Associate Director of Outpatient Behavioral Health

The Family Practice & Counseling Services Network Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States Executive/Management

About this position

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Associate Director of Outpatient Behavioral Health upholds the FPCSN mission by ensuring the delivery of high-quality behavioral health services that lead to better outcomes, strong client satisfaction, and help maintain the fiscal and operational capacity of the Outpatient Behavioral Health Department.

The Associate Director of Outpatient Behavioral Health is a network-level, senior leadership role with direct authority over department-level decision-making regarding clinical operations, quality assurance and continuous quality improvement priorities, recruitment, clinical staff training, policy development, standardization of network protocols, care coordination, and other issues influencing the experience of patients and clinicians at FPCSN. The Associate Director’s responsibilities include collaborating with the Outpatient Behavioral Health Director to oversee the clinical, administrative, and operational aspects of the department at the network level, ensuring integration across the FPCSN, and providing direct patient care. The Associate Director of Outpatient Behavioral Health works with the Outpatient Behavioral Health Director to sustain a supportive, trauma-informed work environment that retains high-quality staff. Strong clinical judgment, the ability to work in a fast-paced environment, adeptness with technology, and the ability to support and manage growth and change are essential.


ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

  1. Network Level Behavioral Health Clinical Operations responsibilities:
    1. Develop and continuously improve processes that support evidence-based, trauma-informed access to quality Behavioral Healthcare across the network.
    2. Responsible for developing and continuously improving efficient clinical operations and workflows that ensure quality of patient care from intake to discharge, and sustainability of services.
    3. Lead and implement coordination of clinical operations across roles: BH Intake and Access staff, site-level BH Coordinators, and BH Site Directors to ensure quality patient care from intake to discharge and sustainability of services.
    4. Collaborates across the FPCSN department to ensure streamlined, efficient internal referral and discharge processes that promote integration and coordination of care.
    5. Liaison with network-level clinical directors to promote Behavioral Health Care access and interdepartmental collaboration.
    6. Liaison with Informatics to leverage technology to improve behavioral health access and care coordination across the network.
    7. Ensure clinical workflows within the department support BH clinicians in providing quality care.
    8. Works with BH Site Directors, BH Coordinators, Prescribers, and Therapists to problem-solve any challenges related to patient care and clinical workflows, partnering across FPCSN as needed.
    9. Ensures strong communication on behavioral health clinical operations within the department, across FPCSN, and with community partners.

 

  1. Quality Assurance/ Continuous Quality Improvement:
    1. Network-wide ensures the department maintains quality standards of care to improve outcomes and quality performance.
    2. Creates vision for and directs the BH quality improvement planning and processes, including outcomes data management, power cycle processes, and internal compliance, clinical, and peer reviews according to BH CQI plan.
  1. Participates in the FPCSN Continuous Quality Improvement team.
  2. Collaborates with outside funders, regulators, or partners that review, audit, or partner with FPCSN BH programs and services.

 

  1. Recruitment, hiring, onboarding, training, and workforce development:
    1. Leads the timely recruitment, developing /refining interview rubrics, screening, interviewing, and hiring of new OP BH staff.
    2. Leads and takes responsibility for the onboarding of new OP BH staff.
    3. Leads, plans, and tracks behavioral health-related initiatives and training for BH staff and FPCSN.
    4. Exercises direct authority over student programming within OP BH.

 

  1. Clinical supervision responsibilities:
    1. Directly supervise all BH staff who support network-level intake and access to care. This includes, but is not limited to: the BH Access and Float Coordinator, the BH Access and Care Manager, BH AmeriCorps, student programming, and liaison with Drexel regarding student experiences.
    2. Directly supervise the Behavioral Health Site Directors and Psychiatrists/ Psych NPs.
      1. Collaborate with direct reports to define job responsibilities and oversee work assignments
      2. Provide at least 1 hour/month of individual supervision to assigned supervisees.
      3. Document supervisory sessions
      4. Be available and responsive to supervisees in between scheduled supervision for clinical and administrative support, including crises.
      5. Ensure training and competencies are current
      6. Identify areas for growth and leadership development
      7. Recruits, orients, develops, and evaluates staff directly supervised
      8. Handles performance issues and participates in feedback with staff members, including performance evaluations, discipline, and commendations.
    3. Prepare and document employee probationary and annual performance evaluations
    4. Provides regular feedback and supervisory reviews to the staff under his/ her regular, direct supervision in an effort to demonstrate continued growth and accomplishment of stated standards of performance.
    5. Reviews OP BH productivity monthly and proactively addresses any issues identified (ex., no-shows, cancellations, PTO, FTE adjustments)
    6. Has direct authority to provide clinical consultation to BH staff.
    7. Lead Peer Clinical Consultation Group for BH staff monthly.
    8. Co-leads the Network Behavioral Health meeting.
    9. Co-leads the Behavioral Health Site Directors' meetings.
    10. Participates in site-level OBH team meetings to ensure strong communication and troubleshoot or problem-solve clinical or operational challenges, as needed.

