Assistant Director of Emergency Response and

New Vista KY; Lexington (VA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

New Vista KY is seeking an Assistant Director of Emergency Response and Client Engagement to lead regional emergency services programming and promote a seamless, trauma-informed client experience. The role focuses on reducing barriers to access, diverting from hospitalization, and coordinating care across internal teams and community partners.

The position emphasizes strong collaboration, leadership, and strategic oversight of clinical quality, financial performance, and organizational

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy, Professional Counseling, Psychology or Social Work.
• Independent licensure as recognized by KY licensing boards and billing requirements.
• Valid driver's license, reliable transportation, and proof of current auto insurance.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and supervision to emergency services regional programming.
• Foster whole person health and trauma-informed engagement.
• Develop and implement strategies to improve access and reduce barriers to care.
• Coordinate with internal and external partners to support crisis response and community needs.
• Monitor clinical quality, financial performance, and organizational initiatives.

Skills

Leadership

Collaboration

Communication

Crisis management

Education

Master's degree in counseling/therapy/psychology/social work

Independent licensure

Valid driver's license

Job description

The Assistant Director of Emergency Response and Client Engagement provides leadership and supervision to emergency services regional programing including emergency response, suicide prevention, Jail Triage and legislative initiatives. This role promotes whole person health and fosters collaborative relationships and teamwork within the emergency services department and throughout the organization as well as through community connections that lead to the best client experience. The Assistance Director thinks creatively and finds ways to make the Emergency Services Department welcoming for clients and staff, ensuring a critical "no wrong door" approach from routine to emergency care, ensuring that any engagement point can provide a universal gateway to all New Vista services. This role focuses on developing and implementing new ways to progressively lower barriers to access, divert from hospitalization and establish engagement into care while providing a seamless whole health client experience. The Assistant Director also ensures integrated care, clinical quality, financial performance, and communication and execution of organization initiatives. This position also builds strong collaboration with internal and external partners to respond holistically to crisis brought on by mental health, substance use and/or intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Assistant Director is a positive team player that promotes a culture of inclusion and participation.

Required Education And Experience

• Master's Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy, Professional Counseling, Psychology or Social Work
• Independent licensure as recognized by KY licensing boards and billing requirements
• Valid driver's license, reliable transportation, and proof of current auto insurance

Preferred Education And Experience

• Supervisory Experience
• State licensure required to provide clinical supervision in discipline

Essential Functions

• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Regional Emergency Services Management

• Lead change by painting a picture of the future that inspires others, helping people overcome obstacles, stimulating others to think of old problems in new ways with a whole health wellness lens that considers an individual’s behavioral health, physical health and social determinant needs
• Foster a collaborative approach among the team and across service lines to provide the best care and create a seamless experience for each client, embracing the "no wrong door" philosophy
• Ensure the Emergency Services Department (in person, over the phone and virtual platform) is positive, professional and reflects a client centered, trauma-informed environment that welcomes clients, staff and community members into the space
• Create a culture that promotes communication, trust, growth and leadership
• Identify talent and promote the development of leadership skills
• Evaluate individual and team effectiveness, offering creative solutions that encourage a holistic approach to care
• Monitor billing, purchasing and other business procedures to ensure compliance with policies and procedures
• Review and analyze financial data for programs under supervision
• Ensure timely completion of key client health information, health record components and quality measures
• Maximize opportunities to balance productivity, staff time utilization across services lines, positive client outcomes and holistic care by facilitating staff and treatment team meetings (within and across service lines, when appropriate), ensuring effective client scheduling and crisis care and developing plans to address underperformance, increase client engagement, community connections, and increase warm hand-off to care within the organization and with community partners
• Conduct regular team meetings to foster effective communication between team members across service lines and the larger organization, creating a communication pipeline to and from the team
• Prioritize client access to care ensuring prompt crisis response, timely access to follow-up care and rapid appointments for hospital discharges by utilizing scheduling and communication practices that maximize efficiency and effectiveness
• Monitor staff performance and attendance, coordinating coverage to ensure programs are fully operational and adequately staffed based on programming needs ranging from BHUC clinic hours to 24-hour programming
• Facilitate resolutions to issues that arise through direct and effective communication between team members and among departments

Community Partners

• Create an environment that promotes positive relationships with key partners including DCBS, schools, courts, law enforcement, jails, juvenile justice, mental health advocacy groups, and other community networks
• In conjunction with the Director and management team, ensure New Vista is represented in community meetings to promote New Vista services and provide a positive response to expressed needs from the community perspective
• Serve as a New Vista ambassador by connecting community partners with services across the organization, including local outpatient clinics, crisis response programs (Behavioral Health Urgent Care, Mobile Crisis Response, and other crisis services), substance use treatment, and Intellectual and Developmental Disability (IDD) services
• Help the team see the big picture of maintaining positive relationships with community partners to ensure referral pipelines and continuity of care

Quality of Clinical Care

• Guide the team and coach team members to develop clinical competence, creating avenues to connect with staff across departments and ensuring all staff are knowledgeable of New Vista's robust services
• Provide management of case assignment, consultation and clinical guidance for difficult cases and emergencies
• Ensure adequate billing and clinical supervision for all staff and serve as a billing and clinical supervisor
• Ensure that the provision of services meet medical necessity, standard of care and that clinical documentation meet New Vista's standards and policies
• Facilitate necessary training and staff development, encouraging learning across service areas
• Encourage collaboration and whole person care, facilitating appropriate referrals to services for psychiatric care, IDD needs, primary care, intensive SUD treatment as well as social determinant needs
• Provide supervision to assist in managing clients with complex diagnostic profiles, emergency and/or behavioral health crises, and clients identified as high risk with few mitigating or protective factors

Non-Essential Functions

• Special projects as assigned by Emergency Services Director
• Perform other related duties as assigned

Supervisory Responsibility

This position has supervisory responsibilities.

While we welcome all to apply, there are some position specific background stipulations that must be met to comply with various regulatory and contractual requirements.

New Vista prohibits discrimination and harassment against any applicant, employee or contractor based on sex, race, color, age, national or ethnic origin, religion, physical disability, mental disability, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, citizenship, pregnancy or maternity, protected veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by applicable federal, state or local law. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, working conditions, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, wage and salary administration, employee benefits and training. It is also the company's policy to prohibit all forms of retaliation against any individual who has complained of harassing or discriminatory conduct, encouraged another to complain, participated in an investigation into such complaints, or opposed unlawful discrimination.