Senior Director of Substance Use Treatment & Recovery Services - SUD Programs in Owensboro, Kentucky at RiverValley Consulting Services

Job Summary:

The Senior Director of Substance Use Treatment & Recovery Services is responsible for day-to-day leadership, clinical integrity, regulatory compliance, quality, and continued development of RiverValley's substance use service continuum. The position oversees residential substance use treatment, intensive outpatient services, recovery housing, and related or future treatment and recovery-support expansions.

Essential Functions:

1. Program and Operational Leadership

1. Provides system-wide leadership for all RiverValley residential substance use treatment programs, intensive outpatient programs, recovery housing residences, and future substance use treatment or recovery-support services.
2. Ensures services are organized and delivered in alignment with RiverValley's mission, strategic priorities, approved program models, contractual obligations, and applicable payer requirements.
3. Monitors program performance, staffing patterns, productivity, census, access, retention, utilization, and operational risks; develops and implements corrective or improvement plans when indicated.
4. Leads planning and implementation for new programs, locations, levels of care, and other expansion opportunities within the substance use continuum.

2. Clinical Leadership and Supervision

1. Serves as the designated clinical services supervisor for applicable alcohol and other drug treatment programs when qualified and assigned, with responsibility for the clinical integrity of treatment services.
2. Establishes a coordinated clinical supervision structure for substance use treatment staff and provides direct clinical supervision to licensed, certified, or credentialed team members
3. Ensures supervision is provided at the frequency and by supervisors with the qualifications required by law, regulation, payer requirements, professional boards, accreditation standards, and agency policy
4. Promotes consistent use of comprehensive assessment, individualized and person-centered treatment planning, evidence-based practices, co-occurring-capable care, medication for addiction treatment, and recovery-oriented services.
5. Provides assessments, individual, family, or group services, crisis support, clinical consultation, or other direct care within licensure and competence as needed to support safe operations and staffing continuity.

3. Quality Assurance, Compliance, and Accreditation

1. Leads quality assurance and continuous quality improvement activities for substance use treatment and recovery housing, using reliable data to evaluate access, engagement, service delivery, outcomes, safety, resident or client experience, and equity.
2. Establishes performance indicators, reviews trends, identifies opportunities for improvement, and oversees documented improvement plans with measurable goals, assigned responsibility, and follow-up evaluation.
3. Oversees readiness for and participation in all applicable licensure, certification, accreditation, monitoring, and audit activities, including CARF, ASAM Level of Care certification or standards, NARR/Kentucky recovery housing requirements, AODE licensure, CCBHC expectations, and payer reviews.
4. Ensures programs maintain required staffing, service intensity, clinical and recovery-support practices, health and safety processes, personnel documentation, and records in accordance with the standards applicable to each service setting.
5. Coordinates responses to findings, complaints, incidents, grievances, and identified deficiencies; develops or oversees plans of correction and verifies that corrective actions are effective and sustained.

4. Workforce Leadership and Development

1. Provides leadership, direction, and accountability to assigned leaders and team members; promotes a culture of welcome, professionalism, ethical practice, collaboration, inclusion, and respect.
2. Participates in workforce planning, recruitment, selection, onboarding, retention, succession planning, and performance management for substance use treatment and recovery services.
3. Develops and oversees a coordinated orientation and ongoing training plan based on role responsibilities, assessed competencies, regulatory requirements, trauma-informed care, ethics and boundaries, cultural responsiveness, person-centered practice, and the needs of the populations served.
4. Ensures staff credentials, qualifications, supervision approvals, required training, and demonstrated competencies are verified, current, and appropriately documented.

5. Policy, Procedure, and Risk Oversight

1. Leads an annual review of all policies, procedures, protocols, forms, curricula, and operational guidance applicable to substance use treatment and recovery housing; recommends and implements revisions as needed.
2. Ensures policies and procedures remain consistent with current law, regulation, professional standards, accreditation requirements, contracts, and organizational practice.
3. Ensures approved policies and procedures are communicated, accessible, consistently implemented, and reinforced through supervision, training, monitoring, and corrective action.

6. Community Partnerships and Program Development

1. Serves as a senior liaison to courts, detention and reentry partners, hospitals, community providers, state agencies, managed care organizations, recovery organizations, and other referral sources.
2. Works collaboratively to reduce barriers and strengthen timely access to the appropriate level of care.
3. Represents RiverValley in internal and external meetings, workgroups, presentations, and community initiatives related to substance use treatment and recovery.
4. Identifies emerging community needs, evidence-informed practices, funding opportunities, and service gaps; recommends responsible program enhancements or expansion.

7. General Leadership Responsibilities

1. Fosters collaborative working relationships across leadership, management, clinical, medical, peer, operational, and support teams.
2. Protects confidentiality and ensures that all individuals are treated with dignity, respect, fairness, and compassion.
3. Models sound judgment, appropriate professional boundaries, recovery-oriented language, and compliance with RiverValley policies and ethical expectations.
4. Maintains reliable availability for consultation and provides leadership or direct-service backup during urgent staffing or operational needs.
5. Performs other duties consistent with the responsibilities and scope of the position.

Education and Experience:

• Master’s degree in Social Work, Psychology, Counseling, Substance Abuse studies, or closely related field.
• Licensure/Certification: LCADC Required
• At least five years of progressively responsible experience in substance use treatment, including leadership or supervisory experience across residential, intensive outpatient, outpatient, or recovery-support settings; multi-program leadership experience preferred.

Knowledge and Skills:

1. Demonstrated knowledge of the ASAM Criteria, co-occurring-capable and trauma-informed care, medications for addiction treatment, recovery-oriented systems of care, clinical documentation, utilization review, and performance improvement.
2. Working knowledge of CARF Behavioral Health standards, NARR recovery residence standards, Kentucky AODE requirements, confidentiality requirements including HIPAA and 42 C.F.R. Part 2, and applicable payer or contractual requirements.
3. Ability to analyze performance data, lead change, manage competing priorities, develop staff, communicate effectively, and build productive relationships with internal and external partners.