Company Description
Amara is committed to positive long-term outcomes for children and families. We drive systemic change, promote healing, and advance racial and LGBTQIA+ equity by offering programs and services to families engaged in the child welfare system.At Amara, we believe that a supportive, equitable and inclusive workplace, where everyone feels valued, trusted, and nurtured, is key to shaping organizational culture and investing in underrepresented communities. Amara believes that a diverse workforce and inclusive workplace culture enhances our ability to fulfill our mission.
We strongly invite candidates from diverse backgrounds, including communities of color, the LGBTQIA+ community, veterans, and people with disabilities to apply.We are seeking to hire a Director of Family Support to lead Amara’s Family Support Programs including prevention and early intervention services. The Director of Family Support reports directly to the Chief Innovation & Program Officer and serves on Amara’s extended leadership team. The Director of Family Support is the leader of Amara’s Family Support Programs, which include but are not exclusive of: Family Connections Program, Family Support Services, Family Resource Center(s), prevention and early intervention programs, Early Childhood Court, Education & Enrichment and Youth Development.
This work also includes overseeing funding sources, contract oversight, and operations related to implementation of add-on supports for families such as flexible financial support and/or concrete goods for families, regardless of whether these support sources are deployed by or accessed by programs inside or outside of the Director’s purview or oversight; this must be done in partnership with the Director of Resource Care and any other program leadership staff. The Director is a member of Amara’s leadership team and plays a key role in the development and ongoing promotion of Amara’s mission, vision, philosophy and culture.
Job Description
Essential Duties and Responsibilities: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the following satisfactorily; other duties may be assigned. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Staff Supervision and Management (25%)
• Provide a warm, caring, and confident leadership style that supports a team providing supervision to direct care staff as well as staff that provide direct care and support to children and families (between 10-12 staff)
• Oversee, support, and develop program management staff such that each program area has a strong team, including recruitment and retention, hiring, orientation, supervision, evaluation, and promotion of staff
• Support program management staff in ensuring that services provided are high quality, consistent, and responsive to child and family needs across Family Support teams
• Provide clinical supervision (utilizing reflective supervision skills) and ensure best practice across all program areas as needed
• Implement policies, priorities, and procedures consistent with best practice models for effective program implementation, when these are available for a particular service or program mode.
In the absence of best models for effective program implementation, co-create community-informed, promising practice, and similar alternatives that provide consistency and guidance across programmatic units while allowing for flexible growth, learning, and scaling.
• Support staff in contributing to programmatic continuous quality improvement and evaluation
• Work with staff and build from the work of Amara’s DEI council to develop objective performance measures across the program, to ensure consistent, high-quality evaluation and goal setting for all employees
Operational Management (50%)
Budgeting
- Project, develop, and monitor revenue and expense budgets for all Family Support team programming with the assistance of the Chief Innovation & Program Officer.
- Review, allocate, and approve program-related expenses
Reporting
- Collaborate with Chief Innovation & Program Officer and Associate Director of Impact and Evaluation to ensure Family Support programmatic reporting is aligned with Agency vision, mission, and strategic plan.
- Work with internal and external partners to ensure Amara meets all monitoring, reporting, and contract requirements for Family Support programming. This includes guiding internal and external audits to ensure regulatory compliance regarding service delivery.
- Maintain effective contracts between Amara and pertinent program partners (e.g. DCYF, Administrative Office of the Courts, etc.) for all Family Support programming.
Program Development/Refinement
- Support the implementation and iteration of protocols, procedures, and program structure that are consistent with best practice models for effective program implementation across all Family Support programming
- Support Managers in ensuring effective management of the day-to-day operations of their respective program areas – including identifying, recommending, and implementing program and process improvement in concert with team feedback/guidance
- Collaborate with Amara’s leadership team to advance program impact and Amara’s overall mission and vision.
Outcomes/Evaluation
- In partnership with Associate Director of Program Impact and Evaluation, ensure appropriate data collection and reporting to evaluate Family Support programming impact and efficacy given contract constraints and the established programmatic goals
- Keep Amara staff and key personnel up to date as to program outcomes and performance.
