Director Of Nursing - Cares Center - Jackson, MS

Founded in 1912 as an adoption agency, Canopy Children's Solutions is Mississippi's most comprehensive nonprofit provider of children's behavioral health, educational, and family support solutions. Canopy employs a diverse group of mission-driven individuals committed to honoring the voice of Mississippi children and families. Being an integral part of the Canopy team involves committing to the Core Values that drive our organization forward:

• The voice of our children and families always comes first
• Relationships matter and our differences make us stronger
• We take great joy in service to others
• Our families and our communities deserve our very best

Canopy has been recognized as a Great Place to Work for the fifth consecutive year and is one of only nine companies in Mississippi to earn this certification for 2025-2026. At Canopy, employees are committed to fostering a healthy workplace culture built on trust and driven by a shared mission: helping children thrive and empowering families to overcome extraordinary challenges.

We offer a comprehensive benefits package for all eligible full-time employees. Benefits include, but are not limited to:

• Competitive Compensation
• 403b Retirement Plan with Match
• Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance
• PTO/Vacation
• Employee Wellness Program and Counseling Services

Director of Nursing Overview:

• The Director of Nursing for the CARES Center provides strategic and operational leadership for all nursing services within an 80-bed Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility (PRTF). This role is responsible for ensuring the delivery of high-quality, trauma-informed, and evidence-based nursing care to children and adolescents with complex behavioral health needs.
• The Director of Nursing oversees all nursing staff, including recruitment, supervision, scheduling, professional development, performance management, and compliance with regulatory standards. The role ensures adherence to federal, state, Medicaid, and accreditation requirements specific to PRTF operations, while promoting clinical excellence, safety, and continuous quality improvement.
• The Director of Nursing fosters a culture of accountability, compassion, regulatory readiness, and clinical integrity, ensuring that nursing services support the safety, stability, and long-term well-being of the children and families served.

Job Responsibilities:

Clinical Leadership & Oversight

• Provide executive oversight of all nursing services within the 80-bed PRTF, ensuring delivery of safe, trauma-informed, and evidence-based care to youth.
• Direct and evaluate the implementation of the nursing process (assessment, diagnosis, planning, intervention, evaluation) across all units.
• Ensure appropriate execution of all physicians, psychiatrist, nurse practitioner, and specialty provider orders.
• Oversee medication administration systems, including psychotropic monitoring, reconciliation, documentation, and compliance with pharmacy standards.
• Ensure timely completion of AIMS testing and other required clinical assessments.
• Oversee coordination of medical, dental, and specialty appointments and referrals.
• Provide clinical oversight for injury assessment, medical triage, and follow-up care.
• Ensure appropriate documentation and nursing oversight of seclusion/restraint events and post-event assessments.
• Conduct routine chart audits to ensure clinical documentation, medication administration records, assessments, and treatment plans are complete, accurate, and compliant.
• Collaborate with the Family Nurse Practitioner and psychiatric providers to ensure comprehensive medical oversight of all youth.

Regulatory Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure compliance with all federal, state, Medicaid, and PRTF regulatory requirements.
• Oversee Infection Control Program implementation and reporting across CARES Center and relevant Solutions.
• Compile and review monthly, quarterly, and annual Infection Control reports.
• Prepare and present Pharmacy & Therapeutics reports in collaboration with the pharmacy consultant.
• Serve as CLIA Director and ensure laboratory certifications and applications remain current.
• Maintain pharmacy licenses, emergency kit certifications, and related compliance documentation.
• Ensure continuity of pharmaceutical services and medication availability at all times.
• Participate in regulatory surveys, audits, and corrective action planning.
• Monitor incident trends, including seclusion/restraint data, medication variances, and injury reports, and implement corrective action as needed.

Nursing Operations & Workforce Leadership

• Recruit, hire, onboard, supervise, and evaluate all nursing staff.
• Conduct annual performance evaluations and ongoing supervision meetings (minimum monthly).
• Develop and manage nursing schedules to ensure 24/7 coverage and regulatory compliance.
• Approve payroll and monitor overtime utilization.
• Actively manage budget and contain costs related to medical supplies and staffing.
• Coordinate clinical placements and supervision of nursing students.
• Participate in on-call rotation and provide executive nursing support as needed.
• Foster a culture of accountability, professionalism, and trauma-informed practice.

Interdisciplinary Collaboration

• Serve as liaison between nursing, clinical, residential, education, and administrative teams.
• Participate in Child and Family Treatment Team meetings as needed.
• Attend ESI debriefings and ensure nursing follow-up actions are implemented.
• Participate in Organization Leadership Meetings and Medical Practices Committee.
• Collaborate across Solutions within Canopy Children's Solutions to align nursing practice with organizational goals.
• Support cross-solution initiatives and ensure nursing alignment with broader system standards.

Quality Improvement & Performance Excellence

• Lead nursing-related process improvement initiatives.
• Monitor and actively contribute to Solution KPIs, identifying nursing impact on outcomes.
• Develop corrective action plans for identified performance gaps. o Analyze trends in infection control, medication errors, injuries, and health outcomes.
• Ensure ongoing readiness for accreditation and regulatory review.

Education & Staff Development

• Provide training and education to clinical, school, residential, and administrative staff as needed.
• Ensure nursing competencies remain current and aligned with best practices.
• Promote continuing education and professional development within the nursing team.
• Model ethical practice and serve as a professional role model across the CARES Center.

Required Qualifications:

• Active, unrestricted Registered Nurse (RN) license in Mississippi
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) required with a master's degree preferred
• Current CPR/BLS certification (PALS preferred).
• Minimum 5-7 years of progressive nursing experience.
• At least 3 years in pediatric, behavioral health, psychiatric, or residential treatment setting
• Minimum 3 years of supervisory or nursing leadership experience.
• Experience working with children and adolescents with complex behavioral health needs preferred.
• Demonstrated experience managing multi-shift nursing teams in a 24/7 environment.