Associate Director of Crisis Services

Paragon Behavioral Health Connections; Frisco (CO); On-site; USD 85,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Paragon Behavioral Health Connections in Colorado is seeking an Associate Director of Crisis Services to lead the Crisis Walk-In Center and oversee operations across the crisis continuum.

The role supervises 13 staff and partners with hospitals, physicians, and community agencies to ensure high-quality, compliant crisis care. Master’s-level licensure progress is required. The position offers a full-time, on-site role with a salary of $85,000–$95,000 per year.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree required and licensure must remain current.
• Minimum seven years of experience in behavioral health or healthcare settings.
• Experience supervising master’s-level clinicians preferred.
• Experience with Medicaid-funded or third-party reimbursement preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide operational oversight of the Crisis Walk-In Center.
• Supervise crisis Team Leads and WIC staff, supporting development as emerging leaders.
• Ensure documentation standards and regulatory compliance across crisis programs.
• Collaborate with hospitals, emergency departments, law enforcement, EMS, schools, and community partners.
• Develop, implement, and continuously improve policies, procedures, and workflows for safe, effective crisis services.
• Provide direct clinical services and operational support to ensure continuity of care and program effectiveness.

Skills

Leadership

Team building

Operational management

Crisis care knowledge

HIPAA compliance

Multidisciplinary collaboration

EHR proficiency

Quality improvement

Strategic planning

Mission alignment

Education

Master’s degree in Counseling, Social Work, Clinical Psychology, or related field

Tools

EHR systems

Job description

About Paragon Behavioral Health Connections

Paragon Behavioral Health Connections is a comprehensive behavioral health organization on a mission to positively impact individuals and families through compassionate, and client-centered care.Our mission is to deliver personalized care that uplifts our clients and builds supportive connections in communities.Through community based or in-home services, and digital solutions as needed, we meet clients where they are—both physically and emotionally—to provide the right support at the right time. Serving communities across Colorado, we deliver equitable and creative “one-stop” behavioral health services—providing in-home mental health and substance use treatment, crisis stabilization, early childhood support, intensive outpatient programs, assertive community treatment, medication management, wrap around support and more. We believe care should meet people where they are, both physically and emotionally. Our approach is rooted in understanding, respect, innovation, and community collaboration.

Our vision is to empower individuals and families with complex needs, helping them overcome challenges, build essential skills, and access the resources necessary to achieve long-term well-being. We offer a wide range of services, including step-down care from inpatient hospitalization for youth and adults, comprehensive support for children and families, and specialized treatment for adults facing depression, trauma, substance use, and other mental health needs.

Our programming includes intensive care management supports for families and adults, Crisis Stabilization programming, Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) for individuals diagnosed with serious mental illness, Child First for young children and caregivers, integrated co-occurring Intensive Outpatient treatment, individual and family therapy, medication management (including MAT), peer support, supported employment/housing, and holistic recovery services for mental health and substance use disorders.

Position Summary

The Associate Director of Crisis Services provides operational and clinical leadership for Paragon’s Walk-in Crisis Center (WIC) while coordinating operational activities across Paragon's crisis continuum under the direction of the Crisis Stabilization Clinical Director. This role directly supervises 13 staff (with additional growth anticipated), who in turn supervise clinical and care management staff.

The Associate Director ensures high-quality, compliant, and mission-driven service delivery across crisis programs. This position is responsible for oversight of documentation standards, adherence to policies and procedures, regulatory compliance, and supervision of master’s-level clinicians working toward licensure. This position works collaboratively with medical providers, nursing, leadership, community partners, hospitals, emergency responders, and behavioral health agencies to ensure seamless crisis care.

Key Responsibilities

Walk-In Center Operations

• Provide operational oversight of the Crisis Walk-In Center.
• Ensure efficient daily clinic operations, patient flow, and staffing.
• Monitor census, admissions, discharges, and service utilization.
• Develop and improve operational workflows and standard operating procedures.
• Coordinate staffing schedules to ensure continuous coverage.
• Assist with implementation of new services and operational initiatives.
• Monitor safety, security, and environmental standards within the Walk-In Center.
• Coordinate with nursing, prescribers, peer support, behavioral health technicians, and clinicians to ensure integrated service delivery.

