Dementia Care Program Manager-(Human Services Specialist II)-Community Resources and Services, Aging

Howard County Government; Maryland; On-site; USD 70,000 - 84,000; Full time

Job summary

The Dementia Care Program Manager leads development, coordination, expansion, and evaluation of dementia-capable services across Howard County and the Office on Aging and Independence.

This professional role supports individuals living with Alzheimer’s and related dementias, their families, and caregivers through care coordination, options counseling, education, screenings, referrals, and transition coaching.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Gerontology, Human Services, Public Health, Psychology, or related field with two or more years of experience.
• Knowledge of person-centered dementia care and dementia-capable systems.
• Experience developing, coordinating, implementing, and evaluating dementia-related programs, caregiver supports, or similar initiatives.
• Experience collaborating with healthcare systems, behavioral health providers, community organizations, and diverse stakeholders to advance program goals.
• Knowledge of federal, state, county, and community resources serving older adults, caregivers, and persons with disabilities.

Responsibilities

• Develop, expand, and evaluate dementia-capable services across the Office of Aging and Independence, with emphasis on early-stage dementia and caregiver support.
• Coordinate dementia-related programming including interventions for individuals living with ADRD and their caregivers.
• Develop measurable program outcomes and evaluation tools to assess effectiveness and inform improvement.
• Collect, analyze, and maintain programmatic and demographic data for reporting.
• Provide dementia education and training to caregivers, community partners, professionals, and the public.
• Coordinate Dementia Live trainings and workforce development initiatives.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of dementia research and integrate best practices into programming.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Organizational skills

Oral communication

Written communication

Grant management

Data collection

Program evaluation

Supervisory experience

MoCA certification

Microsoft Office

Relationship building

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Social Work or related field

Tools

MoCA (Montreal Cognitive Assessment)

Job description

Howard County:

Conveniently located in the heart of central Maryland between Baltimore and Washington, Howard County offers the charm of a historic past mixed with the excitement of a cosmopolitan community.

Howard County Government:

Howard County Government is a leader in innovation, sustainability, and consistently ranked as one of the best places to live and work in the country. In 2026, Howard County Government received a record-breaking 113 Achievement Awards from the National Association of Counties (NACo) - the highest number of annual NACo awards achieved in the history of the State of Maryland, and the highest number of awards of any county in the State of Maryland which received a collective 165 awards. NACo is the leading organization representing county-level government operations. These awards recognize innovative and transformative programs that provide new services for county residents, improve existing programs, upgrade working conditions, and enhance citizen participation and public policymaking.

What are we looking for?

We are looking for outstanding individuals to join our team and contribute to excellence in Howard County operations.

What you'll like most about working at Howard County Government:

• We are committed to workplace excellence in every area of County government.
• We have a highly talented, diverse, and inclusive workplace. Your input will not only be heard, but it will be encouraged!
• We offer competitive compensation and great benefits including medical, retirement, and wellness programs.
• As a member of the Howard County Government team, you'll be helping drive our culture and directly impact what makes us an amazing place to work.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Dementia Care Program Manager provides leadership in the development, coordination, expansion, and evaluation of dementia-capable services across Howard County and the Office on Aging and Independence. This position performs professional human services work that supports the efficient and effective delivery of dementia care services for individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD), their families, and caregivers. Responsibilities include care coordination and supportive services such as options counseling, dementia education, screenings, information and referrals to community-based organizations, care transition coaching, support group coordination, behavioral symptom management training, expert consultation, and eligibility assistance.

The Dementia Care Program Manager serves as a subject matter expert on dementia care and evidence-based practices and works collaboratively with community partners, healthcare providers, and stakeholders to strengthen dementia-capable systems and expand innovative programming, including services targeted to individuals living with early-stage dementia. In addition, the position leads and facilitates Dementia-Friendly initiatives throughout the community, promotes public awareness and community engagement, and supports the development of measurable outcomes to evaluate program effectiveness and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.

This position is funded through a grant and is contingent upon the continued availability of grant funding. Continued employment is not guaranteed beyond the grant period and may be modified or discontinued if funding is reduced or eliminated.

STARTING SALARY HIRING RANGE:
$33.61 - $40.21/Hourly
$69,913 - $83,639/Annually

*This is the anticipated starting salary range for this position. Please note that the final salary will be determined by the Office of Human Resources, commensurate with experience and aligned to ensure internal equity with similarly situated roles.

