
Founding Clinical Director | Schaumburg, Illinois Build the Program You Want to Lead Aftermath is preparing to open a new substance use disorder treatment facility in Schaumburg, Illinois. The organization plans to serve adult clients through Outpatient, Intensive Outpatient (IOP), and Partial Hospitalization (PHP) programming. We are seeking a Founding Clinical Director who wants more than responsibility for an already-established department. This leader will have the opportunity to help create the clinical culture, assemble the team, establish expectations, and guide the program from readiness into active service delivery. The Founding Clinical Director will be the facility’s senior clinical leader. This individual will be accountable for treatment quality, clinical supervision, staff development, documentation performance, program integrity, and coordination across clinical, medical, utilization review, compliance, and operational functions. This position may begin before the facility opens to support final readiness and hiring activities. It will continue as a permanent, full-time leadership role following launch. What You Will Build The Founding Clinical Director will establish and maintain: • A clinically sound and client-centered treatment culture • Consistent expectations for assessments, treatment plans, progress notes, reviews, and discharge documentation • Clear supervision and clinical escalation structures • Reliable processes for admission, placement, continued stay, transition, and discharge • Adult programming aligned with client needs and ASAM Criteria • Clinical workflows that support Illinois Part 2060 and applicable payer requirements • Quality-review processes that identify documentation, treatment, and performance concernsearly • Productive communication among clinical, medical, administrative, and utilization review teams • A clinical team prepared to operate effectively as census and services grow Leadership Responsibilities Program and Clinical Oversight • Direct the day-to-day delivery of clinical services • Maintain the clinical integrity of Outpatient, IOP, and PHP programming • Guide clinical decisions involving placement, treatment needs, continued stay, transfer, and discharge • Review program performance and adjust clinical workflows when needed • Lead responses to complex cases, safety concerns, and clinical crises • Ensure programming remains individualized, evidence-informed, and appropriate for the populations served • Monitor clinical outcomes and lead improvement initiatives • Prepare the clinical department for licensing, accreditation, payer, and quality reviews Team Leadership • Recruit, onboard, supervise, and develop clinical team members • Provide direct oversight to clinical supervisors and other assigned staff • Establish consistent supervision practices and documentation • Assess employee competency and provide coaching or corrective guidance • Create opportunities for clinical training and professional development • Support staff accountability while maintaining a collaborative work environment • Evaluate staffing and coverage needs as program census changes Documentation and Compliance • Establish expectations for complete, accurate, and timely clinical records • Monitor documentation quality and address recurring deficiencies • Coordinate with utilization review to support medical necessity and authorization requirements • Maintain clinical policies and procedures • Identify areas of clinical or regulatory risk • Develop and oversee corrective action when standards are not met • Collaborate with leadership on survey preparation and ongoing compliance Requirements Required • Master’s degree in Social Work, Counseling, Psychology, or a closely related behavioral health field • Active and unrestricted Illinois LCSW or LCPC license in good standing • At least five years of behavioral health clinical experience • At least three years of clinical supervision, program management, or clinical leadership experience • Direct experience with substance use disorder and co-occurring mental health treatment • Experience supervising licensed and developing clinicians • Working knowledge of ASAM Criteria and structured behavioral health levels of care • Strong knowledge of clinical documentation, treatment planning, medical necessity, and quality assurance • Demonstrated ability to manage staff performance and clinical accountability • Ability to work primarily on-site in Schaumburg, Illinois Preferred • Leadership experience within an Illinois Part 2060 licensed program • Experience developing or overseeing Outpatient, IOP, or PHP services • Experience serving adult populations • Participation in the opening or expansion of a behavioral health program • Experience with IDHS, Joint Commission, CARF, or payer reviews • Experience developing clinical departments, workflows, and performance standards • Familiarity with utilization review and authorization processes Benefits Compensation The anticipated salary range is $115,000 to $140,000 annually, commensurate with experience, qualifications, and the final scope of responsibility.

You didn’t enter the Behavioral Health space to drown in paperwork, stress over Joint Commission audits, or troubleshoot IT tickets. You did it to help patients and build a successful business.
At Atlantic Health Strategies, we handle the "business of the business" so you can focus on the mission.
We are your full-spectrum behavioral health support partner.
We aren't just consultants who hand you a binder of rules and walk away. We are operators who have sat in your seat. We know that in this industry, Compliance is the spine of your operation, and a strong spine needs muscle (HR) and a nervous system (IT) to function.
We act as your Strategic Anchor, translating complex regulations into clear, profitable business strategies for Founders and Investors.
How we stabilize and grow your organization:
Licensure, Accreditation & Compliance: We speak fluent "regulatory." From De Novo startups to multi-state expansions, we navigate the red tape so you don’t have to. We turn "audit panic" into "audit readiness."
HR Managed Services: Generalist HR firms don’t understand clinical ratios or behavioral health burnout. We do. We manage credentialing, staffing, and culture to keep your team compliant and your retention high.
IT Managed Services: Behavioral Health IT isn't about fixing printers; it's about HIPAA security and EHR integrity. We build secure, compliant tech infrastructures that protect your patient data and your license.
M&A Advisory & Due diligence: Buying or selling? Don’t buy a headache. We perform deep-dive operational audits to ensure the asset is clean, compliant, and ready for growth.
The Atlantic Difference:
We bridge the gap between "Clinical Empathy" and "Business Rigor." Whether you are a Visionary Founder who hates the details or an Investor who needs to mitigate risk, we are the partner that keeps the doors open and the business growing.
Let’s get to work.
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