What are the responsibilities and job description for the Clinical Director (LICSW) position at The Baker Center for Children and Families?
Clinical Director
The Baker Center for Children and Families
Apply Today! |Boston, MA 02120
The Baker Center seeks a Clinical Director to lead strategy and operations of Manville‘s clinical programming.
The position is open to candidates with a Doctorate in Psychology and a current Massachusetts Psychologist License in good standing, or to Licensed Independent Clinical Social Workers (LICSW) with a minimum of three years of relevant clinical experience.
About The Baker Center for Children and Families
As a proud Harvard Medical School Affiliate, The Baker Center for Children and Families (The Baker Center) is a nationally recognized non-profit organization in children’s behavioral health and special education.
Originally named Judge Baker Children’s Center when the organization was founded in 1917, we have since been dedicated to improving the lives of children, families, and caregivers across Greater Boston and the MetroWest region.
At The Baker Center, we don’t just provide care—we ignite hope, inspire change, and transform lives. Our culture thrives on collaboration, innovation, and a shared belief that nothing is impossible. With deep respect for equity, inclusion, and belonging, we value diverse perspectives and foster an environment where every team member contributes to impact at scale.
Our work drives change across four areas:
- Direct Services – delivering life-changing behavioral health and special education programs.
- Research – advancing psychology, education, and implementation science.
- Policy & Practice – shaping systems nationwide through training and consultation.
- Workforce Development – equipping the next generation of children’s mental health leaders.
About Manville Programs
Manville School, a program of the Baker Center for Children and Families, is a therapeutic day school providing special education, clinical, and behavioral support for students in kindergarten through tenth grade with complex social-emotional, behavioral, and learning needs.
Manville provides services for up to 115 students from over 50 school districts in the greater Boston area, and has approximately 100 educational, clinical, and behavioral staff members. Manville integrates comprehensive, evidence-based clinical services, innovative educational programming, and tiered behavioral supports to ensure that students with unique needs experience social-emotional development and academic success. For more information on Manville School, visit https://www.bakercenter.org/Manville.
Manville School believes that all of its members - including students, staff, and caregivers - have a right to feel safe, seen, and respected. Manville School values and celebrates all identities and a community of diversity and belonging for all.
Why join The Baker Center?
At The Baker Center, you’ll find more than a workplace—you’ll join a community united by purpose.
Here’s what you can expect:
- Impact: Shape the future of children’s mental health and education.
- Leadership: Partner directly with the President/CEO and Board to drive a bold vision.
- Collaboration: Work alongside passionate, mission-driven colleagues who are dedicated to excellence.
- Growth: Lead strategy, mentor talent, and expand your own professional influence.
- Belonging: Join a team that values equity, inclusion, and diverse perspectives.
About the Opportunity
The Clinical Director is a member of Manville School senior leadership team and responsible for the overall effectiveness of the clinical programming at the Manville School. The Clinical Director builds strong relationships, communicates, and leads multidisciplinary work teams, engages community partners, and partners with the Baker Center Senior Leadership Team. The Clinical Director supports the use of evidence-based clinical practices in a school-based special education setting. The Clinical Director is responsible for hiring, training and supervision of the clinical staff.
The position is open to candidates with a Doctorate in Psychology and a current Massachusetts Psychologist License in good standing, or to Licensed Independent Clinical Social Workers (LICSW) with a minimum of three years of relevant clinical experience.
Key Responsibilities
- Functions as a member of the Manville School senior leadership team and participates in the development of long- and short-term goals for the school and clinical programs. Establishes metrics and oversees implementation of measuring outcomes for clinical programming.
- Supervises the Testing Coordinator, ensuring assessments are conducted accurately, efficiently, and in accordance with established protocols.
- Oversees administrative and clinical duties of clinical staff and the clinical training of graduate students in mental health counseling, social work, and psychology programs. Oversees clinicians’ construction and implementation of structured treatment plans and intervention approaches for all students.
- Ensures clinical assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of students and families utilizes structured, evidence-based approaches and provides case management services, and individual and/or family therapy services, to students and their families.
- Makes decisions regarding the filing of 51-A’s in child abuse and neglect situations according to regulatory guidelines.
- Oversees schoolwide social-emotional learning curriculum implementation, and alignment with Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) framework.
- Designs and conducts group and dyad treatment with students who have specific emotional and behavioral needs, as necessary.
- Serves as the administrative supervisor to Manville’s psychopharmacologist and collaborate in managing students’ admission to, and discharge from, the Psychiatry Service. Conducts screening to assess the need for emergency hospitalization of students in acute crisis during the school day.
- Assists with developing and maintaining effective training policies and procedures, including for an APA accredited predoctoral psychology internship program.
- Participates in the development and implementation of in-service trainings in collaboration with other members of the Manville School senior leadership team.
- Chairs quarterly and as needed multi-disciplinary team meetings consisting of teachers, school specialists, and milieu counseling staff.
Key Qualifications
- Education:
- Doctorate in Psychology with current Massachusetts Psychologist Licensure in good standing is preferred
- Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) with a minimum of 3 years of relevant experience will also be considered.
- Experience:
- At least 5 years of administrative experience supervising clinicians in a therapeutic school-based program ideally using evidence-based practices.
- Experience in the clinical treatment of children, adolescents, and their families; in the clinical training and supervision of doctoral students; expertise in psychological evaluation.
- Expertise in trauma-informed care, associated interventions, crisis management, verbal de-escalation and risk-assessment.
- Expertise in case management, and in evaluation and assessment to support diagnostic impressions and treatment recommendations.
- Training:
- Verbal de-escalation and behavior support strategies.
- Evidence-based clinical interventions.
- Knowledge of evidence-based practices and how to adapt EBPs to students with complex presentations, high acuity, and resistance to treatment.
- Skills:
- Demonstrated capacity for positive leadership.
- Ability to motivate and supervise effectively.
- Ability for crisis intervention and creative problem solving.
Compensation & Benefits
We value our team members and invest in their success and well-being. Benefits include:
- Medical (Blue Cross/Blue Shield), Dental, and Vision coverage.
- 50% discount on monthly MBTA passes.
- Retirement plan with immediate enrollment, including a 4% employer contribution and up to 4% match after two years.
- Opportunities to contribute to organization-wide initiatives and committees.
- A supportive, mission-driven culture where your leadership makes a tangible impact.
Salary Range:
- Doctorate in Psychology: $125,000 - $145,000
- Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker: $115,000 - $145,000
Please direct serious inquiries to: Kaitlyn Petrino, Talent Acquisition Specialist - Human Resources at hr_info@bakercenter.org. For more information about The Baker Center and its programs, please visit: https://bakercenter.org. For a full list of benefits, visit bakercenter.org/benefits.
We are committed to building a team that reflects the communities we serve. Diverse and multilingual candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions or any other characteristic protected by law.
Salary : $115,000 - $145,000