Program Manager of Community-Based Services

Job Description

Job Description

JOB SUMMARY

The Program Manager of Community-Based Services provides clinical and operational leadership for Assertive Community Treatment (ACT), Community Support Team (CST), and FDDP programs.

This position ensures community-based services are clinically appropriate, recovery-oriented, responsive to client needs, and compliant with CCBHC, IDHS/DMH, Medicaid, contractual, and organizational requirements.

The Program Manager is responsible for program fidelity, IM+CANS and documentation compliance, high-risk client oversight, referral management, census, staff productivity, community-based service delivery, program outcomes, outreach, and financial sustainability.

JOB DUTIES

• Provide clinical, administrative, and operational oversight of ACT, CST, and FDDP programs.
• Supervise the ACT Supervisor, CST Supervisor, and FDDP Supervisor and hold program leadership accountable for clinical quality, staff performance, productivity, documentation, census, and outcomes.
• Ensure services are delivered at the appropriate frequency, intensity, and location based on client clinical needs and program requirements.
• Monitor program eligibility, caseloads, community contacts, difficult-to-engage clients, and transitions between levels of care.
• Review IM+CANS assessments, treatment plans, progress notes, community support documentation, and other required clinical records.
• Ensure documentation supports medical necessity, billed services, and IDHS/DMH, Medicaid, and CCBHC requirements.
• Provide oversight and clinical consultation for high-risk and high-acuity clients, including individuals experiencing frequent hospitalization, crisis utilization, housing instability, or disengagement.
• Ensure timely follow-up and re-engagement following psychiatric hospitalization or behavioral health crises.
• Oversee the referral process from receipt and eligibility determination through enrollment, first community contact, and ongoing engagement.
• Monitor referral conversion, census, admissions, discharges, available capacity, and clients lost to follow-up.
• Develop referral partnerships with hospitals, crisis programs, housing providers, substance use programs, justice-system partners, and other community organizations.
• Participate in outreach and marketing activities to increase appropriate referrals and program census.
• Monitor staff productivity, billable services, field-based service delivery, and utilization of available program capacity.
• Collaborate with Intake, Quality, Billing, Finance, and organizational leadership to improve operational and financial performance.
• Use program data to monitor hospitalization, crisis utilization, engagement, documentation, productivity, and other performance indicators.
• Support staff recruitment, training, performance management, retention, and field-based safety practices.

SMART GOALS

Clinical Quality & Compliance: 

• Maintain ACT, CST, and FDDP compliance and program fidelity by routinely monitoring IM+CANS, treatment plans, clinical documentation, medical necessity, and applicable IDHS/DMH, Medicaid, and CCBHC requirements.

Access, Engagement & Program Performance:

• Improve timely referral processing, enrollment, community engagement, census, capacity utilization, client retention, and continuity of care while monitoring hospitalization and crisis-utilization trends.

Productivity & Sustainability: 

• Monitor staff productivity, billable service utilization, field-based service delivery, audit performance, and available capacity while collaborating with operational partners to support the clinical and financial sustainability of Community-Based Services.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Master's degree in Social Work from a CSWE-accredited program required.
• Current, unrestricted Illinois Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) license required.
• Five years of behavioral health/community mental health experience preferred.
• Three years of supervisory, program management, or clinical leadership experience preferred.
• Experience working with individuals with serious mental illness and intensive community-based behavioral health services strongly preferred.
• ACT, CST, FDDP, or comparable community-based program experience preferred.
• Knowledge of IM+CANS, IDHS/DMH, CCBHC, Medicaid, medical necessity, clinical documentation, crisis intervention, and community-based services required.
• Demonstrated ability to oversee clinical quality, staff performance, productivity, census, outcomes, and regulatory compliance.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary teams and community partners.

WORKING CONDITIONS

(The unavoidable, externally imposed conditions under which the work must be performed, and which create hardship for the incumbent including the frequency and duration of occurrence of physical demands, environmental conditions, demands on one’s senses, and mental demands.) None known.

BENEFITS 

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• 403(b) 
• Paid Time Off (PTO) & Paid Holidays
• Life Insurance & Disability Coverage
• Tuition Reimbursement & Professional Development Opportunities
• Wellness Programs & Employee Assistance Programs (EAP)

Occupational Risk for Exposure to TB:

There is an occupational risk for exposure to TB, as this position involves extensive community and patient contact. Employees in this role are required to comply with annual TB testing as part of workplace health and safety protocols. The only acceptable exceptions to this requirement are documented medical contraindications or religious objections. Employees who decline TB testing will be required to wear a mask when deemed necessary.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Statement

Friend Health – HRDI is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all applicants for employment without regard to race, religion, color, age, sex, national origin, citizenship, ancestry, marital or parental status, sexual orientation including gender identity, gender expression, military discharge status, physical or mental disability, or any other status or characteristic protected by law. In addition, Friend Health – HRDI provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and applicable state and local laws (including during the application or hiring process). Friend Health - HRDI supports the Pay Transparency Law as an equal opportunity employer.

Join Our Team!

Join Friend Health-HRDI and help lead community-based behavioral health programs designed to meet clients where they are. In this leadership role, you will guide teams serving individuals with complex behavioral health needs while strengthening access, engagement, quality, compliance, and continuity of care across ACT, CST, and FDDP services.