Permanency Director

The Permanency Director is responsible for overseeing all aspects of permanency services to ensure compliance with state and federal mandates, agency policies, and best practices. This leadership role focuses on driving outcomes related to permanency targets, timely documentation, and high-quality service delivery for children, youth, and families involved in foster care. The Director provides strategic oversight, supervision, and guidance to program staff while fostering collaboration across departments to ensure consistency, accountability, and excellence in service.

This position offers a full-time, hybrid and field work schedule and is based in Little Flower's Brooklyn office. The role requires travel around the five boroughs. From time to time, this position requires work outside of normally scheduled working hours.

About Little Flower

Little Flower Children and Family Services of New York is a human services nonprofit supporting the well-being of children, youth, families, and individuals across New York City and Long Island since 1929.

Our staff of more than 500 builds well-being by providing prevention services, foster care, residential treatment care, adoption services, programs and services for individuals with developmental disabilities, and medical and mental health services.

Principal Responsibilities

* Provide overall leadership and direction for the agency's permanency services, ensuring alignment with agency goals, mandates, and permanency targets.

* Oversee case practice and ensure compliance with all applicable policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements.

* Monitor and ensure the timely completion and quality of progress notes, case documentation, and permanency planning efforts.

* Guide the implementation and monitoring of APPLA mandated services, ensuring that youth preparing to age out of care receive appropriate education, resources, and support.

* Stay current with evolving regulations, educational requirements, and permanency-related updates, and ensure dissemination to staff.

* Supervise, mentor, and evaluate support staff, providing directions to ensure compliance and consistency across the team.

* Collaborate with program managers, case planners, and other leadership to ensure effective communication and coordination of services.

* Develop and implement strategies to address barriers to timely permanency, while driving performance improvement initiatives.

* Review data and outcomes related to permanency benchmarks, providing analysis and recommendations to leadership.

* Represent the agency in external meetings, audits, and partnerships related to permanency and child welfare.

Performance Metrics

The Permanency Director will be evaluated based on the following measurable outcomes:

* Timely Documentation of progress notes and case records completed within required time frames.

* Permanency Outcomes:
Achievement of agency permanency goals, including:

% of youth discharged to permanency (reunification, adoption, guardianship) within state/federal timeline and percentage of youth with concurrent permanency plans in place.

* Compliance rate in internal and external audits/reviews.

* Number of eligible APPLA youth enrolled in and actively participating in ILS services.

* Staff Development & Supervision:
Evidence of consistent supervision, coaching, and professional development for all direct reports (e.g., monthly supervision logs, training completion rates).

* Stakeholder

Collaboration:

Positive feedback from external partners, courts, and oversight agencies on quality of agency's permanency practices.

* Data-Driven Outcomes:
Regular use of performance data to identify gaps and implement corrective action plans.

Required Qualifications and Experience

* Master's degree in Social Work, Human Services, or related field (LMSW/LCSW preferred).

* Minimum 5-7 years of progressive experience in foster care or child welfare, including supervisory/leadership responsibilities.

* Strong knowledge of permanency planning, child welfare mandates, foster care policies, and ILS service delivery.

* Demonstrated ability to lead, motivate, and develop staff to achieve program and compliance goals.

* Excellent organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.

* Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

* Proficiency in data management systems, case documentation, and compliance reporting.

Core Competencies

* Leadership & Supervision

* Compliance & Accountability

* Permanency Planning Expertise

* Quality Assurance & Performance Improvement

* Collaboration & Communication

* Strategic Problem-Solving

Travel Requirements

This position offers a full-time hybrid/field schedule and is based in Brooklyn, New York and does require regular travel throughout the five boroughs.

Disclaimer

The statements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the incumbent in this position. They are not intended to be construed as an…