Clinical directors are the managers of a wide variety of health care facilities. This career field is employed in places such as nursing homes, rehabilitation institutions, behavioral health care hospitals, and health care clinics. The type and level of education a person needs to become a successful clinical director varies. However, the duties of a clinical director are similar, regardless of the type of care facility or its location.

Required Education and Skills

The education required to fulfill the job duties of a clinical director varies. Though many employers prefer clinical directors to have a master’s degree, an entry-level position is available with a bachelor’s degree. The degree areas of a clinical director include life and medical science, clinical administration, health care administration, and nurses licensing. Skills required of a clinical director include experience in the areas of supervision, communication, interpersonal skills, time management, computers, leadership, and conflict resolution. Clinical directors must also know about clinical policies and procedures, keeping accurate records, ethics, and other regulatory affairs.

Supervision

The primary job obligation of a clinical director, regardless of the type of facility he or she is heading, is supervision. The position of clinical director can be likened to that of a school principal in that the director must be aware of every single activity that takes place in a facility. If you are clinical director in a physical therapy office, you must supervise the therapeutic teams and all therapy programs. The clinical director must supervise every area of the facility to ensure tasks are carried out in the most efficient and least hazardous fashion. Every member of each department should be aware of the clinical director’s presence to ensure the standard set forth is being upheld.

Other Management Duties

The clinical director is expected to coordinate employee work-related activities such as meetings and workshops. In addition, other managerial duties include assigning caseloads, scheduling, hosting conferences for all stakeholders, and the prevention and analyzing of problems before and as they occur. As a clinical director, you must make certain that all facility policies and regulations are upheld and fulfilled. Lastly, a clinical director regularly trains and evaluates staff members, and occasionally counsels clients.