Assistant Director of Campus Programs

Assistant Director of Campus Programs

D.A. Blodgett - St. John's provides a continuum of care with comprehensive services, including counseling, foster care, adoption, mentoring, and residential care. These programs are built on our core belief that children thrive when safe and can remain with their families. We serve children, youth and families in the greater Grand Rapids area and beyond.

The Assistant Director supports leadership, management, and quality assurance of all Campus Programs, ensuring trauma‑responsive, developmentally appropriate services that promote safety, healing, and skill‑building for youth transitioning to independence.

This role ensures delivery of trauma‑responsive services, provides staff supervision, program oversight, compliance monitoring, and operational support as part of the leadership team.

• Direct supervision, coaching and performance evaluation of Program Coordinators and other staff, following agency policies.
• Assist with recruitment and hiring for residential and independent living homes.
• Promote a healthy, mission‑centered workplace culture built on accountability, communication and teamwork.
• Facilitate a culture of exceptional client care while maintaining productivity expectations.
• Support implementation of individualized treatment plans and independent living skill development goals, monitoring youth progress and addressing behavioral or safety concerns.
• Review, edit and approve reports for residential treatment youth.
• Maintain strong relationships with families, caseworkers, schools, probation officers, clinicians and community partners.
• Participate in interdisciplinary meetings, treatment team sessions, and case reviews.
• Participate in financial processes: budget development, implementation, monitoring; review monthly financial statements.
• Develop and maintain program analysis covering personnel, utilization, sustainability, capacity, quality, relevance and development.
• Assure program compliance with funding, regulatory and accreditation standards, including corrective action plans when necessary.
• Collaborate across divisions for cross‑program collaboration.
• Maintain knowledge of contracts and provide input on revisions and problem solving.
• Lead review of youth referrals and determine acceptance for programs.
• Assist in preparation of budgetary, statistical, financial and contractual documents; track monthly service statistics.
• Perform other agency responsibilities as set forth in personnel policies.
• Develop and evaluate utilization and capacity management processes.
• Identify, document and analyze program and community trends.
• Rotate on‑call backup with the Director of Campus Programs.

General Direction – plans and arranges own work using a wide range of procedures to accomplish assigned objectives.

Advanced supervision – determines work assignments, priorities and procedures for subordinates; ensures quality and quantity of work. Holds decision‑making authority for employee life‑cycle activities including hiring, training, promotions and compensation.

• Master’s degree in a human behavioral science field (social work, psychology, counseling, public administration, or related discipline) meeting the criteria for Social Service Supervisor per CCI Rules for Michigan.
• Two years of experience providing case management and report writing, meeting criteria for Social Service Worker per CCI Rules.
• Four years of experience working in a child‑care institution.
• Two years of experience with supervision.

• Thorough understanding of strengths, needs, challenges and resilience of children, youth and families.
• Willingness to flex schedule and model a "whatever‑it‑takes" work ethic.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Highly effective engagement skills at peer, supervisory and community levels; proven ability to manage upward.
• Knowledge or ability to quickly learn community resources that positively impact agency and clients.
• Ability to work with school, court, behavioral health and child welfare systems with flexibility, intuition and…