Leadership & Supervision

• Supervise crisis Team Leads and WIC staff, supporting development as emerging leaders.
• Provide oversight and guidance to master’s-level clinicians working toward independent licensure.
• Support clinical supervision structures and ensure staff understand roles and responsibilities operating as multidisciplinary teams.
• Ensure high standards of care and professional development.
• Assist in hiring, onboarding, training, and performance evaluation of staff.
• Foster a culture of accountability, growth, and mission alignment.
• Partner with the Director to align crisis services with organizational strategy and goals.
• Participate in on-call coverage. On-call duties include carrying the crisis phone and being available to initiate holds when clinically indicated, including weekends. These 24-hour shifts are scheduled at the start of each month.

Clinical & Program Operations

• Oversee the day-to-day operations of the Crisis Walk-In Center to ensure safe, client-centered, high-quality care and efficient service delivery.
• Assist in overseeing daily operations of Mobile Crisis Response, Community Stabilization, Crisis Follow-Up, and other crisis programming to ensure consistent operations across the crisis continuum.
• Coordinate staffing resources and referral workflows to meet service demand, maintain licensure requirements, and optimize operational efficiency.
• Monitor response times, census, productivity, quality metrics, and other key performance indicators to support continuous quality improvement.
• Ensure assessments, treatment planning, therapy, discharge planning, documentation, and care coordination meet organizational, regulatory, and evidence-based standards.
• Collaborate with Team Leads to promote consistency in clinical practice, workflows, and service delivery across crisis programs.
• Assist with operational problem-solving during periods of high volume, staffing shortages, or complex client situations.
• Develop, implement, and continuously improve policies, procedures, and workflows that support safe, effective, risk-managed, and family-centered crisis services.
• Provide direct clinical services and operational support as needed to ensure continuity of care and program effectiveness.

Compliance & Quality Assurance

• Ensure staff adherence to documentation standards and agency policies and procedures.
• Monitor compliance with federal, state, Medicaid, and third-party payor requirements.
• Ensure HIPAA compliance and privacy practice adherence across teams.
• Participate in quality improvement initiatives and monitor program performance metrics.
• Support accurate, timely billing and documentation aligned with regulatory requirements.
• Oversee appropriate utilization of the Electronic Health Record (EHR) system.

Community Collaboration

• Maintain professional affiliations and pursue continuing education to remain current with best practices in crisis behavioral health.
• Serve as an operational liaison with hospitals, emergency departments, law enforcement, EMS, 988, schools, and community partners.
• Assist in developing community relationships supporting crisis services.
• Participate in community meetings and collaborative initiatives.
• Represent crisis services during operational planning meetings.

Administrative Responsibilities

• Assist with policy and procedure implementation.
• Monitor operational budgets and resource utilization.
• Assist with inventory, equipment, and facility management.
• Prepare operational reports and performance dashboards.
• Participate in leadership meetings and strategic planning initiatives.
• Perform other duties as assigned

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Direct supervision of 13 staff (growing).
• Indirect oversight of clinical and care management staff within Crisis Services.
• Participation in interviewing, hiring, onboarding, training, performance evaluation, corrective action, and professional development processes.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Strong leadership and team-building skills.
• Excellent organizational and operational management abilities.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced crisis environment.
• Strong critical thinking and decision-making skills.
• Knowledge of behavioral health crisis systems, emergency response, and stabilization services.
• Knowledge of HIPAA, 42 CFR Part 2, Medicaid regulations, and Colorado Behavioral Health Administration requirements.
• Ability to build collaborative relationships across multidisciplinary teams.
• Proficiency with electronic health records and operational reporting systems.
• Commitment to servant leadership, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Commitment to Paragon’s mission, vision, and values.

Qualifications

• Education: Master’s degree in Counseling, Social Work, Clinical Psychology, or related field (required).
• Licensure:
• All licenses must stay up to date and valid during employment.
• Experience:
• Minimum of seven (7) years of experience in behavioral health or healthcare settings.
• Experience supervising master’s-level clinicians preferred.
• Experience in Medicaid-funded or third-party reimbursed environments strongly preferred.
• Experience developing training materials or skill-based curriculum for staff is a plus.
• Experience launching or managing crisis stabilization or walk-in center programs preferred
• Experience with Mobile Crisis Response or 988 systems preferred
• Other Requirements: Valid driver’s license, auto insurance, willingness to travel to homes/communities.
• Requires living in or near the location of the posting.
• Type: Full-Time
• Department:Crisis
• Schedule: Tuesday-Saturday 8:30am-5pm
• Occasional night or weekend coverage required for on-call
• Salary: $85,000-$95,000 per year
• Paid health, dental, vision, life, short- and long-term disability insurance.
• Discretionary Time Off (DTO)
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Diversity & Inclusion

Paragon Behavioral Health Connections is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace. We strongly encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds, identities, and lived experiences.