Clinical Project Manager

DESC (Downtown Emergency Service Center); Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 108,000 - 123,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Life insurance

Long-term Disability

EAP

FSA

ORCA card subsidy

Paid Time Off (PTO) 34 days per year

Retirement Plan

Job summary

DESC (Downtown Emergency Service Center) is seeking a HOST Project Manager to lead day-to-day operations, supervise clinical staff, and ensure high-quality outreach and engagement services for clients experiencing homelessness. You will manage staffing, documentation, and program quality, while collaborating with shelter partners and health providers to support continuity of care.

The role requires a master’s degree in a behavioral science field, plus supervisory experience and a valid driving

Qualifications

• Master's degree required in social work, psychology, or related field.
• Licensed or eligible credential preferred.
• Experience in homelessness services and supervisory experience.
• Ability to drive and pass background check.

Responsibilities

• Lead HOST operations across multiple locations with staffing and service delivery.
• Supervise Clinical Supervisors and the Peer Supervisor.
• Ensure program compliance and quality assurance with reporting.
• Coordinate with partners to support continuity of care.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Communication

Policy compliance

Team supervision

Problem solving

Interagency collaboration

Education

Master's degree in social work, psychology, or related behavioral science

Job description

Job Type

Full-time

Days Off:

Saturday, Sunday

Shift:

Office Day

Insurance Benefits:

Medical (no premiums/payroll deductions for employee coverage), Dental, Life, Long-term Disability

Other Benefits:

Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Flexible Spending Account (FSA), ORCA card subsidy, Paid Time Off (34 days per year), Retirement Plan

About DESC

Recognized nationally as an innovator and leader in developing solutions to homelessness, DESC is a social services organization, supportive housing operator, and licensed behavioral health treatment provider focused on meeting the needs of people experiencing long-term homelessness and living with complex behavioral health and other medical conditions. Approximately 3,000 people are actively receiving services from DESC at any given point in time. Our vision is a community where all people are shown compassion, treated with dignity, and everyone has a safe, stable, and affordable place to call home.

DESC operates five shelter/emergency housing programs,19 permanent supportive housing facilities with over 1,750 units, several hundred additional scattered site apartments, and a range of behavioral health services including outpatient mental health and substance use disorder treatment, residential crisis stabilization, street outreach, mobile crisis response, and treatment for opioid use disorder.

JOB OVERVIEW

Under the direction of and in partnership with the Senior Clinical Program Manager, the HOST Project Manager leads the program’s day-to-day operations and supports the consistent delivery of outreach, engagement, stabilizing services, case management, and transition services. The Project Manager serves as the primary point person for routine HOST operations and directly supervises the HOST Clinical Supervisors and Peer Supervisor.

The Project Manager oversees staffing, quality assurance, documentation, reporting, hiring, and operational systems; monitors performance against contractual and program expectations; and supports collaboration across HOST, other DESC programs, shelter partners, and long-term behavioral health providers. The Project Manager collaborates with the Senior Clinical Program Manager on program strategy, budget development, significant operational decisions, and matters affecting the program’s overall scope.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Program Operations

• Lead day-to-day HOST operations across multiple service locations, ensuring adequate staffing, consistent service delivery, effective communication, and implementation of program priorities.
• Oversee implementation of client screening, eligibility, enrollment, assessment, service delivery, and transitions. Provide consultation on complex situations and coordinate with shelter, housing, and behavioral health partners to support continuity of care.
• Collaborate with supervisors and agency leadership to develop and improve program workflows, address operational needs, and maintain familiarity with frontline service delivery. Elevate proposed changes affecting program scope, contractual obligations, or service models for senior leadership review.
• Provide leadership support for urgent operational and safety concerns, ensuring appropriate incident response, escalation, and identification of trends requiring intervention.

Compliance

• Lead quality assurance, continuous improvement, and program reporting in collaboration with HOST leadership. Monitor clinical documentation, contractual compliance, and program outcomes, ensuring timely audits, accurate reporting, and corrective action when needed.
• Monitor program expenditures and contract spending in collaboration with the Senior Clinical Program Manager. Lead monthly financial reviews with Accounting, identify significant variances, and participate in annual budget development.
• Ensure program operations comply with agency policies, applicable Washington Administrative Code requirements, and relevant City of Seattle and King County Behavioral Health and Recovery Division requirements.

