Assistant Program Director

The Bridge offers supportive housing and behavioral health services to vulnerable New Yorkers facing behavioral health and substance use challenges. We provide individuals with the tools they need to pursue their dreams and live meaningful lives. The Bridge envisions a world where adults experiencing serious mental illness can live and thrive within their communities. As a recognized leader in developing and operating supportive housing and community-based programs, The Bridge has 70 years of experience helping New Yorkers with mental illness, including those affected by homelessness, incarceration, and institutionalization.Scope of Position: The Assistant Program Director (APD) serves as a key member of the leadership team within the Assertive Community Treatment (ACT/FACT) program. The APD provides both direct clinical services to program participants and programmatic and clinical leadership to team members. In collaboration with the Program Director, the APD ensures the delivery of high-quality, recovery-oriented, and person-centered care to individuals with serious mental illness and co-occurring substance use disorders. This role also assumes leadership of the team in the absence of the Program Director. The ACT/FACT team delivers mobile, community-based mental health services to promote recovery, stability, and community integration for individuals experiencing challenges such as homelessness, trauma, justice involvement, and long-term hospitalization. This is a field-based position, with approximately 80% of work conducted in community settings.Essential Position Functions: Complete initial comprehensive assessments and updated six-month assessments using results from standardized screening instruments for substance use, suicidality, and trauma. Complete crisis intervention and relapse prevention plans. (May 30, 2025) Identify treatment services recipients should receive based on the severity of the substance use diagnosis, stage of change, and immediate needs, and recommend treatment objectives for the recipient's Service Plan. Assess and provide services to recipients to address housing, income support, education and vocational training, social support, employment, and primary care needs. Complete comprehensive, recovery-oriented initial service plans and six-month service plan reviews, modifying plans as needed based on feedback from recipients and relevant others. Involve social supports in the recipient's treatment in collaboration with the ACT team. Complete progress notes within 24 hours of service delivery and ensure that progress notes are available for review during the morning organizational meeting. Provide treatment services including engagement, problem-solving, wellness self-management, medication support, family support and treatment, relapse prevention, harm reduction, and substance use counseling based on motivational interviewing and cognitive-behavioral approaches to mental illness and substance use. Work effectively with community providers to ensure ACT recipients receive all services for which they are eligible. Meet or exceed the expected minimum number of monthly service contacts. Provide weekly reports to AOT staff for recipients with AOT orders. Assist the Program Director in managing caseloads and supervising staff. Serve as the administrative and clinical leader of the team in the absence of the Program Director. Perform other duties as assigned by the Program Director and/or Division Leadership. Master's degree or higher with licensure in one of the following areas: Social Work, Psychology, or Mental Health Counseling. Candidates without a license will not be considered. Minimum of 3 to 5 years of post-master's work experience in the behavioral health and/or criminal justice field with progressively increasing responsibilities, preferably with the target population. Previous management and supervisory experience preferred. Knowledge of treatment, rehabilitation, and community support programs as they relate to recipients, residents, families, and staff. Ability to develop, evaluate, implement, and modify treatment interventions to meet the needs of individual recipients. Experience managing and supervising program staff in a community mental health setting. Strong clinical competence in evidence-based and recovery-oriented practices for high-risk, high-need individuals in behavioral health settings. Ability to prepare accurate and timely reports. Proficiency in electronic health record systems, preferably Foothold Technology AWARDS. Spanish-speaking ability is highly desirable, as is lived experience. The Bridge values hiring individuals who reflect the diversity of the population we serve. The Bridge Inc. is an Affirmative Action / Equal Opportunity Employer