Clinical Director - Medi-Cal

Job Summary:

The Clinical Director for Medi-Cal is responsible for leading, overseeing, and continuously improving CHC’s Medi-Cal clinical services to ensure effectiveness, timeliness, efficiency, safety, equity, and regulatory compliance. This role ensures the delivery of high-quality, culturally responsive care across diverse populations, including variations in culture, gender identity, and socioeconomic status. The Clinical Director promotes strong community partnerships, advances evidence-based and biopsychosocial models of care, and supports interdisciplinary collaboration across clinical programs. This position carries full fiscal and clinical accountability for all outpatient Medi-Cal services and programs. The successful candidate will demonstrate excellent written and verbal communication skills, strategic leadership, and the ability to manage complex clinical systems. This role requires the capacity to set clear goals, implement structured systems, manage change effectively, and ensure compliance with Medi-Cal, county, state, and federal requirements. The position reports to the Chief Clinical Officer.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities :

· Contribute to the development and implementation of the vision for outpatient clinical programs and services, aligned with organizational strategy and focused on serving traditionally underserved populations through Santa Clara County Medi-Cal, San Mateo County Medi-Cal, and CHC Ravenswood.

· Develop and implement new clinical programs and community outreach initiatives in accordance with organizational priorities.

· Collaborate with the Chief Clinical Officer/VP of Clinics, Clinical Directors, Executive Management, Leadership Team, and Operations Management to maintain fiscal stability; support evidence-based practices; leverage health information technology; and prepare staff to meet evolving clinical and regulatory demands.

· Directly supervise program managers and clinical service providers.

· Ensures all clinical supervision meets California Board of Behavioral Sciences and Board of Psychology requirements.

· Provide a limited number of direct clinical service hours to patients each month, as operationally appropriate.

· Establish, monitor, and refine clinical productivity expectations for outpatient clinical staff.

· Manage outpatient program budgets responsibly and in alignment with organizational fiscal goals.

· Serve as the organization’s liaison to Santa Clara County, San Mateo County, and other county mental health departments, and oversee Medi-Cal contract administration.

· Build and maintain collaborative relationships with clinical leaders from partner agencies and surrounding jurisdictions.

· Organize and oversee outpatient and outreach clinical services to maximize efficiency, collaboration, and effective use of resources.

· Lead clinical quality improvement initiatives and outcome monitoring in support of the organization’s mission.

· Partner with management and leadership staff on recruitment, hiring, supervision, evaluation, and performance management of clinical personnel.

· Provide consultation on complex clinical cases as needed.

· Actively participate as a member of the Program Leadership Team.

· Work with the Compliance and HIPAA Officers on Medi-Cal-legal compliance activities and manage the organization’s Medi-Cal-legal risk and annual Medi-Cal audits.

· Develop and maintain clinical quality standards, licensure requirements, and a comprehensive quality assurance monitoring program.

· Ensure appropriate clinical supervision of unlicensed staff in compliance with state law and professional regulations.

· Serve as a clinical liaison to Stanford University and other partner organizations for joint and complementary programs.

· Support Board of Directors’ activities as requested.

· Perform other related duties as assigned

Education and Qualifications:

· Current licensure in California as a PhD, PsyD, LCSW, or LMFT (required). Must maintain active, unrestricted California licensure in good standing for the duration of employment.

· Completion of professional-level clinical training with at least five (5) years of post-licensure clinical experience.

· Minimum of two (2) years of progressively responsible administrative and managerial experience, including supervision of licensed clinicians (preferred).

· Significant experience providing services to children and families in interdisciplinary behavioral and developmental health settings.

· Proven experience in clinical program development, operational planning, and change management.

· Strong fiscal management and executive functioning skills.

· Experience working collaboratively with public agencies, health systems, and community partners.

· Knowledge of outcomes measurement, clinical research principles, and quality improvement methodologies.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

· Advanced knowledge of mental and behavioral health standards of care and related legal and ethical requirements.

· Experience with community mental health delivery models serving traditionally under-resourced populations.

· Strong knowledge of County and Medi-Cal behavioral health contracts, documentation, and service requirements.

· Demonstrated ability to mentor, coach, and develop middle management leaders.

· Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills with the ability to engage staff, leadership, boards, and external stakeholders.

· Familiarity with academic Medi-Cal environments and community-based nonprofit governance.

· Demonstrated experience in Medi-Cal-legal compliance and risk management.

Physical Requirements & ADA / FEHA Compliance:

· Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this role in accordance with the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

· An employee in this position may be required to occasionally lift, move and/or set-up stacks of documents such as training binders or other training materials, lap-top computers, in-focus projectors, flip charts and other materials required for meetings and presentations. Employee will also be required to work for extended periods of time at a computer.

· As an exempt position, this role is expected to meet operational needs, which may require flexible scheduling

Contact with Others:

· Extensive interpersonal interaction with staff, senior leadership, board members, community partners, and external agencies.