Clinical Director

Job Title:Clinical Director
Reports to:Chief Information Officer & Compliance Officer
Department:Clinic
Supervises:N/A
FLSA Status:Exempt
FT/PT:Full-Time

Organization Overview:

The Ackerman Institute for the Family was founded in 1960 and is one of the premier institutions for family therapy treatment, and one of the most highly regarded training facilities for family therapists in the United States. The Institute serves a diverse population of families at all stages of family life by offering a variety of programs that address a broad range of issues and concerns. The Institute’s faculty have achieved national prominence and earned national awards for developing innovative approaches to family therapy and professional training.

Position Summary:

The Clinical Director is the clinical leader responsible for ensuring the delivery of high-quality, compliant, and person-centered care across all service lines at a licensed outpatient mental health clinic in New York State. This role oversees all clinical operations and is accountable for full adherence to NYS Office of Mental Health (OMH) regulations, Office of the Medicaid Inspector General (OMIG) compliance expectations and the Mental Health Outpatient Treatment and Rehabilitative Services (MHOTRS) Anchors of Care framework.

The Director leads clinical workforce management, documentation quality, regulatory readiness, and the effective use of technology, including oversight of the clinic’s Electronic Health Record (EHR) and AI documentation platform, ensuring both systems are optimized for compliance, accuracy, and efficiency.

This position also provides leadership and oversight of the Practicum Program, partnering with the Director of Training and university partners to coordinate student interviews, onboarding, supervision support, and case assignments that fulfill university and regulatory requirements. The Director ensures practicum students meet clinical productivity, documentation, and compliance standards while fostering a high-quality learning environment that supports professional development and ethical practice.

The Clinical Director reports clinical outcomes and performance metrics to executive leadership and serves as a strategic partner in advancing operational excellence, compliance integrity, and clinical innovation.

Essential Job Functions:

  • Provide oversight of all clinical care and decision-making within the clinic, ensuring services are trauma-informed, culturally responsive, recovery-oriented, and aligned with MHOTRS Anchors of Care.
  • Lead implementation of clinical standards of care and protocols to ensure consistent quality across service types, including individual therapy, family therapy, and psychiatric services.
  • Oversee care coordination and discharge planning processes to ensure continuity of care.
  • Ensure full compliance with OMH, OMIG, CMS, and other applicable state, federal, and payer requirements. Maintain audit readiness by proactively identifying and addressing compliance gaps.
  • Hire, onboard, and directly supervise all clinical providers and practicum students within the clinic, including therapists and other licensed professionals.
  • Provide ongoing coaching, clinical supervision, and performance management for therapists and practicum students in partnership with Human Resources and in accordance with agency policy.
  • Ensure all supervision and clinical oversight is aligned with licensing board requirements, OMH guidance, and payer contract expectations.
  • Monitor timeliness and accuracy of all clinical documentation, including but not limited to: intake documentation, consent to treat, ROIs, treatment plans, session notes, and discharge summaries. Conduct regular chart audits and meet with providers to resolve deficiencies.
  • Technology, Data, and Documentation Oversight
    • Lead EHR & Clinical Documentation Oversight: Serve as the clinic’s designated EHR super user and administrator, providing first-line (Level 1) support for clinical documentation and navigation issues.
    • Oversee implementation and optimization of Mentalyc (AI clinical documentation software) in conjunction with the EHR system to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and compliance. Partner with Compliance, IT, and Clinical Leadership to ensure proper use, data integrity, and adherence to HIPAA and OMH regulations
    • Train clinical staff and practicum students on documentation standards, EHR workflows, and system updates to ensure compliance with OMH, OMIG, and payer requirements.
    • Use data to drive decisions around hiring, coaching, programming, and resource planning. Track and analyze performance metrics, including provider and practicum student productivity, timeliness of documentation, referral and intake volume, and caseload distribution.
    • Collaborate with IT, Compliance, and Billing teams to troubleshoot and resolve system-related issues impacting service delivery or data integrity, and prepare data-informed performance reports for leadership.
    • Prepare and deliver weekly and monthly performance reports to executive leadership with data-informed recommendations for improvement.
  • Operational Leadership
    • Provide oversight of the Intake Department, ensuring timely response to referrals, effective coordination with clinical and administrative teams, and adherence to regulatory requirements for screening, intake documentation, and service initiation.
    • Participate in clinic leadership meetings, supervisor meetings, and multidisciplinary case reviews.
    • Use performance and outcome data to inform operational and clinical decision-making.
    • May provide direct clinical services on a limited basis during provider gaps or emergencies.
  • Perform all other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

  • Master’s degree or higher in Social Work, Psychology, or a related clinical discipline.
  • Active New York State license in good standing as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Licensed Psychologist, or Physician/Psychiatrist (required per OMH regulations for clinical oversight in a licensed clinic).
  • Strong working knowledge of OMH, OMIG, and MHOTRS Anchors of Care, with demonstrated success managing clinical teams, audits, and compliance-related initiatives.
  • Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams) with strong data-management and analytic skills, including creation of pivot tables, dashboards, and data visualizations in Excel. Experience with Power BI or similar data-visualization tools is highly preferred.
  • Proven ability to extract, analyze, and interpret data from EHR and related systems to monitor performance, inform decisions, and drive continuous improvement.
  • Highly tech-savvy with experience serving as an administrator or super user in electronic health record (EHR) systems and related AI-based clinical documentation tools (e.g., Mentalyc).
  • Ability to coach others in accurate and timely documentation and troubleshoot system or workflow issues in partnership with IT and Compliance.
  • Excellent communication, leadership, and problem-solving skills.
  • Strong understanding of NYS mental health regulations, documentation standards, and payer compliance requirements.
  • Highly organized with exceptional attention to detail and time-management skills.
  • Ability to manage multiple priorities and projects in a fast-paced environment.
  • Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build effective relationships and manage conflict professionally.
  • Commitment to confidentiality, ethical standards, and professional integrity.
  • Collaborative mindset with a positive, solution-oriented approach.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Experience working in a NYS Article 31 licensed mental health clinic.
  • Familiarity with Welligent or similar behavioral health EHR systems.
  • Prior experience leading clinical audits and quality assurance functions.
  • Experience managing multidisciplinary teams, including therapists and psychiatric prescribers.
  • Strong analytical and quantitative skills with the ability to build and interpret reports, analyze key performance indicators, and translate data into actionable strategies.

Work Environment:

  • This position will be in-person, based out of The Ackerman Institute’s New York, NY location, 4 – 5 days per week (40 hours per week).

Compensation:

  • 115k-$130k

Welcoming Diversity:

The Ackerman Institute for the Family provides equal opportunities to all individuals without regard to race, religion, national origin, disability, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other status protected by law. It does not discriminate based on any status protected by law. This policy applies to all employment, education, volunteer, and clinical care related activities or in any other aspect of the Institute’s operation. Black, Indigenous, and people of color; trans, non-binary, and intersex people, especially transwomen; those from poor and working-class backgrounds, immigrants, people with disabilities; as well as people at the intersections of these experiences are highly encouraged to apply.

How to Apply:

Interested candidates should send a cover letter and resume to Jennifer Nazario at: JNazario@ackerman.org, Subject: “Clinical Director.” Only those candidates for an interview will be contacted.