory requirements, accreditation standards, and the organizations’ treatment philosophy.
Builds the infrastructure necessary to offer select training externally, including a preparatory training program that will be accredited by the Illinois Certification Board (ICB) to provide individuals with the skills and knowledge to take the required CADC examination.
Develops course catalogs, facilitator standards, participant materials, registration processes, continuing education documentation, pricing or funding recommendations, partner communications, and quality assurance processes.
Develops and monitors systems to evaluate training effectiveness, participant satisfaction, learning outcomes, facilitator performance, and business impact. Uses data, feedback, and performance trends to improve curriculum quality, delivery methods, and institute priorities.
Manages implementation of training programs and institute operations, including vendor or instructor coordination, facilitator preparation, materials development, logistics, learning technology, documentation standards, and program follow-up. Establishes and maintains course development calendars, templates, workflows, and resource libraries.
Chairs or co-chairs learning and curriculum development committees or councils that support training governance, curriculum review, facilitator development, training priorities, and stakeholder input. Partners with leaders, subject matter experts, and training ambassadors to identify needs and strengthen delivery capacity across the organization.
Develops, recommends, and implements approved policies, procedures, standards, and operating guidelines related to training administration, curriculum development, facilitator expectations, continuing education processes, external training delivery, and learning institute operations.
Plans and monitors training budgets, resource needs, external training revenue opportunities, grant-funded training initiatives, and resource requirements necessary to build and sustain the learning institute. Researches and supports training grants, sponsorships, partnerships, or other funding opportunities as appropriate.
Maintains knowledge of emerging behavioral health practices, workforce development needs, instructional design trends, learning technologies, continuing education standards, and external market needs to ensure Gateway’s learning institute remains relevant, high-quality, scalable, and responsive to the field.

Benefits

Medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and dependents
Employee wellness program promoting health and fitness and offering cash-saving premiums
Employee assistance programs focused on mental health
403(b) Retirement Plan with 3% employer match
Short-term and Long-term Disability and Life and AD&D Insurance paid for by Gateway
Flexible Spending Accounts for medical and dependent care
Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)
18 paid time off days per year – accrual rates increase with years of service
9 paid company holidays
Work-life-balance
Training & Development Programs
Tuition Reimbursement - up to $5,250 per calendar year
eLearning access to online courses that provide CEU’s and job-related training
Clinical Supervision: Formal and informal guidance