State Director of ABA Services

First Children Services is a dedicated organization committed to enhancing the lives of children and families across New Jersey and Pennsylvania. We offer various essential support services for kids with autism using behavior therapy and counseling, through clinics, in-home settings, our own First Children School, and school district partnerships. As we continue to expand our outreach and impact, we are seeking a dynamic State Director to lead our initiatives and maintain our commitment to excellence.

As the State Director, you will play a crucial role in shaping the strategic direction of our organization, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards, and fostering relationships with therapists at our Strive centers and operations team. This position demands a leader who is passionate about making a positive difference in the lives of children while effectively managing and guiding our dedicated workforce.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Master’s Degree in Special Education, Psychology, Applied Behavior Analysis, Mental Health Counseling, or related field.
• A minimum of six years’ experience in working with children, adolescents, and/or adults with various individuals with IDD or mental health diagnosis.
• Must be a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst with active State Licensure

• Job Responsibilities
• Provide clinical leadership and oversight to all ABA service lines in the State
• Directly supervises Regional Directors, Center Directors, In-District Supervisors, and BCBAs
• Provides a minimum of 3 hours of supervision to each assigned BCBA for up to 12 FTE BCBAs
• Travels to all site locations within assigned region to conduct at least 50% of monthly BCBA supervision on-site during client sessions
• Conducts individual and group supervision meetings monthly with assigned BCBAs
• Ensure the First Children Services is abiding by the latest state or federal regulations regarding ABA services provision and continually seeks to provide programming to meet the behavioral health needs of the families and communities served
• Ensures all clients receive quality clinical programming
• Ensures all staff remain fully engaged and interactive with their clients and students and holds staff accountable to clinical expectations and responsibilities
• Ensures BCBAs demonstrate clinical quality and excellence from case conceptualization to discharge (including conducting assessments, treatment planning, training staff on treatment protocols, treatment implementation, data analysis, program modification based on data, etc.)
• Provide comprehensive clinical support and supervision to supervising clinicians by conducting clinical case reviews, assisting with data-based decision making, providing in-session mentorship and guidance, providing clinical recommendations and solutions, and problem solving acute and unique behavioral challenges
• Regularly review client programs and files using internal audit tools to assess client data and progress, documentation, and treatment plans and ensure alignment with company standards, best practices, and evidence-based approaches.
• Chair QIC subcommittee for assigned area/service line to execute improvement initiatives identified from the larger QIC to enhance the overall clinical services and outcomes of the organization.
• Evaluate and oversee clinical performance of supervising clinicians and technicians by providing ongoing training, coaching, and feedback to ensure alignment with company standards, best practices, and evidence-based approaches
• Ensure supervision minimums are met for all assigned staff
• Participate in FCS Clinical Review process as needed
• Hold regular clinical team meetings for both technicians and clinicians
• Reasonable Accommodations Statement: Employees must be able to perform the essential job functions with or without reasonable accommodation. All accommodations requests must be submitted to Human Resources.
• Training
• Collaborate and partner with internal and external stakeholders to ensure all clinical staff are trained and demonstrate proficiency and competency of all ABA policy and procedures, manuals and program guides that pertain to clinical functions, regulations and accountabilities;
• Collaborate with the training department to lead an initial training experience for new clinicians focusing on both the technical skills (i.e., clinical case conceptualization, assessment selection, programming aligned with company and industry standards and regulations, etc.) and soft skills (i.e., effective communication, problem-solving, collaborating with other professionals, navigating difficult situations, etc.) of their position.
• Collaborate with the training department to lead a comprehensive, ongoing training experience for supervising clinicians focusing on clinical skills development and staff supervision.
• Parent Support
• Lead parent training initiatives within STRIVE to include the implementation of a parent training curriculum/model and supports groups/resource sharing.
• Conduct regular check-ins with caregivers to assess satisfaction, address concerns, and obtain feedback regarding services provided.
• Business Development
• Cultivate and maintain relations with local healthcare organizations, school districts, and other referral sources
• Develop programming and initiatives to secure new contracts and services
• Develop and implement new service initiatives, including offering regular social skills groups and parent training
• Collaborate with other departments to ensure clinic census and capacity targets are met
• Clinical Operations Support
• Lead debriefing and post-incident follow-up for all clinically indicated incidents in assigned area to minimize and prevent future incidents.
• Collaborate with Operations to oversee daily operations of assigned clinic locations
• Collaborate with Operations to screen and interview prospective technicians and clinicians aligned with staffing needs in assigned area.
• Collaborates with Operations to ensure a pipeline of referrals/new clients is established and maintained to build and maintain BCBA caseloads
• Collaborate with Operations to address issues with compliance, caseload assignment (including staffing behaviorally acute and unique cases), and staff performance.
• Partner with Operations to evaluate operational performance of supervising clinicians and technicians by ensuring adherence to company policies, processes, and operating practices.
• Collaborate with Operations to complete annual performance appraisals for all clinical staff
• Collaborate with Operations to complete incentives for clinicians
• Assists with obtaining new client referrals and building clinic census by conducting Family Handbook reviews and clinic tours
• Assists with business development/growth initiatives, including obtaining new client referrals, implementing staff incentive programs, and participating in community engagement and marketing initiatives
• Addresses parent, staff, and other concerns
• Other job duties as assigned.

What we have to offer you: 

• Competitive salary and bonus
• PTO and paid holidays. 
• Advancement Opportunities 
• Health Benefits that include Medical, Dental, Vision, and more
• 401K for our Benefits eligible staff and much more! 
• Employee Assistance Program(EAP)
• Company provided laptop