Associate Director of Child & Family Services

Associate Director of Child & Family Services

About Paragon Behavioral Health Connections

Paragon Behavioral Health Connections is a comprehensive behavioral health organization on a mission to positively impact individuals and families through compassionate, and client-centered care.  Our mission is to deliver personalized care that uplifts our clients and builds supportive connections in communities.  Through community based or in-home services, and digital solutions as needed, we meet clients where they are—both physically and emotionally—to provide the right support at the right time. Serving communities across Colorado, we deliver equitable and creative “one-stop” behavioral health services—providing in-home mental health and substance use treatment, crisis stabilization, early childhood support, intensive outpatient programs, assertive community treatment, medication management, wrap around support and more. We believe care should meet people where they are, both physically and emotionally. Our approach is rooted in understanding, respect, innovation, and community collaboration.

Our vision is to empower individuals and families with complex needs, helping them overcome challenges, build essential skills, and access the resources necessary to achieve long-term well-being. We offer a wide range of services, including step-down care from inpatient hospitalization for youth and adults, comprehensive support for children and families, and specialized treatment for adults facing depression, trauma, substance use, and other mental health needs.

Our programming includes intensive care management supports for families and adults, Crisis Stabilization programming, Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) for individuals diagnosed with serious mental illness, Child First for young children and caregivers, integrated co-occurring Intensive Outpatient treatment, individual and family therapy, medication management (including MAT), peer support, supported employment/housing, and holistic recovery services for mental health and substance use disorders.

Why Work With Paragon

• Statewide Reach - Deliver care where it’s needed most. We’re not region-limited—serve communities across Colorado, including rural and frontier areas with limited access to care.


• Flexibility & Work–Life Balance - Own your schedule. Partner with families to set visit times that work for them (and you), so you can enjoy Colorado’s trails, slopes, and sunshine during off-peak hours.


• Clinical Leadership & Support - Clinicians lead here. Our executive team includes licensed providers who shape business decisions with a care-first lens. We provide licensure supervision and regular consultation to support your growth as a clinician.


• Comprehensive, Company-Paid Benefits - We cover health, dental, vision, short- and long-term disability, and life insurance—company-paid—so there are no premium deductions from your paycheck. Keep your full salary and your peace of mind.


• Career Growth Opportunities - Grow with us. Explore new modalities and specializations and advance into leadership as we expand statewide.

Position Summary

The Associate Director of Child & Family Services provides operational and clinical leadership for Paragon’s Child and Family programs under the direction of the Director of Child & Family Services. This role directly supervises 3–4 Team Leads (with additional growth anticipated), who in turn supervise clinical and care management staff.

The Associate Director ensures high-quality, compliant, and mission-driven service delivery across child and family programs. This position is responsible for oversight of documentation standards, adherence to policies and procedures, regulatory compliance, and supervision of master’s-level clinicians working toward licensure.

The ideal candidate is highly organized, detail-oriented, experienced in child and family behavioral health, and skilled in developing clinicians and emerging leaders. Experience training new clinicians and developing skill-based content for bachelor’s-level staff is strongly preferred.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Supervision

• Directly supervise 3–4 Team Leads, supporting their development as emerging leaders.


• Provide oversight and guidance to master’s-level clinicians working toward independent licensure.


• Support clinical supervision structures and ensure staff understand roles and responsibilities operating as multidisciplinary teams.


• Ensure high standards of care and professional development.


• Assist in hiring, onboarding, training, and performance evaluation of staff.


• Foster a culture of accountability, growth, and mission alignment.


• Partner with the Director to align child and family services with organizational strategy and goals.


• Participate in on-call coverage. On-call duties include carrying the crisis phone and being available to initiate holds when clinically indicated, including weekends. These 24-hour shifts are scheduled at the start of each month.
  
  

Clinical & Program Operations

• Oversee day-to-day child and family service operations to ensure client-centered, high-quality care.


