Assistant Director for Adult Mental Health Services LCSW/LMFT

Mental Health America of Los Angeles (MHALA) has been a pioneer in mental health service, advocacy, innovation, and training for nearly a century, working to ensure that people with mental health needs achieve meaningful, healthy lives in their communities.

MHALA is among the largest and most comprehensive nonprofit mental health agencies in Los Angeles County. The agency supports over 19,000 low-income and no-income individuals annually with integrated services. MHALA achieves impact in the areas of mental and physical healthcare, homelessness and housing, supported employment, and wellness and financial services, with special programs for Veterans and transition-age youth.

MHALA also provides training programs for individuals joining the behavioral health workforce and for the larger community around mental health issues.

MHALA works to ensure that its employees are just as cared for as its members. Communication, collaboration, transparency and a healthy work/life balance are core components of the agency culture. Employees are encouraged to engage in self-care and can enjoy a 35-hour workweek.

MHALA fosters diversity at all levels of the organization. The agency promotes a team-oriented culture that offers opportunities for growth. We are proud to offer a competitive salary and full benefits package, including an employee assistance program, and generous paid time off.

Assistant Director LCSW / LMFT / LPCC

$75,500 to $86,000 per year

(The actual compensation will be determined based on experience and other factors permitted by law.)

The Assistant Director of Adult Team Services reports to the Director of Adult Team Services. The position is based in Long Beach, CA, and works under a hybrid arrangement.

Under the guidance and direction of the Director of Adult Team Services, the Assistant Director provides leadership and clinical support, guidance, and development to Full Service Partnership teams with the end goal of assisting people with mental illness to live as independently as possible in their chosen community. The Adult Team Services group has three program managers and over 40 staff serving MHALA’s members in SPA 8, with the vast majority of members located in the greater Long Beach area.

In close coordination with the Director, this licensed professional fulfills a wide array of responsibilities ranging from strategic to hands-on clinical work. No stranger to working with DMH contracts, the position is deeply involved in developing and refining programs, monitoring and overseeing the department budget, billing goals, and compliance standards, providing internal and external training and education, and is a resource with respect to member clinical assessments, therapy, and recovery plans, including crisis management.

This leader is instrumental in selecting, building, developing, and coaching team members to realize their full potential in alignment with MHALA’s values, while ensuring overall accountability to the department’s fiscal and operational goals and standards.

In addition, this position works cross-functionally with all levels of the organization while establishing and maintaining relevant community partnerships and resources vital to providing the Agency’s members with effective, caring, and comprehensive services.

The Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is passionate about MHALA’s mission and seeks to utilize their knowledge, skills, and leadership capabilities to make a difference in the lives of the Agency’s members through programmatic enhancements, excellent, consistent, and caring implementation, clinical interventions, and building community partnerships that build upon a strong, robust Full Service Partnership Program.

A natural collaborator, multi-tasker, and educator with honed supervisory and group facilitation skills, the ideal candidate is passionate about mentoring others to reach their full potential. Experienced in providing psychosocial rehabilitative services to a disabled population, this leader, administrator, and clinician has a deep and successful history of working with individuals experiencing mental health needs, physical health and/or substance use problems, poverty, and homelessness.

Critical to this individual’s success will be their ability to lead and support a staff with a wide range of skills, abilities, life experiences, and professional competencies.

Summary: The Assistant Director works under the direction and guidance of the Director of Adult Team Services to coordinate the daily delivery of services to staff and members. Coordinates and facilitates the smooth and efficient daily delivery of agency and regulatory guidelines, policies, and practices by assisting the Director in managing all program aspects of MHALA services in a smooth and effective manner based on the psychosocial rehabilitation model of treatment and services. The goal of the entire team is to assist people with mental illness to live as independently as possible in their chosen community.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: This is not an exhaustive task list, and other duties may be assigned as appropriate by the supervisor. Reasonable accommodation will be provided to any qualified person with a disability, providing it will not change the essential nature of the position, nor cause undue hardship to the Agency’s operations. MHALA is an equal opportunity employer and service provider. The Agency will consider candidates with criminal history.

