Assistant Program Director

Are you passionate about trauma-informed care, foster youth advocacy, and helping young people navigate some of life's most challenging circumstances? Do you have experience in a Foster Family Agency (FFA), Intensive Services Foster Care (ISFC), or child welfare setting?

Alternative Family Services (AFS) is seeking an Assistant Program Director to support our specialized Juvenile Justice and Intensive Foster Care programs, serving youth referred through the San Francisco Juvenile Probation Department (JPD).

This is an opportunity to bring your clinical understanding, leadership skills, and commitment to trauma-informed care to a program that provides youth with a safe environment with specially trained resource parents (foster parents). You will play an important role in supporting youth, strengthening resource families, guiding caseworkers, and coordinating with community partners to help young people achieve stability, safety, and positive outcomes.

As the Assistant Program Director, you will partner with the Program Director to support the day-to-day operations, clinical oversight, and service delivery of our specialized foster care programs, including Children's Crisis Continuum Pilot Program (CCCPP) and Enhanced Intensive Services Foster Care (E-ISFC).

You will provide leadership and guidance to staff and resource parents, coordinate placements, and help ensure that youth receive individualized, trauma-informed services. This role is ideal for someone who understands the foster care system, values collaborative partnerships, and can balance compassionate client support with effective program oversight.

* This role is hybrid (remote, on-site, and community based).

The Program/Home office for this role is located in Vallejo, CA. Work is conducted in- and regions of responsibility include Solano, Contra Costa, San Francisco and Almeda counties.

• Coordinate intake, referrals, and placement activities with San Francisco Juvenile Probation, referring agencies, AFS staff, and resource families.
• Facilitate intake interviews, pre-placement visits, and placement coordination.
• Support appropriate placement matching while considering each youth’s individual needs, strengths, safety, and treatment goals.
• Complete intake documentation and Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) assessments.
• Provide guidance and support to resource parents navigating challenging behaviors, crisis situations, and the unique needs of justice-involved youth.
• Help maintain placement stability through timely communication, problem-solving, and coordination of services.

• Provide ongoing supervision, coaching, and support to assigned staff members (including Caseworker, Clinical staff, Peer Partners and Facilitators).
• Conduct field supervision, case consultations, and regular file and documentation reviews.
• Support staff with crisis management, safety planning, and complex case situations.
• Oversee foster home recertification activities and ensure compliance with Community Care Licensing (CCL) requirements.
• Participate in Team Decision Making (TDM) meetings and coordinate with multidisciplinary treatment teams.
• Conduct annual employee evaluations and support staff development.

• Promote a trauma-informed, strengths-based approach across program services.
• Help staff understand the impact of trauma, adverse childhood experiences, and behavioral health needs.
• Support individualized service planning that considers each youth’s background, culture, identity, and developmental needs.
• Encourage collaborative approaches that build trust, strengthen relationships, and…