Clinical Director, Youth Autism Services

Job Description: Clinical Director, Youth Autism Services

Department: Youth Autism Services (YAS)
Position Title: Clinical Director, Youth Autism Services
Reports To: Vice President of Programs / Designated Executive Leadership
FLSA Status: Exempt
Employment Status: Full-Time
Work Location: Baltimore, Maryland
Salary Range: $80K - $85K Annually
POSITION SUMMARY

The Clinical Director of Youth Autism Services is a strategic clinical leader responsible for overseeing the clinical quality, program effectiveness, regulatory compliance, and day-to-day clinical operations of The

League for People with Disabilities' Youth Autism Services department. This position provides leadership, supervision, and clinical guidance to multidisciplinary teams serving children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder and related developmental disabilities.

The Clinical Director ensures that services are individualized, evidence-informed, trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and centered on each participant's strengths, needs, preferences, communication style, and developmental goals. This position collaborates with families, caregivers, direct support professionals, educators, clinicians, program leadership, and external service providers to promote meaningful progress, independence, safety, and quality of life.

The ideal candidate is a compassionate, highly organized, and results-driven clinical professional who can balance clinical excellence with operational leadership, employee development, regulatory accountability, and continuous quality improvement.

In alignment with The League's mission of offering individuals the opportunity to gain independence, increase self-sufficiency, and improve their quality of life, the Clinical Director will foster a culture of accountability, independence, mutual respect, participant focus, and quality.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Clinical Leadership and Program Oversight

• Provide strategic direction and clinical oversight for Youth Autism Services programs, ensuring services are consistent with approved program models, individual support needs, applicable regulations, and organizational policies.
• Establish and maintain clinical standards, procedures, and expectations that promote safe, effective, ethical, and person-centered service delivery.
• Oversee the development, implementation, review, and monitoring of individualized treatment plans, behavioral support plans, educational objectives, developmental goals, and other required participant documentation, as applicable to the program's authorized scope of services.
• Ensure interventions are individualized, measurable, appropriate to each participant's developmental level, and designed to promote communication, adaptive functioning, social engagement, emotional regulation, and independence.
• Monitor clinical outcomes, identify service-delivery concerns, and implement corrective action and performance improvement plans when needed.
• Promote the use of evidence-informed practices appropriate to autism services and each participant's individual needs.
• Ensure clinical services remain within the professional scope, credentials, and authorized responsibilities of assigned personnel.

DDA and Regulatory Compliance

• Maintain working knowledge of applicable Maryland Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) requirements, Maryland Department of Health regulations, licensing and certification standards, Medicaid requirements where applicable, and other governing requirements.
• Ensure assigned services comply with applicable DDA policies, approved service definitions, participant rights requirements, documentation standards, and organizational procedures.
• Oversee the timely completion, accuracy, and maintenance of clinical records, assessments, service plans, progress notes, incident documentation, and required reviews.
• Prepare the department for internal reviews, regulatory inspections, audits, and other compliance monitoring activities.
• Identify compliance gaps, establish corrective action plans, and monitor completion within required timeframes.
• Collaborate with Quality Assurance, Human Resources, program leadership, and other departments to address findings and reduce organizational risk.
• Ensure participant confidentiality and the secure handling of protected health information in accordance with HIPAA and other applicable privacy requirements.
• Support compliance with applicable mandated reporting, incident reporting, abuse prevention, neglect prevention, and participant safeguarding requirements.

Person-Centered Planning and Participant Outcomes

• Champion person-centered practices that recognize each participant's abilities, interests, communication preferences, cultural background, and individual goals.
• Oversee participation in interdisciplinary meetings, care coordination activities, family conferences, and individual planning meetings, as applicable.
• Ensure participants and their families or authorized representatives are meaningfully involved in planning and evaluating services.
• Monitor participant progress through objective measures, clinical observations, progress reports, and other appropriate outcome indicators.
• Ensure recommendations and interventions are reviewed and adjusted based on progress, changing needs, and documented outcomes.
• Promote positive behavior support, dignity, self-determination, community participation, and the least restrictive appropriate approaches.
• Ensure restrictive or rights-limiting interventions are never used outside applicable legal, regulatory, clinical, authorization, and organizational requirements.

Behavioral Support and Clinical Risk Management

• Provide clinical oversight of behavioral assessment and intervention processes within the director's professional qualifications and authorized scope.
• Guide teams in implementing approved behavioral support strategies consistently and appropriately.
• Monitor patterns involving challenging behavior, injuries, safety concerns, crisis events, and other incidents to identify trends and opportunities for prevention.
• Ensure crisis response and de-escalation procedures are consistent with approved training, participant plans, and organizational protocols.
• Review incident reports and coordinate follow-up, root-cause analysis, and corrective action when appropriate.
• Collaborate with families and interdisciplinary professionals to address emerging behavioral, emotional, developmental, and environmental concerns.
• Promote proactive supports that reduce preventable crises and improve participant safety and quality of life.

