What are the responsibilities and job description for the Corporate Director of Education and Onboarding position at Freedom Behavioral?
Corporate Director of Education and Onboarding
Inpatient Psychiatric Hospital System
Aligned with CMS Conditions of Participation & The Joint Commission
Position Summary
The Corporate Director of Education and Onboarding provides system-wide leadership, oversight, and standardization of onboarding, education, training, and competency validation across a multi-facility inpatient psychiatric hospital system. This role ensures that all staff—clinical and non-clinical—are appropriately trained, competent, and prepared to meet the requirements of CMS Conditions of Participation, The Joint Commission standards, and applicable federal and state regulations.
The Corporate Director serves as the enterprise subject matter expert for workforce education and onboarding, partnering with executive leadership, Nursing, Quality, Compliance, Human Resources, and Operations to promote patient safety, regulatory compliance, and continuous readiness.
System-Level Scope of Responsibility
- Oversight of onboarding and education across multiple inpatient psychiatric hospitals
- Standardization of orientation, training, and competency programs
- Corporate accountability for survey-ready education and competency documentation
- Support of CMS, Joint Commission, and state regulatory surveys
- Alignment of workforce education with organizational strategy and quality outcomes
Essential Responsibilities
- System-Wide Onboarding Program Leadership
- Design, implement, and maintain a standardized corporate onboarding framework for all inpatient psychiatric facilities.
- Ensure onboarding programs include:
- CMS and Joint Commission regulatory education
- Patient rights and safety
- Psychiatric-specific environmental and ligature risk awareness
- Emergency management and life safety
- Ensure onboarding processes meet CMS CoP requirements for staff orientation and competency.
- CMS Conditions of Participation Alignment
- Ensure education and onboarding programs support compliance with CMS CoPs, including but not limited to:
- Patient Rights
- Nursing Services
- Medical Staff
- QAPI
- Infection Control
- Environment of Care
- Partner with Compliance and Quality to ensure staff education addresses identified regulatory risks.
- Maintain documentation demonstrating staff competency and training compliance.
- Joint Commission Education & Competency Requirements
- Ensure compliance with Joint Commission Human Resources (HR), Leadership (LD), and applicable clinical standards related to education and competency.
- Oversee system-wide competency assessment and validation processes.
- Support continuous Joint Commission readiness through standardized education and training programs.
- Clinical & Non-Clinical Education Oversight
- Provide corporate oversight of education for:
- Nursing and clinical staff
- Medical staff (in coordination with Medical Staff leadership)
- Non-clinical and support services staff
- Ensure role-specific training addresses:
- Psychiatric patient safety
- Suicide prevention and ligature risk
- Trauma-informed care principles
- De-escalation and restraint/seclusion education
- Competency Management & Validation
- Establish and maintain a system-wide competency framework.
- Ensure:
- Initial and ongoing competency assessments are completed
- Competencies are role-specific and evidence-based
- Documentation is survey-ready and auditable
- Partner with Nursing, Medical Staff, and Operations to validate competencies.
- Education Standardization & Continuous Improvement
- Develop standardized corporate education policies, procedures, and tools.
- Monitor effectiveness of onboarding and education programs using data and feedback.
- Identify gaps and implement improvements to reduce risk and improve staff readiness.
- Align education initiatives with QAPI and organizational goals.
- Survey Readiness & Regulatory Support
- Support CMS, Joint Commission, and state surveys by:
- Providing education and competency documentation
- Participating in tracers and interviews
- Assisting with corrective action plans related to training deficiencies
- Conduct or support mock surveys and readiness assessments related to education and onboarding.
- Collaboration & Executive Partnership
- Collaborate with:
- Chief Nursing Officer
- Chief Quality Officer
- Chief Compliance Officer
- Human Resources leadership
- Facility leadership teams
- Serve as an executive advisor on workforce readiness and education strategy.
- Support governing body oversight related to staff competency and training.
- Reporting & Governance
- Develop and present education and onboarding metrics to:
- Executive leadership
- Quality and Safety Committees
- Governing Body, as applicable
- Ensure reporting demonstrates compliance, effectiveness, and continuous improvement.
Core Competencies
- Expert knowledge of CMS Conditions of Participation related to education and competency.
- Strong understanding of Joint Commission standards, particularly HR and LD.
- Knowledge of inpatient psychiatric hospital operations and patient safety risks.
- Proven ability to standardize programs across multiple facilities.
- Strong leadership, communication, and change-management skills.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Nursing, Education, Healthcare Administration, or related field (Master’s preferred).
- Minimum 7–10 years of healthcare education, onboarding, or clinical leadership experience.
- Experience in inpatient psychiatric or behavioral health settings strongly preferred.
- Demonstrated experience supporting CMS and Joint Commission surveys.
- Experience working at a corporate or multi-facility system level.
Preferred Qualifications
- Registered Nurse (RN) license.
- Certification in Nursing Professional Development (NPD-BC) or equivalent.
- Experience with competency management systems and learning platforms.
- Experience developing regulatory-focused education programs.
Reporting Structure
- Reports to: Chief Nursing Officer, Chief Compliance Officer, or Chief Operating Officer
- Works closely with:
- Nursing and Clinical Leadership
- Quality, Compliance, and Risk
- Human Resources
- Facility Education Coordinators
- System Governing Body / Quality Committee