Residential Director in Orem, Utah at Telos

Job Description: Residential Director

Reports to: Executive Director

Status: Full-time (40+ hours per week), Salary, Exempt

Mission: Provide strategic leadership to ensure safe, consistent, and skilled residential care.

The Residential Director provides strategic and operational leadership for the residential departments of South Campus programs. This position is responsible for creating a safe, therapeutic, engaging, and structured residential environment that supports the treatment and developmental goals of students.

As a key member of the South Campus Leadership Team, the Residential Director oversees residential operations, crisis response systems, staff development, and program culture. This leader ensures consistency across programs while fostering accountability and exceptional care for students and families.

The ideal candidate is an experienced residential treatment professional with strong leadership skills, expertise in behavior management and crisis intervention, and a proven ability to develop high-performing teams within complex therapeutic environments.

Essential Responsibilities

Residential Program Leadership

• Provide vision, direction, and oversight for all residential programming across South Campus.
• Continually evaluate and enhance residential services, programming, and systems to meet the evolving needs of students and the organization.
• Establish and execute strategic departmental goals aligned with organizational priorities and treatment objectives.
• Ensure consistency, quality, and accountability across residential operations within multiple programs.
• Promote a culture of safety, engagement, personal responsibility, and therapeutic growth.

Staff Leadership and Development

• Directly supervise Campus Supervisors and provide coaching, mentorship, accountability, and professional development.
• Oversee hiring, onboarding, training, scheduling, performance management, and succession planning for residential staff.
• Ensure adequate staffing levels and effective management of residential personnel.
• Lead ongoing competency-based training initiatives, including weekly training meetings focused on therapeutic skills, crisis management, behavioral interventions, and Telos principles.
• Foster a culture of ownership, professionalism, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Student Safety and Crisis Management

• Maintain primary oversight of residential safety systems, emergency response procedures, and risk management practices.
• Lead organizational response efforts involving AWOL students, critical incidents, behavioral crises, and emergency situations.
• Provide leadership and oversight of physical intervention practices, including CPI training, implementation, documentation, and quality assurance.
• Ensure staff maintain appropriate therapeutic boundaries while providing effective support and supervision.
• Participate in on-call leadership rotations and provide support during emergencies as needed.

Clinical Collaboration and Student Progress

• Serve as an active member of the Leadership Team, Tactical Team, and multidisciplinary treatment teams.
• Collaborate closely with clinical, academic, medical, and residential leaders to support student treatment goals and progress.
• Attend treatment team meetings and contribute meaningful observations and recommendations regarding student functioning, safety, and engagement.
• Ensure residential staff effectively implement treatment recommendations and behavior support plans.

Operational Excellence and Compliance

• Ensure residential environments meet all organizational, licensing, accreditation, and safety standards.
• Maintain oversight of apartment cleanliness, maintenance concerns, and facility readiness.
• Prepare for and participate in state licensing reviews, accreditation surveys, Joint Commission audits, and other regulatory inspections.
• Monitor and enforce compliance with organizational policies, procedures, and documentation standards.
• Implement effective systems that support consistency, efficiency, and accountability across residential operations.

Financial and Resource Management

• Develop, manage, and monitor departmental budgets, including food services, recreational programming, incentives, staffing resources, and facility improvements.
• Monitor labor utilization and overtime expenses while maintaining high-quality care and supervision.
• Ensure responsible stewardship of organizational resources and identify opportunities for operational efficiencies.

Culture, Communication, and Stakeholder Engagement

• Champion the organization's mission throughout the residential department.
• Monitor and report key indicators of residential culture, engagement, and program effectiveness.
• Lead communication within the department and across interdisciplinary teams.
• Build strong relationships with students, families, referral sources, and community stakeholders.
• Participate in admissions tours, Family Days, and other events that support organizational growth and family engagement.
• Ensure residential environments consistently reflect the quality and professionalism of the organization.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in a related field
• Minimum of five years of progressively responsible leadership experience within a residential treatment, behavioral health, therapeutic boarding school, wilderness therapy, or similar treatment environment.
• Demonstrated experience leading multidisciplinary teams in a therapeutic or residential care setting.
• Experience managing crisis response, behavior management systems, and staff development programs.
• CPI Instructor certification or comparable crisis intervention experience preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong leadership, coaching, and team-development skills.
• Expertise in crisis intervention, behavior management, de-escalation, and risk mitigation.
• Ability to build accountability while maintaining positive and productive relationships.
• Strong operational and organizational management skills.
• Experience managing budgets, staffing models, and departmental resources.
• Exceptional communication, conflict resolution, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to effectively lead through change and organizational growth.
• Strong understanding of licensing, accreditation, compliance, and quality assurance requirements.