Director of Nursing

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Job Description

Description: OUR MISSION Wellness Equity Alliance is a national multidisciplinary health organization that designs and delivers integrated, community-based care for populations most impacted by health inequities. We do this through mobile and field-based models, providing medical care, behavioral health services, substance use treatment, harm reduction, and care coordination in nontraditional settings such as encampments, schools, reentry sites, and rural communities as well as with sovereign tribal nations. Grounded in trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and data-driven practices, WEA combines clinical expertise, lived experience, and advanced population health analytics to reduce barriers to care, improve continuity, and strengthen local systems. We have partnered with more than 60 public agencies, managed care plans, and community-based organizations across the U.S. to implement scalable, sustainable programs that are advancing health equity and improving outcomes for historically marginalized populations. We are known as Renegades, Rebels, Disruptors and Dreamers. If that sounds like you, we want you on our team. Position Summary The Director of Nursing (DON) provides strategic, operational, and clinical leadership for nursing services across Wellness Equity Alliance’s community-based healthcare programs. Reporting to the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and serving as a member of the clinical leadership team, the DON oversees nursing operations across street medicine, behavioral health, crisis services, care management, and other mobile or community-based clinical programs. The DON is responsible for developing and implementing nursing workflows, clinical policies, staffing models, quality improvement initiatives, and training programs that support high-quality, trauma-informed, and equity-centered care for vulnerable and historically underserved populations. This role works collaboratively across departments to strengthen clinical operations, ensure regulatory compliance, support workforce development, and operationalize innovative models of care. Key Highlights Compensation: The compensation range for this role is $110,000 - 170,000, with final compensation determined based on experience, qualifications, and role scope. Work Location & Expectations: In person clinical (50%) and administrative (50%) duties at Southern California offices with some virtual duties. Travel required on occasion to all WEA locations across Southern CA. Professional Development: Opportunity to collaborate with cross-functional leaders across the country in multiple sectors, including Behavioral Health (including mental health and substance use disorders), HIV Street Medicine, Public Health, Rural Health, and Tribal Health initiatives. Key Responsibilities Clinical & Nursing Operations Leadership Provide strategic and operational leadership for nursing services across WEA clinical programs, including street medicine, behavioral health, crisis services, care management, and mobile/community-based care delivery models. Oversee nursing operations across multiple program sites and regions, ensuring safe, high-quality, trauma-informed, and equity-centered patient care. Establish and maintain nursing workflows, staffing models, escalation pathways, and operational standards that support both field-based and clinic-based care environments. Serve as a key clinical operations leader in the development, implementation, and scaling of new clinical programs and service lines. Program Development & Crisis Services Lead nursing operations planning and implementation for new and expanding programs, including crisis stabilization and behavioral health initiatives. Develop operational workflows and clinical protocols for voluntary behavioral health crisis programs, including intake/triage processes, discharge planning, observation standards, escalation procedures, and higher-level-of-care transfer coordination. Collaborate with executive leadership to operationalize innovative models of care that integrate medical, behavioral health, public health, and social care services. Policy, Compliance & Quality Improvement Develop, implement, and oversee nursing policies, procedures, and clinical practice standards in alignment with state, federal, accreditation, and organizational requirements. Lead nursing quality improvement and quality assurance initiatives, including clinical audits, documentation standards, patient safety practices, and performance improvement plans. Monitor and support regulatory compliance related to nursing practice, medication management, infection prevention, behavioral health standards, and clinical documentation. Partner with leadership teams to establish clinical quality metrics, reporting structures, and performance monitoring systems. Workforce Development & Clinical Training Oversee recruitment, onboarding, orientation, mentorship, and ongoing professional development for nursing staff, including RNs, LVNs/LPTs, and nurse leaders. Develop and implement nursing education and competency-based training programs tailored to community-based, behavioral health, and field medicine environments. Foster a collaborative, supportive, and accountable nursing culture focused on clinical excellence, teamwork, equity, and staff retention. Provide coaching, supervision, and performance management to nursing leadership and staff. Interdisciplinary Collaboration & Care Coordination Collaborate closely with medical providers, behavioral health clinicians, ECM teams, outreach staff, operations, and external partners to ensure coordinated, patient-centered care delivery. Support interdisciplinary workflow development to improve care transitions, follow-up coordination, and continuity of care for high-acuity and vulnerable populations. Participate in organizational planning, workflow optimization, and cross-functional operational initiatives. Operational & Administrative Leadership Support nursing resource planning, staffing optimization, scheduling strategies, and budget stewardship. Assist with vendor coordination, clinical systems implementation, and operational process improvement initiatives. Participate in organizational leadership meetings, strategic planning initiatives, and operational readiness efforts. Support emergency response, public health initiatives, and rapid program deployment efforts as needed. Requirements: Bachelor's degree in nursing. Current California nursing license. Minimum of 10 years of nursing experience, with at least 3 years in a management role. Must possess active Basic Life Support (BLS) certifications. Preferred Master's or doctorate degree. Experience in behavioral health, crisis services, street medicine, community health, mobile medicine, population health, or care management programs. Experience developing clinical workflows, policies, and operational infrastructure in rapidly growing healthcare organizations. Experience leading interdisciplinary teams in community-based or nontraditional healthcare settings. Familiarity with ECM, CalAIM, trauma-informed care, and care coordination models. Experience with quality improvement, regulatory readiness, and clinical compliance initiatives.