Director of Residential Program

Northern Children's Services • Philadelphia, PA

5d • Onsite

About The Position

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the Director of Residential Programs is responsible for the direction and management of four distinct residential programs, all of which serve youth and young adults. All programs are grounded in a trauma-informed approach. Two are state-licensed with specialized settings designation, and two do not require state licenses. All are primarily funded through public monies (i.e., the State & City Department of Human Services, the Federal Housing & Urban Development (HUD), and the City Office of Homeless Services, and as such require qualitative and regulatory compliance measures and benchmarking, as well as regular reporting.

Northern’s four residential programs provide high-quality care, effective supportive services, and the safety, permanency, and well-being of children and youth in each of the unique populations we serve. As with all Northern programs, these children and youth will be partners in the identification of needs, the provision of supports and programming, and the specific goals and outcomes set for themselves and their families. Our programs and services are accessible to all children, youth, and families, with services tailored to meet the needs of every resident – familial, vocational, behavioral, emotional, physical, cultural, linguistic, educational, sexual identity-based, or intersectional. The director supervises the Outcomes Specialists, the Residential Support Aide Supervisor, and the Case Coordinator.

The director establishes effective, transparent, and genuine relationships with all public and private partners, as well as Northern Residential staff, residents, and staff in other Northern Departments, and works closely with these parties to ensure quality service delivery and an appropriate level of partnership and support. They supervise the planning of high-quality, comprehensive, and effective programming for the residents (and, if applicable, their children). Importantly, this person assumes ownership in ensuring that all residents receive comprehensive behavioral health assessments and that those in need of behavioral health services be connected to the appropriate services upon entry into the programs, or as possible new issues arise during a residents’ or their children’s time at Northern. These services may be delivered at Northern through 1:1 and group activities, or through Northern’s partnerships with external providers.

This person is responsible for assuring that the campus, the program content, and organizational culture provide our young residents and their children with a community that is caring, safe, structured, and supportive, ideally helping facilitate overcoming the systemic, social, familial, and personal obstacles to successful navigation through the youth and young adult years. Northern’s main goals are to support and nurture the development and growth of these young people in doing better today so that they and all of us do better tomorrow.

Generations I
This program helps young mothers transition out of the child welfare system and become independent, successful adults. Generations I serve adolescents ages 13-20 who are pregnant and/or parenting and are under the care of the Department of Human Services (DHS) either directly through DHS or through a Community Umbrella Agency (CUA), and possibly involved in the Juvenile Justice and court systems.

Generations II
Generations II provides transitional housing for young mothers with up to two young children. This program is intended to help these mothers gain their independence.

New Generations
New Generations is a permanent supportive housing program for young mothers and fathers who have been identified as homeless and have a behavioral or physical disability, each with up to three children.

Crossroads@Northern
Crossroads@Northern is a program that serves young ages 18-21 who are transitioning to adulthood. These young people aged out of the foster care system at eighteen years old and did not seek a court-ordered board extension, which would have allowed them to remain in the DHS foster care system until age 21. Unfortunately, these young people moved out of the system, but do not have a viable transition or permanency plans in place. Many of them are without strong and viable family or extended family connections that are safe and supportive.

Requirements

• Master's Degree, ideally in social work, administration, or the social service sector.
• Five years (5) experience in social service organizations.
• Three (3) years of supervisory experience.
• Excellent working knowledge of clinical issues relating to children, adolescents, or families.
• Experience in child welfare, residential services, and working with similar populations of clients is required.
• Good working knowledge of the Philadelphia Child Welfare system (DHS, CUA, provider network, etc.), as well as other systems that affect our residents (i.e., the behavioral health, drug and alcohol, legal/advocacy, family court, juvenile and adult probation and parole, educational systems, etc.).
• Ability to communicate and interact with all staff.
• Ability to define problems, collects data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
• Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from varied groups, including the media.
• Cognizant of developmental levels of infants, toddlers, adolescents, older youth, and young adults.
• Ability to accurately calculate numbers such as addition, subtraction, and percentages.
• Ability to give clear and concise oral and written instructions.
• Excellent working knowledge of the child welfare, housing, and behavioral health systems. Knowledge of and ability to navigate other systems.
• Ability to read and understand complex instructions such as regulatory policies.
• Excellent and proven working knowledge of the use of computers and pertinent software programs.

Nice To Haves

• Ability to walk up and downstairs.
• Ability to lift 20 lbs.
• Current valid driver’s license and the willingness to drive as needed.
• Able to comply with a flexible work schedule, including some evening and weekend hours.

