Join Fernbrook Family Center!
Associate Director
Fernbrook Family Center is a growing community mental health agency with more than 250 dedicated employees serving children, adults, and families across Minnesota. We are committed to providing compassionate, high-quality behavioral health services while fostering a collaborative and supportive workplace. We are seeking an experienced Associate Director to provide operational leadership, clinical support, and staff supervision within one or more of our behavioral health programs.
The Associate Director provides leadership and operational oversight for assigned programs, ensuring high-quality clinical services, regulatory compliance, and strong team performance. This position serves as a vital connection between program operations and agency leadership by supervising staff, supporting program development, monitoring performance, and collaborating with community partners.
In addition to leadership responsibilities, the Associate Director maintains a clinical caseload and provides direct mental health services to clients while supporting the overall success and growth of assigned programs.
- Provide day-to-day operational leadership for assigned behavioral health program(s).
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Supervise, coach, mentor, and support clinical and program staff.
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Foster employee engagement, professional development, and accountability.
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Ensure staff receive appropriate clinical supervision based on licensure, experience, and regulatory requirements.
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Collaborate with the Director of Clinical Training and Supervision to coordinate clinical supervision as needed.
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Monitor program productivity, staffing, scheduling, and client access to services.
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Support recruitment, onboarding, orientation, and ongoing staff development.
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Participate in leadership meetings and agency-wide initiatives.
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Promote collaboration across departments and locations.
- Ensure compliance with licensing standards, contractual requirements, agency policies, and documentation expectations.
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Participate in audits, quality assurance reviews, and performance improvement initiatives.
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Monitor program outcomes and quality indicators to support continuous improvement.
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Collaborate with Directors on budgeting, staffing plans, and operational priorities.
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Maintain strong working relationships with counties, schools, referral sources, and community partners.
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Support compliance with grant and contract requirements.
- Maintain a clinical caseload by providing mental health services to children, adults, and families.
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Deliver individual, family, and group services as appropriate.
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Complete documentation accurately and within agency timelines.
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Meet established productivity and billable service expectations.
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Travel throughout assigned service areas to provide client care.
Successful candidates demonstrate:
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Strong leadership and supervisory skills.
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Ability to coach, mentor, and develop staff.
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Excellent organizational and time management skills.
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Knowledge of behavioral health documentation, billing, and regulatory compliance.
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Strong communication and relationship-building abilities.
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Ability to balance clinical responsibilities with operational leadership.
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Collaborative, solution-focused leadership style.
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Commitment to ethical practice and Fernbrook's mission of improving lives through quality mental health care.
- Minimum of one year of experience working in a behavioral health setting.
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Experience supervising or leading teams is preferred.
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Reliable transportation.
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Valid driver's license, current automobile insurance, and acceptable driving record.
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Ability to pass required criminal background studies in accordance with Department of Human Services requirements.
- Experience managing behavioral health programs or clinical teams.
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Experience with quality assurance, compliance, and program operations.
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Experience collaborating with counties, schools, healthcare providers, and community organizations.
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Bilingual or multilingual abilities.
- Flexible schedule, generally between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.
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Regular travel between Fernbrook offices, community locations, and partner organizations throughout Minnesota.
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Salaried position with an expected workweek of 40–43 hours, with additional flexibility as needed to meet program and organizational needs.
- Prolonged periods of sitting, computer work, observation, and active listening.
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Occasionally lift up to 15 pounds.
At Fernbrook Family Center, you'll have the opportunity to lead talented professionals while helping shape high-quality behavioral health services across Minnesota. We invest in our leaders through ongoing professional development, collaboration, and opportunities to influence program growth. If you're passionate about leadership, clinical excellence, and making a difference in your community, we'd love to hear from you.
Fernbrook Family Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, pregnancy, veteran status, military status, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable law.
This position may be assigned to one or more behavioral health programs depending on organizational needs. Responsibilities may vary slightly based on program assignment while maintaining the core leadership, operational, and clinical responsibilities outlined above. Job duties may be modified as agency needs evolve.
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