Assistant Program Director - Audubon Hall

Lantern Community Services Inc; New York (NY); On-site; USD 60,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

An organization providing supportive housing is seeking an Assistant Program Director in New York City. This full-time role includes supervising a dedicated team, ensuring compliance with services aimed at clients transitioning from homelessness. The position requires strong leadership skills, experience in social services, and knowledge of trauma-informed care. Applicants must hold a master's degree and relevant licensure. Join a mission-driven environment committed to equity and inclusion.

Qualifications

• Five years of social services experience, with one year of supervisory experience.
• Experience with individuals experiencing mental illness and addiction.
• Knowledge of OMH, DOHMH, and HASA contracts.

Responsibilities

• Provide clinical supervision and coaching to staff.
• Facilitate staff and community meetings.
• Monitor outcomes and approve clinical documentation.
• Coordinate with property management and service providers.
• Develop and implement client-centered groups.

Skills

Trauma-informed clinical skills

Strong judgment

Organizational skills

Verbal communication

Written communication

Education

MSW or MHC from an accredited institution

Licensure (LMSW or LMHC)

Tools

Clinical documentation systems

Job description

Classification: Exempt

Reports to: Program Director

Location: Audubon Hall, Washington Heights, Manhattan

Status & Hours: This is a full‑time position with a regular daytime schedule that includes on‑call responsibilities. Lantern staff may be asked to change work schedules and hours depending on the operational needs of the site and the agency. Finally, the Assistant Program Director shares on‑call responsibilities with the Program Director in managing crises that may arise outside of normal business hours.

Who We Are: Lantern Community Services helps New Yorkers impacted by homelessness move from surviving to thriving by pairing safe, supportive housing with wraparound services that build lasting stability and independence. If you believe a steady home can be the start of everything else, you’ll fit right in with our mission‑first team. Lantern was also recognized as aTop 2025 Workplace by City & State New York — a great place to do meaningful work with people who care!

Where You Will Work: Audubon Hall is a supportive housing residence located in the Washington Heights area. The program consists of 70 supportive housing units serving single adults transitioning out of homelessness. The residence supports individuals who may experience mental health challenges, substance use disorders, and/or chronic medical conditions. The program operates under a HASA‑funded contract.

About The Role:

The Assistant Program Director (APD) provides leadership and oversight that ensures high‑quality, compliant services supporting clients’ housing stability and overall well‑being. This role also develops and supervises a trauma‑informed, high‑performing team while fostering professional growth, program improvement, and a culture of equity, inclusion, and engagement.

Essential Functions

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Provide clinical supervision and coaching to case management staff, supporting professional development and high‑quality service delivery.
• Review and approve clinical documentation, conduct chart reviews, and monitor dashboards and reports to track outcomes.
• Support the Program Director in policy development, outcomes tracking, reporting, and overall program management, including coverage in their absence.
• Facilitate and co‑facilitate clinical meetings, staff meetings, and community meetings.
• Provide clinical oversight in treatment planning, safety planning, and crisis intervention, including assessment of suicidal or homicidal risk.
• Ensure staff utilize a trauma‑informed, harm reduction approach, particularly around substance use.
• Identify training needs and support staff engagement with residents through apartment visits, escorts, and community activities.
• Coordinate with property management, housing stability team, and service providers to support housing stability and independent living.
• Collaborate with Compliance and QA/QI teams on funder reporting, incident review, and internal audits.
• Develop and implement client‑centered groups and programming.
• Participate in hiring, onboarding, supervision, and progressive discipline in collaboration with the Program Director and Human Resources.
• Prepare, review, and follow up on incident reports and required funder notifications.
• Complete reports and other duties as assigned.
• Perform other job‑related duties as assigned.

Education and Experience

• MSW or MHC from an accredited institution required; licensure (LMSW or LMHC) required within one (1) year of employment.
• Minimum of five (5) years of social services experience, including at least one (1) year of supervisory experience.
• Experience working with individuals experiencing mental illness, substance use, and/or chronic homelessness.
• Knowledge of OMH, DOHMH, and/or HASA contracts and funder requirements.
• Strong trauma‑informed clinical skills, sound judgment, and ability to manage competing priorities.
• Experience with clinical documentation systems and data tracking tools.
• Strong written, verbal, and organizational skills.
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice.

Preferred Qualifications

• LMSW or LMHC.
• Experience working with property management partners in supportive housing.
• Experience facilitating clinical groups.
• Familiarity with evidence‑based practices such as Motivational Interviewing.
• Bilingual proficiency.

Work Environment

This job operates in a supportive housing site and works with a population that experiences mental illness, addiction, disability, HIV, and other chronic illnesses.

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, sit, stoop, climb stairs, and kneel. They must also use their hands to type, handle, or feel. The employee is frequently required to talk or hear and occasionally lift and move up to 5 pounds. Vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

Note

Lantern Community Services provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment. Lantern Community Services (Lantern) values the diversity of all our clients, staff, Board of Directors, and partners. By bringing diverse individuals and viewpoints together, we create more vibrant, healthy, and just communities.