Associate

JOB SUMMARY:

The Associate Program Director is responsible for compliance with all federal, state, and accrediting agencies' requirements to ensure the continuum of services necessary for each resident in the Program. Assists the Program Director in the administration of residential mental health services within the authority of Executive Management. May be responsible for all or designated part of personnel management, fiscal operations, inventory management, recipient services, safety and welfare of recipients, hiring and training of personnel, directing and coordinating the activities of the staff, and administration of the program. Within the Program Director's guidelines, establishes clinical procedures and policies for recipients and ensures that program operations meet or exceed agency and regulatory guidelines. Within the Program Director's guidelines ensures adherence to program philosophy and regulations.

ESSENTIAL TASKS:

Assists Program Director in Providing Clinical Services:

• In the Program Director's absence or with the Program Director's authority directs clinical treatment services provided to residents, oversees the development, implementation, and review of service plans to address issues of rehabilitative services provided and mental illness.
• Maintains a safe and therapeutic environment.
• Assists the Program Director with the intake and pre-placement process: In the Program Director's absence or with the Program Director's authority oversees the intake and pre-placement process: interviews clients, reviews records and other relevant information, performs individual assessments in collaboration with other appropriate staff.
• Provides clinical oversight of strengths-based assessment and rehabilitative services provided by staff to residents to ensure the quality and that services meet or exceed regulatory guidelines. Provides counseling and crisis intervention to all residents, as required. Monitors counseling performed by staff either individually or with residents in groups to evaluate the quality of the service.
• Ensures staff is obtaining information, such as medical, psychological, and social factors contributing to the individual's situation, and that the staff is evaluating the resident's capabilities. Regularly directs the inspection of case records to evaluate the completeness and quality of treatment plans, quarterly services plan reviews, assessments, medical records, and progress notes. Responsible for the accuracy of data entered into a computer database or manual records and assists the Program Director in collecting, organizing, and submitting client information, e.g., CAIRS, ASFA.
• Informs staff of the types of clinical and rehabilitative services, recreational activities, and ICL programs available.
• Reviews crisis assessment of residents with staff, reviews nonverbal and verbal crisis intervention techniques to be used with each individual resident, and staff actions during a crisis situation.
• Informs staff of community resources and ensures that staff are accompanying residents on regularly scheduled or emergency visits to medical treatment facilities, social agencies, government offices, or other locations associated with treatment or assistance of the resident.
• Immediately reports serious incidents, allegations of abuse, incidents, or sensitive situations and completes incident reports in accordance with agency policy.
• In the Program Director's absence or with the Program Director's authority regularly directs meetings concerning clinical issues.
• In the Program Director's absence or with the Program Director's authority coordinates the treatment team, which will include the resident, family/support network, residential staff, community mental health staff (community clinic and/or day treatment program), educational and vocational staff, and other collaterals as appropriate.
• Coordinates treatment services between program and the day treatment or clinic treatment program and other community resources utilized by residents (i.e., schools, medical and dental care, vocational, recreational, and substance abuse programs).
• Maintains frequent contact with the client's collaterals.
• Coordinates and arranges transportation for home visits and client appointments, etc.
• Coordinates discharge planning activities.

Assists the Program Director in Directing and Supervising Personnel:

• With the Program Director's authority establishes and maintains work schedules in accordance with agency policy and assignments of staff. Responsible for managing the completion of time clock edits of staff with the suspense established by the Human Resources Department.
• Ensures staff compliance with the agency's time and attendance policy; recommends disciplinary action to the Program Director for those out of compliance.
• Assists the Program Director in managing the completion of performance evaluations, recommends staff for the employee recognition award and promotions.
• Conducts staff supervision in accordance with agency and division policy.
• Recommends disciplinary actions in accordance with agency and division policy. With the Program Director's approval conducts disciplinary counseling and completes disciplinary action reports.
• Reviews authorized staff positions and personnel budget. Recommends changes to authorized staffing patterns and personnel budget to the Program Director.
• Ensures that staff have attended required in-service training and schedules employees to attend both in-service training and training provided by vendors. Conducts training on clinical subjects, charting, fire safety plan, fire drills, emergency plans and procedures, building security, volunteers and interns, and site-specific exposure control plan.
• Monitors employee morale and the climate of the work environment to stop or eliminate sexual harassment or any form of employee harassment or employee discrimination. Responsible for taking complaints of sexual harassment, informing the Program Director of the complaint, and may investigate the complaint (as directed by the Program Director).
• Assists in providing oversight in the area of administrative record keeping, maintenance of office equipment, reception of visitors, phone reception, and stocking office supplies.
• Assists in the management of the orientation of new personnel and adherence to program philosophy and regulations.