CLASS DESCRIPTION:

Performs intermediate professional level human services work, which may include supervisory responsibility, under general supervision from an administrative or technical superior. Work includes administering human service programs or providing specialized health and human services targeted to a special population; assists in formulating policies and developing goals and objectives; and providing a full range of counseling and referral services. Work may also include identifying and investigating complaints of unfair and deceptive practices and violations of local and State laws; and administering criminal justice and alternative sentencing programs.

*This is a Classified position, meaning that it is a part of the Howard County Classified Service upon completion of a probationary period of at least six (6) months

Program Leadership and Strategic Initiatives:

• Lead implementation of Howard County’s Dementia-Friendly Action Plan in alignment with Dementia Friendly America initiatives through strategic collaboration with community partners.
• Oversee the KindredSpirits program and related dementia initiatives, including staff supervision, program planning, quality improvement, and partner coordination.
• Support integration of Dementia-Friendly and Age-Friendly initiatives to enhance community livability and inclusion.
• Participate in local regional,and statewide dementia-related committees, trainings, conferences, and Maryland Department of Aging initiatives.
• Assist with grant implementation, sustainability planning, strategic planning, and identifying funding opportunities related to dementia services and caregiver supports.
• Participate in activities related Emergency Management including work outside normal business hours.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Program Development, Management and Evaluation:

• Develop, expand, and evaluate dementia-capable services and supports across the Office of Aging and Independence, with emphasis on early-stage dementia, caregiver support, community engagement, and care coordination.
• Coordinate and oversee dementia-related programming including evidence-based and evidence-informed interventions for individual living with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) and their caregivers.
• Develop and facilitate innovative programming that promotes socialization, cognitive stimulation, wellness, independence, and quality of life for individuals living with early-stage dementia.
• Develop measurable program outcomes and evaluation tools to assess effectiveness, identify service gaps, and support continuous quality improvement.
• Collect, analyze, and maintain programmatic and demographic data for federal, state, county, and grant reporting.

Direct Services and Care Coordination:

• Conduct dementia care consultations, options counseling, screenings, and care planning using person-centered and strengths-based approaches, including required use of the AD8 assessment tool.
• Provide information, referrals, and assistance on long-term services and supports, behavioral health, caregiver stress, housing, healthcare navigation, and community resources.
• Coordinate care transitions and collaborate with healthcare systems, memory care providers, behavioral health professionals, and community organizations to strengthen care coordination and improve access to services.

Training, Education, and Workforce Development:

• Provide dementia education and training to caregivers, community partners, professionals, businesses, and the general public on communication strategies, behavioral symptom management, dementia-inclusive practices, and available resources.
• Coordinate Dementia Live trainings and other dementia-capable workforce development initiatives across the community.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of dementia research, evidence-based practices, innovations, medications, and non-pharmacological interventions, and integrate best practices into programming and service delivery.

Bachelor’s degree and one (1) year of relevant experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience:

Bachelor’s degree and one (1) year of relevant experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

PREFERRED EDUCATION, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Gerontology, Human Services, Public Health, Psychology, or a related field, with two (2) or more years of experience in human services, dementia care, care coordination, case management, or caregiver support.
• Knowledge of person-centered dementia care, dementia-capable systems, current research, evidence-based interventions, caregiver supports, and non-pharmacological approaches to behavioral symptom management.
• Experience developing, coordinating, implementing, and evaluating dementia-related programs, caregiver supports, support groups, trainings, or other community-based human services initiatives.
• Experience collaborating with healthcare systems, behavioral health providers, community organizations, and diverse stakeholders to develop partnerships and advance program goals.
• Knowledge of federal, state, county, and community resources serving older adults, caregivers, and persons with disabilities, including the roles of Howard County Government and community-based organizations.
• Strong interpersonal, organizational, oral, and written communication skills, including the ability to work effectively with diverse populations.
• Experience with grant management, data collection, program evaluation, measurable outcomes, and quality improvement strategies preferred.
• Supervisory or program oversight experience preferred.
• Certification to administer the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) or an equivalent cognitive screening instrument preferred.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, databases, virtual platforms, data systems, and other technology used for human services delivery, outreach, training, and care coordination.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; and reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to walk. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

LANGUAGE SKILLS, MATHEMATICAL SKILLS AND REASONING ABILITY:

Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public.

Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.

Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.