Director, Social Work and Ambulatory Services

Northeast Behavioral Health Corporation; Texas; On-site; USD 103,000 - 134,000; Full time

Job summary

Beth Israel Lahey Health seeks a Director of Social Work and Ambulatory Services to lead inpatient social work, utilization management, and aftercare planning. You will develop standards of care, supervise managers, and coordinate with payors and community agencies to ensure high-quality patient care.

Responsibilities include budgeting, policy implementation, and ensuring licensing compliance across programs, with focus on collaboration with senior leadership and external stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in social work (MSW).
• Current Massachusetts Licensed Independent Clinical Social Work (LICSW) license.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in an inpatient behavioral health setting.
• Minimum 3 years of managerial experience.
• Prior experience in healthcare admissions preferred.

Responsibilities

• Directs high quality inpatient social work services and aftercare planning meeting regulatory requirements.
• Develops and maintains revenue strategies related to admissions and patient capacity.
• Plans and manages department budgets within guidelines.
• Oversees utilization management and appeals; ensures policies align with hospital standards and regulatory bodies.
• Leads group programming with stakeholders and maintains outpatient productivity to meet fiscal goals.
• Provides supervision to department managers and ensures licensing and regulatory compliance for programs.

Education

MSW

LICSW license

5+ years inpatient behavioral health

3 years managerial experience

Healthcare admissions experience preferred

Job description

When you join the growing BILH team, you're not just taking a job, you’re making a difference in people’s lives. Reporting to the Executive Director of Inpatient Behavioral Health, the Director of Social Work and Ambulatory Services ensures quality care to patients by developing and maintaining standards of care in the social work, admissions, groups, outpatient, utilization management departments and in the partial hospital program for the inpatient behavioral health division.

The Director will ensure that there are systems in place and in use to allow for effective and timely communication with patients, families, collaterals, referral sources, community agencies and payors. The Director is responsible for providing leadership to social workers, clinicians and ambulatory services staff to support the organization’s goals for delivery of effective and efficient high quality patient care and aftercare planning.

Collabrates with the senior leadership team to provide guidance and direction for social work, utilization management, aftercare planning, administrative and staffing management, communication and collaboration, professional development and orientation, quality improvement and financial management.

Directs utilization review activities for the inpatient behavioral health division, interfaces with external payors to determine medical necessity of admissions and continued hospitalization.

Partners with other departments, community agencies, vendors and payors.

Primary Responsibilities

1. Directs and ensures high quality inpatient social work services and aftercare planning that meets state and regulatory requirements.
2. Develops, implements and maintains revenue generating strategies related to admissions and patient capacity.
3. Plan, monitor and manage department budgets. Responsible for staffing within budgetary guidelines across the social work, admissions, groups, outpatient, utilization management departments and in the partial hospital program.
4. Understands and hard wires the nuances in behavioral health payment (340b). Oversees Utilization Management and appeals.
5. Responsible for the development and implementation of all general, emergency, and program-specific policies and procedures necessary to ensure a safe, productive and therapeutic program. Ensures that all policies and procedures are designed to comply with standards set by the hospital and regulatory and accrediting agencies.
6. Works collaboratively with group leaders to create, evaluate and periodically update group programming.
7. Ensure the outpatient department maintains sufficient productivity to meet its fiscal goals and meets documentation standards.
8. Stays apprised of federal and state regulations governing capacity, billing and reimbursement, including Medicaid and Medicare guidelines, and Joint Commission standards.
9. Works to ensure that partial hospital program and outpatient requirements are met regarding licensing and regulatory requirements.
10. Provide supervision to department managers.
11. Networking and collaboration with stakeholders.
12. Provide clinical consultation and oversight of case planning.
13. Hiring, development, training and performance management of staff.
14. Oversee student contracts for master's level interns.
15. Serve as back-up coverage to Human Rights Officer and responsible for performing service recovery.

Education, Experience, and Licensing Requirements

• Master’s degree in social work (MSW)
• Current Massachusetts Licensed Independent Clinical Social Work (LICSW) license
• Minimum 5 years of experience in an inpatient behavioral health setting
• Minimum 3 years of managerial experience
• Prior experience in healthcare admissions preferred

Pay Range: $103,359.10 USD - $133,706.00 USD The pay range listed for this position is the annual base salary range the organization reasonably and in good faith expects to pay for this position at this time. Actual compensation is determined based on several factors, that may include seniority, education, training, relevant experience, relevant certifications, geography of work location, job responsibilities, or other applicable factors permissible by law.

As a health care organization, we have a responsibility to do everything in our power to care for and protect our patients, our colleagues and our communities. Beth Israel Lahey Health requires that all staff be vaccinated against influenza (flu) as a condition of employment.

More than 35,000 people working together. Nurses, doctors, technicians, therapists, researchers, teachers and more, making a difference in patients’ lives. Your skill and compassion can make us even stronger.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled At Beth Israel Lahey Health, we are driving the change in health care that Massachusetts wants and needs. Our culture promotes continuous learning, growth, innovation and a sense of belonging. We make it a priority to offer comprehensive compensation and benefits and help you achieve a healthy and balanced life. While you’re busy caring for and supporting our patients, we take care of you.