Associate Program Director

About Casa Esperanza

Casa Esperanza, Inc. is a bilingual/bicultural behavioral health treatment provider serving Boston and the Merrimack Valley. Our mission is to empower individuals and families to recover from addiction, trauma, mental illness, and other chronic medical conditions; overcome homelessness and discrimination; and achieve health and wellness through comprehensive, integrated care.

About the program

Casa Esperanza Conexiones is a 32-bed facility that provides clinical stabilization services and acute treatment services for withdrawal management to adults struggling with drugs, including heroin and prescription drugs, or alcohol. At Casa Esperanza Conexiones, located at the Tewksbury Hospital, we provide residential substance abuse treatment for adults in a physical and psychologically safe environment. We serve adults from Massachusetts who need residential treatment for drug and alcohol abuse, including those with co-occurring mental health issues. Our highly structured environment focuses on resolving addiction issues, building the foundation for a sustainable recovery, and developing a healthy, productive, and meaningful lifestyle. 

About the role

The Associate Program Director provides leadership for the daily operational functioning of the Conexiones program, ensuring a safe, therapeutic, recovery-oriented, and trauma-informed environment for clients and staff. This position blends program management, milieu coordination, nursing-informed oversight, and clinical operations leadership to support high-quality patient care, regulatory compliance, and effective multidisciplinary team collaboration.

The Associate Program Director is responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations, patient flow, census management, safety protocols, crisis management, quality assurance activities, and staff supervision. This role serves as a liaison between clinical, medical, operational, and administrative teams to ensure services are delivered safely, efficiently, and in accordance with organizational standards, licensing requirements, and best practices.

The Associate Program Director supports vulnerable populations, including individuals experiencing substance use disorders, co-occurring mental health conditions, homelessness, justice-system involvement, and barriers to healthcare access. This role promotes culturally competent, patient-centered, and recovery-focused care while fostering a therapeutic milieu that supports stabilization, engagement, and long-term recovery.

What you'll do

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Clinical Operations Leadership

• Oversee daily operational activities of the program in collaboration with the Program Director.
• Serve as the operational lead for patient care coordination, patient flow, census management, safety initiatives, crisis intervention, crisis management, and therapeutic milieu management.
• Utilize nursing and clinical knowledge to support safe care delivery and adherence to best practices.
• Monitor clinical operations to ensure timely and effective service delivery.
• Collaborate with medical providers, nursing staff, counselors, unit managers, recovery specialists, and external partners to coordinate care.
• Participate in multidisciplinary team meetings, case reviews, and operational planning activities.
• Provide leadership during patient crises and coordinate appropriate clinical, medical, and emergency interventions when necessary.
• Support medication management processes and ensure compliance with medication storage, administration, and documentation protocols.
• Monitor implementation of infection control standards, universal precautions, weather emergency protocols, and patient safety initiatives.

Milieu and Program Management

• Maintain a structured, therapeutic, recovery-oriented environment that promotes patient engagement, dignity, and safety.
• Ensure all program activities, schedules, recovery groups, peer support activities, and therapeutic programming are implemented consistently.
• Supervise and monitor milieu operations across all shifts on the floor.
• Spends a significant amount of time at the front desk and in the milieu to provide hands-on coaching, mentoring, and support to direct care staff.
• Ensure completion of room checks, patient safety checks, environmental rounds, security monitoring, and documentation requirements.
• Foster a culture of trauma-informed care, recovery support, and patient-centered engagement.
• Coordinate recreational, educational, recovery support, and peer-led activities.

Staff Leadership and Supervision

• Directly supervise Unit Managers, Recovery Specialists, Milieu Staff, and designated operational personnel.
• Provide regular coaching, performance feedback, training, and professional development opportunities.
• Conduct individual and group supervision in accordance with organizational policies.
• Ensure staff competency in crisis intervention, de-escalation, safety procedures, documentation requirements, and regulatory standards.
• Participate in recruitment, onboarding, orientation, performance evaluations, corrective action processes, and retention initiatives.
• Coordinate staffing schedules, holiday coverage, shift assignments, and on-call rotations.
• Ensure adequate staffing coverage for all operational shifts.

