Director, Programs, Outreach

Reporting to the Senior Director, Programs, the Director, Programs, Manhattan Outreach is responsible for 24/7 outreach and housing placement work in Breaking Ground’s catchment area in Manhattan, which spans from 59th Street-23rd Street, river to river. With the goal of moving people off the street and into transitional and permanent housing, the Director collaborates with the Manhattan Outreach Consortium (MOC) and other outreach providers, city agencies, and a broad array of community stakeholders to help reduce street homelessness. The Director oversees all outreach activities and program operations including 311 responses, canvassing strategies, and managing encampments and hotspots.  

The Director is responsible for meeting performance targets including transitional and permanent housing placement goals and developing strategies to achieve those targets. The Director supports Harm Reduction and Housing First strategies and other best-practice clinical interventions. The Director provides leadership to the program by informing decision making, implementing policies and procedures, and facilitating effective communication. 

The Director works primarily during business hours Monday-Friday, with off hours availability in case of emergency or for special projects/initiatives. The position requires oversight of 24/7 operations and flexibility in work schedule as needed. 

Program staff will be required to find and assist street homeless individuals under the most extreme weather situations and leadership presence during winter alerts will be required. Must be willing and able to engage with street homeless individuals and can handle multiple tasks in a fast paced, dynamic team environment and demonstrate a willingness to shift easily between various responsibilities with diverse populations. 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: 

• Oversee a team of 50-60 staff in a 24/7 program and is responsible for outreach and housing placement activities including special operations and joint initiatives with city agencies and other stakeholders; targeted initiatives to expedite housing placement and other interventions; follow-up with clients placed in transitional housing as well as those remaining on the street
• Supervise Assistant Program Directors, Housing and Reporting Specialist, Operations Specialist, Housing Specialist, and Office Manager
• Develop outreach and engagement strategies to identify areas where individuals are staying on the street and provide services to support these individuals
• Ensure high quality service delivery by supporting best practice interventions with street homeless populations, collaborating with on-site psychiatric/street medicine team, and providing crisis intervention, including 958 removals and risk assessments
• Respond and engage with external partners including SHS, community boards, elected officials, and other community members
• Responsible for program outcome measures and performance targets and utilize management tools and data to create systems of accountability to ensure performance measures are achieved
• Collaborate with government agencies, community members, and other stakeholders to establish a shared understanding of street homelessness and develop solution-oriented strategies and responses
• Ensure positive communication and collaboration with partners in transitional and supportive housing, hospitals, and other service providers
• Responsible for managing the program’s budget
• Support professional growth and learning for program staff through regular, structured supervision, team meetings, in-service trainings, modeling, enhancing organizational awareness and ensuring thorough communication with internal and external partners
• Work closely with other DHS-funded Outreach teams and providers to ensure adherence to contractual requirements and delivery standards
• Performs other related duties as assigned 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: 

• NYS Licensed Masters Social Worker (LMSW) required.  Must obtain LMSW within first six months of employment   
• Minimum 5 years of supervisory experience
• Experience working in 24/7 programs and working with homeless or formerly homeless populations strongly preferred
• Thorough clinical understanding of relevant service delivery concepts and structures including Housing First, client centered motivational interviewing, Harm Reduction models, behavioral and medical health systems, and the ability to access and negotiate the full range of services for recipients
• Experience with crisis intervention, including, risk assessments and incident management
• Ability to work successfully with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders
• Demonstrated success in working in a fast-paced environment with multiple priorities
• Ability to delegate and motivate staff to achieve deliverables
• Ability to communicate (verbally and written) with diverse populations and stakeholders
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite programs including Word, Excel, Outlook, and Microsoft Teams; Familiarity with Access-based databases and the ability to learn new programs are required
• Bilingual Spanish/English preferred