What are the responsibilities and job description for the Vice President of Clinical Services position at Gladney?
Summary
The Vice President of Clinical Services is a senior executive leader responsible for the strategic direction and oversight of Gladney's full continuum of clinical care, encompassing post-adoption services, family support services, residential (GRO) clinical programming, and counseling services. This role establishes clinical strategy and quality standards across the agency, leads a team of clinical program leaders, and serves as the organization's senior clinical authority to the executive team and Board of Directors.
The VP owns the strategic vision, quality, and compliance of all clinical programming across Gladney's adoption, residential care, and counseling service lines. This includes building and leading a team of clinical professionals — including the Director of Gladney Counseling Services and its licensed clinical staff of therapists — and helping set agency-wide clinical policy. The VP also represents Gladney's clinical practice externally with partners, licensing bodies, and funders, and partners with executive leadership on long-range planning, budgeting, and risk mitigation.
This position carries organization-wide accountability for clinical outcomes, risk management, and program strategy, and reports directly to executive leadership as a key member of the senior leadership team. Success in this role looks like a unified clinical strategy across programs, a strong clinical leadership team, sustained regulatory and accreditation compliance, and measurable improvements in outcomes for the children and families Gladney serves.
Job Duties And Essential Functions
Strategic Clinical Leadership
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
Gladney Center for Adoption is an equal opportunity employer committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected status. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to these factors. We encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds and experiences.
The Vice President of Clinical Services is a senior executive leader responsible for the strategic direction and oversight of Gladney's full continuum of clinical care, encompassing post-adoption services, family support services, residential (GRO) clinical programming, and counseling services. This role establishes clinical strategy and quality standards across the agency, leads a team of clinical program leaders, and serves as the organization's senior clinical authority to the executive team and Board of Directors.
The VP owns the strategic vision, quality, and compliance of all clinical programming across Gladney's adoption, residential care, and counseling service lines. This includes building and leading a team of clinical professionals — including the Director of Gladney Counseling Services and its licensed clinical staff of therapists — and helping set agency-wide clinical policy. The VP also represents Gladney's clinical practice externally with partners, licensing bodies, and funders, and partners with executive leadership on long-range planning, budgeting, and risk mitigation.
This position carries organization-wide accountability for clinical outcomes, risk management, and program strategy, and reports directly to executive leadership as a key member of the senior leadership team. Success in this role looks like a unified clinical strategy across programs, a strong clinical leadership team, sustained regulatory and accreditation compliance, and measurable improvements in outcomes for the children and families Gladney serves.
Job Duties And Essential Functions
Strategic Clinical Leadership
- Set the overall clinical strategy, vision, and standards of practice across Post-Adoption, Family Support Services, Counseling Services, and Residential Programs.
- Serve as the senior clinical voice in executive leadership discussions, contributing to organizational strategy, budgeting, and long-range planning.
- Identify emerging needs, trends, and risks across client populations and translate them into program investments and policy changes.
- Represent Gladney's clinical program externally to licensing bodies, accrediting organizations, funders, and community partners.
- Provide executive oversight of Post Adoption clinical services, Family Support Services, Research, and act as Treatment Director for GRO and foster care services under T3C guidelines.
- Guide the development, implementation, and evaluation of clinical programs and policies to ensure consistency, quality, and best-practice alignment across service lines.
- Review and approve program-level recommendations from program leaders on treatment approaches, admissions criteria, and clinical programming enhancements.
- Sponsor initiatives to expand and strengthen post-adoption and adoption-stabilization resources and referral networks.
- Provide executive supervision of the Director of Gladney Counseling Services, ensuring strong leadership of the department's licensed clinical staff of therapists.
- Ensure counseling services are clinically sound, appropriately staffed, and aligned with best-practice standards of care and ethical/licensure requirements.
- Partner with the Director on caseload management and service capacity.
- Work closely with executive leadership and Director of Counseling to determine best path for program growth for counseling services.
- Ensure counseling services are well-integrated with Post-Adoption, Family Support Services, and all adoption programs so families receive coordinated, continuity-of-care support.
- Support the Director in monitoring clinical supervision requirements, licensure compliance, and continuing education for therapy staff.
- Build, lead, and develop a team of clinical program leaders, ensuring strong succession planning and leadership strength.
- Establish performance expectations, coaching structures, and professional development pathways for clinical leadership and staff across all programs.
- Foster a trauma-informed, child-centered culture of care throughout the clinical organization.
- Ensure consistent orientation, training, and supervision standards are applied across all clinical teams.
- Hold ultimate accountability for licensing, accreditation, and regulatory compliance across all clinical service lines.
- Oversee risk management practices related to clinical care, crisis response, and after-hours/emergency coverage.
- Establish and monitor agency-wide clinical metrics and quality indicators; report findings and recommendations to executive leadership and the board.
- Maintain strong relationships with licensing representatives, contract managers, and regulatory stakeholders at the organizational level.
- Own budget planning and resource allocation across clinical programs, in partnership with finance and program leadership.
- Evaluate program performance and cost-effectiveness, recommending structural or investment changes as needed.
- Ensure clinical operations scale sustainably with organizational growth.
- Perform other duties and special projects assigned to support organizational objectives and enhance operational efficiency.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
- Psychiatrist or licensed Psychologist; or a master's degree in a human services field with significant clinical leadership experience and licensure as an LCSW, LPC, or LMFT.
- 8 years of progressive clinical experience serving children and families in adoption, foster care, or related human services settings, including 2-4 years in a senior leadership role overseeing multiple programs or teams.
- Demonstrated success building and leading multi-layered clinical teams, including developing and mentoring director-level leaders.
- Strong track record of data-driven decision-making, with the ability to interpret trends, connect clinical outcomes to organizational strategy, and report to executive stakeholders and the Board.
- Experience managing budgets, resource allocation, and cross-program operations.
- Prior experience running a counseling practice.
- Comprehensive understanding of adoption, attachment, and trauma-related issues as they affect children, adolescents, and families.
- Must hold a valid Texas Driver's License.
- Experience with foster care and/or international adoption populations and working knowledge of DFPS standards.
- Prior experience designing or scaling post-adoption or adoption-stabilization programs at an organizational level.
- Experience representing an organization to licensing bodies, accreditors, funders, or boards.
- Exceptional communication, relationship-building, and executive presence.
- High standards of confidentiality, discretion, and professionalism.
- Strong strategic and critical-thinking skills, with the ability to balance big-picture vision with operational detail.
- Operate primarily in a fast-paced workflow, requiring the ability to shift between tasks, manage frequent interruptions, and meet time-sensitive deadlines efficiently.
- Flexible work schedule that may include evenings or weekends to support special events, meetings, or program deadlines.
- Regular, punctual attendance is essential for maintaining efficient service delivery.
- Prolonged periods of sitting while working at a desk and using a computer.
- Occasional lifting or carrying of office materials weighing up to approximately 15 pounds.
Gladney Center for Adoption is an equal opportunity employer committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected status. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to these factors. We encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds and experiences.