Direct Care/Education Director - Arlington, United States - Urban Strategies LLC

Description

Job Description

JOB DESCRIPTION

JOB TITLE

Direct Care/Education Director

PROGRAM

Refugio - Unaccompanied Children's Residential Program

WORK SCHEDULE

Five Days per Week, 40 Hours per Week, 12 Months per Year, weekends and evenings as appropriate

LOCATION

Texas

REPORTS TO

Executive Director

JOB TYPE

Exempt

SALARY

Determined at offer

GENERAL JOB DESCRIPTION

The Direct Care/Education Director is a member of the Program Management Office (PMO) leadership team who provides direct guidance and support to residential childcare programs. This position also collaborates with and provides support and guidance to Program Directors and department leads to ensure the delivery of mandated direct care and educational services for all children within programs are in accordance with HHSC General Residential Operations Minimum standards, ORR policy and the Cooperative Agreements. The Direct Care/Education Director must be able to work remotely and on-site as needed.

ABOUT YOU

Should be a strategic thinker that has an organization-wide perspective of the work they are responsible for and how that contributes to long-term business goals.

You have the following Competencies:

• Ability to provide guidance and support to staff.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Attention to detail and ability to maintain accurate records.
• Ability to develop, implement and navigate systems and policies.
• Strong organizational, program management and problem-solving skills
• Ability to work well under pressure and manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Have an ability to inspire trust and can delegate responsibilities with insight and fair execution.
• Deep understanding of local community, social services, child welfare policies and procedures.
• Able to work well under pressure while always trying to keep people's humanity at the forefront of your interactions.

WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING

• Performs a variety of administrative tasks that are highly confidential and time sensitive including but not limited to budgeting, staffing, and purchasing.
• Collaborates with the Director of Compliance and other members of the PMO team in identifying strategies and providing recommendations to the Executive Director for agency wide compliance with standards and ORR policies and procedures.
• Provides assistance to programs when responding to corrective action plans and implementations.
• Assists in the drafting of agency policies and procedures, in alignment with ORR Policy and Procedures, Cooperative Agreement and HHSC Minimum Standards, as applicable.
• Provides training and technical assistance to shelter programs on issues related to State Licensing and General Residential Operations minimum standards as applicable.
• Collaborates with and provides support and guidance to program directors to ensure direct care and educational services for children within Shelter care programs are in accordance with policy, ORR policy and Program Guidance updates.
• Visits programs with a focus on gauging childcare and educational services for children.
• Collaborates with the PMO team to develop direct care and education departmental compliance procedures for all shelter programs.
• Ensures ongoing compliance by conducting desk and onsite monitoring of direct care and educational services for children.
• Provides technical assistance and guidance to program Direct Care and Education Departments with implementing direct care services, and early childhood educational and recreational curriculum and activities.
• Ensures program adherence to contractual responsibilities, to include but not limited to; incident reporting/requirements, intake, education, early childhood services and reunification procedures.
• Collaborates with Education Department Lead and/or Acculturation Coordinator to standardize educational curriculum reflective of child welfare best practices and ensuring all materials and activities are appropriate to the child's age, level of development, linguistic ability, and providing training to assist shelter program staff in the implementation of age-appropriate curricula.
• Oversees delivery of childcare and education services to parenting minors, infants, toddlers, and preschoolers who are unable to attend class.
• Remains current with all changes and updates in ORR policy and supports the departments in providing mandated services to children in accordance with ORR and State Licensing requirements.
• Coordinates the preparation of program performance reports, the collection of programmatic statistical data, and information reports for executive leadership; presents recommendations for changes and/or improvements, and adherence to cooperative agreement and shelter program budgets.
• Represents the organization at various community and/or business meetings; promotes existing and new programs and/or policies.
• Establishes a professional working relationship with onsite client representatives.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Essential Functions:

• Provides guidance and support to staff to ensure that all policies and procedures are followed consistently.
• Monitors and evaluates the effectiveness of services and makes recommendations for improvements.

MINIMUM EXPERIENCE and/or REQUIREMENTS TO BE CONSIDERED

• Bachelor's degree in early childhood education, social work, psychology, sociology, or other relevant behavioral science/human services field from an accredited institute
• 5 years of experience in childcare management or relevant setting involving coordination, compliance, and administration of childcare operations.
• 5 years of experience in providing procedural expertise and consultation in the areas of social welfare, childcare program administration, child development, health and safety, care-giving activities, behavior management age-appropriate needs of children.
• 5 years of experience as a director for residential childcare program or child placing agency, or similar program for children and adolescents.
• Experience overseeing and implementing state and/or federal policies, early childcare and education regulations, and systems, particularly the implementation of child welfare, social services and childcare programs.
• Experience with content knowledge related to childcare licensing and the Office of Refugee and Resettlement Unaccompanied Children program policies and procedures.
• Excellent presentation skills as well as oral and written communication skills required.
• Proficiency with computer, common office equipment, and MS Office products required.
• Flexibility and willingness to travel as needed.
• Clean criminal background check.