Supervision & Clinical Oversight

• Directly supervise and develop HOST Clinical Supervisors and the Peer Supervisor, providing regular administrative and internal clinical supervision, consultation, performance management, and professional development support.
• Oversee hiring and onboarding in collaboration with supervisors, Human Resources, and agency leadership. Ensure consistent application of personnel policies and the collective bargaining agreement.
• Facilitate leadership meetings, clinical consultations, and multidisciplinary collaboration to promote shared accountability, staff development, and effective clinical decision-making.
• Maintain current knowledge of evidence-based and emerging practices for multidisciplinary teams serving vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations, integrating relevant approaches into clinical supervision and program service delivery.

Community Engagement & Agency Representation

• Develop and maintain collaborative relationships with DESC programs and external partners, including shelter, housing, behavioral health, health care, and other community service providers, to strengthen service coordination and access to resources.
• Represent HOST in relevant internal and external meetings. Communicate program information and elevate significant contractual, financial, personnel, clinical, or organizational concerns to the Senior Clinical Program Manager.

Other

• Perform other duties as assigned.

LIVING CONDITIONS

All DESC clinical leaders are responsible for ensuring that their teams support clients in achieving and maintaining healthy living conditions, as applicable. This may include participating in unit cleaning when the need arises.

Requirements

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Eligible for a Licensed AAC credential or any other superseding credential that meets RCW 71.05.020 requirements to act as a Mental Health Professional whose scope of practice includes independently conducting mental health assessments and making mental health diagnoses.
• Master's degree in social work, psychology, or other relevant behavioral science.
• Two or more years' experience in community-based behavioral health services.
• One or more years' supervisory experience.
• Experience working with adults experiencing homelessness, mental illness and/or substance use disorders.
• Ability to drive an agency or personal vehicle for agency business. A current Washington State driver’s license and an insurable driving record are required.
• Be able to pass a Washington State Criminal background check.
• Strong leadership, collaboration, communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Familiarity with Recovery Principles, Crisis Intervention and Stabilization, Integrated Treatment of Co-occurring Disorders, Intensive Case Management, Illness Management, and relevant Evidenced based/Emerging best practices.
• Knowledge of Harm Reduction strategies.
• Strong working knowledge of DSM-5-TR.
• Be able to assess situations quickly and respond appropriately and calmly to any type of mental health and/or substance use disorder crisis to ensure the physical and psychological safety of clients.
• Be willing to seek to understand each client's unique circumstances and personal preferences and goals and incorporate them into the crisis response to help the client regain a sense of control.
• Have a strong understanding of recovery and resilience, the value of client partnerships and client choice, and the balance between protection from harm and personal dignity.
• Possess strong communication and writing skills.
• Ability to work flexible hours as required by program and staffing needs including evenings, weekends, and/or holidays.
• Able and willing to provide community outreach anywhere in King County from which a referral may originate, at times with no first responders present.
• Ability to communicate with and supervise staff from diverse backgrounds.
• Ability to work effectively with clients displaying a wide range of unpleasant and/or bizarre behaviors.
• Subscribe to the philosophy of cooperation and continuity across programs and of consideration and respect for clients.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Licensed Mental Health Counselor, or another applicable independent clinical license in Washington State.
• Qualified to serve as an approved supervisor for LICSW, LMFT, and/or LMHC licensure candidates under applicable Washington State requirements.
• Experience supporting hiring, onboarding, staff development, and performance management.
• Ability to provide effective administrative and internal clinical supervision within the individual’s education, training, credential, and scope of practice.
• Ability to supervise program leaders, establish accountability, interpret program requirements, monitor performance, and coordinate corrective action.
• Literate with computer functions included and not limited to Microsoft Office Suite and Electronic Health Record Systems
• Experience supervising program leaders or overseeing multi-site behavioral health operations.
• Experience with publicly funded contracts, program reporting, quality assurance, and budget monitoring.
• Bi-cultural and/or bilingual background/experience.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee will be required sit for long periods of time, communicate with other persons by talking and hearing, required to lift and carry items weighing up to 40 pounds and to operate computer hardware systems. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

DESC is committed to diversity in the workplace and promotes equal employment opportunities for all staff members and applicants. The Agency will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, national origin, caste, marital status, or the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability in any employment practice, unless based on a bona fide occupational qualification. Minorities and veterans are encouraged to apply.

Salary Description

$108,426.72 - $122,674.80 annually