Clinical Director-Substance Abuse Services

Position:                    Clinical Director, Substance Abuse Services

Supervised by            CEO

Position Type:           Full-time

Summary:       The primary purpose of Clinical Director is to provide clinical oversight of all substance abuse programs at PGIC, Inc. This includes providing oversight for all non-medical direct service personnel in the substance abuse program. The Clinical Director provides consultation and, directly or indirectly, clinical supervision of non-medical clinical staff. The Clinical Director will be responsible for the design of non-medical treatment protocols in the substance abuse programs at the agency.  Supervision will focus on the timeliness and efficacy of services, as well problem-solving with personnel to ensure that consumers are receiving quality services.  Additionally, the Clinical Supervisor will be responsible for oversight of all Clinical Assessments, Diagnostic Assessments, and outpatient services in the substance abuse program to ensure best practices.

Clinical Director Roles and Responsibilities

• Provides oversight and consultative supervision of all non-medical direct care staff, including both administrative and clinical supervision with the agency.
• Directly supervises all agency clinicians or coordinates supervision via additional clinical supervisor(s), who also meet minimum supervisory requirements and assists the agency with the establishment of practice guidelines
• Designs and supports implementation of treatment protocols employed in service delivery
• Ensures appropriate assessments for individuals served
• Identifies and implements, as appropriate, best practice protocols
• Reviews fidelity to service models and service quality
• Provides input and approval of staff training modules’; provides training
• Identifies and monitors operational, service, and personal outcomes
• Ensures continuity of care through the development of strong collaborative relationships with other agencies, providers and policy makers
• Collaborates with Director of Operations, QM Designee, and key clinical staff to assure that clinical expertise is available at all levels of the organization
• With the QM Designee, develops plans and protocols for new clinical and program staff training and supervision
• Collaborate with the MCO Clinical Director around individual recipient issues and the system of care in the catchment area.
• Must work at least 20 hours per week in this administrative position 
• engage in the delivery of direct, billable services to individuals.
• May provide direct, billable services beyond the 20 hours per week you operate as the Clinical Director.

Staff Training:   The Clinical Director is responsible for the design and oversight of staff training of non-medical direct service personnel.  This includes continually assessing the training needs of personnel in mental health and substance abuse programs, as well as working directly with the Quality Assurance Designee to ensure that personnel meet all regulatory requirements for Enhanced Services.

Corporate Compliance

The Clinical Director is responsible to ensure that all rules and regulations for consumer rights, confidentiality, and applicable State service definitions are being met.  Thus, the Clinical Director is responsible for educating staff and adhering to the agency’s Corporate Compliance Program. See Corporate Compliance Plan.

Quality Assurance

While the Quality Assurance Director has oversight responsibility of the Quality Assurance program, the Clinical Director will work closely with the QA Chair and Management Support Team to ensure quality of services, review incidents according to State guidelines, and develop plans to address the service-delivery and training needs of the agency. 

Incident and Death Reporting

The Clinical Director is responsible to review all incident reports within 24 hours of the incident to ensure follow-up, supervision, and timely response within State reporting guidelines.  Additionally, the Clinical Director is responsible for oversight of all death reporting and reviews of deaths in accordance with Caring Network policies and procedures.

Consumer Grievances and Complaints

The Clinical Director will review all consumer grievances from the substance abuse programs, as well as requests for removal of barriers with the Management Support Team in a timely manner to ensure quality care, protection of rights, and appropriate access to care.

Core Competencies:

• Technical knowledge in the use of relevant counseling and psychotherapy techniques that apply to the services authorized. Understands and can articulate technical concepts and information that relate to the disorder(s) treated and the therapies used to provide treatment. Recognize signs and symptoms of mental health needs and co-occurring disorders related to the population served. Experience providing supervision for mental health professionals.

• Have cultural awareness in the supervision of service delivery to a diverse population. Understands and can articulate the psychological, sociological and political aspects of providing MH/DD/SAS services to diverse populations. Has the ability to communicate and provide competent and appropriate services to a diverse population.
• Have analytical skill in screening, assessing and evaluating persons receiving services.

