Director, Social Services (Poplar)

Children's Rescue Fund; New York (NY); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Children’s Rescue Fund seeks a Director of Social Services to lead comprehensive social services for families referred by NYC DHS, with emphasis on stabilizing homeless families and guiding them to permanent housing. The role is based at Hope House in the Bronx, NY, and requires collaboration with the management team to achieve program goals.

The candidate will oversee staff knowledge of DHS and state regulations, manage data reporting, supervise CARES system processes, and coordinate

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Social Work strongly preferred
• Bachelor’s degree with at least 4 years of supervisory experience may be considered
• At least five years of social services experience and two years supervisory/administrative experience
• Experience in clinical interventions with families and disadvantaged populations
• Experience in housing programs and knowledge of housing regulations
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills; MS-Office proficiency

Responsibilities

• Directly responsible for ensuring staff have hands-on knowledge of DHS procedures, New York State Part 900 Regulations, OTDA, CRF rules, and related laws for housing services
• Coordinate timely collection and analysis of client and program information to evaluate performance and planning
• Oversee Social Services department operations (caseworkers, housing specialists, supervisors) in CARES system usage and housing placement targets
• Ensure families live in safe, clean, hazard-free environments with regular unit inspections and timely repairs
• Intervene to resolve problems and collaborate with Housing Specialists to meet weekly, monthly, and quarterly targets
• Develop independent skills workshops and coordinate an inter-agency network for medical, nutritional, educational, and mental health support
• Contribute to policy development and on-call duties; supervise evaluations and performance reviews

Job description

The Director of Social Services is responsible for the development and delivery of comprehensive social services for clients referred to the Children’s Rescue Fund by the NYC DHS Division of Family Services. This role is designed to stabilize homeless families by strengthening their independent living skills and helping them achieve successful placement into permanent housing. This individual is responsible for working with clients at our Hope House location in the Bronx, NY, and will work cooperatively with other members of the management team to achieve program goals.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s degree in Social Work is strongly preferred; candidates that do not have a Master’s degree but have a bachelor's degree can be considered if they have at least 4 years of relevant supervisory experience
• At least five years of social services experience and two years’ experience in a supervisory and administrative capacity is required, including experience in clinical interventions with families and disadvantaged populations, group work practice, substance abuse issues, and housing programs
• Skill in supervising the work of professionals, including their development
• Skill in securing client entitlements through knowledge of housing regulations and homeless programs
• Excellent interpersonal relations skills to establish cooperative working relationships
• Excellent written and oral communication skills and knowledge of office systems such as MS-Office is required

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• The Director of Social Services is directly responsible for ensuring that each member of the social services staff has hands-on working knowledge of all DHS procedures, New York State Part 900 Regulations, OTDA, CRF Rules and Regulations, and all other relevant laws/programs related to providing comprehensive social services and permanent housing to CRF clients
• Ensure the timely collection, preparation, and analysis of client and program information to generate routine and as needed reports, in order to evaluate program performance and facilitate short and long-term planning
• Oversee and supervise the Social Services department (Caseworkers, Housing Specialists, and Case Management Supervisors) on the utilization of the DHS Client Assistance and re-housing system (CARES) regarding intake, shelter assessment, service plans/independent living plans, Provider Housing, transfers and client responsibility, incident reports, case conferences, and meeting DHS housing placement targets
• Ensure that the families are living in a safe, clean, and hazard-free environment by ensuring that the casework staff are conducting weekly/bi-weekly unit inspections; communicate and document all observations and maintenance repairs that need to be addressed
• Intervene or direct staff intervention when necessary to resolve problems effectively
• Work collaboratively with Housing Specialists to ensure that weekly, monthly, and quarterly targets are being achieved
• Must be knowledgeable of DHS Housing programs, packages, and incentives
• Work in collaboration with other departments to develop independent skills workshops
• Coordinate an inter-agency network of on and off-site providers to ensure families’ receipt of appropriate medical, nutritional, educational, and specialized mental health assistance
• Work collaboratively with other members of the management team to develop and implement social services policies and procedures that guide and direct the delivery of services, including relocation goals and strategies
• Perform other duties and special projects as required, including serving on-call
• Evaluate and verify employees work assignments and ensure that performance evaluations are being completed in the required timeframe

SECONDARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Facilitate effective communication with other staff within an interdisciplinary context, participate in and contribute to staff meetings and the development of policies and procedures
• Participate in training and staff-development activities to acquire and maintain both interpersonal and operational skills necessary for successful job performance
• Serve as a Super User in the DHS CARES System to assist the program staff with trouble-shooting problems in the system
• Ensure that staff attends CORE trainings within (6) months of employment, such as the mandated reporter training, CARES getting started, CARES assessments, Incident Reporting, Safe Sleep Training, Mental Health First Aide Training and Domestic Violence, etc.
• Director of Social Services must be on call 7 days a week for Priority one incidents

MEASUREABLE AREAS:

• Closely monitor open/closed Public Assistance cases on a weekly basis
• Closely monitor certified housing and high-income families
• Closely monitor all apartments viewed/visited by clients each week (in the absence of the housing coordinator)
• Closely monitor and track appointments kept/missed, specifically as it relates to ILP’s and housing related matters (in the absence of a casework supervisor and/or housing coordinator)
• Work towards the achievement of DHS weekly, monthly, and quarterly target goals of moving families into permanent housing in conjunction with social services department
• Closely monitor special populations such as newborn, ACS, medical, mental health, and domestic violence cases, up to sex offenders

PRINCIPAL RELATIONSHIPS:

• Frequent significant contact with paid and volunteer staff, designed to ensure effective performance and professional growth
• Regular contact with other department personnel and providers to ensure program services are effectively delivered to clients
• Regular contact with clients on complex issues that require expertise or processing by a senior professional
• Regular significant contact with other agencies to ensure clients receive needed services

Other Requirements (including Physical Demands):

• May be required to work long hours and a varied schedule
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions

EEO Statement – Children’s Rescue Fund is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, citizenship or immigration status, military or veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.