Program Director

Title: Shelter Director       

Program:      New Providence Women’s Shelter

Salary Range: $90k-$95k 

Program Description: The New Providence Women’s Shelter is a 130 bed 24/7 emergency shelter for homeless women diagnosed with mental illness and/or substance use disorders. Our comprehensive services include case management, individual and group counseling, recreational activities and housing placement assistance. Additionally, an on-site Article 28 Clinic provides primary and behavioral health care services.

Overall Responsibilities: Under the general Direction of the Director of Programs, with the widest latitude for independent action and decision making, the Shelter Director is responsible for the overall management of the shelter, providing leadership, direction, guidance and direct and indirect supervision to the staff to enable them to implement the policies and program initiatives to effectuate the proper delivery of needed services to the targeted client population; performs related work.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

The essential duties of the Shelter Director include but are not limited to the following activities:

• Overall responsibility for day to day management of a 130 bed shelter for homeless women, with respect to workload allocation and staff productivity; insuring shifts are adequately staffed, basic services are being provided to clients; and the interior and exterior of the facility are clean and conform to established standards.
• Manages the facility; as well as program development and implementation to assure the objectives of the program are achieved; that clients are addressing the issues in their Independent Living Plan; and initiates corrective action as appropriate.
• Determines policy for clinical programs and ensures that the Clinical Director and staff are providing quality care to the clients; and ensures comprehensive as well as individualized plans for clients.
• Regularly meets with Direct Reports on an individual and group basis to clarify roles and approaches for delivering services to clients, making corrective recommendations as appropriate.
• Ensures that staffs are adhering to agency guidelines regarding any procurement of good and services and that documentation is provided to the Facilities, Operations and Finance Departments to facilitate the timely payment to vendors.

• Ensures the timely submission of monthly reports to Central Divisions in Project Renewal as well as the oversight agencies.
• Ensures that all information on the Equal Employment Opportunity Act (EEO) and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is prominently displayed and observed by all staff.
• Ensures timely submission of supporting documents to respond to federal, state and city audits as well as any claims or lawsuits filed by clients and staff.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Available to respond to emergencies on a 24/7/365 basis, especially after normal work hours and on weekends.

Physical Activities

While performing the duties of this position, the Shelter Director must walk between all six floors of the facility (530 stairs), climbing up and down the two staircases in order to observe staff/clients in the event the elevator is out of order. The Director also walks the exterior of the facility to ensure that a proper appearance is being maintained. Finally, the Director must stand to talk to clients and staff, sit for extended periods of time at the computer, and reach or squat to retrieve file records.

Education Requirements

MA in social work, counseling, psychology, family therapy or related field.

Experience Requirements

 A minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience working with mentally ill individuals or homeless individuals with either a diagnosis of mental illness or substance use or managing a residential building providing services to homeless individuals. Two (2) years of the required experience must have been in a managerial or supervisory capacity.

Preferred skills:

Leadership: Demonstrated ability to manage and motivate staff to accomplish stated program goals and objectives while developing their individual and group skills.

Program Evaluation and Performance Management: Capacity to develop/exhibit, in collaboration with the staff and the Performance Evaluation and Quality Assurance Department (PEQA), the ability to independently evaluate and manage program performance using data.

Team building: Ability to develop and foster, through demonstration, a team spirit, enabling staff to overcome the challenges of providing needed services to a special client population.

Communication: Excellent oral, writing, and listening and negotiating skills.

Organizational: The ability to work well within a high-pressured environment and meet the short- and long-term mandates of the program.

Interpersonal:  An ability to interface with clients as well as all levels of staff.

Computer: Knowledge of case management software as well as proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.

Language: Bilingual or multilingual a plus.

All newly hired Project Renewal staff must provide verification of being fully vaccinated against Covid-19.