• Ensure assessment, treatment planning, therapy, discharge planning, and case management meet best practice standards.


• Coordinate referral workflows and monitor staffing levels to meet service demand and licensure requirements.


• Promote strong policies and procedures that support risk-managed, values-based, family-centered treatment.


• Provide direct clinical services as needed.
  
  

Compliance & Quality Assurance

• Ensure staff adherence to documentation standards and agency policies and procedures.


• Monitor compliance with federal, state, Medicaid, and third-party payor requirements.


• Ensure HIPAA compliance and privacy practice adherence across teams.


• Participate in quality improvement initiatives and monitor program performance metrics.


• Support accurate, timely billing and documentation aligned with regulatory requirements.


• Oversee appropriate utilization of the Electronic Health Record (EHR) system.

Training & Workforce Development

• Support training and mentorship of new clinicians.


• Develop and/or implement skill-building content for bachelor’s-level staff to enhance:
  
  
  
  • Care management skills
  
  
  • Family engagement strategies
  
  
  • Parenting support interventions
  
  
  • Youth skill-building (organization, task management, executive functioning, activities of daily living)
  
  
  
  


• Strengthen internal supervision pathways and leadership development for Team Leads.
  
  

Financial & Operational Stewardship

• Support fiscally responsible staffing and service delivery.


• Ensure billing compliance and timely documentation of services rendered.


• Assist leadership in maintaining program sustainability and responsible growth.
  
  

Community & Professional Representation

• Represent Paragon in interactions with regulatory agencies, insurance carriers, and community partners as appropriate.


• Maintain professional affiliations and pursue continuing education to remain current with best practices in child and family behavioral health.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Direct supervision of 3–4 Team Leads (growing).


• Indirect oversight of clinical and care management staff within Child & Family Services.


• Participation in interviewing, hiring, onboarding, training, performance evaluation, corrective action, and professional development processes.
  
  

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Strong knowledge of child development, early childhood mental health, trauma-informed care, and family systems.


• Knowledge of Medicaid regulations and third-party payor requirements.


• Strong organizational and documentation oversight skills.


• Demonstrated leadership and team development abilities.


• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.


• Ability to analyze data, monitor outcomes, and implement quality improvements.


• Ability to manage complex or emotional clinical situations with professionalism and integrity.


• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to monitor compliance across multiple service lines and staff levels.


• Commitment to Paragon’s mission, vision, and values.

Qualifications

• Education: Master’s degree in Counseling, Social Work, Clinical Psychology, or related field (required).


• Licensure:
  Fully Licensed (LPC, LCSW, LMFT) 
  
  
  
  • All licenses must stay up to date and valid during employment.
  
  
  
  


• Experience: 
  
  
  
  • Minimum of seven (7) years of experience in behavioral health or healthcare settings.
  
  
  • Demonstrated experience working with children, youth, and families.
  
  
  • Experience supervising master’s-level clinicians preferred.
  
  
  • Experience in Medicaid-funded or third-party reimbursed environments strongly preferred.
  
  
  • Experience developing training materials or skill-based curriculum for staff is a plus.
  
  
  
  


• Language Skills: Bilingual (Spanish) preferred


• Other Requirements: Valid driver’s license, auto insurance, willingness to travel to homes/communities. 
  
  
  
  • Requires living in or near the location of the posting. 
  
  
  
  

Job Details

• Type: Full-Time


• Location: Lakewood, Colorado (Hybrid)


• Department: In-Home Services


• Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:30am-5pm
  
  
  
  • Occasional night or weekend coverage required for on-call
  
  
  
  


• Salary: $85,000-$95,000 per year

Benefits

• Paid health, dental, vision, life, short- and long-term disability insurance.


• Flexible work hours


• Discretionary Time Off (DTO)


• 401(k)retirement plan


• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)


• Professional development support


• Referral bonuses

Diversity & Inclusion

Paragon Behavioral Health Connections is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace. We strongly encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds, identities, and lived experiences.