Prevention Director

Prevention Director

Improving Lives. Improving Communities

LRADAC offers a wide array of prevention, intervention, and treatment programs in both Lexington and Richland counties, so when you join our team, you are truly improving lives and improving communities. As a part of our dedicated staff, you will be a part of innovative programs and services taking a proactive approach to fighting addiction and substance misuse in our schools, businesses, and neighborhoods. We tailor our programs to meeting the ever-changing needs of the communities we serve. Our prevention, intervention, and treatment programs spread the message that there is hope and that addiction and substance misuse are preventable and treatable.

As Prevention Director, the primary duty is managing a department of the agency; and regularly supervising the work of other employees. Under general supervision of the VP of Community Services and Strategic Planning, responsible for the daily operations and all services for the Prevention Department. Provide leadership and management to the Prevention Program, continuously developing the program and managing Prevention staff.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES includes the following.

SUBJECT MATTER EXCELLENCE (35%)

• Provide strategic oversight for all agency prevention initiatives, ensuring services align with evidence-based prevention science, state priorities, and national best practices.
• Direct the implementation and continuous improvement of comprehensive prevention programming utilizing the CSAP Prevention Strategies, ensuring a balanced portfolio of education, community-based process, environmental strategies, problem identification and referral, alternatives, and information dissemination.
• Oversee implementation fidelity for evidence-based prevention curricula, environmental strategies, media campaigns, coalition initiatives, and community outreach activities.
• Establish agency-wide prevention quality assurance processes including outcome measurement, program fidelity, performance monitoring, and continuous quality improvement.
• Lead prevention data collection, epidemiological analysis, needs assessment, and outcome evaluation to inform strategic decision making and demonstrate program effectiveness.
• Ensure prevention services comply with federal, state, and grant requirements while maintaining high standards of documentation and reporting.

STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP (30%)

• Develop and execute the agency's comprehensive prevention strategic plan consistent with organizational priorities and community needs.
• Provide leadership for community-level prevention planning utilizing the Strategic Prevention Framework (Assessment, Capacity, Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation).
• Lead development and expansion of prevention initiatives targeting substance misuse across the lifespan through schools, healthcare, community organizations, law enforcement, and other community sectors.
• Direct prevention grant development, implementation, monitoring, and sustainability planning.
• Utilize prevention outcome data, community indicators, and evaluation findings to guide resource allocation, strategic priorities, and continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with executive leadership to integrate prevention within the agency's continuum of care and long-term organizational strategy.

PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT (20%)

• Responsible for personnel-related actions including hiring selections, advancement, promotion, firing, disciplinary, and overall performance management including setting performance standards and goals
• Recruit, supervise, mentor, and evaluate prevention personnel while promoting professional growth and credential attainment.
• Develop a high-performing prevention workforce through coaching, professional development, succession planning, and ongoing performance management.
• Promote adherence to prevention ethics, evidence-based practice, and professional standards, including IC&RC competencies where applicable.
• Foster collaboration across prevention, treatment, recovery, communications, and administrative teams.

AGENCY ADVOCATE (10%)

• Represent LRADAC on local, regional, and statewide prevention initiatives, coalitions, advisory councils, and professional organizations.
• Advocate for evidence-based prevention policies, environmental strategies, and community-level approaches that reduce substance misuse and promote behavioral health.
• Cultivate strategic partnerships with schools, healthcare systems, law enforcement, government agencies, faith organizations, and community stakeholders.
• Promote prevention as an essential component of the agency's continuum of care and organizational mission.
• Serve on Executive Management Team and agency leadership committees.

MARGINAL DUTIES (5%) includes the following:

• Oversee the prevention internship program.
• Attends all required meetings and training sessions.
• Other duties as assigned.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

Supervises Prevention Specialists and Grant Coordinators.

QUALIFICATIONS: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Minimum Education and/or Experience

Master's degree in human services or public health, four years of management experience and experience working in the field of Prevention Services; or a bachelor's degree in same and six years of management experience. Credentialed as a Senior Prevention Specialist is preferred or will substitute status as a Certified Health Education Specialist, CHES, with ability to gain status of an ICRC Certified Senior Prevention Specialist within three years.

Language Skills

Ability to read, analyze, and interpret professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from clients, other service providers, staff, and the general public.

Mathematical Skills

Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.

Reasoning Ability

Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job the employee is regularly required to sit, use hands to finger, handle, or feel, reach with hand and arms, and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to walk. The employee is occasionally required to stand, climb or balance, and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

COMMENTS:

LRADAC reserves the right to revise, modify or amend this job description at any time with or without notice to employees. Job descriptions are not intended as and do not create employment contracts. LRADAC maintains its status as an at-will employer. Employees can be terminated for any reason not prohibited by law.