• Understanding psychological, physical, emotional, spiritual, cultural and developmental issues, determines accurate diagnosis and/or assessment, and interprets evaluative
• instruments correctly in order to accurately reflect the individual's strengths, preferences, and needs.
• The position requires decision making in the accurate appraisal of problems and conditions of person being served in a variety of settings and systems. Have the ability to synthesize individual's information from involved agencies or sources, and to formulate and implement an appropriate clinical course of action in collaboration with these agencies and sources. Have the ability to recognize person's needs and to refer individual to appropriate professionals and resources. Will make appropriate decisions and/or referrals in a timely manner.
• Possess Interpersonal skills ability to establish rapport, openness, and trust. Ability to interact effectively with individuals, families, and involved agencies to promote active treatment and relapse prevention.
• Communication skills to effectively formulate and clearly articulate ideas in both verbal and written form. The ability to effectively interpret and convey verbal and non-verbal information through appropriate means for the individual and the population served.
• Clinical skills with the ability to successfully assess, evaluate and provide individuals with the treatment and therapies appropriate to the person's identifies needs and conditions.

Agency Responsibilities: These include attendance at required meetings (include peer and clinical supervision, supervision meetings) and trainings to keep abreast of agency regulations and procedures, increase knowledge and skills in clinical areas, and provide needed agency services, documentation of clinical work with clients and keeping of medical records per agency and Medicaid standards. Caring Network requirements include annual Blood Borne Pathogens, CPR, First Aid, and NCI training.

The Clinical Director will work very closely with the Director of Operations to include routine case staffing, assisting in coordination of emergency services for the agency, and ensuring policies are current and sound.  Additionally, the Clinical Director will work collaboratively with the Qualified Professionals and Director of Operations to staff cases, review treatment programs, and ensure compliance with all local, State, and federal regulations.

Other Position Characteristics

• Accuracy of work by the individual in this position will have a tremendous impact on treatment outcome for clients and parents/families. Exact accuracy with respect to the management of emergencies and the diversion of inappropriate hospitalizations are required. Effective as well as efficient direction of allocation of fiscal resources is mandatory in supporting and realizing the primary goals and objectives of adult services. This accuracy requires visual/perceptual, verbal and written communication skills.
  
• Monthly, ongoing reports to the Management Team.

• Maintain current NCI, First Aid, CPR, and Bloodborne Pathogens
• Knowledge of CN guidelines and policies, confidentiality guidelines, professional standards for treatment, DSM IV, and MCO Program guidelines.
• Basic office equipment, including personal computer and materials used in the community based therapeutic practices.
• All possible safety measures will be met to protect clients and other staff if the
  need should arise.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

This position requires a thorough knowledge of evidenced based helping techniques (specifically community and home based practices), effective supervision practices, sophisticated diagnostic and prescriptive practices, in depth knowledge about community mental health and related health systems, minimal competency with personal computing, and skills in the planning, development and implementation of programming goals and objectives. Effective communication skills, both within house, staff and in the community, are essential.

Minimal qualifications are:

Licensed Mental Health Professional: Master’s level Maryland licensed professional (LCAS, LCSW, CCS) with at least two or more years experience in diagnosing, treating and evaluating the effectiveness of treatment of the population to be served by the agency (adults with substance abuse disorders). Professional should also have two or more years of full time, direct service experience to included face to face treatment and interventions as demonstrated by having provided services for a caseload of individuals with a primary substance abuse disorder diagnosis. The treatment and interventions that were provided shall relate to the mental health or substance abuse diagnosis of the individuals served. This training and experience should fully prepare an individual for this work. There is no informal training and experience that could substitute for these qualifications.

Licensure required: the individual must also have a valid Maryland Driver's license, auto insurance, licensed as a substance abuse practitioner in the State of Maryland, and a driving record that is acceptable.