Director, Social Services; Hope House

Primary Function/Purpose

The Director of Social Services is responsible for the development and delivery of comprehensive social services for clients referred to the Children’s Rescue Fund by the NYC DHS Division of Family Services. This role is designed to stabilize homeless families by strengthening their independent living skills and helping them achieve successful placement into permanent housing. This individual is responsible for working with clients at our Hope House location in the Bronx, NY, and will work cooperatively with other members of the management team to achieve program goals.

• Master’s degree in Social Work is strongly preferred; candidates that do not have a Master’s degree but have a bachelor's degree can be considered if they have at least 4 years of relevant supervisory experience
• At least five years of social services experience and two years’ experience in a supervisory and administrative capacity is required, including experience in clinical interventions with families and disadvantaged populations, group work practice, substance abuse issues, and housing programs
• Skill in supervising the work of professionals, including their development
• Skill in securing client entitlements through knowledge of housing regulations and homeless programs
• Excellent interpersonal relations skills to establish cooperative working relationships
• Excellent written and oral communication skills and knowledge of office systems such as MS-Office is required

• Ensuring that each member of the social services staff has hands‑on working knowledge of all DHS procedures, New York State Part 900 Regulations, OTDA, CRF Rules and Regulations, and all other relevant laws/programs related to providing comprehensive social services and permanent housing to CRF clients
• Ensuring the timely collection, preparation, and analysis of client and program information to generate routine and as‑needed reports, in order to evaluate program performance and facilitate short‑ and long‑term planning
• Overseeing and supervising the Social Services department (Caseworkers, Housing Specialists, and Case Management Supervisors) on the utilization of the DHS Client Assistance and re‑housing system (CARES) regarding intake, shelter assessment, service plans/independent living plans, Provider Housing, transfers and client responsibility, incident reports, case conferences, and meeting DHS housing placement targets
• Ensuring that the families are living in a safe, clean, and hazard‑free environment by ensuring that the casework staff are conducting weekly/bi‑weekly unit inspections; communicating and documenting all observations and maintenance repairs that need to be addressed
• Intervening or directing staff intervention when necessary to resolve problems effectively
• Working collaboratively with Housing Specialists to ensure that weekly, monthly, and quarterly targets are being achieved
• Being knowledgeable of DHS Housing programs, packages, and incentives
• Working in collaboration with other departments to develop independent skills workshops
• Coordinating an inter‑agency network of on‑ and off‑site providers to ensure families’ receipt of appropriate medical, nutritional, educational, and specialized mental health assistance
• Collaborating with other members of the management team to develop and implement social services policies and procedures that guide and direct the delivery of services, including relocation goals and strategies
• Performing other duties and special projects as required, including serving on‑call
• Evaluating and verifying employees’ work assignments and ensuring that performance evaluations are being completed in the required timeframe

• Facilitating effective communication with other staff within an interdisciplinary context, participating in and contributing to staff meetings and the development of policies and procedures
• Participating in training and staff‑development activities to acquire and maintain both interpersonal and operational skills necessary for successful job performance
• Serving as a Super User in the DHS CARES System to assist the program staff…