Program Director - Residential

merakeycareers; Pennsylvania; On-site; USD 65,000 - 79,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Retirement plan (pre-tax and Roth)

DailyPay

Goga well-being platform

Care.com backup care

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Tuition reimbursement

Educational partnerships

Employee discounts

Job summary

Merakey in Philadelphia's Chestnut Hill area seeks an energetic Program Director to lead a 16-bed Long-Term Structured Residence (LTSR) and deliver high-quality behavioral health services within a collaborative team.

You will supervise and coach staff, manage the program budget, ensure regulatory compliance, document treatment plans and progress notes, and partner with families and external agencies to support continuity of care while preparing for audits.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in a clinical discipline and 2+ years of mental health experience.
• Licensed or registered to practice in the Commonwealth (e.g., LSW, LCSW, LPCC).
• 5 years of mental health-related experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead program operations to keep the residence running smoothly.
• Provide clinical and staff leadership to ensure person-centered care.
• Supervise and support staff with training, coaching, and evaluations.
• Maintain regulatory compliance with state, payer, and organizational requirements.
• Ensure accurate documentation of treatment plans, progress notes, and charting.
• Manage the program budget and identify growth opportunities.
• Oversee crisis and incident management for a safe environment.
• Partner with families, clinical teams, and external agencies to support continuity of care.
• Prepare for audits and site visits and lead quality improvement efforts.

Skills

Leadership

Program operations

Clinical leadership

Staff supervision

Regulatory compliance

Documentation

Budget management

Crisis management

Family collaboration

Audits and quality improvement

Education

Master's degree in clinical discipline

2+ years mental health clinical experience

LSW/LCSW/LPCC licensed or registered

Job description

We’re seeking an energetic and mission-driven Program Director to lead our 16-bed Long-Term Structured Residence (LTSR) in the Chestnut Hill area of Philadelphia.

In this role, you’ll make a real impact by ensuring high-quality care and strong leadership within a supportive team environment.

What You’ll Do:

• Lead program operations to keep the residence running smoothly each day.
• Provide clinical and staff leadership to ensure exceptional, person-centered care.
• Supervise and support staff, including training, coaching, and performance evaluations.
• Maintain regulatory compliance with state, payer, and organizational requirements.
• Ensure accurate documentation, including treatment plans, progress notes, and charting.
• Manage the program budget and identify opportunities for program growth and improvement.
• Oversee crisis and incident management to maintain a safe and stable environment.
• Partner with families, clinical teams, and external agencies to support continuity of care.
• Prepare for audits and site visits and lead ongoing quality improvement efforts.

This role is ideal for a collaborative, organized, and compassionate leader who’s committed to delivering high-quality behavioral health services

Earn $72,000 annually.

Benefits

Merakey offers generous benefits that promote well-being, financial security, and work-life balance, including:

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, plus access to healthcare advocacy support.
• Retirement plan -- both pre-tax and Roth (after-tax) options available for employee contributions.
• DailyPay -- access your pay when you need it!
• On the Goga well-being platform, featuring self-care tools and resources.
• Access Care.com for backup childcare, elder care, and household services.
• Confidential counseling, legal, and financial services through our Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
• Tuition reimbursement and educational partnerships.
• Employee discounts and savings programs on entertainment, travel, and lifestyle.
• Access to Pryor Online Learning for free online personal development classes.

Learn more about our full benefits package - https://www.merakey.org/careers/benefits

About Merakey

Merakey is a non-profit provider of developmental, behavioral health, and education services. More than 8,000 employees provide support to nearly 40,000 individuals and families throughout 12 states across the country each year.

Click here to watch a video about Merakey.

Merakey strictly follows a zero-tolerance policy for abuse.

Merakey is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer! We deeply value diversity and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, ethnic background, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, genetic information, or disability status. Moreover, we are committed to creating teams that reflect the diversity of the communities we serve and encourage applicants from underrepresented backgrounds to apply.

Merakey welcomes all Veterans to apply!

The ideal candidate will possess one the following qualifications:

Education:

• Master's degree or higher in a generally recognized clinical discipline and 2 years of mental health clinical experience.
• The Program Director must be registered, licensed, or certified to practice his profession, if that profession is governed by a registration, licensing or certification board in this Commonwealth. i.e. LSW, LCSW, LPCC.

Work Experience:

• 5 years of mental health paid or unpaid experience.
• Knowledge and understanding of severe mental illness, recovery principles and recovery driven service systems is governed by a registration, licensing or certification board in this Commonwealth.
• Solid understanding of5320 PA regulations is a plus!

Other:

• Valid Driver’s License and a clean driving record required.
• Work full-time onsite at our Chestnut Hill program and be available for team consultation and back-upas needed.