Assists Program Director in Maintaining Property Accountability:

• May assist in maintaining accountability and serviceability of all ICL property assigned to the program, to include vehicles. Reports lost stolen, missing, or damaged property to the Program Director. If directed, conducts initial investigations of property that is lost, stolen, missing, or damaged.
• Recommends the purchase of supplies and equipment; properly secures all property and equipment. Conducts regular inspections of vehicles and property to ensure cleanliness, accountability, and serviceability.
• Conducts regular inspections of resident rooms to ensure property accountability and serviceability. Establishes key control procedures.
• Recommends disciplinary action for staff whose negligence resulted in ICL property becoming lost, stolen, missing, or damaged.

Assists the Program Director in Providing Quality Assurance Oversight:

• Assists in ensuring internal program compliance with federal, state, city, and agency regulatory requirements. Monitors the quality of the rehabilitative services provided to residents.
• Assists in the development of a program mission statement and program goals that support the division and agency mission statements and goals. Participates in the development of Quality Assurance and Improvement plans and in the oversight of outcome assessment consistent with these plans.
• May be directed to coordinate with the Department of Quality Management and the departments in the Administrative Division for staff assistance in the preparation for an audit.
• Reviews plans of corrective action, incident reports, and program evaluation reports and recommends actions that are needed for improvement.
• May be directed to provide oversight in submission of statistical data.

Assist the Program Director in Assuring Fiscal Control and Accountability:

• Exercises control over budgets through planning, prioritizing of spending, and monitoring of spending patterns.
• Recommends approval/disapproval for all purchase orders and financial requests from staff and submits purchase orders and financial requests to the Program Director for approval.
• Provides oversight of resident funds program. Assists in the development of internal money management procedures.
• Monitors census, entitlements, and collections to maximize revenue. Assists in maintaining census at expected occupancy levels. Ensures eligibility and subsequent payment from SSI, Medicaid, and other third party funding sources.

Assists the Program Director in Assuring Resident and Family/Support Network Involvement:

• Educates staff in the benefits of resident and family/support network involvement, levels of resident and family/support network involvement, types of resident and family/support network involvement, nature of resident and family/support network involvement, and issues of working with residents and families/support networks.
• May be directed to develop a program strategy for collaborating with residents and families/support networks and develops activities that foster program-resident and family/support network cooperation, collaboration, and coordination.
• Assists in fostering the development of consumer involvement committees.

Assists the Program Director in Fostering Community Relations and Integration:

• Assists in promoting Mental Health and Managed Care programs in local communities; maintains liaison between local elected officials and community boards, educates citizens in the community on mental illness and residential care.
• Educates staff and residents on the importance of a constructive relationship with local elected officials, community boards, and community citizens.
• Cooperates with other organizations in the development of understanding and interest participating in long-range plans for residential program development.
• Develops relationships and written agreements with community resources (i.e., schools, local departments of social services, mental health agencies, psychiatric centers, hospitals, courts, recreational agencies, police departments, etc.) to improve service access for residents in the program.

Conducts Investigations: Conducts internal investigations of untoward incidents as directed by the Program Director in accordance with agency policy.

General: Willingness and ability to use ICL supplied communication tools (e.g. computers, beepers, telephones, fax, etc.) regularly in the course of conducting business. Compliance with attendance rules and the ability to work on a regular and flexible schedule and has on-call responsibilities.

ADDITIONAL TASKS:

1. May be directed to attend division meetings and planning meetings, as required.
2. May be directed to conduct regular inspections of resident rooms and living space.
3. May be responsible for facility maintenance and reports needed repairs to the Director of Real Property Operations.
4. May review drafts, procedures, and job descriptions.
5. May assist the Program Director in hosting visitors from community, regulatory offices, and/or other agencies.
6. May be a member of an agency or division committee(s).
7. Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

1. Ability to lead a multi-disciplinary staff of professionals and paraprofessionals in providing treatment and rehabilitative services.
2. Ability to manage multiple projects, delegate tasks, and check on the completion of assigned tasks.
3. Ability to manage resources, which includes money, material, time, and people.
4. Ability to form teams to accomplish tasks.
5. Serves as a role model to staff and residents.
6. College level problem solving ability.

RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHERS:

This is a management position that reports to a Program Director. Required to coordinate activities within the program, cluster, division, and with departments in the Administration Division.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

For smaller residential programs: Master's degree in Social Work, Psychology, or other human services field plus at least two years experience working individuals with serious mental illness and in the case of MICA Programs, experience with co-existing substance abuse. At least one year of supervisory or administrative experience preferred. Must meet the qualifications for a Qualified Mental Health Staff (QMHS) as stated in Part 593 of the OMH regulations.

For larger residential programs: Two additional years of experience as described above (total of 4 years experience) plus at least one year of supervisory experience.

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