Director Of Nursing in St Louis Park, Minnesota at The Wayside House Inc

Who We Are
Our mission is to break the cycle of addiction and trauma for women, children and families.
Seventy years ago, Wayside Recovery, formerly The Wayside House, Inc., began with a mission to improve the quality of women’s lives.
Since then, Wayside has become an expert in delivering gender-specific and trauma-informed substance use treatment and mental health services for women and their families.
Wayside Recovery provides a holistic array of substance use treatment for adult women, including outpatient and residential substance use treatment, recovery support services, adult and children’s mental health therapy, long-term supportive housing, and family support services.
Our vision is that all women, children, and families achieve healing and hope for their future free from the effects of addiction and trauma.

JOB TITLE: Director of Nursing (Registered Nurse Services Director)
DEPARTMENT: Clinical / Medical Services
REPORTS TO: Chief Clinical Officer
FLSA STATUS: Exempt
LOCATION: Onsite at Wayside Recovery Center locations, Minnesota Licensed 245G & 245I Co-Occurring Facility (Residential, Outpatient, & Telehealth)

POSITION SUMMARY
The Director of Nursing (DON) holds primary clinical accountability for the design, execution, management, and regulatory compliance of all health, medical, psychiatric, and nursing services across the organization’s care continuum—encompassing Licensed Residential (Med Mod), Outpatient, and Telehealth programs. This position ensures simultaneous compliance with Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) Chapter 245G (Substance Use Disorder), Chapter 245I (Mental Health Uniform Service Standards), and Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) licensing regulations.

Because this facility operates with a Medical Modification (Med Mod) designation alongside a unified mental health framework, the DON directly establishes, audits, and supervises withdrawal management protocols, psychotropic medication safety monitoring, and cross-disciplinary remote clinical assessment workflows.

CORE STATUTORY & COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS
• DHS 245G, 245G.20, & 245I Structural Integration: Responsible for developing, signing, and executing all facility health and medication policies to ensure they systematically align with both substance use disorder mandates and the Mental Health Uniform Service Standards Act.
• MDH Licensing Standards: Ensures all nursing services align with the Minnesota Nurse Practice Act and MDH comprehensive health regulations, maintaining total clinical supervision over healthcare delivery.
• The 2-Year Rule: Must formally attest to being continuously free from problematic substance use for at least the two (2) years immediately preceding the date of hire and maintain compliance throughout employment.
• Mandatory Co-Occurring Education: Must complete and document a minimum of 12 hours upon hire and eight (8) hours of co-occurring disorders training annually in alignment with state funding and licensing rules.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Med Mod Stabilization & Co-Occurring Clinical Oversight (Residential)
• Design and execute formal clinical protocols for high-acuity withdrawal management, including the mandatory utilization of standardized assessment scales (e.g., CIWA-Ar, COWS).
• Ensure the facility's standardized health data collection tool includes immediate medical triage indicators to identify clients requiring a higher level of care than the Med Mod designation permits.
• Establish strict written parameters and medical protocols dictating when an unstable client must be transferred from the residential Med Mod unit to an acute care hospital or dedicated detox facility.
• Partner with the facility's licensed Physician, APRN, or PA to establish, sign, and maintain written protocols for obtaining emergency and non-emergency medical interventions.
• Integrate medical services into the facility's co-occurring treatment matrix, actively auditing the tracking of psychotropic medication compliance and mental health stability alongside acute withdrawal patterns.
Outpatient & Telehealth Health Services Management
• Develop and implement standardized health screening protocols tailored for outpatient clients to determine medical appropriateness for non-residential care levels.
• Establish secure, HIPAA and 42 CFR Part 2 compliant Telehealth Nursing Protocols, defining how virtual nursing assessments, medication tracking, and remote medical consultations are securely conducted and documented.
• Oversee the coordination of outpatient Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) tracking, ensuring seamless communication with external prescribing waivered physicians, methadone clinics, or internal providers.
• Formulate standard operating procedures for handling remote medical or psychiatric crises occurring during outpatient telehealth sessions.
Medication Administration, Tapers & Drug Control
• Oversee the protocols, delivery, and strict tracking of taper medications (e.g., scheduled benzodiazepine or buprenorphine tapers) used specifically for withdrawal stabilization.
• Manage the inventory, safety, and regulatory compliance of MAT formulations stored or administered on-site.
• Develop higher-frequency vital sign monitoring schedules and nursing observation intervals tailored to clients during their initial stabilization phase.
• Train, delegate, and provide mandatory monthly on-site supervision and written competency assessments for unlicensed personnel authorized to assist with residential medication monitoring or administration.
• Establish rapid-response protocols for medication errors, adverse drug reactions, and emergency administrations of opiate antagonists (Naloxone) or epinephrine.
Personnel, Administrative Management & Training
• Recruit, onboard, supervise, and evaluate LPNs, RNs, and medical technicians across both residential and outpatient/telehealth shifts.
• Provide specialized clinical training to all medical staff regarding the signs of complicated withdrawal, trauma-informed care, and the interaction of co-occurring psychiatric diagnoses.
• Audit and verify that all clinical and medical staff fulfill their initial 12 hours upon hire and annual 8-hour co-occurring training requirement.
• Complete and sign a primary-source online license verification with the Minnesota Board of Nursing for all subordinate nursing staff prior to direct client contact and annually thereafter.
• Promptly notify the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) using the approved form within five business days regarding any changes or vacancies in the facility's RN leadership role.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Education & Licensure
• Graduate of an accredited nursing program (Bachelor of Science in Nursing [BSN] preferred).
• Current, unrestricted, and active license as a Registered Nurse (RN) in the State of Minnesota.

