Program Manager

Children and Families First Delaware Inc•Seaford, DE

12d•Onsite

About The Position

Under the direction of the Chief Program Officer, the Program Manager is responsible for the overall leadership, administration, supervision, quality, safety, and operation of Seaford House. The Program Manager provides oversight of residential, behavioral, recreational, and administrative functions; supervises program leadership staff, including the Clinical Team Leader and Youth Advocate Supervisors; and ensures the delivery of safe, structured, trauma-informed services consistent with agency, licensing, accreditation, and contractual requirements. The Program Manager serves as the primary operational leader of the program and is responsible for staffing, program performance, quality improvement, incident oversight, stakeholder collaboration, and the implementation of program goals and objectives. Due to the nature of residential services, the work schedule for this position may vary based on program needs and is not limited to traditional business hours. Evening, weekend, holiday, on-call, and crisis response responsibilities may be required to support youth, staff, and program operations.

Requirements

Master's degree in Social Work, Counseling, Psychology, Human Services Administration, Public Administration, or a related field required.
Previous supervisory or management experience required.
Ability to respond appropriately to the cultural differences present among the agency's service population.
Ability to lead and develop staff through a variety of coaching, supervision, and training methods.
Strong knowledge of trauma-informed care, positive youth development, behavior management, crisis intervention, and residential services.
Demonstrated leadership, decision-making, and problem-solving skills.
Strong oral and written communication skills.
Strong organizational, time management, and project management skills.
Ability to analyze program performance, incident data, and operational outcomes to inform decision-making and continuous improvement.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with youth, families, staff, community partners, funders, regulators, and other stakeholders.
Ability to work independently and accurately while managing multiple priorities.
Ability to review, interpret, and apply agency policies, licensing regulations, accreditation standards, contractual requirements, and best practices.
Ability to work a flexible schedule based on program needs, including evenings, weekends, holidays, participation in an on-call rotation, and other hours necessary to support program operations and crisis response.
OCCL Regulations require all staff to complete required annual training and maintain applicable certifications.
Must have reliable transportation and a valid driver's license that meets the requirements of the agency's insurance carrier.

Nice To Haves

Five (5) or more years of experience working with adolescents, child welfare-involved youth, youth with behavioral or emotional challenges, or youth in residential treatment settings preferred.
Experience managing residential, behavioral health, child welfare, juvenile justice, or youth-serving programs strongly preferred.
Clinical licensure preferred but not required.

Responsibilities

Provides supervision and leadership to assigned supervisory and leadership staff, including Youth Advocate Supervisors, the Clinical Team Leader, and other assigned program staff.
Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws.
Recruits, supervises, evaluates, coaches, and develops staff.
Promotes effective communication, teamwork, professionalism, accountability, and positive staff culture throughout the program.
Identifies staff development needs and ensures appropriate training and professional growth opportunities.
Provides consultation and support to staff during crises and other significant program events.
Participates in on-call leadership coverage as assigned.
Provides administrative supervision to the Clinical Team Leader and ensures effective coordination between clinical, residential, educational, medical, and case management services.
Oversees daily program operations and ensures compliance with agency standards, licensing requirements, accreditation standards, contractual obligations, and program policies.
Implements program goals, objectives, policies, and procedures.
Oversees referrals, admissions, census management, utilization, staffing patterns, and overall program performance.
Maintains responsibility for final review and submission of reportable events, incident documentation, corrective action plans, and required regulatory reporting.
Monitors program quality, operational data, incident trends, and outcomes to identify improvement opportunities and implement corrective actions.
Oversees licensing readiness, accreditation compliance, quality improvement activities, and ongoing program monitoring.
Coordinates staff training and professional development activities and ensures completion of required trainings and certifications.
Prepares and maintains reports, records, and documentation required by agency, regulatory, contractual, accreditation, and funding requirements.
Participates in budget development, budget monitoring, resource management, and contract performance activities.
Ensures direct service and program compliance with agency standards, contract funding requirements, and organizational expectations.
Participates in stakeholder meetings and maintains collaborative relationships with licensing, funders, schools, courts, providers, law enforcement, community partners, and other stakeholders.
Provides leadership and oversight for residential operations and implementation of the program's behavior management philosophy.
Ensures behavioral interventions, crisis response practices, incentives, consequences, supervision expectations, and youth engagement strategies are implemented consistently across all shifts.
Reviews serious incidents, restraints, AWOLs, police involvement, contraband concerns, and other significant events to ensure appropriate response, documentation, communication, and follow-up.
Provides coaching and support to supervisory staff regarding behavior management, crisis intervention, de-escalation, staff accountability, and youth engagement strategies.
Oversees development and implementation of structured recreational, life skills, community engagement, volunteer, and enrichment programming.
Ensures youth programming supports positive youth development, therapeutic goals, relationship building, skill development, and meaningful engagement.
Reviews youth feedback, program participation, and engagement opportunities to support continuous program improvement.
Works collaboratively with the Clinical Team Leader to ensure residential and therapeutic programming are aligned and responsive to youth needs.
Leads efforts to reduce serious incidents and strengthen the overall safety, stability, and quality of the program.
May provide direct services in accordance with agency standards and procedures as needed.
Participates in agency meetings, committees, professional meetings, court proceedings, stakeholder meetings, and community activities as assigned or approved.
Maintains agency standards regarding confidentiality, quality, productivity, and professionalism.
Performs other duties as assigned and/or required.