Director Social Services

About the role

The Director of Social Services oversees a multi-talented social services staff at the 59th Street Women’s Shelter, a 200-bed, 24/7 emergency shelter for homeless women diagnosed with mental illness and/or substance use disorders. The Director works closely with the Program Director and other departments to ensure compliance with funder and Project Renewal policies and procedures.

Responsibilities

• Supervise a team of Clinical Coordinator, Team Leaders, Housing Coordinators, Case Managers, and Recreation Specialists
• Ensure all DHS/OTDA and Project Renewal protocols are followed and that the Statement of Rights/Responsibilities are given to each client
• Coordinate all clinical aspects of the social services department through collaboration with staff in the Medical and Psychiatric Departments
• Monitor the timely completion of all client intake processes, assessments, psycho-socials, progress notes, referrals, and independent living plans
• Act as a primary Liaison to the Department of Homeless Services (DHS) and the State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) regarding clinical issues
• Develop and implement policies and procedures to comply with requirements from the Department of Homeless Services (DHS)
• Conduct chart reviews, physical charts, and data in external databases, DHS-CARES
• Facilitate clients' weekly case conferences, permanency meetings, and community meetings
• Prepare and submit statistical and reporting requirements of DHS
• Foster staff development by conducting team and individual supervisory sessions; provide in-service education for all levels of shelter staff
• Develop and train staff in protocols to be followed in clinical emergencies
• Generate and give to DHS and other housing providers HRA2010e and other housing packages
• Provide guidance and direction to Housing Coordinators
• Available to respond to emergencies on a 24/7/365 basis, especially after normal work hours, weekends, and holidays

Requirements

• A Master’s degree in social work, public administration, psychology, education, sociology, occupational or physical therapy, or other related human services fields with a minimum of two (2) years of progressively responsible experience working with mentally ill individuals and/or homeless individuals with either a diagnosis of mental illness and/or a substance use disorder or managing a residential building providing services to homeless individuals. One (1) year of the required experience must have been in a managerial or supervisory capacity.
• A Bachelor’s degree in the aforementioned fields with a minimum of three (3) years of experience and two (2) years of the required experience must have been in a managerial or supervisory capacity.
• An Associate’s degree in the aforementioned fields with four (4) years of experience and three (3) years having been in a managerial or supervisory capacity.
• A High School Diploma or GED equivalent with five (5) years of experience and four (4) years having been in a managerial or supervisory capacity.
• Bilingual or multilingual a plus.

Preferred Skills

• Leadership: Demonstrated ability to manage and motivate staff to accomplish stated program goals and objectives while developing their individual and group skills.
• Team building: Ability to develop and foster, through demonstration, a team spirit, enabling staff to overcome the challenges of providing needed services to a special client population.
• Communication: Excellent oral, writing, and listening skills are a must.
• Organizational: The ability to work well within a highly pressurized, deadline environment, while meeting the short- and long-term mandates of the program. Must collaborate with our Performance Evaluation and Quality Assurance Department (PEQA) and develop/ exhibit the ability to independently evaluate and manage program performance using data.
• Interpersonal: An ability to interface with clients as well as all levels of staff.
• Computer: Knowledge of case management software as well as proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.

Benefits

Project Renewal is an equal opportunity employer. Its long-standing policy has been to embrace the equality of opportunity for all employees and applicants without regard to actual or perceived race, color, national origin, alienage or citizenship status, religion or creed, gender (see separately issued Gender Discrimination policy for more detail), physical or mental disability, age (18 and over), military status, arrest record, marital status, domestic partnership status, genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristic, sexual orientation, status as a victim or witness of domestic violence, sex offenses or stalking, unemployment status or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state and local laws.