Walden - Program Director, Inpatient Clinical Services

Walden Behavioral Care•Dedham, MA

32d•Onsite

About The Position

The Program Director of Inpatient Clinical Services serves as the senior clinical leader for inpatient programming. This position is responsible for the strategic direction, oversight, and performance of all inpatient clinical services, including the Clinical Department, therapeutic and expressive therapy programming, and group treatment model. The Program Director leads by example and ensures the delivery of high-quality, evidence-based care while driving program innovation and clinical excellence. The Program Director partners closely with Medical Staff, Nursing, Nutrition, and Clinical Executive Leadership to advance clinical outcomes, enhance patient experience, and support organizational growth.

Requirements

Master’s Degree or higher in Social Work, Psychology, or related behavioral health field.
A minimum of 10 years of progressive clinical experience, and a minimum of 5 years of experience in a leadership role within behavioral health.
Licensed independent clinician in Massachusetts (LICSW, LMHC, PhD)
Advanced knowledge of inpatient psychiatric programming and multidisciplinary treatment models.
Strong understanding of Joint Commission, CMS, and state regulatory requirements.
Demonstrated ability to lead through influence, drive change, and execute strategic initiatives.
Experience with financial management, utilization review, and payer dynamics.
Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.

Nice To Haves

Significant experience in inpatient psychiatric and eating disorder settings preferred.

Responsibilities

Provides oversight of inpatient clinical services and programming.
Provides clinical leadership, supervision, and support to staff in managing complex patient situations, including direct involvement in patient and family interactions, problem-solving, and care coordination as needed.
Establishes and drives the vision, structure, and ongoing evolution of the inpatient treatment model.
Oversees the development and execution of the therapeutic group schedule to ensure clinical effectiveness and innovation.
Ensures delivery of evidence-based, patient-centered care across inpatient units while maintaining patient confidentiality and upholding patient rights.
Partners with Executive Medical Director, Director of Nursing, and Director of Clinical Nutrition to ensure integrated, multidisciplinary care.
Ensures alignment of clinical programming with organizational goals and industry best practices.
Provides leadership and oversight of the Clinical Department through direct supervision of the Clinical Director.
Oversees the Director of Integrative Therapies to ensure effective integration of expressive therapies into group programming and appropriate patient group attendance.
Ensures appropriate staffing models, productivity, and workforce planning aligned with census and budget.
Recruits, trains, develops, manages, supervises, and retains high-performing Clinicians.
Develops and implements strategies to improve staff engagement, retention, and overall stability within the clinical department.
Establishes clear expectations and accountability for performance across the clinical team and participates in performance improvement initiatives.
Completes performance evaluations and supports leadership development of direct reports.
Leads and oversees the clinical intern training program.
Monitors and drives performance on key clinical and operational indicators established by organizational leadership, including patient weight restoration trends, discharge performance metrics, clinical outcomes (including EDE-Q and PHQ-9 measures), documentation compliance, and other quality indicators (including group and meal attendance, weight restoration, and treatment completion).
Ensures full compliance with all regulatory, accreditation, and organizational standards, as well as adherence to all organizational policies and procedures.
Leads clinical quality improvement initiatives, including outcome measurement and program evaluation, and ensures alignment and integrity with company-wide clinical processes.
Monitors clinical documentation, group participation, and effectiveness, and patient experience metrics (such as Google Reviews and NPS scores).
Partners with leadership to prepare for and successfully navigate regulatory surveys.
Develops and implements clinical policies, procedures, and competencies.
Manages departmental operations within established financial targets and budgets.
Partners with the Executive Director and Finance to monitor census, program utilization, and revenue.
Oversees efficient utilization of clinical resources and supports length of stay optimization.
Collaborates with Utilization Review to ensure alignment with payer expectations and authorization processes, especially when it comes to Clinicians’ documentation.
Identifies opportunities to improve operational efficiency and program profitability.
Serves as a key contributor to strategic planning and growth initiatives for inpatient services.
Maintains awareness of market trends, referral patterns, and competitive landscape.
Collaborates with Outreach to support referral relationships and program positioning, including attending conferences and outreach meetings within the region.
Represents the organization in professional and community settings as needed.
Serves as a core member of the hospital leadership team.
Drives a culture of collaboration, accountability, and clinical excellence.
Facilitates effective communication across departments and disciplines.
Leads change management initiatives and supports organizational priorities.
Models professionalism and adherence to the organization’s mission and values.
Participates in required trainings, meetings, and leadership forums.
Other duties as assigned.