Program Manager - Practice & Program Service

Overview

The Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS) is a social and human services agency whose mission is to successfully partner with families, caregivers, and the community to strengthen families, ensure safety, and achieve permanency for all Arizona’s children through prevention, services, and support. Program Manager - Practice & Program Service is located in the Office of Accountability in Phoenix, AZ.

Under the direction of the Program Administrator of Practice Improvement, this position manages a team that explores, designs, installs, monitors, and supports quality and fidelity of modern DCS case management practices and contracted service programs, using best practices in change and implementation to achieve desirable child and family safety, permanency and well-being outcomes, including racial equity. This team includes service coordinators, child safety practice experts, child permanency practice experts, and program development specialists.

In-state travel is required.

• Provides leadership and project management to explore, design, install and sustain DCS practice models, contracted service programs and other initiatives as assigned, using change and implementation best practices. Monitors project statuses to evaluate progress towards objectives.
• Consults and collaborates with various areas of the Department to identify problem areas related to child welfare practice, model and program fidelity and impact, and outcome achievement. Consults and collaborates with other units within the Office of Accountability and with Field Operations regarding case management and practice models. Serves as a Department expert on practice models and direct service programs, including but not limited to SAFE AZ.
• Engages in collaborative problem-solving with child welfare system stakeholders inside and outside DCS to identify, design and install improvement initiatives. Meets with national experts, Procurement and agency leadership to assist in the development, implementation and review of scopes of work and program manuals for contracted services. Engages with youth and parents who have lived experience with child protection services and historically marginalized populations to co-design practice models and contracted services.
• Oversees and provides direct supervision and professional development to all staff in the Practice and Program Services Unit.
• Conducts literature reviews and attends educational events on current best practices in family engagement, the SAFE model, safety assessment, permanency and service planning, and evidence-based assessment and treatment programs for families with risk factors associated with child abuse and neglect. Monitors and interprets data relevant to child welfare practices. Manages and participates in the identification and development of goals, objectives, initiatives, and data plans.
• Conducts, or oversees the DCS Safety Practice Experts and Permanency Practice Experts conducting, Case Consultation Reviews of the Department's most complex child protection cases to provide coaching, education, or guidance to field operations staff and DCS Senior Leadership Team members. Oversees and provides coaching, education, or guidance to Practice Experts who provide observation and feedback to the Supervision Coach, Program Manager and Supervisors.
• Other duties as assigned and related to the position.

• Policy development and implementation; program development and implementation science
• Child welfare and related federal and state laws, rules and regulations
• Coordination and facilitation strategies
• Current child welfare principles and best practices
• Coaching in child welfare programs
• Evaluation methodologies
• Project management
• Change management
• Principles and practices in management and supervision
• Group dynamics
• Conflict resolution
• Principles of continuous quality improvement
• Software applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio)

• Public and community relations
• Quality assurance
• Evaluating programs
• Written and verbal communication
• Effective group facilitation
• Problem identification and resolution
• Organization
• Research, analyze and interpret data
• Establishing and maintaining interpersonal relationships
• Collaborative problem solving
• Time management
• Synthesizing and presenting information

• Solve difficult or complex problems
• Research best practices
• Facilitate work groups
• Manage project plans
• Develop and give presentations
• Provide constructive feedback to staff
• Prioritize tasks
• Concentrate for long periods
• Be flexible and adapt to changing priorities
• Communicate complex material using various methods of communication

Bachelor's degree in related field of study. Master’s Degree in Social Work or Public Administration preferred. Understanding of state and federal requirements.

Five (5) years experience in child welfare. Three (3) years of experience in program development, macro-practice social work or operational…