• Responsible for oversight, analysis, preparation, and monitoring of the program budget and billing goals, which aligns with program funding streams, and its targeted fiscal year (FY) goals
• Oversees and ensures programs monthly, quarterly, and yearly data reporting to ensure accurate and timely submission and documentation
• Provides leadership and oversight in providing Full Service Partnership (FSP) program teams, and clinical staff and ensures excellent care and services are provided to members/clients and ensures compliance with DMH and MHALA standards
• Oversees coordination of enrollments, disenrollments, and transfers of program members
• Attend and plan administrative meetings as required by MHALA and funding sources as deemed necessary by the Director
• Leads, and moderates management, team, all staff meetings, and other internal self-governing groups
• Participates actively in mental health consumer/coalition, community involvement, and constituency groups
• Makes presentations, on self-help, recovery, consumer advocacy, and other emergent topics to professional, consumer, family, and other groups as requested or required
• Provides daily ongoing strategic direction to staff and members
• Offers day-to-day support and training to social service staff; provides leadership in developing and refining site programs and procedures in collaboration with the Director
• Provides daily guidance to staff in the development of comprehensive recovery and discharge plans; and daily communication with the Director to ensure that services are appropriate, integrated, and delivered with respect for member needs and choices
• Establishes and maintains partnerships with community resources that will benefit member/client needs
• Works in collaboration with the Director to help create and support agency-wide, strategic program initiatives; works to establish excellent collaborative relationships with other agency departments
• Works closely with agency leadership, including Development, Finance, Intern Evaluation/Contracts, Training, Real Estate, HR, and Policy around initiatives and issues connected with the Adult Team Services department
• Trains staff in accordance with organizational policy and applicable laws and regulations
• Provides direct supervision for interns within the team for day-to-day tasks
• Fosters transparent, open, and direct communication to Director and Program Managers to ensure input from team members; communicates strategic direction of agency and programs articulately and clearly to department staff, addresses day-to-day questions and concerns that Program Managers and staff may have
• Oversees, monitors, and analyzes the program’s budget, maintains billing goals, and sends out weekly billing reports in a manner that aligns with the program’s funding streams and targeted fiscal goals while maintaining daily communication with the Director
• Works closely with the Director regarding oversight and ongoing communication of all employee-related matters, such as petty cash, timesheets, mileage ongoing employee relations, etc.
• Ensures ongoing clinical quality assurance checks of member files and facilities; ensures all notes and data collection are complete, timely, and accurate in the database and/or e-charts through ongoing chart reviews
• Completes daily clinical assessments, ongoing therapy, recovery plans, court letters, and CareLogic note reviews and corrections as needed

Position requirements:

• Strong leadership and mentoring skills; excellent organizational skills and the ability to multitask and manage stress in a fast-paced environment
• Minimum 5 years of experience providing psychosocial rehabilitative services to a disabled population plus experience in a supervisory/leadership role
• LCSW/LMFT or registered with intent to be licensed within 6 months of employment
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; tact and diplomacy; excellent relationship-building skills; exceptional ability to communicate articulately and effectively in large group setting
• Outstanding team building and facilitation skills; ability to build consensus and seek input
• Extensive experience working with individuals experiencing mental health needs, physical health problems, substance use problems, poverty, and homelessness
• Knowledge and experience in the mental health field; ability to handle complex crisis situations.
• Demonstrated ability to provide supervision and leadership to diverse staff who possess a wide range of skills, abilities, and professional competencies
• Proven success in developing and evaluating program models, and selecting and successfully operationalizing existing and innovative programs
• Knowledge of community resources and experience building community relationships
• Proficient in computer applications such as Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook with previous budgeting experience preferred
• Flexible work schedule to include some evenings or weekends when necessary
• Driving with a current class C driver’s license, a vehicle for transportation, and proof of valid automobile insurance, the ability to be insured by MHA liability insurance are conditions of employment
• TB clearance and re-testing every year are conditions of continued employment
• Will pursue LPS designation if/when eligible in order to facilitate involuntary holds when needed and on-call coverage must be provided according to contract requirements
• COVID-19 vaccination is required for this position. Accommodations will be considered with proof of a legal exemption.