Senior Director, Behavioral Health Program 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 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.