Position Summary:
The Administrator and Clinical Director holds single point accountability for the operational, clinical, financial, and regulatory performance of the BriteLife Recovery Princeton Junction outpatient program. The position combines the two leadership functions required of a licensed outpatient substance use disorder treatment facility in New Jersey: the administrator of the facility under N.J.A.C. 10:161B-1.7 and the director of substance abuse counseling services under N.J.A.C. 10:161B-1.8. The incumbent must independently satisfy the qualification standards for both roles.
The Administrator and Clinical Director sets the standard of care for outpatient and intensive outpatient services, ensures the program operates in continuous compliance with New Jersey Department of Health and Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services licensure requirements and Joint Commission standards, and drives census, retention, payer relationships, and community referral development. The role carries responsibility for building a clinical team that delivers evidence based, person centered treatment and for creating a culture consistent with the mission and values of BriteLife Recovery.
Minimum Qualifications:
Administrator Qualifications, N.J.A.C. 10:161B-1.7(a) and (b)
The incumbent must meet one of the following:
A Master's degree and a minimum of two years of full time, or full time equivalent, administrative or supervisory experience in a substance use disorder treatment facility; or
A Bachelor's degree and a minimum of five years of full time, or full time equivalent, administrative or supervisory experience in a substance use disorder treatment facility.
Clinical Director Qualifications, N.J.A.C. 10:161B-1.8(a)
The incumbent must also hold one of the following credential combinations:
New Jersey licensed psychologist holding a Certification of Proficiency in the Treatment of Alcohol and other Psychoactive Substance Use Disorders from the American Psychological Association, College of Professional Psychology, or holding LCADC licensure;
New Jersey Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) who is a Certified Clinical Supervisor through The Certification Board, or who holds LCADC licensure;
New Jersey Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) or Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) who is a Certified Clinical Supervisor through The Certification Board, or who holds LCADC licensure;
New Jersey Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LCADC) who additionally holds a Master's degree recognized by the New Jersey Board of Marriage and Family Therapy Examiners, Alcohol and Drug Counselor Committee as meeting the educational requirements at N.J.A.C. 13:34C-2.2(b)1;
New Jersey licensed physician certified by the American Society of Addiction Medicine, or a board certified psychiatrist; or
New Jersey licensed Advanced Practice Nurse who is a Certified Clinical Supervisor through The Certification Board, or who holds LCADC licensure.
If the incumbent does not personally provide direct clinical supervision, the incumbent must ensure that direct clinical supervision is delivered by a staff member who meets the qualifications at N.J.A.C. 13:34C-6.3.
Additional Requirements
Demonstrated working knowledge of N.J.A.C. 10:161B, DMHAS reporting expectations, NJSAMS, 42 CFR Part 2, and HIPAA.
Working knowledge of The ASAM Criteria, DSM-5 diagnostic standards, and standardized assessment instruments.
Experience with Joint Commission Behavioral Health Care accreditation surveys and continuous readiness.
Experience with commercial and Medicaid payer utilization review, authorization workflows, and medical necessity documentation.
Proficiency with electronic health records, outcomes reporting, and standard business productivity software.
Satisfactory criminal history background check, reference verification, and credential primary source verification prior to hire.
Valid driver's license and ability to travel between BriteLife sites and community partner locations as needed.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
Administrative and Operational Leadership
Provide administrative oversight of the facility and all operational functions, including managerial, personnel, fiscal, and reporting requirements of the program.
Ensure the development, implementation, and enforcement of all policies and procedures required under N.J.A.C. 10:161B, including client rights.
Develop and maintain an organizational plan, ensure programs and services are consistent with the mission of BriteLife Recovery, and monitor their effectiveness.
Establish and implement a formal quality assurance program that is comprehensive and integrated with programmatic quality assurance plans, addresses all levels of treatment programming and client care, ensures personnel are assigned duties based on education, training, competency, and job description, and uses written job relevant criteria for evaluation, hiring, and promotion decisions.
Hold selection and hiring responsibility for all program staff, including verification of references, credentials, and criminal history background checks, and application of policies governing employment of family members, governing body members, and volunteers, and the hiring of staff with prior convictions or ethical violations.
Notify each candidate and staff member of the obligation to disclose any disciplinary outcome imposed by a State licensing agency, law enforcement agency, or professional disciplinary review board, at hire and at any time thereafter.
Ensure timely staff orientation, education, and supervision across all disciplines.
Establish and maintain liaison relationships with facility staff, service providers, support service providers, community resources, and clients.
Oversee development and implementation of service specific policies and procedures in conjunction with designated staff, and ensure appropriate policies are shared with the governing authority.
Ensure admission interviews with clients, and with the family, guardian, or legally authorized representative in the case of juveniles, are conducted in accordance with established policies and procedures.
Implement and monitor the quality of all services provided, including review of program outcomes available through NJSAMS, and share outcome data with relevant staff, DMHAS, and the governing authority as appropriate.
Ensure maintenance of the physical plant to protect client and staff safety and to keep the facility in compliance with all applicable building, fire, and safety codes.