Staff Supervision, Training, and Professional Development

• Provide direct supervision, coaching, and performance management to assigned clinical personnel and other designated staff.
• Establish clear expectations for clinical practice, documentation, professional conduct, communication, and participant safety.
• Ensure staff receive required orientation, role-specific training, competency assessments, and ongoing professional development.
• Identify skill gaps and implement training plans addressing autism support, behavior management, communication strategies, positive behavior support, crisis prevention, confidentiality, and regulatory compliance.
• Conduct performance evaluations, provide constructive feedback, recognize strong performance, and address performance deficiencies promptly.
• Support recruitment, retention, succession planning, and professional growth within the department.
• Partner with Human Resources and program leadership to address staffing concerns, corrective action, employee relations matters, and required documentation.
• Ensure staff assignments align with qualifications, training, competency, participant needs, and required supervision.

Family Engagement and Interdisciplinary Collaboration

• Build collaborative, respectful relationships with parents, guardians, caregivers, and authorized representatives.
• Communicate participant progress, service recommendations, and significant concerns in a timely, professional, and understandable manner, consistent with confidentiality requirements.
• Coordinate with schools, healthcare providers, therapists, behavioral specialists, case managers, and community partners when authorized and appropriate.
• Facilitate interdisciplinary problem-solving to address complex participant needs and promote continuity of care.
• Respond to family concerns professionally and ensure issues are appropriately documented, communicated, and resolved.
• Promote consistent approaches across service environments to support participant progress and reduce disruptions in care.

Operational and Administrative Management

• Oversee clinical workflows, documentation timelines, service quality, and departmental priorities.
• Collaborate with executive leadership to develop annual goals, program objectives, performance indicators, and improvement initiatives.
• Monitor staffing levels, service capacity, scheduling, and resource needs in coordination with program management.
• Participate in budget planning, resource allocation, and operational decision-making as assigned.
• Maintain accurate departmental reports, clinical tracking tools, and performance dashboards.
• Identify opportunities to improve processes, strengthen accountability, and increase operational efficiency.
• Attend leadership meetings, compliance reviews, and departmental planning sessions as required.
• Maintain effective communication across Youth Autism Services, Human Resources, Quality Assurance, and other League departments.

Quality Assurance and Continuous Improvement

• Establish and monitor measurable indicators related to participant outcomes, documentation compliance, staff competency, incident trends, and service quality.
• Conduct routine reviews of clinical records and service implementation to identify deficiencies and improvement opportunities.
• Develop and implement corrective action plans with clear responsibilities, deadlines, and follow-up measures.
• Use data, participant feedback, family input, and staff observations to guide program improvements.
• Promote a culture of accountability, transparency, ethical conduct, and continuous learning.
• Report significant clinical risks, regulatory concerns, and quality issues to executive leadership promptly.

Participant Rights, Safety, and Ethical Practice

• Protect participant dignity, privacy, confidentiality, autonomy, and freedom from abuse, neglect, exploitation, discrimination, and unnecessary restrictions.
• Ensure services respect individual preferences, communication needs, cultural differences, and applicable legal rights.
• Support reasonable accommodations and accessible communication in accordance with applicable ADA requirements.
• Ensure concerns involving participant rights, suspected abuse or neglect, safety risks, and service quality are addressed and reported in accordance with applicable requirements.
• Model ethical leadership and promote professional boundaries, informed participation, and respectful interactions.
• Ensure clinical recommendations are based on participant needs, objective information, professional standards, and applicable authorizations.

QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

EducationMaster's or doctorate degree in special education or related field required
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in providing training or consultation in the area of Autism Spectrum Disorder, developmental disabilities, behavioral health, special education, human services, or related field.
• Minimum 3 years of leadership/supervisory or program management experience.
• Demonstrated knowledge of Autism Waiver regulations and programmatic procedures.
• Demonstrated knowledge of Maryland Autism Waiver regulations and programmatic procedures.
• Demonstrated experience with compliance, quality assurance, program development, community partnerships, and/or strategic growth.
• Preferred credentials include BCBA, LCPC, LCSW-C, RN, or another relevant professional credential.

Additional Qualification Requirements:
• Excellent written, oral, presentation, networking, and relationship-building skills.
• Demonstrate ability to analyze data, identify risk, develop solutions, and lead quality improvement.
• Clean driving record with no more than 3 points; reliable personal vehicle required.
• Ability to be on call after business working hours to provide crisis support when necessary

Licensure and Certifications

• Must possess and maintain any professional license, certification, or registration required for the assigned clinical responsibilities.
• Active Maryland professional licensure or certification is required when mandated by the position's scope of practice or applicable regulations.
• BCBA certification is preferred for a position emphasizing applied behavior analysis and behavioral intervention oversight.
• Current CPR/First Aid certification, or the ability to obtain it within the required timeframe, is preferred or required based on program needs.
• Must maintain required continuing education, credentials, and professional standing.

Experience

• Minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in autism services, developmental disabilities, behavioral health, special education, or a related clinical setting preferred.
• At least two years of supervisory, clinical leadership, or program management experience preferred.
• Demonstrated experience overseeing individualized plans, clinical documentation, behavioral interventions, staff training, and participant outcome monitoring.
• Experience working with children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder and co-occurring developmental, behavioral, or communication needs strongly preferred.