Director of Clinical Therapy Services, MSW, LCSW

Position : Director of Clinical Services

Status : Full Time, Exempt

• All positions at Northlake Behavioral Health require the successful completion of a post-offer / pre-employment criminal background check and drug screen.

Position Summary :

The Director of Clinical Therapy Services is responsible for leading the clinical therapy department and ensuring the delivery of safe, effective, and therapeutic care. This role provides direct supervision to therapists and other clinical staff, supports direct care teams with treatment expectations, and promotes evidence-based practices across all programs.

Working closely with hospital leadership, physicians, and interdisciplinary teams, the Director ensures compliance with regulatory and accreditation standards while maintaining high-quality, patient-centered care. Key responsibilities include providing clinical supervision, supporting individualized treatment planning, and fostering continuity of care through strong relationships with external providers. The position also participates in treatment team meetings, collaborates with risk management and internal audit teams, and advances initiatives that improve outcomes and reduce clinical risk.

Essential Functions :

Core Clinical Oversight Responsibilities

Supervises the clinical team and oversees clinical service delivery.

Provides weekly direct clinical supervision to therapists to ensure best practices are followed.

Assists in training staff in the use of standardized assessments.

Supports the development and implementation of clinical training programs.

Observes and audits clinical service delivery to assess staff competence and quality of care.

Reviews treatment plans and clinical interventions for clinical appropriateness.

Ensures clinical programming is evidence-based, individualized, and aligned with patient needs.

Verifies that discharge and aftercare plans are appropriate and completed in a timely manner.

Reviews discharge plans and ensures alignment with each patient’s treatment Monitors and ensures clinical staff complete and document individual, family, and collateral sessions.

Provides coaching and support to direct care staff to ensure alignment with patients’ treatment plans and clinical goals.

Acts as a liaison between clinical staff and medical staff to promote positive patient outcomes.

Promotes a trauma-informed care approach across all clinical programming and staff interactions.

Facilitates interdisciplinary collaboration to ensure cohesive, team-based treatment planning.

Leadership, Compliance, and Program Development

Oversees the implementation of clinical policies and procedures to ensure compliance with regulatory standards.

Collaborates with the Risk Manager / PI Director to support a safe and compliant working environment.

Conducts monthly peer audit sessions to assess clinical relevance and address service delivery issues.

Ensures documentation and clinical practices meet audit, licensing, and medical necessity requirements.

Utilizes data and clinical outcome measures to assess program effectiveness and drive service improvements.

Participates in strategic planning for clinical services, including identifying gaps and proposing program enhancements.

Develops and maintains quality clinical programming aligned with organizational goals.

Supports the onboarding and orientation of new clinical staff to ensure consistency and role clarity.

Participates in hiring, performance evaluations, and corrective action processes for clinical staff, in collaboration with Human Resources and executive leadership.

Maintains awareness of changes in behavioral health regulations and integrates them into clinical policies and practices.

Champions a culture of accountability, ethics, and continuous learning within the clinical department.

Communicates regularly with the CEO, COO, and other leadership on clinical issues and staff performance concerns.

Promotes the use of the DHH / NBHS public-private partnership to enhance patient outcomes.

Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications :

Education : Master's degree in Social Work (MSW) from an accredited program.

Experience : Minimum of five (5) years of clinical experience, including at least two (2) years in a supervisory or management role. Experience in a psychiatric or mental health setting strongly preferred.

Licensure & Certification : Current, unrestricted Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) license in the State of Louisiana required. American Heart Association Basic Life Support (AHA BLS) and Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) certification required. Candidates without current AHA BLS or CPI certification must complete company-provided training during the orientation period.

Competency : Demonstrated competency in position-specific and age-specific care, in accordance with facility standards.

HIPPA : Authorized to access and document within the medical record for assigned patients only. Responsible for maintaining patient confidentiality and adhering to all HIPAA regulations.

Other Requirements :

Proven supervisory and leadership abilities.

Advanced clinical knowledge of evidence-based practices in the treatment of patients with severe emotional disturbances or psychiatric illnesses, and their families.

Basic fiscal management and strategic planning skills.

Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Excellent time management, organizational, and problem-solving abilities.

Proficiency in data collection, analysis, interpretation, and application.

Ability to meet deadlines and manage multiple priorities effectively.

High level of professionalism and discretion in handling confidential information.

Commitment to customer service and continuous improvement.

Teaching or training experience is a plus.

Work Demands / Environment :

Ability to stoop, lift, finger – for example pick, pinch, or type and grasp, ability to clearly and concisely express and exchange ideas via spoken word conveying detailed information to others accurately and on occasion quickly.  Ability to perceive the nature of sounds with no less than a 40 db loss @ Hz, 1000 Hz and 2000 Hz with or without correction.  Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and to make fine discriminations in sound.  Exerting up to 10 to 1 pounds of force occasionally and / or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects.  Ability to inspect and analyze figures, accounting items, written materials, newsprint, computer terminal characters, transcription and other similar objects at distances generally close to the eyes.  This is a minimum standard based on the criteria of accuracy and neatness of work.  The worker is subject to inside environmental conditions :   Protection from weather conditions but not necessarily from temperature changes.  Although inside work is the rule, it is required that the individual be able to travel.

Northlake Behavioral Health is an equal opportunity / affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for all employment; free from discrimination based on race, creed, color, national origin, age, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, religion, associational preferences, status as a qualified individual with a disability, or status as a protected veteran.