Reach & Rise Program Director

Description

Under the supervision of local executive leadership and in close alignment with the YMCA

Reach & Rise National Director, the Reach & Rise Program Director is responsible for the overall

execution, ongoing development, and clinical oversight of the YMCA’s National Reach & Rise®

1:1 Mentoring Program at the local association level.

Serving as the clinical lead for the program, the Program Director implements a therapeutic,

trauma-informed, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)-informed mentoring model. This

position manages risk, delivers clinical case management, and establishes vital community

linkages. The Director leads local volunteer recruitment, screening, match generation,

parent/family engagement, and ongoing clinical match support while upholding uniformity in

CBT curriculum delivery, research data collection, and OJJDP federal grant compliance

Reach & Rise® is an evidence-based, therapeutic youth mentoring program designed for youth

(ages 6–17) facing mental health setbacks, trauma, low self-esteem, or family/peer conflict. The

1:1 model pairs a vulnerable youth with a trained adult volunteer mentor for 12 to 18 months.

The program integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) principles—such as cognitive

reframing, emotional regulation, mood mapping, and positive coping mechanisms—into

everyday mentor-mentee interactions to promote resilience, academic connectedness, and risk

reduction.

Requirements

• Serve as the resident mental health subject matter expert, integrating cognitive behavioral principles and trauma-informed practices into all mentor interactions and match activities.
• Conduct clinical assessments, evaluate mental health and developmental needs, and craft individualized Mentee Growth Plans utilizing evidence-based intervention techniques.
• Facilitate 18 hours of pre-match training modules for adult volunteer mentors, focusing on youth development, cultural humility, boundary setting, and practical CBT tools (e.g., reframing negative thinking, mindfulness, problem-solving).
• Deliver ongoing clinical match supervision, monthly check-ins, crisis intervention, and mandated reporting compliance to ensure safety and risk mitigation.

• Execute proactive recruitment, screening, interviewing, and background checks for adult volunteer mentors (ages 21+).
• Provide comprehensive case management and wrap-around support services to mentees and their families, connecting them to community resources, food security programs, and external mental health care as needed.
• Guide mentors, youth, and caregivers in tracking progress against growth plan goals during regular match check-ins.

• Build and sustain strong community relationships with schools, youth service bureaus, juvenile justice partners, pediatric clinics, and local community-based organizations to establish robust referral pipelines.
• Serve as an ambassador for Reach & Rise, promoting the program’s therapeutic benefits and fostering cross-departmental collaboration across local YMCA branches and community events.
• Ensure program strategies and mentor recruitment reflect the cultural, socioeconomic, and generational diversity of the local community served.

• Oversee full compliance with OJJDP federal grant guidelines, partnership agreements, contract deliverables, and budget tracking.
• Participate as a practitioner-researcher in ongoing research studies; collect, maintain, and submit accurate mentor/mentee assessment data and outcome metrics according to grant deadlines.
• Maintain accurate case records, contact logs, and…