 

  1. Leadership responsibilities:
    1. Collaborates with department director on strategic planning, creative decisions, and business plans.
    2. Ensures implementation of strategic plans to carry out the direction of the department.
    3. Has direct authority on the network level over department-level clinical decision-making, policy development, staff training, operations, fiscal decisions, standardization of network protocols, departmental vision and direction, quality assurance, and CQI activities, and other issues influencing the experience of patients and clinicians at FPCSN.
    4. Provides input on network-level policies and procedures.
    5. Participates in the FPCSN/ Network Extended Leadership Team, Continuous Quality Improvement team, and other teams or workgroups as assigned.
    6. Leads and advances the development and implementation of client care initiatives and evidence-based practices that improve the quality, integration, and expansion of behavioral health services.
  1. Direct Behavioral Health Care:
    1. Conduct psychotherapy in accordance with set weekly productivity standards across BH care continuum (.3 FTE).
    2. Clinical documentation – Complete all charting in a timely and competent manner, as required by contracted funding sources, including intakes, psychosocial assessments, treatment plans, progress notes, service logs, and discharge planning.
    3. Clinical Supervision – Participate in supervision with the designated Clinical Supervisor. Participate in team meetings, case conferences, and interdisciplinary work groups as scheduled.
    4. Crisis Intervention – Be immediately available to the Family Practice & Counseling Services Network staff during working hours in the event of a psychiatric emergency. Participate as a member of the Family Practice & Counseling Services Network staff in the event of any other kind of emergency. Provide after-hours support via phone for urgent clinical matters by participating in the Behavioral Health on-call rotation.
    5. Coordination of Care – Coordinate care of clients with the OP BH Prescribers and the Family Practice & Counseling Network Services medical staff. Refer clients to other levels of care or other services as needed. Continued Education – Maintain competencies in mental health and substance abuse as required by licensing and funding bodies.
    6. Maintain current PA license to practice.
    7. Collaborates with FPCSN Providers and staff to ensure integrated, person- centered care; attends and participates in case conferences, departmental, interdisciplinary, site-level, and network-level team meetings as scheduled.
  2. Routine supervision meetings, at least twice/ month, with the Director of OBH to facilitate smooth communication and promote excellence in patient care services across the FPCSN site
  3. Attend other meetings as assigned by OP BH Director and/ or Executive Director.
  4. Collaborate across disciplines and departments to ensure holistic, integrated patient care and promote a trauma-informed culture of health equity and anti-racism.
  5. Strive to promote health equity for all patients served across the life course.



EXPERIENCE AND REQUIREMENTS:
Candidates should possess a diverse range of skills and experience including but not limited to:

  • One of the following:
    • An earned master’s degree in social work, or related field, with a minimum of seven years’ experience as a therapist and a current license to practice in Pennsylvania as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker 
    • Or
    • An earned doctoral degree in psychology, with a minimum of seven years’ experience as a therapist and
    • a current license to practice in Pennsylvania as a Psychologist
  • 1 year of management experience required
  • 2 years of experience providing clinical behavioral health supervision required
  • 5 years of clinical experience providing psychotherapy in a behavioral health setting required


REQUIRED SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

    • Behavioral Health leadership implementing new evidence-based practices is preferred.
    • Proficiency in technological skills and electronic health records; willingness to learn new skills is a must.
    • Leadership and Management Skills or willingness to train.
    • Experience and competency in conducting assessments and psychotherapy with adults, children, adolescents, families, couples, and groups with behavioral health challenges that may include substance use.
    • Experience with mental health crisis assessment and intervention.
    • Treats all Individuals with full dignity and respect with full professionalism.
    • Unconditional ability to maintain confidentiality of individuals/families receiving services.
    • Committed to FPCSN mission, vision, and values; models an anti-racist, trauma- informed, and recovery-oriented approach that dignifies the communities served.
    • Exemplary organizational skills, proactive and able to prioritize, highly responsible and responsive to all stakeholders, including colleagues, supervisors, and individuals/ families served.
    • Effective and concise oral and written communication skills and ability to meet deadlines for clinical documentation.
    • Maintains required training in mental health and/or other subspecialties that are a focus of clinical practice, e.g. children.
    • Able to utilize and follow all mental health requirements set forth by applicable state licensing bodies, and the credentialing requirements of insurance companies and other funding sources.
    • Cooperates fully with FPCSN’s compliance program.
    • Support FPCSN's commitment to the creation of a trauma-informed system of care that continually recognizes and responds to the impact of traumatic stress by supporting health and recovery for all those who have contact with the organization, including children, adults, families, caregivers, and staff.
    • Demonstrate cultural competence/proficiency in interactions with others by treating co-workers, colleagues, and those receiving service with respect and fairness at all times.
    • Ability to build and maintain positive and professional relationships based on respect, trust, and safety.
    • Ability to create a space for staff and those we serve to feel physically and emotionally safe.
    • Demonstrate exemplary problem-solving, communication, interpersonal, and conflict resolution skills.
    • Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work independently and as a member of a team in a fast-paced environment.
    • Exhibits impeccable customer service and utilizes consummate professional communication at all times.

Lifting Requirements

LIGHT – Exerting up to 20 pounds of force frequently, and/or negligible amount of force constantly to move objects. The use of arm and/or leg control requires force greater than sedentary, but worker still sits majority of time.

Physical Requirement

  • Stand or Sit (stationary position)
  • Walk
  • Use hands or fingers to handle or feel (operate, activate, prepare, inspect, position)
  • Climb (stairs/ladders)
  • Talk/Hear (communicate, converse, convey, express/exchange information)
  • See (detect, identify, recognize, inspect, assess)
  • Pushing or Pulling
  • Repetitive Motion
  • Reaching (high or low)
  • Kneel, Stoop, Crouch or Crawl (position self, move)

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER:

Equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, genetic information, and veteran or disability status.

VISA SPONSORSHIP:

FPCSN does not provide Visa Sponsorship. All candidates must be US Citizens and/or authorized to work in the United States without Sponsorship.

ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT:

FPCSN is committed to maintaining a professional and welcoming environment for all staff and patients. We support continuous learning and team development that enhances cultural understanding, service excellence, and workplace collaboration.