Head of Service

Abounding Rivers; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Abounding Rivers in Los Angeles seeks a Head of Service – Licensed Clinician to lead with heart, ensuring high-quality mental health services for youth in a STRTP setting.

You will supervise the clinical team, provide direction to the residential program, and ensure trainings and documentation meet LACDMH, DHCS SMHS, STRTP MHPA, Licensing, DCFS and CARF standards.

Qualifications

• Active California license: LCSW, LMFT, LPCC or Licensed Psychologist.
• 3+ years post-licensure experience with children, adolescents, foster youth or trauma populations.
• Working knowledge of STRTP and MHPA requirements, SMHS documentation and Medi-Cal billing.
• Strong leadership, communication and organizational skills with cultural humility.

Responsibilities

• Provide clinical oversight of all mental health services.
• Supervise licensed and associate clinicians, including supervision and co-signing documentation.
• Guide evidence-based practices such as TF-CBT and Motivational Interviewing.
• Lead clinical input in Child and Family Team (CFT) meetings with DCFS, probation, schools and caregivers.
• Ensure trauma-informed, culturally responsive care and compliance with regulatory standards.

Skills

Clinical leadership

Supervisory experience

TF-CBT

Motivational Interviewing

Education

California license (LCSW/LMFT/LPCC/PSY)

Job description

WE'RE HIRING: Head of Service (HOS) - Licensed Clinician

Are you a licensed clinician who wants to lead with heart and get the details right? Join us and help youth heal, stabilize and move toward permanency.

Abounding Rivers is a Short-Term Residential Therapeutic Program (STRTP) in Los Angeles serving youth with complex trauma, including foster youth, probation youth and commercially sexually exploited children (CSEC). We're looking for a licensed clinical leader to guide a trauma-informed, youth-centered program, in both therapy and the day-to-day residential milieu.

As our Head of Service, you're the clinical leader of the program. You'll oversee all mental health services, provide clinical direction to the residential program, supervise the clinical team, and make sure required trainings are completed and documented. You'll also keep our care effective, culturally responsive and compliant with LACDMH, DHCS SMHS, STRTP MHPA, Community Care Licensing, DCFS and CARF standards.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the designated Head of Service and provide clinical oversight of all mental health services
• Supervise licensed and associate clinicians, including BBS-required supervision and co-signing documentation
• Guide evidence-based practices such as TF-CBT and Motivational Interviewing
• Lead clinical input in Child and Family Team (CFT) meetings and work with DCFS, probation, schools, caregivers and community partners

Clinical Oversight of the Residential Program

• Make sure the milieu, house routines and daily structure reflect our trauma-informed model and support each youth's treatment goals
• Coach and consult with direct care staff on de-escalation, behavior support and youth engagement
• Make sure each youth's Needs and Services Plan, behavior support strategies and safety plans are consistent with their treatment plan
• Review incidents, emergency interventions, runaway episodes and behavioral trends from a clinical perspective
• Partner with the Administrator and Facility Manager on milieu programming, staffing and transition decisions
• Uphold youth personal rights and the Foster Youth Bill of Rights
• Oversee required initial and annual training for clinical and residential staff
• Track certifications and renewals (CANS, CPR/First Aid, emergency intervention, trauma-informed care, CSEC, suicide prevention) and make sure nothing lapses
• Maintain audit-ready training records: curricula, sign-in sheets, certificates and a current training matrix
• Deliver or coordinate in-service trainings, and assign corrective training when audits or incidents show gaps
• Oversee assessments, treatment plans, progress notes, risk assessments and discharge summaries
• Monitor medical necessity and Medi-Cal billing compliance, and work with billing to reduce denials
• Keep the program audit-ready for LACDMH, DHCS, CCL, DCFS and CARF reviews and lead corrective action plans
• Drive continuous quality improvement with outcome data, and help prepare the program for MHPA Version III
• Provide crisis consultation for suicide risk, self-harm, psychiatric emergencies, runaway risk, substance use and aggression
• Take part in critical incident reviews and develop safety and crisis management plans

Qualifications

• Active California license: LCSW, LMFT, LPCC or Licensed Psychologist
• At least 3 years of post-licensure experience with children, adolescents, foster youth, probation youth or specialty mental health populations
• Working knowledge of STRTP and MHPA requirements, Interim Licensing Standards, SMHS documentation, Medi-Cal billing, the CFT process, child welfare, CSEC services, and crisis and risk assessment
• Strong leadership, communication and organization, with cultural humility at the core of your practice
• 2+ years of supervisory or clinical leadership experience
• STRTP, group home or residential treatment leadership experience
• Experience building training programs and tracking training compliance
• Experience with LACDMH, DHCS SMHS, and Medi-Cal documentation and claiming
• Experience managing audits, licensing inspections and accreditation reviews
• Experience serving CSEC, foster youth and youth with complex trauma
• Eligible to supervise BBS associates

Full-time leadership role, with at least 24-32 hours per week onsite in Los Angeles. The schedule is flexible based on program needs, and on-call clinical consultation is required for crises and resident safety concerns.

Live Scan fingerprint clearance through CDSS, a Child Abuse Central Index (CACI) check, a health screening and TB test, and CANS certification (or completion within the required timeframe).

#HiringNow #STRTP #LCSW #LMFT #ClinicalDirector #MentalHealthJobs #TraumaInformedCare #FosterYouth #LosAngelesJobs #SocialWorkJobs