Assistant Program Director

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Assistant Program Director – Clinical Stabilization Services (CSS) provides clinical, operational, and administrative leadership for the CSS program and serves as the principal support to the Clinical Program Director in the day-to-day management of the program.

The Assistant Program Director provides direct clinical oversight and supervision of CSS clinical, counseling, and care coordination staff; supports admissions, treatment planning, discharge planning, utilization management, regulatory compliance, quality assurance, staff development, and program operations; and assists the Clinical Program Director in ensuring the delivery of high-quality, evidence-based, trauma-informed, and recovery-oriented substance use disorder services.

Working collaboratively with the Clinical Program Director, medical and nursing leadership, and other members of the interdisciplinary team, the Assistant Program Director helps ensure that CSS services are delivered in accordance with Massachusetts Bureau of Substance Addiction Services (BSAS) requirements, ASAM criteria, applicable Department of Public Health requirements, accreditation standards, BMC/BBHC policies, and other applicable local, state, and federal regulations.

The Assistant Program Director serves as a key member of CSS leadership and is expected to maintain comprehensive knowledge of program operations, staffing, clinical activity, regulatory requirements, and performance expectations. In the absence or unavailability of the Clinical Program Director, the Assistant Program Director assumes responsibility for the day-to-day leadership and operation of the CSS program and acts on behalf of the Program Director within the scope of delegated authority.

Position: Assistant Program Director

Department: Brockton Behavioral Health

Schedule: Full Time

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES/DUTIES:

Clinical Leadership & Supervision

• Provide clinical oversight and supervision to CSS clinical, counseling, care coordination, intern, and trainee staff, including coaching, performance management, competency development, and clinical consultation.
• Oversee admissions, assessments, case assignments, treatment planning, continued-stay reviews, discharge planning, and transitions of care to ensure services meet ASAM Level 3.5, medical necessity, and evidence-based treatment standards.
• Lead multidisciplinary case reviews, clinical supervision, and team meetings; provide guidance for complex cases, crisis intervention, co-occurring disorders, and barriers to treatment or discharge.
• Provide direct clinical services, including individual or group interventions, as needed to support patient care and program operations.

Program Leadership & Operations

• Serve as the principal clinical and operational support to the Clinical Program Director and assist with the day-to-day management of CSS, including patient flow, census, utilization, length of stay, staffing, admissions, and discharges.
• Assist with staff scheduling, deployment, recruitment, onboarding, retention, and performance management to maintain appropriate coverage and program stability.
• Collaborate with medical, nursing, intake, utilization management, quality, operations, and other disciplines to ensure coordinated, efficient service delivery.
• Support implementation of program goals, policies, procedures, workflows, strategic initiatives, and performance expectations.

• Assume day-to-day leadership and operational responsibility for CSS in the absence or unavailability of the Clinical Program Director, exercising delegated authority to maintain safe, effective, compliant, and uninterrupted program operations.
• Serve as the primary CSS leadership contact during such periods, addressing clinical, staffing, operational, patient-flow, and administrative matters and escalating significant concerns to appropriate BBHC leadership.
• Represent CSS in organizational meetings and communicate significant decisions, events, risks, and outstanding issues to the Clinical Program Director and/or senior leadership.

Quality, Regulatory Compliance & Program Development

• Maintain compliance with BSAS requirements, ASAM criteria, DPH requirements, accreditation standards, HIPAA, 42 CFR Part 2, BMC/BBHC policies, and other applicable regulatory requirements.
• Conduct routine clinical record reviews and weekly chart audits addressing assessments, treatment plans, medical necessity, ASAM documentation, utilization, discharge planning, and timely completion of documentation.
• Support continuous regulatory readiness, audits, surveys, corrective action plans, incident and grievance review, and Quality Assurance/Performance Improvement (QAPI) activities.
• Monitor clinical and operational performance indicators and collaborate with the Clinical Program Director to identify and implement opportunities for improvement.
• Participate in development and revision of clinical programming, policies, procedures, documentation standards, and evidence-based treatment practices.

Staff Education & Development

• Provide and coordinate clinical education, supervision, orientation, and ongoing competency development consistent with BSAS requirements and identified program needs.
• Promote staff competency in substance use disorder treatment, motivational interviewing, relapse prevention, co-occurring disorders, trauma-informed care, crisis intervention, harm reduction, and other evidence-based practices.

Collaboration & Administrative Support

• Maintain effective relationships with internal departments, referral sources, community providers, managed care organizations, and other stakeholders to support access, continuity of care, and successful transitions.
• Participate in CSS and BBHC leadership meetings, program planning, quality initiatives, policy development, and other organizational activities as assigned.
• Demonstrate professionalism consistent with Boston Medical Center's Code of Conduct, policies, procedures, and Culture Code, and perform other duties as assigned.

