Director, Programs, Outreach

ABOUT US: - We believe that everyone deserves a home!

Breaking Ground operates nearly 4,000 units of housing across New York City, along with housing in upstate New York and Connecticut. Supportive housing - affordable housing paired with services designed to help people maintain their homes for the long-term - is widely recognized as a proven and cost-effective solution to chronic homelessness.

But we didn't stop at providing housing. Breaking Ground's programs and services help people experiencing street homelessness - especially those who have been on the streets the longest - to come indoors. Through our Street to Home outreach program and transitional housing resources, we help people get, and stay, on the path to a permanent home.

Reporting to the Assistant Vice President, the Program Director, Queens Outreach is responsible for 24/7 outreach and housing placement work in all of Queens. With the goal of moving people off the street and into transitional and permanent housing, the Program Director collaborates with other outreach directors, city agencies, and a broad array of community stakeholders to help reduce street homelessness. The Director oversees all outreach activities and program operations including 311 responses, canvassing strategies, and managing encampments and hotspots. The Director is responsible for meeting performance targets including transitional and permanent housing placement goals and developing strategies to achieve those targets.

The Director supports Harm Reduction and Housing First strategies and other best-practice clinical interventions. They provide leadership to the program by informing decision making, implementing policies and procedures, and facilitating effective communication.

The Director works primarily during business hours Monday-Friday, with off-hours availability in case of emergency or special projects/initiatives. The position requires oversight of 24/7 operations and flexibility in their work schedule as needed.

Program staff will be required to find and assist street homeless individuals under the most extreme weather situations, and leadership presence during winter alerts will be required. Must be willing and able to engage with street homeless individuals and can handle multiple tasks in a fast paced, dynamic team environment and demonstrate a willingness to shift easily between various responsibilities with diverse populations.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Successful oversight and performance management of 24/7 Queens street outreach teams including direct supervision of Assistant Program Directors who manage outreach and case management teams
• Provide regular, structured supervision meetings for direct reports
• Develop and identify supervisory strategies and ensure systems of accountability are in place and utilized by managers so staff in the field have adequate support, guidance, and oversight at all times
• Facilitate staff development at all levels through trainings, supervision and communication strategies that increase organizational awareness, accountability, and collaboration
• Direct and manage 24/7 schedules for staff, who are deployed throughout Queens, always maintaining expected deployment levels and implementing appropriate contingency planning as needed
• Responsible for ensuring that strategic street deployment plans are implemented to ensure that staff time and resource allocation is maximized and all contract deliverables are met
• Ensure compliance with, and adherence to contracts and guidelines, including meeting housing placement quotas, managing case load size, and other key performance indicators
• Develop outreach and engagement strategies to identify areas where individuals are staying on the street and provide services to support these individuals
• Ensure high-quality service delivery by supporting best practice interventions with street homeless populations, collaborating and serving as a liaison to on-site psychiatric/street medicine team, and providing crisis intervention, including 958 removals and risk assessments
• Respond and engage in a timely matter with external partners including DHS, community boards, elected officials, and other community members
• Ensure positive, timely communication and collaboration with partners in transitional and supportive housing, hospitals, and other service providers ensuring appropriate interventions and follow-up on behalf of clients
• Responsible for managing the program’s budget
• Performs other related duties as assigned

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• NYS Licensed Masters Social Worker (LMSW) required. LCSW preferred
• Minimum 5 years of supervisory experience
• Experience working in 24/7 programs and working with homeless or formerly homeless populations strongly preferred
• Thorough clinical understanding of relevant service delivery concepts and structures including Housing First, client centered motivational interviewing, Harm Reduction models, behavioral and medical health systems, and the ability to access and negotiate the full range of services for recipients
• Experience with crisis intervention, including risk assessments and incident management
• Ability to work successfully with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders
• Demonstrated success in working in a fast-paced environment with multiple priorities
• Ability to delegate and motivate staff to achieve deliverables
• Ability to communicate (verbally and written) with diverse populations and stakeholders
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite programs including Word, Excel, Outlook, and Microsoft Teams; Familiarity with Access-based databases and the ability to learn new programs are required
• Bilingual Spanish/English preferred

EOE/M/F/Vet/Disabled