Associate Director of Mental Health Associate Director of Mental Health & Community Initiatives

Job Details

Level
Senior

Job Location
Pilsen Administrative Offices – Chicago, IL

Position Type
Full Time

Salary Range
$70,000.00 – $75,000.00 Salary/year

Job Category
Nonprofit – Social Services

Description

MISSION:

Gads Hill Center, a social service organization established in 1898, creates opportunities for children and their families to build a better life through education, access to resources and community engagement.

At Gads Hill Center we envision a community in which all children benefit from healthy, financially stable households that support their early learning and growth. We invest in the potential of children and families through early childhood education, youth programs, and mental health supports. Ultimately, Gads Hill Center builds a community where all families can help their children have access to quality education in order to succeed in school and life.

JOB SUMMARY:

The Associate Director of Mental Health and Community Services will be responsible for managing and providing clinical leadership to Gads Hill Center’s Mental Health Department and Community Health initiatives, serving children and adolescents, ages birth through high school, as well as their families. In this role, the Associate Director of Mental Health and Community Services will supervise two distinct clinical teams. The first clinical team is Healthy Minds, Healthy Schools: school-based therapists who provide comprehensive mental health services within a primarily public school-based setting on the west and southwest sides of Chicago. Additionally, the Associate Director of Mental Health and Community Services will supervise the Early Childhood Mental Health Team, which supports our Head Start and Early Head Start families across nine sites. The Associate Director of Mental Health and Community Services will also manage and provide leadership to our Healthy Moves program, which focuses on holistic wellness (nutritional, mental, social/civic), directly supervising two Community Programs Specialists. The Associate Director of Mental Health and Community Services will execute the organization’s Civic Engagement and outreach strategies by developing leadership and civic engagement priorities across the organization to become effective advocates for children, families, and the community. Finally, the Associate Director of Mental Health and Community Services will assist with quality assurance, compliance, fiscal accountability, training and staff development, as well as developing client and stakeholder relationships on behalf of the organization.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Provide leadership in the areas of clinical, educational, health services, program evaluation, program development, and training.
2. Maintain high a quality of services by basing program design, staff development, and client therapeutic services on research and evidence-based best-practices.
3. Maintain advanced working knowledge of childhood education, development practices and standards, and principles of applied behavioral analysis.
4. Assist with maintaining fiscal viability and productivity standards of programs.
5. Collaborate with the Chief Operating Officer in the area of Community Programs to ensure integration of mental health services throughout all departments.
6. Provide supervision to the Community Programs Specialist, directly overseeing operations and deliverables for the Playstreets and Healthy Moves community programs.
7. Collaborate with Community Programs Specialist to integrate mental wellness components into community programs; provide capacity-building opportunities to Community Programs Specialist, Health Promoters, and support staff, as needed.
8. Develop and integrate a Parent Leadership component throughout the organization.
9. Compose concept papers for funding opportunities and develop and maintain stakeholder relationships.
10. Build staff capacity through professional development to support social-emotional program goals.
11. Perform record-keeping functions and other administrative duties, as required, by the agency.

Supervision and Training of Clinical Staff

1. Oversee the recruitment, hiring, training, and supervision of staff and interns, as needed.
2. Provide clinical supervision for all unlicensed and non-independently licensed clinical staff and consultants, in compliance with the standards of county, state and federal regulatory agencies.
3. Train clinicians and other program personnel, as necessary, on treatment protocols and methods, diagnostic and biopsychosocial assessments, interpretation, and formulation.
4. Train staff on clinical intervention strategies, treatment planning, and screenings, as necessary, to ensure quality mental health service delivery.
5. Review and provide input to treatment or service plans for youth and children being treated by clinical staff. Provide individual case consultations to clinical staff on a regular basis.
6. Audit clinical charts, ensuring compliance and treatment efficacy.
7. Provide short-term crisis intervention strategies and clinical interventions for the most high-risk clients, including the development and implementation of safety plans.
8. Available to be “on-call” for crisis intervention consultation for all programs at Gads Hill Center.

Civic Engagement

1. Build a base of leaders within our staff and integrate civic engagement initiatives across all programs.
2. Identify issues that impact the communities that we serve, particularly around mental health and other issues aligning with the organization’s mission.
3. Remain current with bio-psycho-social-cultural lenses and how federal, state, and local policies impact structural inequities around mental health.
4. Develop leadership skills and critical consciousness of staff through professional development, mobilization, and actions.
5. Lead Civic Engagement Team to work towards necessary macro-level changes that address inequities affecting children and families, including creating advocacy actions to overcome the issues.
6. Build strategic partnerships with community institutions that support the organization’s mission.
7. Build the organization’s political visibility, influence, and power.

In addition to the responsibilities listed above, all Gads Hill Center employees are responsible for the following:

1. Participating in agency outreach and recruitment events, including evenings and weekends.
2. Participating in supervision meetings and workshops within the agency and outside (if applicable).
3. Participating in civic engagement activities that advance the mission of Gads Hill Center.
4. Advancing parent leadership development.
5. Performing other duties, as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

1. PhD, PsyD, or Master’s degree in Social Work, Psychology, Counseling, or a related field required.
2. Must also be LCSW, LCPC or LMFT, licensed in Illinois, and have four years of clinical experience.
3. Clinical supervisory experience required, minimum 4-5 years of prior experience in leadership or management capacity.
4. Experience working in school-based programs required.
5. Experience and ability to work with high-risk children and adolescents required.
6. Must be fluent in English and Spanish.
7. Must have valid Illinois driver’s license, car, and auto insurance.

DEMONSTRATED SKILLS:

1. Strong organizational, time management, and documentation skills.
2. Ability to work effectively independently and as part of a team to organize tasks, problem solve, and make sound decisions while handling multiple priorities.
3. Excellent verbal and written communication skills demonstrated by the ability to communicate effectively and foster good relationships with parents, children, clinic staff and providers, and community referral representatives.
4. Demonstrated skills in strategic planning and program planning.
5. Ability to translate the latest evidence-based models into practical counseling and therapy skills.
6. Excellent supervisory skills including team building and coaching skills; the ability to lead, encourage and train staff; and the ability to organize, facilitate, and lead clinical staff meetings.
7. Demonstrated awareness of, sensitivity to, and competence in dealing with cultural and socioeconomic diversity of client population.

BENEFITS:

• Competitive Salaries
• Generous Paid Time Off
• 403B Plan (Up to 5% match following 2 years of employment)
• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Employee Assistance Program
• Employer Paid Short Term/Long Term Disability
• Employer Paid Life Insurance
• Supplemental Coverage Options Available

POSITION DETAILS:

Entry Salary Range: $70K – $75K

Schedule: Full-time

Status: Salary

Location: 1919 W. Cullerton, Chicago, IL 60608

APPLICATION DIRECTIONS:

To apply, please visit our careers page at www.gadshillcenter.org/careers