Establish policies and procedures for emergency services to clients and for broader emergency situations arising from internal or external incidents or natural disasters, including immediate notification to the Department, contingency planning for closure, reopening, and service interruption, and procedures governing dispensing and monitoring of client treatment medications.
Establish written policies and procedures for non emergency closures, including timely notification to the Department, closure and reopening timeframes, and medication procedures, and secure written approval from the Department at least 48 hours in advance of any non emergency closure.
Identify priority populations for admission and treatment, including pregnant individuals, individuals who inject drugs, women with children, and individuals living with HIV, and maintain protocols, policies, and referral procedures with interim services available until transfer is completed.
Ensure that plans of correction, licensing deficiencies, and complaint reports are addressed as outlined by the Department and shared with the governing authority in a timely manner.
Develop and implement an infection prevention and control program.
Develop, implement, and provide administrative oversight of a volunteer services program if the program and governing authority elect to use one.
Clinical Leadership and Supervision
Hold responsibility for the direction, provision, and quality of all substance abuse counseling services delivered by the program.
Develop and maintain written objectives, policies and procedures, an organizational plan, and a quality assurance program for substance abuse counseling services.
Ensure that behavioral and pharmacologic approaches to treatment are evidence based or grounded in objective information consistent with recognized treatment principles for each level of care and client population served.
Provide or ensure, and document, direct clinical supervision of at least one hour per week for all clinical staff, individually or in a group setting, with group supervision not exceeding 50 percent of supervision time.
Ensure counseling services are delivered as specified in the client treatment plan and coordinated with other client care services to provide continuity of care.
Ensure that assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of clients with co-occurring disorders is provided by appropriately trained and qualified clinical staff and that such staff receive appropriate clinical supervision.
Assist in developing and maintaining written job descriptions for counseling personnel and assign duties accordingly.
Assess and participate in staff education activities and provide consultation to program personnel.
Provide orientation to and evaluation of new counseling staff prior to assignment of counseling responsibilities.
Ensure all counseling staff are properly licensed or credentialed in accordance with N.J.A.C. 10:161B, including maintenance of the required ratio of LCADC, CADC, or other licensed health professionals performing counseling work within their scope of practice.
Participate in identification of quality care indicators and outcome objectives and in the collection and review of data to monitor staff and program performance.
Participate in planning and budgeting for the provision of substance abuse counseling services.
Ensure clinical staff are supervised by appropriately credentialed personnel.
Provide direct input and review of all client care policies alongside the medical director or program physician and nursing leadership.
Census, Business Development, and Financial Performance
Own program census, admissions conversion, retention, length of stay, and level of care transition performance against enterprise targets.
Partner with the enterprise admissions team to ensure prescreening, benefit verification, and intake workflows are timely, accurate, and clinically sound.
Develop and maintain referral relationships with hospitals, detoxification and residential providers, medical and behavioral health practices, drug courts, employers, unions, and community organizations across central New Jersey.
Manage the program operating budget, staffing model, and productivity standards in coordination with the Chief Operating Officer and finance leadership.
Support utilization review, payer authorization, and denial management by ensuring documentation supports medical necessity at every level of care.
Report program performance on the established key performance indicator cadence, including census, admissions, length of stay, and discharge completion rate.
Compliance, Accreditation, and Risk Management
Serve as the program representative to the BriteLife Compliance and Standards Committee and its subcommittees.
Maintain continuous survey readiness for New Jersey licensure and Joint Commission accreditation, including mock survey participation and tracer activity.
Ensure timely identification, reporting, investigation, and root cause analysis of incidents, sentinel events, grievances, and complaints in accordance with regulatory and accreditation requirements and BriteLife policy.
Safeguard confidentiality of client information in accordance with 42 CFR Part 2, HIPAA, and applicable New Jersey law.
Ensure accurate and timely completion of all clinical documentation, licensure reporting, and data submissions, including NJSAMS.
Competencies:
Regulatory judgment. Interprets licensure and accreditation requirements accurately and translates them into practical daily operations.
Clinical credibility. Earns the confidence of licensed clinicians and models sound clinical reasoning and supervision practice.
Accountability. Owns outcomes for census, quality, staffing, and compliance without requiring escalation to resolve routine issues.
People leadership. Recruits, develops, and retains clinical and administrative talent and addresses performance issues directly and fairly.
Business acumen. Understands the relationship between clinical quality, payer performance, and financial sustainability.
Communication. Writes and speaks clearly with staff, clients and families, referral partners, payers, and regulators.
Work Environment and Physical Requirements:
Work is performed in a licensed outpatient treatment setting with regular client contact.
Standard schedule is full time on site, with availability outside standard business hours to support evening programming, emergencies, and survey activity.
Requires prolonged periods of sitting and computer use, frequent movement throughout the facility, and occasional lifting of up to 25 pounds.
Requires the ability to respond to behavioral health emergencies and to remain calm and effective under pressure.
EEO Statement
All BLR subsidiaries are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and teammates. BLR subsidiaries are equal opportunity employers and as such, openly support and fully commit to recruitment, selection, placement, promotion and compensation of individuals without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), genetic information, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. We believe that diversity and inclusion among our teammates is critical to our success.