The above statements in this job description are intended to depict the general nature and level of work assigned to the employee(s) in this job. The above is not intended to represent an exhaustive list of accountable duties and responsibilities required.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

EDUCATION:

Required

• Master's degree or higher in Social Work, Psychology, Mental Health Counseling, Addiction Counseling, or another closely related behavioral health discipline required.

Preferred

• Doctoral degree in a relevant healthcare or behavioral health discipline preferred.
  

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS REQUIRED:

• Independent, unrestricted Massachusetts licensure in the applicable behavioral health discipline required, such as LICSW, LMHC, LADC I, or equivalent qualifying independent clinical license.
• CPR certification or ability to obtain certification within required organizational timeframe.
• Naloxone/Narcan training or ability to complete required training.

EXPERIENCE:

Required

• Minimum of two years of supervised substance use disorder counseling and/or behavioral health treatment experience required.
• Demonstrated clinical supervisory experience required.
• Previous experience providing leadership within a substance use disorder, behavioral health, residential, inpatient, or comparable healthcare program required.
• Demonstrated experience with multidisciplinary team leadership, clinical documentation, treatment planning, and regulatory compliance.

Preferred

• Prior management or assistant director-level experience within a licensed substance use disorder treatment program preferred.
• Experience within a BSAS-licensed Clinical Stabilization Services program strongly preferred.
• Experience with quality improvement, regulatory readiness, staff development, and healthcare operations preferred.
  

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:

• Comprehensive knowledge of substance use disorder treatment, recovery principles, co-occurring disorders, trauma-informed care, and evidence-based practices, including Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, relapse prevention, harm reduction, and medication treatment for substance use disorders.
• Strong knowledge of BSAS regulations, ASAM criteria, medical necessity standards, HIPAA, 42 CFR Part 2, accreditation requirements, and applicable healthcare regulations.
• Demonstrated leadership and supervisory skills, including staff coaching, performance management, competency development, team building, and conflict resolution.
• Ability to assume delegated program leadership responsibilities and make sound clinical and operational decisions in the absence of the Clinical Program Director.
• Strong clinical judgment and ability to provide consultation regarding complex cases, crisis intervention, risk assessment, treatment barriers, and discharge planning.
• Knowledge of clinical documentation, treatment planning, utilization management, quality assurance, regulatory readiness, and performance improvement.
• Ability to analyze clinical and operational data, identify trends or areas of concern, and implement effective improvement strategies.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills with the ability to collaborate effectively across clinical, medical, nursing, administrative, and operational disciplines.
• Strong organizational, prioritization, and problem-solving skills with the ability to manage competing clinical and operational demands.
• Demonstrated commitment to ethical practice, cultural humility, patient-centered care, staff development, and a collaborative work environment.
• Proficiency with electronic health records, Microsoft Office applications, and other standard healthcare technology.

SPECIAL WORKING CONDITIONS (responsible for on-call, 24 hr. coverage, etc.): (If none, please enter “N/A”)

Position requires on-site leadership presence and flexibility based upon program and patient-care needs.

• Participates in shared leadership/on-call coverage as designated by BBHC leadership.
• May be required to respond to urgent clinical, staffing, safety, regulatory, or operational concerns outside of routine business hours.
• Serves as the designated program leader during the Clinical Program Director's absence when assigned.
• Must be able to perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation as required under applicable law.
• Shares 24hr, on-call availability with other program facility leadership.

Compensation Range:

$39.90- $57.93

This range offers an estimate based on the minimum job qualifications. However, our approach to determining base pay is comprehensive, and a broad range of factors is considered when making an offer. This includes education, experience, skills, and certifications/licensures as they directly relate to position requirements; as well as business/organizational needs, internal equity, and market-competitiveness. In addition, BMCHS offers generous total compensation that includes, but is not limited to, benefits (medical, dental, vision, pharmacy), discretionary annual bonuses and merit increases, Flexible Spending Accounts, 403(b) savings matches, paid time off, career advancement opportunities, and resources to support employee and family well-being. 

NOTE: This range is based on Boston-area data, and is subject to modification based on geographic location.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Disabled/Veterans

According to the FTC, there has been a rise in employment offer scams. Our current job openings are listed on our website and applications are received only through our website. We do not ask or require downloads of any applications, or “apps” job offers are not extended over text messages or social media platforms. We do not ask individuals to purchase equipment for or prior to employment.