Program Specialist, Project Thrive

Fulton Schools•Atlanta, GA

About The Position

The Program Specialist supports the day-to-day implementation of the federally funded Project Thrive initiative under the direction of the Coordinator of Project Thrive. The role facilitates grant requirements, districtwide implementation, community partnerships, governance, performance monitoring, and sustainability activities associated with Project Thrive’s three-tiered mental and behavioral health framework. The Program Specialist works across district departments, schools, and community partners to ensure grant activities are implemented as approved, integrated into existing district systems, and completed within established timelines and performance expectations. The position is grant-funded, and continued employment depends on the availability of grant funding.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree.
At least 3 years of experience in student support services, behavioral health, program implementation, program coordination, grant management, or a related field.
Ability to plan, coordinate, and execute complex, interdependent programs or initiatives.
Ability to manage multiple priorities, projects, responsibilities, and deadlines with independence.
Strong analytical and critical-thinking skills.
Proficiency with data systems, spreadsheets, and project management tools.
Knowledge of project management, program implementation, and continuous improvement practices.
Knowledge of school-based mental and behavioral health, prevention, intervention, and multi-tiered systems of support.
Ability to coordinate cross-functional teams and collaborate across departments and partner organizations.
Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills.

Nice To Haves

Experience collaborating with school psychologists, social workers, school counselors, crisis intervention teams, and/or community mental health providers.
Experience working in K-12 educational settings.

Responsibilities

Coordinate Project Thrive implementation in accordance with the approved federal award, strategic plan, implementation timeline, and district priorities.
Develop and maintain a comprehensive project implementation plan documenting activities, milestones, deliverables, responsible parties, and federal deadlines.
Coordinate SAMHSA grant requirements, programmatic reporting, continuation materials, technical assistance activities, and documentation of grant deliverables.
Support integration of Project Thrive’s three-tiered behavioral health framework within GaMTSS and existing district prevention, intervention, crisis, family engagement, and student-support systems.
Coordinate cross-functional implementation activities involving district departments, schools, community behavioral health providers, and other project partners.
Coordinate the Project Thrive Advisory Board, Community Collaborative, implementation teams, and other workgroups; track decisions and actions through completion.
Support the development and implementation of community-provider agreements, referral protocols, performance expectations, and collaborative service-delivery processes.
Monitor project implementation, provider capacity, referral and service-access patterns, training participation, and other performance indicators in collaboration with project staff.
Identify implementation barriers, risks, and unmet needs, and develop recommendations for continuous improvement and leadership consideration.
Coordinate development and annual refinement of the Project Thrive Sustainability Plan and support integration of effective grant-funded practices into ongoing district operations.
Collaborate with the Specialist I, Project Thrive to align implementation, fiscal, procurement, evaluation, and reporting activities.
Establish and maintain productive relationships with district personnel, families, community organizations, behavioral health providers, state agencies, and other stakeholders.
Prepare implementation updates, presentations, reports, and recommendations for the coordinator, district leadership, Advisory Board, SAMHSA, and other stakeholders.
Maintain appropriate project documentation and confidentiality in accordance with federal requirements, district policy, and applicable regulations.
Coordinate professional learning activities, including leadership cohorts, training sessions, and micro-credentialing opportunities.
Implement grant-funded activities in alignment with the approved project plan and maintain a detailed plan of responsibilities, tasks, and timelines.
Meet regularly with the grant management team to monitor progress, address challenges, and ensure fidelity to the grant.
Manage procurement processes, including the RFQ process for mental-health service partners.
Oversee the grant budget, purchasing processes, and documentation of expenditures.
Ensure compliance with federal reporting requirements by collecting and analyzing data, preparing progress and financial reports, and submitting them for approval and to the funder.
Monitor program indicators and present findings to district leaders and stakeholders.
Participate in required SAMHSA meetings, technical assistance, professional learning, and grant activities.
Perform other duties as assigned by the appropriate administrator.