Director of Substance Use Services

The Child Health and Development Institute (CHDI) is an independent, non-profit organization located in Farmington, CT. CHDI is dedicated to improving the behavioral health and well-being of children in Connecticut and beyond by providing policymakers, providers, educators, and partners with a bridge to better and more equitable systems, practices, and policies. Our core initiative areas include system development and integration, evidence-based and best practice treatment dissemination, comprehensive school mental health, and data analysis & quality improvement.

CHDI is seeking an experienced Director to lead and expand statewide initiatives to improve youth substance use and co-occurring prevention and intervention services across Connecticut. This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced and talented person to lead and grow high-quality substance use and co-occurring services for Connecticut’s youth. The Director will provide substantive leadership and will be responsible for multiple initiatives and a team of staff working to improve the quality of services across the state (and potentially beyond) for substance use and co-occurring disorders, including youth and family treatment, prevention, promotion, and early intervention.

The Director will provide project oversight, project/contract management, hiring/staffing, and reporting. The Director will contribute to the development of written products in varying formats and for diverse audiences (e.g., peer reviewed journal publications, policy and issue briefs). The Director will also identify and pursue new opportunities including grant and contract funding, consistent with CHDI’s mission, to expand CHDI’s impact on children and families in Connecticut.

• Providing leadership of and project management for youth substance use and co-occurring practice dissemination and related initiatives (including several federal grants and state contracts)
• Providing oversight of project budgets, hiring, staffing, contracts, deliverables, outcomes, reports, and relationships with funders and other partners
• Identifying and pursuing new initiatives and associated funding via state, federal, and philanthropic grants and contracts
• Contributing to and leading development of written dissemination products, including CHDI reports/briefs, peer-reviewed publications, and other written products
• Contributing to CHDI’s organizational growth and development, including responsibility for the substance use area of work in CHDI’s strategic plan and implementation plan, and strengthening collaborations across CHDI’s other areas of work
• Supervising staff directly (e.g. Senior Associates) and supporting a team of staff indirectly (e.g. Project Coordinators, Data Analyst)
• Providing training, consultation, and systems development in areas of expertise, including participation on committees, work groups, and/or other public forums
• Overseeing evaluation and continuous quality improvement, including quantitative and qualitative data collection, data analysis, and reporting

• Master’s Degree (Doctoral degree preferred) in psychology, social work, public health, biostatistics, alcohol and drug counseling, child/youth development, or a closely related field;
• Supervisory experience (management experience or extensive supervisory experience preferred);
• Strong knowledge of substance use and co-occurring screening, prevention, intervention, and treatment services
• Knowledge of Connecticut’s youth behavioral health service system including services for substance and co-occurring disorders, youth and family treatment and prevention services;
• Must be extremely organized, efficient, and a strong team player;
• Excellent interpersonal, communication,…