Clinical Educator

Mission of the Role

The Director of Clinical Education builds a culture of learning and clinical excellence across outpatient programs by designing and delivering high-impact training, advancing evidence-based practice, and ensuring staff maintain competencies required by OhioMHAS, payers, and accreditation bodies. This role partners with leadership to align education with outcomes (engagement, quality, compliance, and productivity) while providing supervisory oversight consistent with Ohio licensure rules.

Key Responsibilities

• Curriculum Design & Delivery

  • Conduct annual and quarterly training needs assessments with Clinical Leadership and QA to define priorities and required competencies.
  • Design, update, and deliver curricula for onboarding, role-based competencies, and ongoing education (e.g., assessment, treatment planning, EBP modalities, crisis/risk, documentation standards, care coordination, cultural humility, SUD/MH co-occurring care).
  • Develop multi-modal content (live workshops, micro-learning, self-paced modules, simulations/role plays, case conferences, and job aids/checklists).
  • Cookordinate and track required trainings (e.g., ethics, boundaries, trauma-informed care, suicide risk assessment, HIPAA/42 CFR Part 2, de-escalation, abuse/neglect reporting).

• Clinical Supervision & Coaching

  • Provide clinical supervision consistent with scope of licensure (LPCC-S or equivalent), including individual and group supervision hours; document per Ohio rules.
  • Coach clinicians on EBP fidelity (e.g., CBT, DBT-informed skills, MI, MAT-adjunctive counseling) and documentation quality; perform chart side-by-side reviews and live observation with feedback.

• Quality, Compliance & Accreditation

  • Align education with OhioMHAS rules, payer contracts, and accreditation standards (e.g., CARF/Joint Commission, as applicable).
  • Partner with QA on focused audits, corrective action plans, and retraining to address trends (denials, rework, critical incidents, missed measures).
  • Maintain and improve training records and competency attestations for survey readiness and payer credentialing support.

• Onboarding & Role Competency

  • Own the clinical onboarding pathway for Counselors, Social Workers, Peer Specialists, BHTs/Case Managers, and Supervisors.
  • Validate competency through skills checklists, return demonstrations, and chart/documentation audits during the first 30/60/90 days.

• Outcomes, Data & Reporting

  • Define and manage training KPIs (e.g., completion/compliance, competency pass rates, documentation error rate, audit findings, first-pass claim quality, no-show/engagement metrics aligned to clinical practice changes).
  • Produce monthly dashboards and present insights/recommendations to leadership.

• Inter-Site Support & Change Management

  • Standardize clinical practices across Beachwood and Toledo; lead rollouts of new protocols, forms, EHR workflows, and EBPs.
  • Support new-site launches or program expansions by building training plans, schedules, and go-live support.

• Technology & EHR

  • Partner with Operations/IT to train staff on EHR templates, order sets, treatment planning tools, and documentation workflows; update job aids after software changes.

• Continuing Education & CEU Strategy

  • Maintain an internal CE calendar; coordinate external CE opportunities; pursue provider status for CE credit (if applicable).
  • Ensure staff maintain licensure CE requirements; monitor expirations and remediation plans.

Minimum Qualifications

• Licensure: Active LPCC-S in Ohio required; or LISW-S/IMFT-S or equivalent Ohio supervisory designation.
• Education: Master’s degree in Counseling, Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy, Psychology, or related behavioral health field required.
• Experience: 5+ years post-master’s clinical experience in outpatient behavioral health, including 2+ years in clinical education, supervision, or professional development.
• Regulatory Knowledge: Working knowledge of OhioMHAS rules, HIPAA/42 CFR Part 2, payer documentation requirements; familiarity with CARF/Joint Commission (as applicable).
• EBP Competence: Demonstrated proficiency in at least two EBPs relevant to outpatient MH/SUD (e.g., CBT, MI, DBT-informed, trauma-focused approaches).
• Instructional Skills: Adult-learning design, facilitation, and assessment; proficiency with LMS platforms and virtual training tools.
• Technical: Proficient in EHR documentation and reporting; intermediate Excel/PowerPoint; comfort with data-driven coaching.
• Other: Valid driver’s license; ability to travel regularly between Beachwood and Toledo; successful background check.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience as a Clinical Educator, Clinical Supervisor, or QA/Training Specialist in community mental health or SUD programs.
• Familiarity with Relias (or similar LMS) and EHRs commonly used in behavioral health.
• Certifications or training in Lean/Six Sigma, project/change management, or EBP fidelity models.
• Bilingual or multilingual ability.

Performance Expectations (Sample KPIs)

• By 30 Days: Orientation curriculum finalized; onboarding checklists in use.
• By 60 Days: Quarterly and Annual training plan created and calendar published.
• By 90 Days: >95% on-time completion of required trainings; baseline documentation error rate established; first audit cycle complete with action plan.
• By 180 Days: utilizing an audit chart ≥20% reduction in documentation defects from baseline; improved first-pass claim quality; evidence of EBP fidelity gains (session structure, treatment plan alignment); creation and implementation of standardized workflows across both sites.
• ≥180 days: Own the end-to-end onboarding program for all new hires; lead continuing education for current staff; maintain monthly compliance reports (OhioMHAS/OHMAS, CMS, and MCO requirements); and update curricula to reflect changes in state, federal, and organizational policies.

Physical & Work Environment Requirements

• Prolonged periods of computer use;
• Able to move between office, group rooms, and training spaces;
• Occasional lifting/carrying of training materials (up to 20 lbs).

Schedule

• Full-time; Mon-Fri;
• Occasional early/late sessions for training needs.

Key Competencies

• Coaching & Developing Others
• Instructional Design
• Clinical Judgment
• Systems Thinking
• Data Literacy
• Communication & Facilitation
• Cultural Humility
• Change Leadership
• Collaboration

Travel

• Up to 30-40% between locations;
• Occasional statewide travel for trainings and conferences.

Statement

This description reflects key duties and qualifications and is not an exhaustive list. Responsibilities may evolve to meet organizational, regulatory, and client needs. The organization is an Equal Opportunity Employer.