Unaccompanied Children, Program Director

Hours:

Full-time (40 hrs/week)

Location:

Kalamazoo, MI

Requisition #: req
16070

At Bethany Christian Services, we believe families provide the strongest foundation for care and connection. That's why we focus on strengthening and empowering families, always advocating for family-centered solutions to keep children safe. Our work began in 1944 with the care of a single child. Today, inspired by our faith, our aim is to demonstrate the love and compassion of Jesus in our services for children, youth, and families.

Working at Bethany means joining a team of 2,000 dedicated professionals with diverse skills, serving communities across the country. Together, we’re united in our mission and these shared values: we’re motivated by our faith, we support one another, we champion justice, we pursue excellence, and we’re in it for the long haul.

• Attend staff meetings to ensure effective and efficient service coordination;
• Regularly meet and partner with the Branch Director and other relevant leaders to ensure consistency of programming and to ensure the site is successfully executing service deliverables for UC;
• Direct, train, and develop all direct reports and others if needed;
• Cultivate a trauma-focused environment where program staff model positive adult behaviors, while also nurturing youth and providing structure, support, respect, and active involvement to UC;
• Assist the Branch Director with the preparation of the annual budget, goals, and objectives;
• Ensure program operations and services are consistent with the established agency, state, federal, and licensing standards and requirements;
• Oversee the Transitional Assessment Center (TAC), Transitional Foster Care (TFC) and/or Long-term Foster Care (LTFC) work locations to ensure effective operations that meet client needs and quality standards;
• Ensure agency policies and procedures are enforced through completion of staff evaluations, conference request, time sheets and reimbursement vouchers;
• Maintain, enhance, and develop positive relationships with referral sources, community agencies, and community progressions;
• Coordinate Residential policy and procedures committee, while ensuring policy consistency with COA, DHHS, ORS, ORR, CCI, and other contract regulations;
• Participate in public relations for the program when appropriate;
• Ensure all case recording expectations satisfy state and agency requirements;
• Oversee training curriculum and compliance to include but not limited to the CPI program, UC training, First Aid/CPR, and new employee orientation;
• Collaborate with intake and referral teams to ensure appropriate capacity and placement of youth in programs;
• Audit and oversee the appropriate aftercare and transitions post placement;
• Stay up to date on current trends and theories related to the program, while proactively recommending changes to agency policy and practice, as necessary;
• Participate in speaking engagements, courses and learning experiences, when necessary;
• Implement and enhance the use of the trauma-responsive Sanctuary model of care;
• Stay abreast of all agency, federal, and state regulatory requirements related to social services;
• Complete other duties as assigned.

• Bachelor's level degree in Human Services, Social Work or related field of study from an accredited college with at least five (5) years of experience in program administration at a child welfare agency or Master's level degree in Social Work or equivalent degree in Education, Psychology, Sociology, or other relevant behavioral science degree from an accredited college with at least two (2) years of experience in program administration at a child welfare agency;
• Active Child Welfare Certification in the state of the work location, preferred;
• Bilingual Spanish/English fluency or other common languages spoken by refugee and immigrant populations, strongly preferred;
• Demonstrated experience with trauma and working with refugee or immigrant youth;
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills;
• Must have an ability to provide excellent and compassionate customer service;
• Ability to work independently and exercise a high level of confidentiality;
• Demonstrate…