Director of Youth & Family Services

The Director of Youth Services and Family Services provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for Youth & Family Services programs, including Department of Child Safety (DCS)-contracted and family-centered services. This role is responsible for ensuring high-quality, trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and compliant service delivery aligned with agency standards, contractual requirements, and applicable regulations.

The Director oversees program operations, staff development, quality management, and community partnerships to support child safety, family stability, positive client outcomes, and operational excellence across assigned programs.

• Provide strategic leadership and operational oversight for Youth Services and Family Services programs, including DCS-contracted and family-centered services.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable federal, state, licensing, accreditation, contractual, and agency requirements.
• Oversee program operations to ensure services are trauma-informed, culturally responsive, evidence-based, and aligned with approved program models and service standards.
• Provide leadership, supervision, coaching, and accountability to Program Managers, Supervisors, and assigned leadership staff.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, retention, staff development, succession planning, and performance management across Youth Services and Family Services programs,
• Monitor program performance indicators including referrals, staffing levels, service timelines, documentation standards, contract deliverables, revenue/budget, and client outcomes.
• Oversee quality assurance and continuous improvement activities including audits, file reviews, incident reviews, corrective action plans, and performance improvement initiatives.
• Ensure accurate and timely documentation, reporting, billing practices, and data tracking in accordance with program, contractual, and agency requirements.
• Review operational trends, staffing needs, program performance data, and compliance risks to support informed decision-making and service improvements.
• Monitor and impact program budgets, revenue performance, operational expenditures, staffing resources, and service capacity in collaboration with leadership and finance teams.
• Develop and maintain collaborative working relationships with DCS representatives, licensing entities, community partners, courts, schools, and other stakeholders.
• Respond to escalated operational, employee relations, compliance, safety, and client concerns in collaboration with agency leadership and support departments.
• Ensure adherence to mandated reporting requirements, confidentiality standards, safety procedures, programmatic best practices, and agency policies.
• Participate in strategic planning, leadership meetings, organizational initiatives, and operational improvement efforts.
• Support implementation and management of organizational and operational changes using a collaborative and solutions-focused leadership approach.
• Ensure programs maintain readiness for audits, licensing reviews, contract monitoring activities, and external evaluations.
• Creating tools, training materials, checklists, desk aids, and other resources to help teams achieve key performance indicators and client outcomes.
• Maintain professional representation of A New Leaf in all internal and external interactions.
• Attend meetings, trainings, and special projects as assigned by leadership.

• Master of Social Work (MSW) required.

• Minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in child welfare, youth services, family preservation, behavioral health, or related human services programs.
• Minimum of three (3) years of leadership or management experience overseeing staff, program operations, and compliance functions.
• Experience managing DCS-contracted, family-centered, or community-based programs preferred.
• Demonstrated knowledge of Arizona child welfare systems, trauma-informed practices, family-centered service delivery models, and community-based resources.
• Experience with program compliance, audits, corrective action planning, quality management, and performance monitoring.
• Strong leadership, organizational, communication, conflict resolution, and relationship-building skills.
• Experience managing operational priorities, staff development, and cross-functional collaboration in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficient in documentation standards, data tracking, reporting practices, Microsoft 356 products including Excel, and the use of electronic systems related to program operations.
• Experience in Substance Use Prevention services preferred.

• Primarily office-based work with regular travel between program locations, community partner meetings, agency sites, and stakeholder meetings throughout the East and West Valley.
• Frequent attendance at meetings, trainings, community events, licensing reviews, and operational oversight activities at multiple service locations.
• Ability to sit…