Coordinator, Services

School District of Philadelphia•Philadelphia, PA

20h•$71,717 - $92,980•Onsite

About The Position

The School District of Philadelphia is seeking a Coordinator, Services to coordinate a wide array of services and programs for children, with a specialization in Educating Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness. This role involves collaborating with Local Education Agencies, as well as local, regional, and state agencies to remove barriers for homeless children and youth. For the Foster Care specialty, the coordinator will manage services and programs for foster children and act as the primary point of contact for Foster Care Services for the School District of Philadelphia. The position is responsible for coordinating services across the entire Philadelphia Region and interpreting laws and legal responsibilities to ensure educational stability for all students.

Requirements

Master’s degree from an accredited college or university.
Five years of full-time, paid, professional experience which has included providing or coordinating social services, family counseling, serving as advocate of school aged at risk youth, community outreach work, performing probation work with a school-age population in an urban setting
OR
Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
Seven years of full-time, paid, professional experience which has included providing or coordinating social services, family counseling, serving as advocate of school aged at risk youth, community outreach work, performing probation work with a school-age population in an urban setting.
Demonstrated knowledge of: the current social, economic and various other problems and needs affecting urban families and children and their specific impact on disadvantaged families and children.
Demonstrated knowledge of: the problems and needs that affect children who experience homelessness and their families.
Demonstrated knowledge of: fiscal planning and budgeting.
Demonstrated knowledge of: the methods and techniques used in effective program planning, design, and administration.
Demonstrated knowledge of: federal and state laws, guidelines and regulations governing the management of grants.
Demonstrated knowledge of: counseling and intervention techniques.
Skilled in: professional workshop development and presentation.
Ability to: conduct comprehensive needs assessments.
Ability to: learn and interpret the School District policies governing student enrollment and registration.
Ability to: learn and determine services and programs provided by the District that address the needs of children experiencing homelessness.
Ability to: coordinate the provision of educational and social services to a transient student population.
Ability to: assign, supervise, and evaluate the work of subordinates.
Ability to: communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
Ability to: establish and effective working relationships.

Responsibilities

Completes annual application for Emergency Funds through the Christopher Ludwick Foundation; distributes grants to eligible students and maintains records for compliance and auditing purposes; updates and sends Emergency Fund Resource Guide to all District schools.
Identifies homeless children and youth as defined by McKinney-Vento, including doubled-up homeless in collaboration with the Office of Research and Evaluation (ORE), all public and charter schools and shelter/transitional housing providers in Philadelphia; serves as a liaison between schools and providers to improve communication and increase knowledge of legal responsibility to homeless students.
Expedites enrollment when there are disputes and ensures full participation for homeless students in all school activities through removal of any barriers by providing school uniforms, school tokens, school supplies, and other school expenses (for example, unpaid fees, graduation fees).
Troubleshoots and advocates for students and families in enrollment in school of origin or neighborhood school; supports and assists schools, shelter providers, and families to ensure the timely enrollment of students in school to maintain and increase attendance and truancy initiatives.
Drafts resolutions and contracts for Office Supportive Housing for alternative education site and shelter providers for after school and summer enrichment programs; monitors programs and visits shelters and transitional housing sites to stay abreast of homeless conditions and needs; provides supplemental materials and supplies to programs to reinforce the District’s core curriculum; assists in the grant writing for application of funds from the Department of Education with the Office of Grants and Support, Office of Management and Budget and the ORE.
Plans and implements professional development, workshops, and training; creates brochures, distributes literature to school administrators and staff, community organizations, and parents to raise community awareness of the phenomenon of homeless children and youth and understanding of laws and policies that impact their lives; distributes and collects surveys from school counselors, shelter directors and parents.
Coordinates existing services (early childhood programs, special education services, gifted and talented services, and the Comprehensive Student Assistance Process (CSAP) for homeless students as well as facilitates dispute resolution when these services are denied or conflict arises.
Provides training for homeless parents and shelter staffs around McKinney-Vento Law concerning the rights of homeless children and youth; increases collaboration and interagency partnerships to assist in the education and plight of homeless families; attends interagency meetings that promote an end to the cycle of homelessness and support the holistic well being of homeless families.
Solicits educational, GED, vocational programs and after school/summer jobs for homeless teens to promote independent life skills and self esteem; facilitates entrepreneur programs to encourage creativity and motivation to start and operate a business.
Provides technical assistance and training; ensures that all requests for emergency/homeless assistance and follow-up to major concerns are done in a timely fashion.
Coordinates annual events including but not limited to awareness events and holiday and supply drives.
Provides support for walk-in intakes as needed.