Experience & Competencies
• Minimum of 3 years of clinical nursing experience, with a minimum of 1 year of direct experience in withdrawal management (detox), emergency nursing, or an acute substance use stabilization environment.
• Demonstrated expert proficiency in utilizing, training, and auditing standardized withdrawal scales (CIWA-Ar, COWS).
• Demonstrated experience or structural understanding of telehealth clinical delivery platforms, digital health workflows, and remote patient monitoring.
• Demonstrated competency or clinical background in psychiatric nursing or managing clients with co-occurring dual diagnoses.
• Minimum of 1 year of supervisory or clinical management experience preferred.
• Preferred: Registration or credentialing as a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse or a master's level Psychiatric and Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) / Nurse Practitioner (NP) under Section 245I.04; or Certified Addictions Registered Nurse (CARN / CARN-AP) credential.

Statutory Clearances
• Must pass a mandatory criminal background study under Chapter 245C prior to hiring.
• Must be 18 years of age or older.
• Signed attestation of 2 years of continuous freedom from problematic substance use.

Physical Requirements
• Must be able to lift 25 lbs.
• Periods of sitting at a desk working on a computer.
• Must be able to climb stairs.

Shift availability:
• Day Shift (Required)
Work Location: This is an in-person position. Hybrid/remote work is not offered for this role.
Benefits:
Retirement plan- Employees who are 18+ years old and work at least 20 hours per week are eligible to participate upon hire and are eligible for the 4% match after 1 year of employment and must be 21+ years old and work 1000 hours in the calendar year for the Match.
• 403(b)
• 403(b) matching- employer match (4% match eligible after 1 year of employment and 21+ years old and work at least 1000 hours in the calendar year)

Benefits- Full-time employees working 30 hours or more per week are eligible to enroll
• Health insurance -a portion of the premium is paid by the employer
• Dental insurance-paid 100% by the employee
• Vision insurance-paid 100% by the employee
• Life insurance 50K -Paid by Wayside for all full-time employees
• Disability insurance, STD and LTD -Paid by Wayside for all full-time employees
Voluntary Life, Hospital, Accident and Critical illness- paid 100% by the employee

PTO
• Paid time off for full-time employees starting at 120 hours accrued annually
• Paid training
• Student loan forgiveness through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program
• CEU and License renewal fee reimbursement