Founding Clinical Director | O'Fallon, Illinois

Atlantic Health Strategies; O'Fallon (IL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Aftermath is launching a new substance use disorder treatment facility in O’Fallon, IL, seeking a Founding Clinical Director to build the clinical culture, assemble the team, and guide readiness to active service delivery.

The role reports to the senior clinical leader and will oversee treatment quality, supervision, documentation, and program integrity across clinical, medical, utilization review, compliance, and operations. On-site leadership in O’Fallon is required.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Social Work, Counseling, Psychology, or a closely related behavioral health field.
• Active and unrestricted Illinois LCSW or LCPC license in good standing.
• At least five years of behavioral health clinical experience.
• At least three years of clinical supervision, program management, or clinical leadership experience.
• Direct experience with substance use disorder and co-occurring mental health treatment.
• Experience supervising licensed and developing clinicians.
• Working knowledge of ASAM Criteria and structured behavioral health levels of care.
• Strong knowledge of clinical documentation, treatment planning, medical necessity, and quality assurance.
• Demonstrated ability to manage staff performance and clinical accountability.
• Ability to work primarily on-site in O'Fallon, Illinois.

Responsibilities

• Direct the day-to-day delivery of clinical services.
• Maintain the clinical integrity of Outpatient, IOP, and PHP programming.
• Guide clinical decisions involving placement, treatment needs, continued stay, transfer, and discharge.
• Review program performance and adjust clinical workflows when needed.
• Lead responses to complex cases, safety concerns, and clinical crises.
• Ensure programming remains individualized, evidence-informed, and appropriate for the populations served.
• Monitor clinical outcomes and lead improvement initiatives.
• Prepare the clinical department for licensing, accreditation, payer, and quality reviews.

Skills

Clinical leadership

Staff supervision

Program management

ASAM Criteria knowledge

Clinical documentation

Regulatory compliance

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Education

Master’s degree in Social Work, Counseling, Psychology

Job description

Build the Program You Want to Lead

Aftermath is preparing to open a new substance use disorder treatment facility in O'Fallon, Illinois. The organization plans to serve adult clients through Outpatient, Intensive Outpatient (IOP), and Partial Hospitalization (PHP) programming.

We are seeking a Founding Clinical Director who wants more than responsibility for an already-established department. This leader will have the opportunity to help create the clinical culture, assemble the team, establish expectations, and guide the program from readiness into active service delivery.

The Founding Clinical Director will be the facility’s senior clinical leader. This individual will be accountable for treatment quality, clinical supervision, staff development, documentation performance, program integrity, and coordination across clinical, medical, utilization review, compliance, and operational functions.

This position may begin before the facility opens to support final readiness and hiring activities. It will continue as a permanent, full-time leadership role following launch.

What You Will Build

The Founding Clinical Director will establish and maintain:

• A clinically sound and client-centered treatment culture
• Consistent expectations for assessments, treatment plans, progress notes, reviews, and discharge documentation
• Clear supervision and clinical escalation structures
• Reliable processes for admission, placement, continued stay, transition, and discharge
• Adult programming aligned with client needs and ASAM Criteria
• Clinical workflows that support Illinois Part 2060 and applicable payer requirements
• Quality-review processes that identify documentation, treatment, and performance concernsearly
• Productive communication among clinical, medical, administrative, and utilization review teams
• A clinical team prepared to operate effectively as census and services grow

Founding Clinical Director | O'Fallon, Illinois

Leadership Responsibilities

Program and Clinical Oversight

• Direct the day-to-day delivery of clinical services
• Maintain the clinical integrity of Outpatient, IOP, and PHP programming
• Guide clinical decisions involving placement, treatment needs, continued stay, transfer, and discharge
• Review program performance and adjust clinical workflows when needed
• Lead responses to complex cases, safety concerns, and clinical crises
• Ensure programming remains individualized, evidence-informed, and appropriate for the populations served
• Monitor clinical outcomes and lead improvement initiatives
• Prepare the clinical department for licensing, accreditation, payer, and quality reviews

Team Leadership

• Recruit, onboard, supervise, and develop clinical team members
• Provide direct oversight to clinical supervisors and other assigned staff
• Establish consistent supervision practices and documentation
• Assess employee competency and provide coaching or corrective guidance
• Create opportunities for clinical training and professional development
• Support staff accountability while maintaining a collaborative work environment
• Evaluate staffing and coverage needs as program census changes

Documentation and Compliance

• Establish expectations for complete, accurate, and timely clinical records
• Monitor documentation quality and address recurring deficiencies
• Coordinate with utilization review to support medical necessity and authorization requirements
• Maintain clinical policies and procedures
• Identify areas of clinical or regulatory risk
• Develop and oversee corrective action when standards are not met
• Collaborate with leadership on survey preparation and ongoing compliance

Requirements

Required

• Master’s degree in Social Work, Counseling, Psychology, or a closely related behavioral health field
• Active and unrestricted Illinois LCSW or LCPC license in good standing
• At least five years of behavioral health clinical experience
• At least three years of clinical supervision, program management, or clinical leadership experience
• Direct experience with substance use disorder and co-occurring mental health treatment
• Experience supervising licensed and developing clinicians
• Working knowledge of ASAM Criteria and structured behavioral health levels of care
• Strong knowledge of clinical documentation, treatment planning, medical necessity, and quality assurance
• Demonstrated ability to manage staff performance and clinical accountability
• Ability to work primarily on-site in O'Fallon, Illinois

Preferred

• Leadership experience within an Illinois Part 2060 licensed program
• Experience developing or overseeing Outpatient, IOP, or PHP services
• Experience serving adult populations