Assistant Director, Programs, Outreach

Breaking Ground; New York (NY); On-site; USD 85,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

Breaking Ground in New York seeks an Assistant Director, Programs, Outreach to support 24/7 outreach and housing placements across Brooklyn. You will supervise Team Leaders, coordinate with city agencies and providers, and ensure service delivery aligned with Housing First and Harm Reduction models.

The role requires LMSW licensure, 2+ years of supervisory experience, crisis intervention skills, and the ability to engage diverse populations.

Qualifications

• LMSW licensure is required.
• Minimum 2 years of supervisory experience.
• Experience with Housing First, Harm Reduction and related service models.
• Ability to intervene in crisis situations and manage incidents.
• Strong communication with diverse populations and partners.

Responsibilities

• Supervise Team Leaders and provide regular supervision.
• Coordinate outreach strategies to engage street populations.
• Ensure service delivery aligned with Housing First and Harm Reduction models.
• Collaborate with on-site psychiatric/street medicine teams.
• Oversee incident management, risk assessments, and documentation.

Skills

Supervisory leadership

Crisis intervention

Stakeholder engagement

Verbal & written communication

Motivational Interviewing

Trauma-informed care

Education

LMSW (NY licensure)

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