Program Director

SUNNY GLEN CHILDRENS HOME INC•San Benito, TX

19d•$70,000 - $80,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Program Director directs, administers, and coordinates Sunny Glen Children’s Home’s General Residential Operation (GRO) in support of organizational policies, goals, and objectives established by the Division Director of State Programs. The role is responsible for the overall management of programmatic, administrative, financial, and operational systems related to care and services for children, including regular reporting on operations, services, and finances and fostering a respectful, supportive workplace. The Program Director provides day-to-day leadership and oversight of residential services and the foster care service continuum, ensuring safe, effective, high-quality, child-centered, and trauma-informed care. The position oversees staffing, budgets, program goals and procedures, admissions and discharges, treatment coordination, documentation, facility projects, compliance, and communication with internal and external stakeholders. The Program Director directly supervises program departments and staff and reports operational results to the chief executive officer. The position requires a current LCCA license in good standing, annual continuing education of at least 15 clock hours or as otherwise required, a valid Texas driver’s license with an excellent driving record, and tuberculosis screening showing the employee is free of contagious TB. Candidates must be at least 21 years old. The posting lists a minimum master’s degree in a social sciences area and also a minimum bachelor’s degree or above; at least three years of experience in residential childcare may substitute for education. Bilingual English and Spanish is preferred.

Requirements

Must be at least 21 years of age.
Minimum of a master’s degree in a social sciences area and current LCCA license; the posting also lists a minimum bachelor’s degree or above.
At least three years of experience working in a residential childcare setting may substitute for education.
Must maintain an LCCA license in good standing.
Valid Texas driver’s license with an excellent driving record.
Tuberculosis screening record showing the employee is free of contagious TB.
Ability to read, analyze, and interpret business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, and governmental regulations.
Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals.
Ability to present information effectively and respond to questions from managers, clients, and the public.
Ability to perform arithmetic calculations, including computing rates, ratios, and percentages.
Ability to regularly stand and walk; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; and talk or hear; frequently use hands and reach with arms; and occasionally sit, climb, or balance.
Ability to regularly exert up to 25 pounds of force and occasionally perform a restraint on youth weighing up to 200 pounds.
Ability to frequently maintain visual and auditory supervision of multiple children.
Ability to make quick decisions, tolerate frustration, balance mental toughness with compassion, and multitask.

Nice To Haves

Bilingual in English and Spanish.

Responsibilities

Provide overall leadership, direction, and day-to-day oversight of the General Residential Operation, ensuring safe, effective, high-quality residential services for children in care.
Participate in annual program budget planning with the Division Director and Director of Finance, identifying staffing, operational, facility, and program resource needs.
Identify program needs and potential grant wish-list items and communicate funding priorities to the Grant Team.
Develop, implement, and evaluate program goals, operational plans, procedures, and performance expectations consistent with organizational policies and objectives.
Ensure operations comply with Texas Child Care Regulation requirements, Minimum Standards for General Residential Operations, contractual and Texas Child-Centered Care requirements, accreditation standards, and organizational policies.
Oversee residential services and the foster care service continuum, including admissions, placement, service planning, daily care, treatment coordination, transition planning, and discharge.
Oversee intake, admission, placement, and discharge processes, ensuring children's needs, safety, service packages, requirements, and placement appropriateness are considered and documented.
Supervise assigned supervisors and program staff, setting clear responsibilities, accountability, and performance expectations.
Work with the Treatment Director and clinical professionals to ensure children receive appropriate trauma-informed behavioral health, counseling, treatment, and supportive services.
Foster accountability, professionalism, teamwork, continuous improvement, and child-centered, trauma-informed care.
Oversee communication systems for accurate documentation, timely information sharing, case tracking, service coordination, and compliance.
Ensure serious incidents, complaints, allegations, and other reportable events are addressed, documented, escalated, and reported as required.
Maintain effective communication and coordination among children, caregivers, program and clinical staff, education personnel, placing entities, licensing representatives, community partners, and organizational departments.
Maintain an effective organizational structure and policies that support management development and succession.
Develop and install procedures and controls that promote communication and adequate information flow.
Evaluate operational results regularly and systematically and report results to the chief executive officer.
Define and communicate the responsibilities, authorities, and accountability of direct subordinates.
Directly supervise all program departments and carry out supervisory responsibilities, including interviewing, hiring, training, assigning and directing work, appraising performance, rewarding and disciplining employees, addressing complaints, and resolving problems.
Oversee onsite program facility projects in coordination with the Facilities Coordinator, including communication, follow-up, costs, needs, and timelines.
Lead and participate in recruitment and selection of program staff, including candidate review, interviews, hiring recommendations, and coordination with Human Resources.
Promptly communicate citations, deficiencies, technical assistance, corrective actions, and other compliance concerns to the Division Director and corporate staff, and ensure follow-up, documentation, and resolution.
Ensure timely completion and submission of program documentation, reports, records, and supporting materials required by the Contract Manager and applicable contracts.
Maintain the LCCA license in good standing and complete required continuing education, including at least 15 clock hours annually or as otherwise required.
Perform other duties as assigned.