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JOB SUMMARY:

The Director of Clinical Operations for the UMASS adolescent continuing care units (ACCUs), DMH’s only behavioral health/mental health continuing care inpatient service for youth in the Commonwealth, is a vital leadership position that ensures appropriate utilization and delivery of high quality and innovative services to our adolescent population and their families  as part of a multidisciplinary treatment team including psychiatry, psychology, social work, and occupational therapy with nursing care while promoting active rehabilitation. Reporting directly to the Vice Chair for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry the selected candidate plans, organizes, directs, and evaluates Nursing Services for all patients served by providing leadership and clinical management to the Nursing Department. The Director is responsible for quality assurance, administration, leadership, and is accountable for the daily functions of the units, which is a department of Worcester Recovery Center & Hospital (WRCH) and will set the vision to ensure ongoing excellence in therapeutic and trauma informed/trauma-responsive care. The Director serves as a member of several of the hospital’s Committees, and participates in utilization review, treatment teams, administration, and medical staff to provide for bed availability commensurate with staffing levels and acuity appropriate to care for the patient population.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

As an essential DMH-contracted service, the Director must:

• Ensure seamless integration with WRCH including clinical and administrative departments participate with WRCH department meetings and the ACCU follows all WRCH protocols.
• Provides strategic oversight and direction of all patient care, needs assessments, nursing diagnosis, and champions a recovery oriented, trauma informed environment.
• Develops metrics for the evaluation of patient care service, quality improvement and refinement of all aspects of service delivery.
• Ensures efficient deployment of staff and oversees all schedules and overtime.
• Collaborate with the director in determining staffing mixes and levels needed to meet schedules, reassign personnel as required, oversee attendance records, and provide appropriate guidance
• Functional supervision of regulatory personnel, office support staff
• Utilizes internal and external resources to incorporate new technology and trends to enhance and improve quality of services.
• Participates in regular human resources and labor management meetings; recommends/tracks employee relations issues.
• Develops, implements, and evaluates programs to enrich the recruitment, retention, and continuing education of the nursing staff
• Evaluates the work performance of all nursing personnel and facilitates ongoing feedback/appraisal, through supervision and work-related audits
• Ensures all nursing practices meet the standards for the Joint Commission, CMS, and addresses the program’s evolving mission and demographics while adhering to regulatory agency requirements, including but not limited to required documentation, nursing/hospital protocols and other measures
• Designs and advocates for staff development opportunities for line staff that offers growth and career advancement potential.
• Establishes quality and efficiency standards in all areas of responsibility and ensure that these standards are measured and reviewed on an ongoing basis
• Investigate related incidences and complaints, prepare follow-up reports, and implement corrective action
• Champions a positive image of the Nursing Department through effective interaction with patients, visitors, physicians, community, providers, and the general public.
• Enhances professional growth/development to keep abreast of the latest trends in mental health and recovery; Remain current on issues and trends impacting healthcare.
• Provides continuous quality of care which maximizes the effectiveness of clinical practice, nursing process and safety of staff and patients.
• Coordinates with key committees and medical management structures including but not limited to pharmacy, therapeutics, medical records, infection control, QMPCA, EOC, and other required hospital committees.
• Assist in the design and implementation of the annual business plan
• Participate in the development of the budget for assigned cost center; monitors, evaluates, and recommends changes within personnel, supplies, and equipment for assigned patient care unit
• Manage unit funding sources by monitoring revenue and expenditure activity; adhere to university, state, and funding agency regulations
• Design reports and extrapolate information from databases for analysis of operations
• Develop standard operating procedures
• Comply with all safety and infection control standards
• Perform other duties as assigned

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's Degree in Nursing, or equivalent experience
• RN, current registration to practice nursing in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
• 7 years of related experience, 3 years of nursing management experience Demonstrated communication skills, both oral and written, necessary to interact with faculty, staff and sponsors
• Experience in using computer-based tools; ex. Word, Excel, Access, Outlook, PowerPoint

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Preferred Qualifications:

• Masters' degree in Nursing or other comparable master’s degree.
• Prior experience in an inpatient psychiatric hospital or community psychiatric setting with a similar population of people with serious, persistent mental illness.
• Proficient understanding of principles and practices of nursing including psychiatric nursing and theories of mental health and recovery.
• Demonstrated knowledge of standard nursing policies, procedures, methods, techniques, safety practices and medical terminology/abbreviations.
• Ability to establish relationships with individuals, families, providers, physicians, and staff members.
• Capacity to organize, manage and supervise others in the provision of quality patient care across several psychiatric patient care units.
• In depth understand of labor laws and managing across multiple collective bargain agreements.
• Commitment to cultivating a diverse, inclusive, and supportive environment for both patients and staff.
• Proven experience in all aspects of quality improvement in a healthcare setting.
• Strong technology skills and experience with Joint Commission Standards and CMS Regulations, including survey tracer methodology.
• Given the population served, bilingual or multilingual fluency.