Assistant Director, Programs, Outreach

Colonial Group; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 75,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Colonial Group in Brooklyn seeks an Assistant Director, Programs, Outreach to support 24/7 outreach and housing placement for street homeless populations. You will supervise Team Leaders, coordinate with providers and city agencies, and ensure crisis intervention and housing-first approaches are integrated into program operations.

The role demands flexibility for after-hours emergencies, collaboration with stakeholders, and a strong focus on trauma-informed care and Harm Reduction strategies.

Qualifications

• LMSW licensure is required.
• Minimum 2 years of supervisory experience.
• Experience with Housing First, Harm Reduction and trauma‑informed care models.

Responsibilities

• Supervise Team Leaders and provide regular supervision meetings.
• Support outreach strategies to identify areas where individuals are staying on the street and provide services.
• Coordinate care with service providers and transitional housing teams to place clients in housing.
• Support 24/7 operations and respond to emergencies as needed.
• Assist with incident management, risk assessments, and documentation for oversight bodies.
• Engage external partners and stakeholders to plan and operate programs.

Skills

Supervisory experience

Crisis intervention

Motivational Interviewing

Trauma-informed care

Stakeholder engagement

De-escalation

Delegation

Verbal and written communication

Microsoft Office proficiency

Education

LMSW license

Tools

Microsoft Office

Access databases

Job description

Reporting to the Director, Programs, the Assistant Director, Programs, Outreach is responsible for supporting 24/7 outreach and housing placement work in all of BROOKLYN. With the goal of moving people off the street and into transitional and permanent housing, the Assistant Director supports the Director with collaborations with other outreach providers, city agencies, and a broad array of community stakeholders to help reduce street homelessness. The Assistant Director supports outreach activities and program operations including 311 responses, canvassing strategies, and managing encampments and hotspots. The Assistant Director supervises Team Leaders and supports Harm Reduction and Housing First strategies and other best practice clinical interventions.

The Assistant Director works primarily during business hours Monday-Friday, with off hours of availability in case of emergency or special projects/initiatives. The position requires oversight of 24/7 operations and flexibility in the work schedule as needed.

Program staff will be required to find and assist street homeless individuals under the most extreme weather situations, and leadership presence during winter alerts will be required. Must be willing and able to engage with street homeless individuals and can handle multiple tasks in a fast paced, dynamic team environment and demonstrate a willingness to shift easily between various responsibilities with diverse populations.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Supervise Team Leaders
• Provide regular, structured supervision meetings for direct reports
• Implement outreach and engagement strategies to identify areas where individuals are staying on the street and provide services to support these individuals
• Ensure high quality service delivery by supporting best practice interventions with street homeless populations, collaborating with on-site psychiatric/street medicine team, and providing crisis intervention, including 958 removals and risk assessments
• Promote effective strategies for effective outreach, case management, and placement of clients following Housing First, Harm Reduction, Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI), Motivational Interviewing and trauma-informed care models of practice
• Coordinate delivery of care with multiple service providers, particularly transitional housing teams
• Provide support and guidance to front line staff in managing difficult situations and successfully de-escalating conflict
• Provide guidance for incident management, crisis interventions, risk assessments, and ensure all documentation is submitted to appropriate oversight entities in a timely manner
• Promote a staff and resident culture that emphasizes housing placement as a measurement of success; ensure that clients are ready for housing placement
• With direction from the Director, respond and engage with external partners, including service partners, government representatives, community stakeholders, hospital personnel, and other agencies to ensure responsive and effective service planning and program operations
• Perform other duties as assigned

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• NYS Licensed Masters Social Worker (LMSW) required
• Minimum 2 years of supervisory experience
• Thorough clinical understanding of relevant service delivery concepts and structures including Housing First, client centered motivational interviewing, Harm Reduction models, behavioral and medical health systems, and the ability to access and negotiate the full range of services for recipients
• Experience with crisis intervention, including, risk assessments and incident management
• Ability to work successfully with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders
• Demonstrated success in working in a fast-paced environment with multiple priorities
• Ability to delegate and motivate staff to achieve deliverables
• Ability to communicate (verbally and written) with diverse populations and stakeholders
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite programs including Word, Excel, Outlook, and Microsoft Teams; familiarity with Access-based databases and the ability to learn new programs are required
• Valid NY, NJ, CT, or PA driver’s license with a good driving record, as defined by Breaking Ground is preferred
• Bilingual Spanish/English preferred