Work collaboratively with leadership to ensure impactful, efficient, and complementary services across Amara’s service array
Strategic Leadership (25%)
• In collaboration with the Chief Innovation & Program Officer, create and implement a strategic workplan for Family Support programming annually to ensure clear team-wide direction setting, work assignment, and accountability
• • Remain apprised of current trends, practices, and legislation in child welfare through networking and publications to improve current programming and/or develop new programs to either meet changing needs in our community or to diversify Amara’s services
• Regularly review and recommend changes in program services to meet client needs with emphasis on services for underserved populations
• Develop and maintain effective relationships with other service providers, agencies and partners to ensure that children and families have excellent access to all needed services
• As a member of the leadership team, this position plays a key role in the development and ongoing promotion of Amara’s mission, vision, philosophy, and culture
• Coordinate with the Chief Innovation & Program Officer regarding child welfare policy
• Participate in select internal and external collaborative efforts with key partners (e.g.
DCYF, WACF, other CPAs, etc.) to advance systemic child welfare change
• Build collaborative relationships with local Community Based Organizations (CBOs) including behavioral health organizations, family support organizations, schools, churches, foster care organizations, DCYF, etc. to ensure effective referrals and community support across Family Support programming
• In collaboration with program teams and Amara’s communication team, ensure key successes and challenges are transparently shared with our community partners
• Attend required and recommended County and State provider and community meetings in key identified partner Areas serviced by Amara programming
• Support the organizational efforts in creating narrative and practice change across Washington state’s child welfare system
• Coordinate with Communications team on media content regarding issues related to all Family Support programming
• Outreach and Communication – newsletters, marketing, advertisement, etc.
- Support program managers in leading programmatic outreach efforts by creating a clear strategy, collaborating across the organization (e.g. Communications team, other program areas, etc.), and effectively assigning tasks to self and team members as appropriate (e.g. newsletter content creation, email marketing to key community partners, etc.).
Competencies: To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following:
• A demeanor that exudes confidence and care for others, especially the children and families we serve.
• A leader who builds enduring relationships and leads with a thoughtful, positive, loyal, and strategic presence.
• A leader who displays a visionary and entrepreneurial spirit, someone who will not only lead our program but continue to grow, improve, and refine our strategies and program design.
• A leader with a respectful and accessible leadership style who is comfortable with situations of ambiguity and able to relate to a wide range of clients and constituencies.
• A highly competent team player who is energized by the mission, and who is caring, honest and open.
• A team player oriented toward the greater good of Amara and its direction who possesses strong clinical skills.
Qualifications
Qualifications: The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.•
MSW or equivalent MA/MS degree in related field
•
5+ years of clinical experience providing trauma informed care.
• 5+ years of experience in foster care, child welfare or social services
• 4+ years of experience in supervision or administration of social services
• 4+ years of experience supervising and mentoring a team of no fewer than 5 individuals, and 3 direct reports.
• 2+ years managing contracts, grants, and budgets.
• 2+ years in roles that inform and further policies to benefit the wellbeing of children and families.
• Strong clinical skills and experience providing clinical consultation.
• Outstanding verbal and written communication skills and the ability to lead group meetings.
• Ability to lead with initiative, discretion, maturity, flexibility, and independent judgement.
• Demonstrated skill and implementation of equity principles and practices that create a safe and affirming environment for clients and staff across intersectional characteristics.
• Demonstrated leadership in promoting advancement and development of diversity.
• Strong decision-making skills, including critical thinking skills.
Demonstrated ability to think globally.
• Cross-cultural competence relative to age, religion, race, culture, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, and gender identity.
• Experience in program development and implementation.
• Ability to provide supervision that meets licensing requirements a plus.
Education:
MSW or equivalent MA/MS degree in related social service field.
Supervisory Responsibilities:
Direct supervision of Family Support management and staff as determined in collaboration with the Chief Innovation & Program Officer including recruitment, retention, hiring, orientation, supervision, evaluation, and promotion.
Additional Information
Salary and Benefits
This is a full-time position with an annual rate of pay between $100,000-$124,000, depending on experience. Generous personal leave and benefits package, including paid time off, paid sabbatical, health, vision and dental insurance, 401k with a company match, life, and disability insurance. Amara supports a hybrid work schedule with some flexibility to work from home. Occasional travel between our King and Pierce County offices may be required.
Criminal Background Check
Amara conducts background checks appropriate to the contractual requirements of the position. A previous conviction will not necessarily bar individuals from employment at Amara. For specific requirements please feel free to contact the hiring manager or human resources.
Vaccination Requirement:
Amara requires that all employees be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. This requirement is designed to prioritize the safety of the children and families we serve. Exemptions may be sought only for documented medical or religious accommodation.
To Apply
To express your interest in this position, please submit your resume and one-page cover letter indicating why this position is the right opportunity for you in Smart Recruiters. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Amara is an Equal Opportunity Employer