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE AND/OR REQUIREMENTS

• Knowledge of laws relating to regulation of child care operations and child abuse/neglect and monitoring and enforcement of childcare facilities childcare.
• Master's degree in behavioral sciences, human services, early childhood education with 5 years of experience in child welfare or social service organization, providing training and technical assistance to childcare operations serving children, conducting child abuse and neglect investigations leadership or management.
• Bachelor's degree in behavioral sciences, human services, early childhood education related field with 10 years of experience in child welfare or social service organization, providing training and technical assistance to childcare operations serving infants, toddlers, and preschool aged children, conducting child abuse and neglect investigations.
• Technical expertise in child welfare practices and standards for the care of unaccompanied children in accordance with ORR Federal regulations and the cooperative agreement.
• Bi-lingual in English and Spanish (read, write, and speak).

ORGANIZATIONAL INFORMATION

ABOUT US

Urban Strategies was founded by a Hispanic woman in 2003. We exist to equip, resource, and connect faith- and community-based organizations so that all children and families can reach their full potential. We work with Latino-focused faith- and community-based organizations to serve and engage the whole family.

Our vision is that all children and families reach their full potential. Our organization is headquartered in Washington, D.C. Our team works across the United States and Puerto Rico with direct service centers located in California, Arizona, Texas, Florida, New York, and Puerto Rico. We also have some programming conducted in Latin America.

COMPANY CULTURE

Our work is driven by our three core values:

1. Authentic Relationships are foundational to our work and move beyond a transactional nature to truly know people. They serve as opportunities for mutual development and growth and are based on the belief that all people have inherent dignity and worth.
2. Servant Leadership is rooted in an other-centric mindset that informs the way one leads and builds up individuals, families, and communities.
3. Intentional Compassion describes a deliberate commitment to understand, formulate strategic responses, and activate others to reach their full potential.

BENEFITS

• Remote/hybrid work for eligible positions.
• Medical, dental is paid 95% by company, 5% by employee (individual or family) eligible first day of hire.
• Vision is covered 100% (individual or family) eligible first day of hire.
• Employee Assistance Program
• 401k match of contributions up to 4%
• Vacation time is generous but varies depending on program and position.*
• 9 Sick Days and 11 Holidays*
• Every teammate gets long and short-term disability free.
• Positions that require laptops, the company provides one.
• Positions that require cellphone, company issues one.

WORK CONDITIONS

• Ability to see at normal distance, hear normal conversations and sounds and use hands and fingers to fill out required forms. Will drive regularly, work in the office and remotely. May work evenings/weekends to meet required timeframes.

PERKS

• Meaningful employee engagement programs.
• Education discounts (BA-PhD) with a variety of education partners.

OTHER

• All employees must pass a mandatory criminal background check and a bilingual language test for positions that require them.
• Employment is conditional pending satisfactory results of all required tests and background checks.
• Periodic physical examinations and TB clearances will be required, if hired.
• Some positions governed by Service Contract Act guidelines.
• It is understood and agreed that, where a position is funded by a third-party grant, pay and other terms and conditions may be determined by the granting agency. To the extent practical and possible. Grant-funded employees will normally be given notice of termination effective the date the grant expires. When the application has been made for continued grant funding, the employee will be so advised. Extensions of hire may be made in expectation of grant funding but may be rescinded if the granting agency withdraws.

In keeping with its equal employment opportunity legal requirements, Urban Strategies will not discriminate against any person in employment because of legally protected classifications such as race, color, national origin, or sex. Urban Strategies provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, disability, or other legally protected classifications under applicable federal, state, and local legal protections. This policy applies to all terminations and conditions of employment, including hiring, placement, promotions, terminations, layoffs, leaves of absences, compensation, and training. Please note that Urban Strategies, in order to fulfill its mission, is legally allowed to make decisions in its employment practices based on its distributed employee manual. All employee positions are critical to the fulfillment of this mission. Consequently, Urban Strategies expects all employees to live out the standards as set forth in the Employee Handbook and otherwise as interpreted by the Urban Strategies leadership. Among other things, this means that Urban Strategies may take employment-related action against an employee based on his or her noncompliance with the policies, procedures, and practices of Urban Strategies, including employment termination.

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