Director of School-Based Mental Health Programs

Description

Director of School-Based Mental Health Programs

Starting Salary: $110,000.00

Hybrid Position | Regular travel required throughout Baltimore and Harford Counties

We are seeking a passionate, experienced, and strategic leader to join our team as the Director of School-Based Mental Health Programs. This leadership role is responsible for overseeing the clinical, operational, and strategic success of our school-based behavioral health services across partner school districts.

This is a hybrid role with regular travel to school partner sites. Some evening work may be required as well for school meetings and outreach events.

The ideal candidate is a collaborative and mission-driven behavioral health professional who is passionate about supporting youth mental health, building strong school partnerships, and leading high-performing clinical teams.

Position Highlights

• Opportunity to lead and expand impactful school-based mental health programs
• Work alongside school leaders, clinicians, families, and community partners
• Support trauma-informed and evidence-based care for students
  
  

Key Responsibilities

Program Leadership and Operations

• Lead the development, implementation, and oversight of school-based mental health programs across assigned districts and sites.
• Ensure programs operate efficiently, meet performance goals, and align with organizational strategy and clinical standards.
• Develop workflows, policies, and procedures that support consistent service delivery across schools.
• Monitor program utilization, staffing models, productivity, and operational outcomes.
• Collaborate with executive leadership on strategic planning, expansion opportunities, and program innovation.
  
  

Clinical Oversight and Quality Assurance

• Ensure delivery of high-quality, ethical, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive mental health services.
• Support clinical teams in maintaining compliance with state, federal, payer, and accreditation requirements.
• Monitor documentation quality, service delivery standards, and clinical outcomes.
• Partner with clinical leadership to address escalated student, family, or school concerns.
• Assist in implementation of evidence-based interventions and best practices.
  
  

School and Community Partnership Management

• Serve as primary relationship manager for school district partners and administrators.
• Maintain strong collaborative relationships with principals, counselors, special education teams, and community stakeholders.
• Participate in school meetings, community events, and partnership planning initiatives.
• Support coordination of referrals, crisis response, and care collaboration within schools.
  
  

Staff Supervision and Team Development

• Recruit, onboard, supervise, and support school-based clinicians and related staff.
• Provide coaching, performance management, and professional development opportunities.
• Foster a positive, mission-driven, and accountable team culture.
• Assist with workforce planning and retention initiatives.
  
  

Compliance, Reporting, and Performance Management

• Ensure adherence to HIPAA, FERPA, ACHC, OMHC, Medicaid, and all applicable regulatory standards.
• Track and report program KPIs, outcomes, and productivity metrics.
• Support audits, credentialing, payer requirements, and contract compliance.
• Analyze program data to identify trends and opportunities for improvement.
  
  

Financial and Administrative Oversight

• Support budget development and management for school-based services.
• Monitor staffing utilization, billing performance, and operational efficiency.
• Collaborate with intake, billing, and operations teams to streamline workflows and access to care.
  
  

Requirements

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Social Work, Counseling, Psychology, Marriage & Family Therapy, or related behavioral health field required
• Active independent clinical license required (LCSW-C, LCPC, LMFT, PsyD, or equivalent)
• Minimum 5 years of behavioral health experience
• Minimum 3 years of leadership or supervisory experience
• Experience working within school systems or school-based mental health programs strongly preferred
• Knowledge of Medicaid billing, community mental health, and educational systems preferred
  
  

What We’re Looking For

• Strong leadership and team development skills
• Excellent communication and relationship-building abilities
• Knowledge of trauma-informed care and youth behavioral health best practices
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and stakeholders in a fast-paced environment
• Experience with EHR systems, reporting, and program analytics
  
  

If you are passionate about improving access to behavioral health services for students and creating meaningful impact within school communities, we encourage you to apply.