Director, Partnerships, Policy & Practice - Indian Child & Family Well-Being Program, Denver

Casey Family Programs • Denver, CO

29d • Onsite

About The Position

Casey Family Programs is the nation's largest operating foundation focused on safely reducing the need for foster care and building Communities of Hope for children and families across America. Founded in 1966, Casey Family Programs works in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, two territories, and tribal nations to influence long-lasting improvements to the safety and success of children, families and the communities where they live. Casey Family Programs values diversity, equity, inclusion, anti-racism, anti-discrimination, and respect for individuals in the workplace. We encourage candidates with diverse lived experience and perspectives to apply. Child and Family Services (CFS) of Casey Family Programs provides direct services and tribal consultation in pursuit of Casey’s mission to provide, improve, and – ultimately prevent the need for – foster care. CFS operates nine field offices in five states and an Indian Child and Family Well-being Program office that demonstrate direct service and ICW improvement models. We share our experiences and lessons learned with jurisdictions, tribes, providers, and communities in the spirit of mutual continuous learning. Our work is community and family centered, relationship-based, participatory, and culturally responsive. We recognize the dignity and strength of every individual, family, community and culture. The Director– Partnerships, Policy, & Practice, Indian Child & Family Well-being (ICFWP) is a nationally recognized expert in the field of Indian Child & Family Well-being and provides support and consultation to Tribal Nations, local, state and federal governments, and national and regional Native American organizational partners, on issues impacting Tribal families. The Director works to uphold Tribal sovereignty and advance Casey’s values, mission, vision and goals. The Director identifies and promotes Tribal child well-being best practices, culturally tailored services, and collaboration across organizations to support American Indian/Alaska Native children and families. Responsibilities include working in collaboration across Casey Family Programs, with Tribes, and external partners to provide technical assistance which support positive outcomes for Native American families and children. The Director provides direct support, project oversight and/or coordination in accordance with Casey’s strategic objectives, and adheres to legal, financial and other organizational mandates.

Requirements

• A Master’s degree in a relevant field of study (i. public policy, child welfare policy, project management, Indian or Tribal child welfare administration or related fields) with at least 7 years relevant experience required.
• Knowledge and experience with the Indian Child Welfare Act, Tribal Child Welfare practices, funding resources, and other laws or best practices which are relevant to the well-being of Indian children and families is required.
• Knowledge of and responsible experience with collaborations, agreements, and partnerships, (especially among government agencies and Tribes) including the ability to develop and maintain strong relationships with the leadership and staff of those is needed.
• Demonstratable knowledge about, competence in, and familiarity with the infrastructures of state and Tribal child welfare systems required.
• A valid driver’s license and the ability to travel are imperative to successful performance in meeting the responsibilities of this position.
• Must pass a criminal background.
• Demonstrated contract management experience, including developing and providing documentation of contractual deliverables, tracking progress, and measuring outcomes of joint work with partners.
• Demonstrated ability to support leadership and the team during periods of organizational change.
• Demonstrated understanding of collaborative community work, building relationships, and managing expectations within these relationships is required.
• Proven effectiveness and ease in a multi-cultural environment is required.
• Proven ability to manage collaborative work efforts across multiple work units and partners.
• Ability to perform effectively in high pressure and stressful work
• Ability to manage stress and self-care.
• Ability to balance an independent workload and support of the Indian Child & Family Well-Being Program.
• Ability to work onsite at the Denver ICFWP office full-time to meet the collaborative responsibilities that are essential for position.
• Regular and reliable attendance is required.
• Physical requirements include the ability to lift and reach for light objects; ability to type and work at a computer for extended periods of time as a primary job function.
• Ability to protect the confidentiality of sensitive information by learning and following all relevant policies and protocols and using sound judgment in the handling and sharing of that information.
• Local travel as well as occasional out-of-town automobile travel may be required.
• Driving on Casey business may require use of personal vehicle; adherence to vehicle safety guidelines and qualification for insurance is required.

Nice To Haves

• Juris Doctorate preferred.
• Experience in Tribal and state child welfare legal systems is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Works as member of Casey Family Programs to provide direct consultation with Tribes and Tribal organizations, and engages with partners as well as local, state and federal governments to advance policies and practices that support implementation of culturally tailored approaches that build tribal capacity leading to reduction in the over-representation of American Indian and Alaska Native youth in care and improve well-being outcomes.
• Coordinates and pulls in internal and external resources to address the specific Indian child welfare and child & family well-being needs.
• Builds effective working relationships with public, organizational, and Tribal child welfare leadership to support implementation of, and compliance with, the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) and help build Tribal and organizational capacity through increased access to local, state, federal, Tribal, and organizational resources, including resources on fiscal sustainability.
• Researches, identifies, and tracks emerging trends and best practices in Tribal and Indian child welfare service delivery, federal policy, and, based on Tribal input, makes recommendations to Casey team members on methods determined to improve child welfare prevention and outcomes for American Indian and Alaska Native youth.
• Engages and coordinates with organizational partners to identify areas of common work with the goal of collectively supporting positive change for Indian children & families.
• Ensures organizational partnerships are in alignment with the needs of the Tribes and support the work of the ICFWP team in alignment with the Casey Family Programs mission.
• Develops Tribally informed policy and programmatic responses based on applicable and available data in order to educate decision-makers at the Tribal, state, and federal levels.
• Identifies, develops, and partners with urban Indian and other Tribal programs on innovative strategies for prevention and safe reduction of American Indian/Alaska Native children in care.
• Identifies, tracks, and analyzes outcomes for youth served through partnerships.
• Oversee and provide leadership for work with organizational partners to be integrated with other Casey Family Programs work units.
• Collaborates with other Casey Family Programs work units, including SI public policy staff and the national partnership team, to develop, prioritize, and support relationships at the federal, state, and Tribal levels to educate on policy; as well as cultivating and maintaining relationships with community stakeholders and organizations supporting policy initiatives at the national, state and Tribal levels, that will support the development of internal capacity and continuous quality improvement on practices and outcomes for Tribal children and families, supporting Communities of Hope, promoting respect for Tribal sovereignty and advancing both the Gold Standard principles of the ICWA and more effective implementation of the ICWA.
• Responsible for issue specific work on policy matters affecting Indian family wellbeing including but not limited to the ICWA, FFPSA, Title IV-E and IV-B of the SSA, Indian Health Services, Administration of Children & Families, early childhood programs, Medicaid, and Indian education.
• Review, digest, and share relevant policy matters with colleagues and leadership.
• Manage and complete project plans ensuring the scope of work include an accurate reflection of the terms of the plan, measurable outcomes, business processes, required resources and established budget while maintaining an appropriate work/life balance as is required by the nature of the systems in which the position operates.
• Ensures adherence to Casey policies in all matters of practice, contracts, communications, resources, personnel, and reporting.
• Reviews, edits, and approves work plans and budget requests prior to submission to Legal, Finance, or other parties before finalization.
• Develops, maintains, and monitors contracts and agreements once they are in place.
• Works closely with other Casey Family Programs staff to ensure resource allocation is prioritized and used effectively to support tribes and Tribal organizations.
• Acts as a good steward of Casey resources – in expenses and funding – but also in labor hours in applying appropriate amounts of resources to each project.
• Other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• medical, dental and vision coverage
• accrual of 12 days of annual leave
• 12 days of sick leave
• 10 paid holidays per year
• one personal holiday to use each calendar year
• up to eight weeks of parental leave for the birth or placement of a child for adoption or foster care
• three-month sabbatical with pay
• opportunities for continued learning, training, and development

What This Job Offers

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