Program Director for Crisis Services

Aroostook Mental Health Services, Inc.•Ellsworth, ME

About The Position

The Program Director for Crisis Services provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for all crisis intervention programs. This role is responsible for ensuring the delivery of high-quality, effective, and compliant crisis response services while fostering strong partnerships across internal departments and community stakeholders. Working collaboratively with the Senior Leadership Team (SLT), managers, supervisors, and frontline teams, the Program Director translates organizational vision and strategic goals into actionable program initiatives that promote access, equity, quality, and positive client outcomes.

Requirements

This position requires a master’s degree in social work, psychology, or counseling and 5 years of experience in mental health services, crisis intervention, or residential care.
Demonstrated supervisory, leadership, administrative, program, and community development experience is also required.
Active licensure in the State of Maine as an LCSW, LCPC, LMSW-CC, or LCPC-C is required.

Nice To Haves

Prior leadership or management experience in a similar setting is preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of crisis programs aligned with organizational mission and strategic priorities.
Collaborate with the Senior Leadership Team to support strategic planning, operational decision-making, and long-range program development.
Translate strategic goals into measurable program plans and performance benchmarks.
Identify opportunities for innovation, expansion, and program enhancements.
Partner with Finance, Human Resources, Billing, Quality, and Marketing teams to ensure cohesive, compliant, and efficient service delivery.
Participate in organization-wide initiatives, including strategic planning, budgeting, and policy development.
Represent programmatic priorities in senior leadership discussions.
Lead, mentor, and supervise Program Managers and program staff.
Foster a culture of accountability, inclusion, continuous improvement, and professional development.
Provide oversight of recruitment, onboarding, training, performance management, and succession planning.
Conduct performance evaluations and provide coaching to promote staff growth and excellence.
Develop and oversee key performance indicators (KPIs) and program metrics.
Ensure effective systems for tracking service utilization, outputs, outcomes, and program impact.
Analyze data to inform continuous quality improvement and operational decision-making.
Prepare programmatic reports for leadership, funders, and governing boards.
Develop and manage program budgets in collaboration with Finance.
Monitor expenditures to ensure cost-effective and responsible fiscal stewardship.
Identify and prioritize staffing, technology, training, and operational resource needs.
Serve as a public-facing representative of crisis programs.
Build and maintain collaborative relationships with funders, community partners, and regulatory agencies.
Represent the organization at conferences, coalitions, and public forums.
Ensure compliance with all regulatory, accreditation, contractual, and grant requirements.
Identify operational risks and implement mitigation strategies.
Collaborate with Quality, HR, and legal partners to maintain compliance and reduce liability.
Assess community needs using population data, demographic trends, and service utilization metrics.
Recommend and assist in securing funding through grants, contracts, and RFP responses.
Participate in agency administrative on-call rotation.
Maintain strict confidentiality of client and organizational information.
Promote a welcoming, trauma-informed environment.
Uphold all organizational policies, safety standards, and professional ethics.
Work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary leadership team.
Demonstrate flexibility, adaptability, and strong problem-solving skills.