Senior Program Director

Senior Program Director

Location: Harpeth Primary Assessment Center Job Type: Full-Time Pay: $90,000 - $115,000 Schedule: Full-time; includes administrator-on-duty responsibilities and occasional extended, evening, or weekend hours.

About Youth Opportunity & Harpeth Primary Assessment Center

Youth Opportunity is a nationally recognized leader in residential and behavioral health services for youth. We help young people build foundations for success and independence through physical and emotional well-being, positive social and family relationships, and education. We invest in our employees through teamwork, professional development, and opportunities for growth.

At Harpeth Primary Assessment Center, our team provides assessment services and structured, trauma-responsive programming to support youth safety, stabilization, and individualized care. Clinical, medical, educational, case management, and direct care teams work together to assess each youth's needs and coordinate appropriate next steps.

About the Role

We are seeking a skilled and compassionate Program Director to lead daily operations at Harpeth Primary Assessment Center. Working under the direction of the Executive Director, this position oversees program administration, staffing, service coordination, safety, and compliance.

The Program Director supports timely assessments, quality services, and positive outcomes for youth while promoting staff accountability, effective communication, and a safe, trauma-responsive environment.

Key Responsibilities

Program Operations and Compliance

• Oversee daily operations across all program departments to ensure safe, efficient, and effective services.
• Implement program goals, operational priorities, and performance expectations established by the Executive Director.
• Monitor staffing, schedules, admissions, discharges, and service delivery to ensure timely and appropriate care.
• Ensure compliance with the Contract Provider Manual, licensing rules, accreditation standards, contractual requirements, and applicable regulations.
• Serve as the on-site resource for program policies and procedures and ensure consistent implementation.
• Maintain organized, audit-ready records, reports, schedules, logs, and documentation systems.
• Develop standard, holiday, and alternative program schedules and monitor staff adherence, including adherence to the school schedule.
• Facilitate daily Morning Management Meetings, maintain meeting documentation, and participate in afternoon leadership meetings.
• Establish and communicate the Administrator on Duty schedule and ensure staff know how to access the Clinical on Call schedule.
• Coordinate major visits, audits, and reviews and communicate operational needs, risks, and recommended solutions to the Executive Director.
• Manage resources responsibly and maintain budget performance within approved targets.

Staff Leadership and Supervision

• Provide leadership, supervision, and support to managers, supervisors, teachers, clinicians, direct care staff, case managers, nursing staff, and other assigned employees.
• Promote professionalism, accountability, ethical conduct, trauma-responsive care, and a positive staff culture.
• Participate in recruitment, hiring, onboarding, coaching, performance management, and corrective action in collaboration with Human Resources and the Executive Director.
• Develop staffing schedules for Executive Director approval, participate in weekly staffing meetings, and ensure required staffing ratios are maintained at all times.
• Plan effective coverage across operations, medical, clinical, education, and other departments.
• Monitor attendance, dress code, active supervision, and appropriate staff interactions with youth.
• Ensure timely completion of on-the-job training plans, coaching sessions, annual performance evaluations, and required staff training.
• Oversee biweekly Operations Meetings and facilitate monthly All Staff Meetings, including participation in quarterly all-campus meetings.
• Ensure staff understand and follow documentation, incident reporting, confidentiality, and safety requirements.

Clinical and Medical Service Coordination

• Ensure clinical and psychological assessments are timely, accurate, and consistent with the program's service model and required level of care.
• Coordinate services among clinical, medical, educational, case management, and direct care teams.
• Monitor admissions, referrals, treatment planning when indicated, crisis response, discharge planning, and continuity of care.
• Collaborate with clinical leadership to support individualized, evidence-based, trauma-responsive, and strengths-based services.
• Conduct biweekly coaching sessions with the Clinical Director and Lead Nurse to review service trackers, timeliness, trends, barriers, and needed follow-up.
• Ensure required medical and dental screenings and visits are completed within Department of Children's Services guidelines.
• Review youth alert status, precautionary observation, restraint authorizations, and related documentation for timely completion and appropriate follow-up.
• Support multidisciplinary participation in treatment team meetings, Child and Family Team Meetings, restraint reviews, and other required meetings.
• Participate in monthly reviews with each discipline and regional support to address monitoring outcomes, quality improvement goals, and corrective strategies.

Safety and Risk Management

• Maintain a safe, clean, and appropriate environment for youth, staff, and visitors.
• Complete daily facility walkthroughs, documented weekly Environmental Safety Inspections, and monthly walkthroughs with the Executive Director and Regional Support Manager.
• Ensure compliance with emergency response, crisis intervention, infection control, medication safeguards, and environmental safety procedures.
• Serve as the point of contact for facility incidents and provide real-time reporting to the Executive Director and executive leadership team.
• Oversee incident response, required notifications, preservation of evidence, and completion of reporting documentation before the end of the shift.
• Complete camera reviews of critical incidents, restraints, and youth altercations within 24 hours.
• Review incidents through video footage, interviews, statements, and documentation; coordinate findings and final reports with the Executive Director.
• Ensure emergency plans remain current and required drills, debriefings, and safety reviews are completed.
• Strengthen active supervision, identify incident trends, and oversee corrective actions to reduce risk.

Communication, Youth Rights, and Program Improvement

• Communicate organizational priorities, policy changes, performance expectations, and operational decisions clearly and consistently.
• Maintain effective relationships with families, legal guardians, referral sources, community partners, and oversight agencies.
• Escalate significant incidents, staffing concerns, maintenance issues, licensing matters, and other operational risks promptly.
• Represent the program in meetings, case consultations, audits, and community discussions as assigned.
• Protect youth rights, dignity, privacy, and confidentiality while promoting respectful and culturally responsive services.
• Oversee grievances and responses, address initial youth appeals, review complaint trends, and ensure timely resolution.
• Support family engagement, youth participation in care, access to services, and continuity of care.
• Recommend improvements to staffing, services, safety practices, and program operations.
• Support program development, strategic planning, and quality improvement efforts that advance positive youth outcomes.

Other Duties Include

• Maintain a high standard of role-model behavior for youth.
• Participate in required training, leadership meetings, committees, and professional development.
• Report concerns involving inappropriate youth-to-youth or staff-to-youth relationships.
• Report physical interventions and unusual incidents according to established requirements.
• Perform other duties as assigned or needed.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.
• Experience: At least three years of experience working in a residential setting with children who have serious emotional disturbances or substance abuse concerns. Prior supervisory experience in a related setting is preferred.
• Knowledge: Working knowledge of chemical dependency, substance abuse, and physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, including the ability to assist with youth assessments.
• Leadership: Ability to supervise staff, coordinate services, manage competing priorities, and maintain a safe, accountable program environment.
• Communication: Strong verbal and written communication skills and the ability to work effectively with coworkers, families, referral sources, agency representatives, and youth.
• Professionalism: Ability to handle sensitive situations diplomatically and demonstrate respect for professional ethics, cultural differences, gender, and disabilities.
• Certification: Current First Aid/CPR certification or the ability to obtain it.

Physical Demands

• Ability to move throughout the property and participate in youth activities.
• Ability to meet the physical and emotional demands of supervising and supporting youth.
• Ability to transport youth or staff.
• Ability to meet applicable state health requirements regarding communicable diseases, consistent