Quality Assurance and Regulatory Compliance

• Ensure compliance with all applicable federal, state, local, payer, accreditation, and licensing requirements.
• Maintain readiness for audits, site visits, inspections, and accreditation reviews.
• Monitor compliance with standards established by:
• • Bureau of Substance Addiction Services (BSAS)
  • Department of Public Health (DPH)
  • CARF
  • SAMHSA
  • DEA
  • Massachusetts Controlled Substance Registration (MCSR)
  • Insurance payers and contractual requirements
• Submit required operational, quality, and compliance reports timely and accurately.
• Review critical incident reports, safety documentation, and shift reports daily to ensure timely and appropriate follow-up.
• Lead data-informed quality improvement activities to ensure timely and appropriate corrective action and system changes.

Safety and Risk Management

• Serve as the program safety lead and ensure adherence to all safety and security protocols.
• Plays a lead role in coaching, mentoring, and training staff to respond effectively to crises and actively leads and supports the team in crisis management (MACCDADD).
• Coordinate emergency preparedness activities, drills, tabletop exercises, and Continuity of Operations Planning (COOP) requirements.
• Act as lead liaison with Tewksbury Hospital, Campus Police, Emergency Medical Services, and community partners in the absence of the Program Director.
• Ensure maintenance of emergency response equipment and compliance with emergency procedures.
• Investigate safety concerns and implement corrective actions as needed.
• Promote a culture of workplace safety for staff and patients.

Operational Administration

• Oversee inventory management, supply tracking, purchasing requests, and operational resource allocation.
• Ensure facilities are maintained appropriately through proactive work order management and vendor coordination.
• Coordinate with Information Technology, Operations, Security, and other support services.
• Maintain required operational records and documentation.
• Assist with budget monitoring and fiscal stewardship of program resources.

Training and Workforce Development

• Provide monthly coaching, training, and capacity-building opportunities for Recovery Specialists, Unit Managers, and program staff.
• Ensure staff maintain required certifications and competencies.
• Collaborate with People, Operations, and Training Departments regarding professional development programs and mandatory trainings.

Other Responsibilities

• Fulfill on-call responsibilities as assigned.
• Perform other duties as assigned to support program operations and organizational goals.

Qualifications

• Direct supervision of:
• Milieu Staff
• Other operational or support staff as designated

Responsible for:

• Daily program operations
• Staff scheduling and coverage
• Performance management
• Training and competency oversight
• Safety and regulatory compliance

What we offer:

Casa Esperanza Benefits Package:

• Compensation:  $80-90K
• 401(k) Retirement Plan: All eligible employees may elect to participate after 1 year of service. Casa Esperanza, Inc. will match a contribution of up to 6% of your annual salary
• Holiday Pay (12 days per year + 1 floating holiday)
• Paid Time Off (PTO)—18 days in year one, 20.5 days in year two, 23 days in year five
• Sick Pay—10 paid days per year
• Long/Short-Term Disability 
• Paid by Company Life Insurance
• Health Insurance (Medical, Dental, Vision)
• Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA)
• FSA/DCA (Flexible Spending Account & Dependent Care)
• ComPsych Guidance Resources - EAP
• Educational Opportunities
• Tuition Remission
• Employee Ticket at Work (Discounts for Entertainment, Travel, Movies, etc.)
• Career Advancement Opportunities
• Increased Salary for Credentials
• and more...

Physical & Mental Requirements

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to walk, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl and talk or hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include distance vision, peripheral vision, and depth perception.

At Casa Esperanza, Inc., the health and safety of our people is our number one priority. That’s why all offers of employment are contingent on the candidate showing proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (currently one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine or two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine and a booster, when eligible) to pass the pre-employment requirements. Individuals with medical issues or religious beliefs that prevent them from getting the vaccine may request an exemption from the vaccine requirement.

Casa Esperanza’s EEO Statement

Casa Esperanza is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable federal, state, or local law.

Casa Esperanza, Inc. also provides reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities or based on a sincerely held religious belief, in accordance with applicable laws. If you need to inquire about an accommodation or need assistance with completing the application process, please email hr@casaesperanza.org.