Senior Director, Care Access & Experience

Easterseals Southern California transforms lives every day. For over a century, Easterseals has championed inclusion and independence—delivering essential services like early childhood programs, autism services, employment and independent living support to more than 29,000 people each year. Through advocacy and education, we break barriers and create opportunities for the one-in-four Americans with disabilities. 

Starting salary $116,000+ DOE.

JOB TITLE:

Sr. Dir, Care Access & Experience

FLSA:

Exempt

REPORTS TO:

Varies

GRADE:

13E

JOB CODE:

200630

LAST APPROVED:

May - 2026

OVERVIEW OF POSITION:

The Care Access & Experience Leader oversees an operational team responsible for ensuring participants and caregivers experience timely service delivery and a consistently positive experience across Autism Services. This role provides strategic leadership across the participant journey, from entry into services through ongoing care and service transitions, working in close partnership with clinical teams to ensure services are delivered as authorized and in compliance with payers and regulations. The Care Access & Experience Leader develops and implements data and system-driven approaches to measure outcomes, plans for future needs, and continuously improves how access, coordination, documentation, and family support operate at scale. This leader has accountability for end‑to‑end operational performance across Care Access & Experience, translating enterprise priorities into measurable outcomes, driving strategic execution across functions, and ensuring cross‑organizational alignment in support of business performance, service continuity, and organizational growth.  In all responsibilities, the position demonstrates a strong commitment to ESSC’s mission and values by supporting a high-quality, person-centered service environment.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Provides strategic and operational leadership for Care Access & Experience teams, ensuring participants and caregivers can access, navigate, and experience Autism Services in a timely, coordinated, and supportive manner across entry into services, ongoing care, and service transitions.
• Owns end to end operational performance across the function, with accountability for achieving enterprise service, access, and experience outcomes.
• Oversees the operational systems that support participant access, enrollment, authorization, service placement, scheduling, and family support, ensuring services are delivered as authorized and in compliance with payer and regulatory requirements.
• Partners closely with Clinical Services and Network Provider leadership to support timely assignment, tracking, and submission of required clinical documentation for assessments and ongoing treatment authorizations, while maintaining clear boundaries that preserve clinical decision making and accountability with licensed providers.
• Ensures referral management and service placement processes effectively connect participants to appropriate services and delivery models, including Easterseals providers and provider network partners, while promoting continuity, clarity, and equity across service lines.
• Directs scheduling, capacity, and utilization operations to support timely service delivery, minimize service disruptions, and align operational capacity with authorization and program requirements.
• Oversees enrollment, eligibility verification, coverage confirmation, financial responsibility review, and required consent processes to ensure participants are administratively prepared for services and the organization is positioned for compliant service delivery and reimbursement.
• Prioritizes care advocacy and participant support to ensure questions, concerns, and issues are addressed consistently, transparently, and in a manner that strengthens trust and satisfaction throughout the participant journey.
• Establishes and sustains data and systems driven approaches to monitor access, timeliness, continuity, experience, and operational performance, using insights to inform decision making, prioritize improvement efforts, and plan for future service needs.
• Translates enterprise priorities into operational plans, performance measures, and measurable results across the Care Access & Experience function.
• Drives continuous improvement of Care Access & Experience operations by identifying cross departmental opportunities to reduce friction, improve coordination, strengthen documentation practices, and enhance the scalability and reliability of access and experience systems.
• Provides leadership, direction, and accountability for Directors and teams within Care Access & Experience, ensuring clear role definition, aligned priorities, consistent performance expectations, and effective collaboration across functions.
• Drives execution through leaders to ensure enterprise objectives are operationalized consistently across teams and geographies.
• Collaborates with Clinical Services, Clinical Operations, Network Providers, and other enterprise partners to ensure Care Access & Experience operations align with organizational standards, support staff capability, and integrate effectively with enterprise systems and processes. Ensures cross organizational alignment on priorities, dependencies, and execution strategies that impact enterprise operations and business performance.
• Represents Care Access & Experience in enterprise planning, prioritization, and change initiatives, ensuring access, navigation, and participant experience considerations are incorporated into organizational strategy and operational decision making.
• Leads strategic execution across functions by aligning stakeholders, clarifying operational implications, and driving implementation of enterprise initiatives through the Care Access & Experience organization.
• Monitors industry trends, regulatory changes, and best practices related to access and participant experience, applying relevant insights to improve Care Access & Experience operations and outcomes.
• Performs other duties as assigned in support of organizational priorities and the Easterseals Southern California mission.

