Position Title: Program Manager

Department: Residential

Report to: Deputy Executive Director

Salary Range: $80,000 - $100,000

Type: Full Time, Exempt

Position Summary

The Program Manager provides daily leadership and supervision for Stepping Stone’s County-funded

Drug Medi-Cal (DMC) Residential Program, ensuring consistent, high-quality care for clients navigating

substance use recovery. This role is responsible for the direct oversight of SUD Counselors and

residential support staff, for example and case manager, peer support. They are expected to model

professionalism, compassion, and accountability while cultivating a supportive, people-centered work

culture. They are skilled at fostering a structured, client-centered, and trauma-informed rehabilitation

environment grounded in recovery principles.

Reporting to the Deputy Executive Director, the Program Manager ensures program operations meet all

compliance, documentation, and contract standards under DMC and County guidelines. They are a

strong people-manager, coach and motivator. They are versed in working in a fee-for-service

environment to ensure billable hours are met. This includes overseeing service offerings, group and

individual treatment schedules, ensuring timely and accurate data entry into SmartCare and other data

systems, supporting clinical workflows, and maintaining strong communication across departments and

leadership. The Programs team works closely with the Clinical team enhancing the continuity of care for

clients with co-occurring needs. The ideal candidate has leadership experience in residential recovery or

DMC-certified treatment settings, understands the unique needs of LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities,

and demonstrates a strong commitment to Stepping Stone’s mission of saving lives through recovery

and community.

Essential Functions

Program Management and Oversight

• Supervise all program staff, including Lead SUD Counselors, Peer Support Specialist, Residential
  
  

Case Manager, and other support personnel, to ensure consistent, high-quality service delivery.

• Ensure State Drug Medi-Cal (DMC) fee-for-service targets are met by managing billable targets,
  
  

keeping beds filled to capacity, billing for services provided, reducing program costs, optimizing

staff productivity, and exploring new revenue opportunities.

• Coordinate with client intake, discharge coordination, and census tracking; maintain timely and
  
  

accurate data through weekly reconciliation and internal reporting.

• Review and support a staffing model that aligns with SUD counselor caseloads, ensures
  
  

coverage, and reflects culturally competent care delivery.

• Ensure compliance with DMC requirements, including treatment documentation, Optum San
  
  

Diego authorizations, and internal QA processes.

• Regularly audit client records, treatment plans, and case documentation to ensure compliance,
  
  

quality, and timeliness across all services.

• Lead weekly treatment team and staff meetings alongside Lead Counselors to train, support and
  
  

develop team as well as address operational and personnel matters.

• Conduct or support crisis interventions; train staff in de-escalation practices and build team
  
  

resilience during client challenges.

• Manage hiring, onboarding, performance evaluation, and ongoing training for all program
  
  

personnel; implement a professional development curriculum.

• Provide direct counseling or group facilitation when needed.
• Oversee medication management of residents in concert with the Medical Director and oversee
  
  

controlled medication destruction and compliance with SUD Leads

• Help Operations Team assemble information for County audits.
• Maintain and update required logs for County reporting.
• Maintain strict compliance with HIPAA, 42 CFR, and all confidentiality regulations.
• Collaborate with the Case Manager and clinical team to connect clients with external services
  
  

and maintain current referral resources.

• Participate in on-call rotation to support after-hours needs.
• Coordinate with operations to address facility-related issues impacting programming.
  
  

Program Design, Evaluation, and Continuous Improvement

• Support Senior Leadership in the design and delivery of high-quality addiction recovery
  
  

curriculum, ensuring relevance to LGBTQ+ needs and alignment with evidence-based practices.

• Conduct ongoing assessments of client needs and adjust offerings to ensure culturally
  
  

responsive and effective care.

• Integrate data-driven approaches and innovative practices into program operations to enhance
  
  

service outcomes.

• Develop and implement evaluation frameworks to measure impact; oversee data collection,
  
  

analysis, and stakeholder reporting.

• Solicit and incorporate client feedback for program improvements.
• Work collaboratively with clinical staff, community partners, and stakeholders to ensure holistic
  
  

and coordinated care delivery.

• Train staff in current best practices and support their professional development.
• Assist with grant writing and reporting related to program funding and sustainability.
  
  

Program Development and Growth

• Partner with leadership to implement long-term strategic plans for facilities, programming, and
  
  

organizational growth within the LGBTQ+ recovery space.

• Support development efforts by identifying funding opportunities and contributing to grant
  
  

applications and donor/sponsor relationships.

• Stay current with trends in addiction recovery and LGBTQ+ services to drive innovation and
  
  

excellence.

• Cultivate partnerships with community organizations and stakeholders to expand reach and
  
  

impact.

• Lead initiatives to build internal capacity and operational readiness for program growth.
• Provide team leadership and mentoring; build cross-coverage systems to ensure no single point
  
  

of failure.

• Establish performance metrics to monitor and guide strategic expansion and organizational
  
  

development efforts.

Minimum Qualifications

• A minimum of 5 years’ staff supervisory experience and/or equivalent management experience
• Minimum of 2–3 years of experience working in a residential substance use treatment program,
  
  

addiction recovery facility, or similar behavioral health programs, with demonstrated knowledge

of recovery-oriented systems of care.

• Cultural competency and experience working with the LGBTQ+ community, addiction recovery
  
  

community and understanding of the social determinants of health

• Full knowledge and understanding of ASAM criteria and its application in Screening/Assessment
• Valid CA Driver License, Pre-screening drug and TB testing, background check
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Active SUD certification through SUD certification through CCAPP, CAADE, or CADTP (in addition
  
  

to an LCSW), or equivalent relevant licensure

• Comprehensive knowledge of DMC requirements and/or compliance in residential recovery
  
  

programs

• Five years’ experience in the substance abuse treatment field
• Written and spoken bilingual fluency in English and Spanish
  
  

Environmental Factors And Conditions/Physical Requirements

• Working mostly indoors, in a climate-controlled environment.
• Long periods at a desk and in front of a computer monitor.
• Primarily in-office arrangement, with the ability to work remotely or hybrid occasionally.
  
  

Benefits Package

• Health Premiums company paid, including Acupuncture and Chiropractic
• Dental & Vision company paid
• 403(b) Retirement Employer Match up to 5%
• 15 Paid Holidays
• Generous additional paid time off – sick & vacation
• Flexible Spending Accounts (Health Care & Dependent Care)
• Employee Assistance Program
• Life/AD&D Insurance company paid
• Long Term Disability Insurance company paid