DHS Program Coordinator- Children Youth, Families and Teens

Socket.dev; Arlington (VA); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Arlington County DHS is seeking a Program Specialist to support the Children’s Behavioral Health Bureau and APCYF/TNB initiatives. The role acts as a central connector among County agencies, schools, youth, nonprofits, and residents, coordinating meetings, input processes, and program activities.

The ideal candidate will hold a bachelor’s degree in a related field and demonstrate strong communication, facilitation, and trauma-informed care skills.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field required or substitution with additional experience.
• Experience in community/multidisciplinary development and coordination, facilitation, training, or program management.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary liaison for APCYF and TNB with County agencies, schools, nonprofits, and residents.
• Ensure compliance with funding rules and program evaluation standards.
• Plan APCYF and TNB meetings, trainings, and events with agendas and logistics.
• Design community input processes (listening sessions, surveys) to inform priorities.
• Assist in data collection, analysis, and reporting for youth wellbeing indicators.
• Develop and execute communication strategies (newsletters, social media, presentations).
• Coordinate youth-led projects for TNB, ensuring inclusive, trauma-informed programming.
• Collaborate with Behavioral Health Wellness Team to align prevention messaging; supervise Data Specialist.

Skills

Communication skills

Presentation skills

Team player

Trauma-informed care

Cultural responsiveness

Education

Bachelor's degree in Human Services, Community Planning, Social Work, Psychology, Public Health, Gender Studies or related field

Job description

Arlington County’s Department of Human Services has a unique opportunity for a Program Coordinator to join an innovative team of professionals within the Child and Family Services Division in the Children’s Behavioral Health Bureau. The Bureau is responsible for providing comprehensive mental health and substance use services to support children and youth to function adequately in their environments and build caregiver capacity to support them.

The Children’s Behavioral Health Bureau is seeking a dynamic and community-focused Coordinator to support the work of the Arlington Partnership for Children, Youth and Families (APCYF) and the Teen Network Board (TNB). This position serves as a central connector among County agencies, schools, youth, nonprofit partners, and community stakeholders. The Coordinator plays a key role in building youth voice, supporting community-driven prevention initiatives, and fostering culturally responsive, research-driven strategies to promote the wellbeing of children, youth, and families.

Arlington County DHS is committed to delivering client services in an effective, equitable, respectful, and trauma-informed manner. Our staff is dedicated to ensuring our clients are approached, engaged and cared for in ways that demonstrate competency, sensitivity and awareness of factors which impact the client experience including but not limited to: cultural identity, gender, racial, and ethnic diversity, religious/spiritual ascription, physical capability, cognitive and literacy levels, sexual orientation and linguistic needs.

Responsibilities

Specific duties include:

• Serving as the primary liaison for APCYF and TNB with County agencies, Arlington Public Schools leadership, community organizations, and residents on programmatic and policy matters;
• Ensuring compliance with County Commission and Board requirements, funding regulations, and program evaluation standards;
• Planning and coordinating APCYF and TNB meetings, retreats, trainings, and special events, including agendas, materials, logistics, and follow-up;
• Designing and implementing community input processes (i.e. listening sessions, surveys, and partnerships) to inform APCYF and TNB priorities;
• Assisting in data collection, analysis, and reporting for youth wellbeing indicators, surveys, and prevention initiatives across APCYF and TNB programs;
• Developing and executing communication strategies (i.e. newsletters, social media, and presentations) to promote APCYF and TNB initiatives;
• Coordinating youth-led projects and initiatives for TNB, ensuring inclusive, strengths-based, and trauma-informed programming;
• Collaborating with Behavioral Health Wellness Team to align APCYF and TNB efforts with prevention messaging on mental health promotion, substance use prevention and suicide prevention; and
• Supervising the APCYF Data Specialist and managing accurate reporting for APCYF.

The ideal candidate will be flexible, able to work under pressure, perform as a team player, possess strong communication and presentation skills; and be familiar with recovery/trauma informed care/cultural responsiveness principles, community-centered care and positive youth development models.

Qualifications

Minimum:

• Bachelor's degree in Human Services, Community Planning, Social Work, Psychology, Public Health, Gender Studies or related field.
• Considerable experience in community/multidisciplinary development and coordination, group facilitation, training, or program/project management experience in the human services, educational or community planning fields

Substitution:Additional qualifying experience can be substituted for the educational requirement. A Master's degree or higher may be substituted for some of the experience requirement.

Desirable:Preference may be given to applicants with experience in one or more of the following:

• Supporting the work of a volunteer community board;
• Child development and family dynamics;
• Engaging multicultural, multilingual, and marginalized communities; and/or
• Making presentations and working on multiple projects.

Special Requirements

Applicant must possess, or obtain by time of appointment, a valid motor vehicle operator's license from the applicant's place of residence or the applicant must have the ability and willingness to use alternative methods of transportation to perform assigned duties and responsibilities at locations other than the primary worksite. The applicant must authorize Arlington County to obtain, or the applicant must provide a copy of the applicant's official state/district driving record. Any offer of employment may be contingent upon a favorable review of the applicant's driving record.

Must complete pre-hire federal background check and State of Virginia Central Registry check.

Employment restrictions:To ensure that dual relationships are avoided and that employees who are also clients do not relate to their service provider as co-professionals, employees will not be hired by the County to provide or support services to the team or program in which they are current clients:

• You cannot concurrently receive behavioral health services from Arlington County Community Service Board (CSB) programs while employed in an Arlington County CSB program (exception Crisis Intervention services).
• At least 24 months must have passed between receipt of CSB services from Arlington County and employment in an Arlington County CSB program.

Additional Information:

Work hours: Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. or as established by program need. This position will facilitate evening meetings with community members and participate in community events that are held on weekends. A minimum of 2 days in-person (in the community or office) is required and up to 3 days of telework is permitted per week, as approved. Telework/in-person schedule is subject to change based on program needs.

The office is located at 2100 Washington Blvd (Sequoia Plaza). Work will be performed in communicate locations, County facilities and/or the DHS office.

The official title for this position is DHS Program Specialist.