Senior Director, Clinical Services

Location: Nationwide travel 50%

NOTE: Demonstrated leadership experience in an inpatient acute psychiatric hospital setting is REQUIRED. Candidates without acute inpatient psychiatric hospital experience will not be considered.

About This Role

The Senior Director, Clinical Services is responsible for leading the implementation, operationalization, and continuous improvement of clinical programs across acute and specialty facilities. This role partners closely with the facility clinical leaders, operations leaders, informatics, quality, and analytics teams to advance evidence-based care, measurement-based care initiatives, and clinical excellence throughout the organization.

The Senior Director translates enterprise clinical strategy into actionable programs, supports facility adoption of standardized clinical models, monitors program fidelity and outcomes, and drives continuous quality improvement. The role serves as a subject matter expert for clinical program development, training, and regulatory compliance while providing leadership and consultation to Directors of Clinical Services and other facility-based clinical leaders.

The ideal candidate will bring substantial experience in inpatient acute psychiatric hospital environments and a proven track record of leading clinical excellence, program development, regulatory compliance, and quality improvement initiatives within acute behavioral health settings.

Our Mission

Acadia Healthcare’s purpose is to Lead Care With Light and our mission is to be a world-class organization that sets the standard for excellence in the treatment of mental health and addiction concerns. We strive to maintain our standing as a thought leader in the behavioral healthcare industry, providing treatment that is synonymous with compassion and innovation.

Compensation & Benefits

We value your expertise and dedication—and we invest in your success.

• Competitive Base Salary commensurate with experience
• Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• 401(k) Plan with Company Match
• Paid Time Off (PTO) and recognized holidays
• Company-paid Basic Life and AD&D Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and mental wellness resources
• Opportunities for professional growth and advancement within Acadia’s nationwide network

What you’ll do…

• Travel required approximately 50–70%
• Complies with organizational policies, procedures, and performance improvement initiatives
• Maintains confidentiality and promotes ethical clinical practices
• Communicates effectively with internal and external stakeholders
• Develops productive working relationships across all levels of the organization
• Supports a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, and clinical excellence
• Maintains regular and reliable attendance

Essential Functions 

Clinical Program Development and Implementation

• Lead the implementation and ongoing refinement of standardized clinical programming across acute and specialty facilities
• Support the development and execution of measurement-based care initiatives to improve patient outcomes and clinical effectiveness
• Collaborate with facility clinical leadership teams to operationalize evidence-based treatment models and best practices
• Assist facilities in developing new clinical programs and service lines, including support for de novo facilities and program expansions
• Evaluate clinical programming effectiveness and recommend enhancements based on outcomes, data trends, and industry best practices
• Monitor program fidelity and support corrective action planning when opportunities for improvement are identified
• Serve as a subject matter expert in acute inpatient psychiatric care delivery, ensuring clinical programming aligns with best practices for crisis stabilization, patient safety, treatment engagement, and successful transitions of care

Clinical Quality and Outcomes

• Partner with Quality, Informatics, and Data Analytics teams to leverage clinical data for program enhancement and performance improvement
• Analyze clinical outcome measures and key performance indicators to identify trends and opportunities for intervention
• Facilitate initiatives designed to improve patient outcomes, engagement, and continuity of care
• Participate in clinical research, outcome measurement, and quality-improvement activities
• Support enterprise efforts related to value-based care and outcomes reporting.

Training, Education, and Clinical Leadership Support

• Develop and deliver training programs related to measurement-based care, clinical programming, and evidence-based treatment approaches
• Provide consultation, coaching, and support to facility Directors of Clinical Services and other clinical leaders
• Establish standardized practices for clinical documentation, assessment, treatment planning, and program delivery
• Identify organizational training needs and develop clinical education strategies to support continuous professional development
• Support onboarding and leadership development of clinical directors and other clinical leaders

Regulatory Compliance and Accreditation

• Ensure clinical programs align with applicable regulatory, accreditation, and licensing requirements
• Collaborate with facility and corporate teams to support compliance with Joint Commission, CARF, and state regulatory standards
• Assist with clinical policy and procedure development, review, and updates
• Participate in readiness assessments, accreditation activities, and corrective action planning as needed

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner closely with Operations, Medical, Quality, Compliance, Human Resources, and Business Development leaders
• Collaborate with Division leadership and facility CEOs to support clinical initiatives and strategic priorities
• Participate on enterprise workgroups and committees focused on clinical excellence, innovation, and patient outcomes
• Promote alignment between organizational goals and clinical operations across facilities

External Relations and Thought Leadership

• Represent the organization at professional meetings, conferences, and industry events as appropriate
• Support marketing and business development efforts by serving as a clinical subject matter expert
• Maintain awareness of emerging clinical practices, treatment innovations, and industry trends
• Foster relationships with external organizations, educational institutions, and professional associations

What you'll bring

Required Qualifications

• Minimum of 8-10 years of progressive behavioral health clinical experience, including significant leadership and clinical practice experience within inpatient acute psychiatric hospital settings
• Minimum of 5 years of leadership, management, or supervisory experience within behavioral health settings, with demonstrated responsibility for acute inpatient psychiatric programs, units, or hospitals
• Deep understanding of the clinical, operational, regulatory, and patient care complexities unique to acute psychiatric hospitals, including crisis stabilization, multidisciplinary treatment planning, patient throughput, risk management, and discharge planning

• Master's degree, PhD, or PsyD in Clinical Psychology, Counseling, Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, or related behavioral health discipline required
• Current unrestricted clinical licensure required
• Minimum of 8-10 years of progressive behavioral health clinical experience
• Minimum of 5 years of leadership, management, or supervisory experience within behavioral health settings
• Experience developing, implementing, and evaluating clinical programming preferred
• Knowledge of measurement-based care, evidence-based treatment models, and clinical outcomes management
• Experience utilizing electronic health records and clinical data systems
• Strong understanding of Joint Commission, CARF, and behavioral health regulatory requirements
• Demonstrated experience leading organizational change and quality improvement initiatives
• Strong analytical, project management, facilitation, and presentation skills
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills

Preferred Qualifications

• PhD or PsyD preferred
• Experience supporting multi-site healthcare or behavioral health organizations

• Experience leading clinical services across multiple inpatient acute psychiatric hospitals strongly preferred

• Research, clinical outcomes, or program evaluation experience preferred
• Experience supporting facility startups, service line expansion, or program innovation initiatives preferred

• Experience supporting multi-site healthcare or behavioral health organizations.
• Research, clinical outcomes, or program evaluation experience preferred

Licenses/Designations/Certifications

Required

• Current, active clinical licensure in an applicable behavioral health discipline

Preferred

• Advanced certifications related to behavioral health, quality improvement, leadership, or specialty treatment modalities
• Demonstrated experience with evidence-based and measurement-based care frameworks

Supervisory Requirements  

• ​​This position will manage Project Director, Clinical Services roles​ 

We are committed to providing equal- employment opportunities to all applicants for employment regardless of an individual’s characteristics protected by applicable state, federal and local laws.

AHCORP

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