Program Director

Justice Resource Institute•Tewksbury, MA

12d•Onsite

About The Position

Justice Resource Institute seeks a Program Director at its Tewksbury, MA location. This role involves overseeing a 15-bed Intensive Residential Treatment Program that provides trauma-informed care for co-ed youth aged 12–18 with intellectual disabilities, serious mental illness, and challenging behaviors. The Program Director is responsible for managing a staff of 52, including administrative personnel and direct care providers, and for fostering a positive working environment through training, coaching, supervision, and performance evaluation. Key duties include overseeing daily operations such as integrated treatment services, admissions, individual program activities, community integration, human rights advocacy, social and life-skills training, education and life planning, and emergency preparedness. The role also involves serving as the initial contact for referrals, conducting screenings, coordinating admissions, planning for vacancies, and maintaining a waiting list. Additionally, the Program Director directs staff training programs, ensures compliance with regulatory and accreditation standards, manages the program's budget, conducts needs assessments, collects data for performance improvement, maintains documentation, and builds positive community relations.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or foreign equivalent in psychology, social work or a related field
36 months of experience in job offered, Assistant Program Manager, or related occupation
Experience managing a residential treatment setting that works with youth with Intellectual Disabilities and/or Autism Spectrum
Experience developing and implementing scheduling for staff and youth
Experience maintaining and implementing program budgets
Experience negotiating interagency service agreements
Experience implementing crisis management plans
Experience directing training programs

Responsibilities

Oversee a 15-bed Intensive Residential Treatment Program providing trauma-informed care for co-ed youth aged 12–18 with intellectual disabilities co-morbid with serious mental illness and challenging behaviors.
Manage a staff of 52, including administrative personnel and direct care providers.
Create a positive working environment through training, coaching, supervision, and performance evaluation.
Oversee all daily operations, including integrated treatment services, admissions, individual program activities, community integration, human rights advocacy, social and life-skills training, education and life planning, and emergency preparedness procedures.
Serve as the initial contact for referrals from the Massachusetts Department of Health, conduct screenings and interviews for appropriateness, coordinate admissions with referring agencies, schools, parents, and the Treatment Team, plan for anticipated vacancies, and maintain a waiting list.
Direct staff training programs, including a two-week, 80-hour orientation and annual training covering behavioral management, interim report writing, sexual harassment prevention, abuse and neglect prevention, appropriate client boundaries, and family engagement, with a focus on developing staff as human rights advocates.
Oversee compliance with all applicable regulatory and accreditation standards, including requirements of the Department of Children and Families (51A regulations), the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Massachusetts Disabled Persons Protection Commission, the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Massachusetts Medication Administration Program, and The Joint Commission.
Manage the program's budget, conduct needs assessments, collect data for continuous performance improvement, and maintain all required documentation, including budgets, personnel and client records, risk management reports, critical incidents, electronic health records, treatment reviews, and the Program Policy and Procedures Manual.
Establish positive community relations and collaborate with external stakeholders to ensure a quality therapeutic environment.
Directly supervise four direct reports: Clinical Director, Director of Nursing, Assistant Program Director, and Residential Director.