Responsibilities

• Provides strategic, tactical, and effective leadership to the Residential Programs staff.
• Understands the importance of collaborating with leaders of other programs and departments towards leadership development, best practice exchange, and the understanding of the importance of collaboration between programs and departments toward Northern’s shared values, common goals, and objectives.
• Demonstrates strong stewardship of resources and keen decision-making ability.
• Takes initiative to bring quality, innovation, and the ongoing pursuit of learning from mistakes as well as triumphs and best practices (at Northern and beyond).
• Possesses high expectations for quality, service, and accountability, and holds themselves and others accountable.
• Ensures curricula and interventions are based on evidence-based, trauma-informed programs that yield positive outcomes.
• Understands the need to operate programs as business units that are undergirded by solid budgeting, spending, results, etc.
• Fundamentally and authentically shares Northern’s core values and leads the Department accordingly.
• Ensures adequate staffing and that staff hired are qualified, well-trained, committed, and adhere to Northern’s core values and trauma-informed ideology and approach.
• Ensures full coverage for each shift, developing strategies for minimizing turnover and frequent but unanticipated call-outs by support staff.
• Ensures that the necessary processes and procedures are both in place and consistently implemented so that the programs can be run effectively and efficiently.
• Responsible for collaborative relationships with all team members that include but are not limited to: DHS, CUAs, the Philadelphia School District and other area schools, Probation, the courts, the Achieving Independence Center, and providers in parenting, life, and job skills, mentoring, early intervention, medical and dental resources, and others.
• Develops and monitors the budget to assure a break-even operating margin.
• Plans for effective and impactful daily programming and services for Gen I residents and less frequent but consistent and prescribed programming and services for Gen II and New Gen residents.
• Works closely with residential and other department staff to ensure regulatory compliance and performance improvement benchmarking and tracking, the creation and implementation of any plans of strategic planning, work/implementation plans, internal quality assurance goals, and plans of correction (POC) associated with City or State program audits.
• Meets established goals and objectives for all four programs.
• Effectively and responsibly allocates resources.
• Maintains responsibility for completing relevant and effective staff evaluations, department goals and objective setting.
• Maintains monthly internal and external reporting requirements to meet funding requirements.
• Tracks qualitative and quantitative performance indicators for each of the Residential Programs.
• Ensures comprehensive internal and external reporting.
• Establishes and monitors quarterly and bi-annual outcomes data relating to program services.
• Ensures that all residential staff meet the minimum training requirements as new hires (30 hours) and annually thereafter (40 hours), including but not limited to training requirements for Northern’s maintenance of Specialized Settings Certification and that the content of these trainings be relevant, of high quality, and the foundation upon which solid program implementation is maintained.
• Through written and verbal efforts clearly and effectively communicates with staff and external stakeholders.
• Resolve conflicts and establishes a positive and productive culture for residential staff, residents, other Northern staff, and external stakeholders.
• Upholds and maintains the critical values of confidentiality, appropriate boundaries, and a commitment to addressing performance and programmatic concerns and challenges.
• Regularly reviews standards (including the implementation of trauma-informed care) with staff and residents to ensure the mutual understanding of procedures and the development of specific action plans to reward or improve employee performance, reward or improve resident behaviors and actions.
• Directs residential staff on issues regarding quality standards consistent with program goals and objectives.
• Focuses and refocus curriculum as client needs dictate.
• Determines the most appropriate program models and interventions to most effectively support consumers.
• Provides weekly administrative supervision and support to residential staff so that they can be successful in their roles.
• Assures that residential staff receive the training required by regulation and determined as necessary to accomplish departmental tasks and objectives.
• Supervises the implementation of the program curriculum, services, and departmental procedures.
• Ensures residential staff support and guide residents in the participation of positive individual, family, and group activities (school, therapy, goal setting, etc.).
• Performs the full function of supervision of high-quality residential programs in accordance with regulations, and guidelines of the agency and other regulating bodies.
• Has a flexible schedule to assure continuity of supervision on all shifts.
• Ability to exhibit: Willingness to learn and maintain the value of a trauma-informed culture.
• Commit to the maintenance of a therapeutic environment and community that promotes safety, nonviolence, and resilience as the basis for all we do with clients and staff.
• Knowledge and utilization of trauma-informed practices: Emotional intelligence, Effective communication, Understanding of the impact of trauma on human development, Use of person-first, strengths-based language.
• Performs Other Duties Assigned.

Benefits

• Northern Children’s Services is committed to fostering a therapeutic environment rooted in safety, nonviolence, and resilience. Our policies are guided by trauma-informed principles, ensuring that we create a supportive and healing atmosphere for clients and staff.
• A trauma-informed approach recognizes that past experiences, including trauma, can significantly impact a person’s behavior, emotions, and interactions.
• Use emotional intelligence: Respond with empathy and awareness, even in difficult situations.
• Communicate effectively: Listen actively, ask clarifying questions, and avoid judgmental language.
• Understand trauma’s impact: Be aware that clients or colleagues may react based on past experiences, not just the present moment.
• Apply person-first, strengths-based language: Focus on people’s strengths and abilities rather than defining them by their challenges (e.g., saying "a person experiencing homelessness" instead of "a homeless person").
• By adhering to these principles, we ensure that our workplace is not only effective but also compassionate and inclusive for everyone.
• As with all positions at Northern Children’s Services, Inc. we recognize the importance of accommodations individuals with disabilities. In that, we are committed to every extent possible accommodating disabled individual. We recognize the American With Disabilities Act of 1991 and understand the need to reasonably accommodate employees. All accommodation will be evaluated on a case- by case basis, evaluating the essential functions of the positions.
• DISCRIMINATION IS PROHIBITED IN EMPLOYMENT, PROMOTION, ASSIGNMENT OR DISMISSAL, ON THE BASIS OF RACE, RELIGION, COLOR, AGE, SEX, NATIONAL ORIGIN, and HANDICAP, OR RECEIPT OF SERVICES FOR MENTAL DISABILITY.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director