Chief Clinical Officer

Taft Brown Associates has partnered with a leading behavioral health organization on a search for a Chief Clinical Officer (CCO) to serve as the organization’s senior clinical executive. This is a highly visible leadership opportunity for an accomplished behavioral health executive who can provide strategic clinical leadership across residential and outpatient levels of care, including Partial Hospitalization (PHP) and Intensive Outpatient (IOP) services. As the Chief Clinical Officer you will be responsible for advancing clinical excellence, strengthening clinical infrastructure, developing and enhancing programs, improving measurable outcomes, and building high-performing multidisciplinary teams. You will bring deep expertise in addiction treatment and co-occurring mental health services, combined with the strategic vision, operational discipline, business acumen, and executive presence necessary to lead within a growing behavioral health organization. This search is specifically focused on a behavioral health clinical executive—not a nursing executive. Key Responsibilities Executive Clinical Leadership Serve as the organization’s senior clinical executive and primary clinical leader. Develop and execute a comprehensive long-term clinical strategy aligned with organizational goals, mission, and growth objectives. Partner closely with the CEO and executive leadership team on strategic planning, organizational development, and growth initiatives. Establish and champion a culture of clinical excellence, accountability, collaboration, innovation, and patient-centered care. Provide executive-level leadership regarding clinical standards, treatment philosophy, program development, and patient care. Ensure clinical strategy remains aligned with evolving behavioral health practices, regulatory requirements, accreditation standards, and industry best practices. Serve as a trusted clinical advisor to executive leadership and other key stakeholders. Clinical Operations & Program Oversight Provide executive oversight of clinical programming across multiple levels of care, including: Residential Treatment Ensure programs consistently deliver evidence-based, trauma-informed, recovery-oriented, and outcomes-focused care. Establish and standardize clinical best practices across programs and levels of care. Evaluate clinical models, workflows, and patient-care practices to identify opportunities for improvement. Drive initiatives designed to improve patient engagement, retention, clinical outcomes, continuity of care, and overall patient experience. Promote strong integration among clinical, medical, operational, and support functions. Ensure clinical programming evolves in response to patient needs, emerging evidence, and changes within the behavioral health landscape. Establish appropriate clinical standards and accountability mechanisms across the organization. Clinical Leadership & Talent Development Recruit, develop, mentor, and retain exceptional clinical leaders and multidisciplinary behavioral health professionals. Provide leadership and direction to clinical directors, therapists, counselors, case management professionals, and other clinical team members. Establish clear expectations, performance standards, accountability structures, and leadership development practices. Build a strong pipeline of clinical leadership talent and develop succession plans for key positions. Foster an environment that supports professional growth, collaboration, engagement, and retention. Strengthen clinical leadership capabilities throughout the organization. Promote a consistent clinical culture and philosophy across programs and locations. Quality, Outcomes & Compliance Establish and maintain high standards for clinical quality, patient safety, and treatment effectiveness. Ensure compliance with applicable federal and state regulations and accreditation requirements. Maintain organizational readiness for regulatory surveys, accreditation reviews, and other external assessments. Monitor and evaluate clinical quality indicators, patient satisfaction, treatment outcomes, and other key performance metrics. Develop and implement performance improvement initiatives using data-driven decision making. Promote consistent documentation, clinical standards, treatment protocols, and quality assurance practices.Identify opportunities to reduce variation in clinical practice while maintaining appropriate flexibility for patient and program needs. Establish meaningful clinical performance metrics and accountability processes. Strategic Growth & Program Development Evaluate opportunities to develop new clinical programs, services, and levels of care. Partner with operations, business development, and executive leadership to support sustainable organizational growth. Identify emerging treatment approaches, clinical innovations, and evidence-based practices that may strengthen clinical offerings. Assess market and patient needs to inform future program development. Lead or support the implementation of new clinical initiatives, programs, and organizational best practices. Ensure clinical growth initiatives are appropriately designed, resourced, implemented, and measured. Help differentiate the organization through innovative, high-quality clinical programming. Provide responsible oversight of clinical budgets and resources. Partner with finance and operations to align clinical resources with organizational priorities. Identify opportunities to improve clinical productivity and operational efficiency without compromising quality of care. Establish appropriate staffing models and resource allocation strategies. Balance clinical excellence, patient outcomes, employee engagement, and financial sustainability. Use data and performance metrics to identify opportunities for operational improvement. Demonstrate strong business acumen while maintaining clinical integrity and patient-centered decision making. Qualifications Required Qualifications Master’s degree or higher in Clinical Psychology, Counseling, Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy, or another relevant behavioral health discipline. Active clinical license such as LCSW, LMHC, LPC, LMFT, Psychologist, or equivalent. 10+ years of progressive behavioral health leadership experience. Significant executive-level leadership experience within addiction treatment and/or behavioral healthcare. Demonstrated experience overseeing residential and outpatient behavioral health programming. Strong knowledge of substance use disorders, co-occurring mental health conditions, trauma-informed care, and evidence-based behavioral health practices. Demonstrated success leading multidisciplinary clinical teams. Proven ability to develop and implement clinical strategy across multiple programs and/or levels of care. Strong understanding of behavioral health quality, compliance, clinical outcomes, and performance improvement. Preferred Qualifications Previous experience serving as a Chief Clinical Officer, Chief Clinical Executive, Vice President of Clinical Services, or comparable senior clinical leader. Experience overseeing multiple levels of behavioral health care, including residential, PHP, and IOP. Experience leading organizations through accreditation processes and regulatory surveys. Demonstrated success developing and launching clinical programs or service lines. Experience supporting organizational growth, expansion, or integration initiatives. Strong business acumen and experience partnering with finance and operations on organizational performance. Experience establishing clinical metrics, dashboards, quality-improvement processes, and outcome measurement systems. The successful candidate will be: Strategic — Able to establish a clear clinical vision while translating strategy into measurable organizational results. Clinically Credible — Brings deep knowledge of addiction treatment, co-occurring disorders, and contemporary behavioral health practices. An Exceptional People Leader — Capable of attracting, developing, inspiring, and retaining high-performing clinical leaders and teams. Collaborative — Works effectively with executive leadership and partners across clinical, operations, finance, business development, and other functions. Data-Driven — Uses outcomes, quality metrics, and operational data to inform decisions and drive continuous improvement. Growth-Oriented — Understands how strong clinical programming can support sustainable organizational growth and market differentiation. Operationally Disciplined — Can translate clinical strategy into effective systems, processes, accountability, and execution. Change-Oriented — Comfortable leading transformation and building infrastructure within a dynamic, evolving organization. Mission-Driven — Demonstrates a genuine commitment to improving outcomes for individuals and families affected by substance use and behavioral health disorders. Balanced — Understands how to maintain clinical integrity and compassionate patient care while also achieving operational and financial objectives. Why This Opportunity This is an opportunity to join a growing behavioral health organization at an important point in its evolution. The Chief Clinical Officer will have significant influence over clinical strategy, program development, leadership development, quality, patient outcomes, and overall organizational performance. The ideal executive will be energized by the opportunity to build, strengthen, and scale clinical infrastructure while maintaining an unwavering commitment to high-quality patient care and recovery outcomes. #J-18808-Ljbffr Taft Brown Associates