EDUCATION:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in healthcare administration, business administration, public health, behavioral health, psychology, social work, or a related field required; Master’s degree preferred.
• Relevant professional certifications related to healthcare operations, access management, care coordination, project management, quality improvement, or change management are preferred but not required (e.g., ACM, PMP, Lean Six Sigma, CRCR).

EXPERIENCE:

• Minimum of twelve (12) years of progressive experience in healthcare, behavioral health, or human services operations, with increasing responsibility for complex, cross functional systems supporting service access, coordination, and participant or patient experience.
• Minimum six (6) years of experience leading managers and/or directors, including setting strategic direction, driving accountability through others, and managing change across multi-site or distributed service models.
• Experience collaborating across enterprise functions (e.g., Clinical Services, Clinical Operations, Quality/Performance, Training, Technology, Revenue Operations) to support integrated, scalable, and compliant service delivery.
• Demonstrated experience leading or influencing participant, patient, or customer experience initiatives, including improving access, navigation, communication, and issue resolution across service touchpoints, and using feedback, data, or experience measures to inform operational improvement.

EXEPECTED NUMBER OF DIRECT REPORTS: Up to 8; expected to include managing associates.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES:

• Ability to lead complex operational systems within healthcare or human services environments, balancing access, participant experience, compliance, and operational sustainability.
• Demonstrated ability to design, implement, or improve operational systems, workflows, and performance measures to enhance timeliness, continuity, equity of access, and overall participant experience.
• Strong systems thinking and analytical skills, with the ability to understand interdependencies across access, authorization, scheduling, documentation, and service delivery, and to identify root causes of operational barriers.
• Proven ability to use data, dashboards, and performance measures to assess access, timeliness, continuity, and participant experience, and to translate insights into actionable operational improvements.
• Demonstrated skill in cross functional collaboration, including the ability to partner effectively with clinical leaders, operational teams, and enterprise functions while maintaining clear role boundaries and accountability.
• Strong change management and communication skills, with the ability to guide leaders and teams through operational change, set clear expectations, and sustain improvements over time.
• Demonstrated commitment to participant and family centered service delivery, with the ability to embed customer experience, care advocacy, and service excellence principles into operational design and execution.
• Excellent executive communication, interpersonal, and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to build and maintain strong relationships across internal teams, external partners, community agencies, and families to support collaboration and service excellence.
• Knowledge of standards and regulations applicable to behavioral health, autism services, and information management, with the ability to navigate complex regulatory, payer, and funding environments.
• Strong interest and commitment to working in multi-cultural settings.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a criminal record/fingerprint clearance from the Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation per Easterseals Southern California and/or program requirements.
• Ability to travel throughout Southern California with reliable transportation, maintain driving record in compliance with Transportation Safety Standards; must have and maintain proper auto insurance and vehicle registration.
• Ability to pass post-offer medical examination.
• Must pass all drug testing required by ESSC.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS IN ACCORDANCE WITH ADA:      

• Carrying/Lifting:

Occasional / 0-10 lbs.

• Standing:

Occasional / Up to 3 hours per day.

• Sitting:

Constant / Up to 8 hours per day.

• Walking:

Occasional / Up to 3 hours per day.

• Travel:

At least 50 % of time.

• Repetitive Motion/Activity:

Keyboard activity, telephone use, writing.

• Visual Acuity:

Ability to view computer monitor and read newsprint.

• Environmental Exposure:

Regularly duties do or do not involve exposure to blood, body fluids, or tissues; but employment may require performing unplanned tasks that do involve such exposure.