Director Clinical Development

American Behavioral Clinics; Milwaukee (WI); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

American Behavioral Clinics in Milwaukee seeks a Clinical Director to lead the strategic development, implementation, and continuous improvement of behavioral health programs across the organization. The role focuses on creating new services (IOP, PHP) while ensuring regulatory compliance and clinical excellence.

The position requires 7+ years in outpatient behavioral health with at least 3 years in leadership, plus a Wisconsin license and supervision eligibility.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 7 years of progressive clinical experience in outpatient behavioral health.
• At least 3 years in a leadership, management, or program development role.
• Experience designing and expanding behavioral health programs (IOP, PHP, specialty services).
• Experience developing clinical policies, workflows, and documentation standards.
• Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary teams through growth and change.
• Experience with state surveys, regulatory reviews, and payer audits.
• Strong knowledge of Wisconsin DHS 35 regulations and related compliance.

Responsibilities

• Lead planning, development, and implementation of new behavioral health programs.
• Establish clinical workflows, admission criteria, discharge planning, and documentation standards.
• Develop budgets, staffing plans, and operational strategies for new services.
• Provide clinical oversight and standardize protocols across programs.
• Monitor outcomes, patient satisfaction, and quality metrics for continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with executives on strategic growth and partnerships.
• Ensure regulatory compliance with DHS, HIPAA, and payer requirements.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic planning

Program development

Clinical operations

Regulatory compliance

Stakeholder management

Quality improvement

Education

Master's or Doctoral degree in Social Work

MBA

Wisconsin professional license (LCSW, LPC, Licensed Psychologist, APNP…)

Eligible to provide clinical supervision in Wisconsin

Tools

EHR systems

Job description

American Behavioral Clinics is an outpatient treatment facility dedicated to providing comprehensive psychiatric and behavioral health services for children, teens, and adults within the area. As a center committed to excellence, we foster a supportive, family-oriented environment that emphasizes compassionate care and professional growth for our team members.

Clinical Director – Program Development & Clinical Operations

Position Summary

The Clinical Director serves as the clinical leader responsible for the strategic development, implementation, and continuous improvement of behavioral health programs across the organization. This position leads the design and expansion of new clinical services—including Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP), specialty outpatient programs, and evidence-based treatment initiatives—while ensuring regulatory compliance, clinical excellence, and operational success.

Working collaboratively with executive leadership, the Clinical Director identifies community needs, develops innovative treatment programs, establishes clinical workflows, and ensures that all services meet Wisconsin DHS regulations, payer requirements, and industry best practices. While maintaining oversight of clinical quality and staff development, this position is focused primarily on organizational growth through program creation and implementation.

Program Development & Strategic Growth

• Lead the planning, development, and implementation of new behavioral health programs, including Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP), specialty outpatient services, and future Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP).
• Conduct community needs assessments and market analyses to identify opportunities for new clinical services.
• Design evidence-based treatment models, curricula, clinical pathways, and program structures.
• Develop program policies, procedures, workflows, admission criteria, discharge planning processes, and clinical documentation standards.
• Create implementation timelines, staffing plans, budgets, and operational strategies for new services.
• Collaborate with executive leadership on strategic initiatives that support organizational growth and service expansion.
• Evaluate program performance using quality, financial, and patient outcome metrics to guide continuous improvement.

Clinical Program Oversight

• Provide clinical oversight to ensure all programs deliver safe, effective, and evidence-based behavioral health services.
• Standardize clinical protocols and treatment practices across programs.
• Monitor clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction to improve program effectiveness.
• Lead multidisciplinary case consultation for complex clinical situations.
• Ensure consistent implementation of trauma-informed, recovery-oriented, and person-centered care.

Regulatory Compliance & Accreditation

• Ensure all clinical programs comply with Wisconsin DHS 35, DHS 75 (as applicable), HIPAA, payer requirements, and other state and federal regulations.
• Develop documentation standards that support regulatory compliance and reimbursement.
• Maintain and update clinical policies and procedures to reflect evolving regulations and best practices.

Clinical Leadership & Staff Development

• Provide clinical supervision and consultation consistent with licensure requirements and organizational policy.
• Develop orientation and ongoing training programs for clinicians.
• Foster a culture of innovation, accountability, collaboration, and continuous learning.
• Promote staff engagement, retention, and professional growth.

Operational Leadership

• Collaborate with operations, billing, compliance, and executive leadership to ensure successful program implementation.
• Establish productivity expectations and performance indicators for new programs.
• Monitor utilization, staffing, scheduling, and program capacity.
• Support contract development, payer credentialing, and reimbursement readiness for new services.
• Assist with community partnerships, and strategic initiatives that expand access to care.

Quality Improvement & Innovation

• Develop performance dashboards and outcome measures for each clinical program.
• Implement evidence-based innovations that enhance patient outcomes and organizational performance.
• Stay current with behavioral health trends, regulatory changes, and emerging treatment models to guide future program development.

Qualifications & Experience

Required Education & Licensure

• Master's or Doctoral degree in Social Work, Counseling, Psychology, or another behavioral health discipline from an accredited institution.
• MBA
• Current unrestricted Wisconsin professional license (LCSW, LPC, Licensed Psychologist, APNP with Psychiatric Specialty, or other qualifying independent behavioral health license).
• Eligible to provide clinical supervision under Wisconsin regulations.

Required Experience

• Minimum of 7 years of progressive clinical experience in outpatient behavioral health, with at least 3 years in a leadership, management, or program development role.
• Demonstrated experience designing, implementing, or expanding behavioral health programs, such as Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP), Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP), specialty outpatient services, or other evidence-based treatment programs.
• Experience developing clinical policies, procedures, treatment protocols, workflows, and operational standards for new or expanding services.
• Proven experience leading multidisciplinary teams through organizational growth, program implementation, or change management initiatives.
• Experience preparing organizations for state surveys, regulatory reviews, accreditation visits, or payer audits.
• Strong knowledge of Wisconsin DHS 35 regulations and familiarity with DHS 75, HIPAA, CMS, Medicaid, Medicare, and commercial insurance requirements.
• Experience developing and monitoring quality improvement initiatives using clinical outcome data and performance metrics.
• Experience collaborating with executive leadership on strategic planning, budgeting, staffing models, and program implementation.
• Demonstrated success managing multiple complex projects simultaneously while meeting deadlines and organizational objectives.

Preferred Experience

• Previous experience leading the successful launch of an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) or similar behavioral health service from concept through implementation.
• Experience developing or overseeing Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP), Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT), Spravato®, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), or other specialty behavioral health services.
• Experience obtaining or maintaining DHS certification, CARF accreditation, or Joint Commission accreditation.
• Experience with payer contracting, credentialing, reimbursement strategy, and behavioral health program sustainability.
• Experience implementing electronic health record (EHR) workflows and clinical documentation standards for new programs.
• Knowledge of behavioral health financial management, productivity metrics, staffing models, and program budgeting.
• Experience developing community partnerships, referral networks, and strategic relationships to support program growth.
• Strategic program development and implementation
• Behavioral health operations and regulatory compliance
• Organizational leadership and change management
• Clinical quality improvement and outcomes measurement
• Budgeting and resource planning
• Project management
• Policy and procedure development
• Staff recruitment, coaching, and leadership development
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities
• Ability to translate organizational vision into sustainable clinical programs and measurable outcomes