Vice President of Children's Services

VICE PRESIDENT OF CHILDREN’S SERVICES

The CHRIS 180 mission is to heal children, strengthen families and build community.  We help children, adults and families who have experienced trauma change the direction of their lives to become more productive, self-sufficient members of the community.  We do this through mental health counseling, training, providing safe housing and real-world skill building.

CHRIS 180 is committed to collaboration, use of the best available science, evidence-based practices, social justice, a trauma informed organizational culture, and policies and practices which facilitate and support resiliency, recovery and self-sufficiency that prevent trauma from occurring or reoccurring wherever possible.

CHRIS 180 Vision:  High quality trauma informed behavioural health services and supports systems are available to all children, adults, and families.

CHRIS 180 Values:

Creativity:       We are innovative agents of change identifying new solutions and approaches.

Honor:             We celebrate each person’s individuality and the gifts of diversity.

Respect:          We honor one another, treat each other with kindness and work together as a team.

Integrity:         We are transparent, trustworthy, and accountable. Always.

Safety:             We create consistent environments free from danger in which people can grow and become the best they can be.

Organization Overview:

Since 1981 CHRIS 180 has been dedicated to healing and recovery for children, youth, adults, and families.  CHRIS 180 is a behavioral health organization that provides 360° services.  A growing $33 million organization with over 385 employees, CHRIS 180 services include: counseling for the community at large; school based mental health counseling; homes for abused, neglected foster children with emotional and behavioral problems; supportive housing for single and parenting young people, ages 17 – 24 who are homeless or aging out of foster care; in-home wraparound services and community programs that strengthen families and communities; outreach, a drop-in center and community housing for older teens, young adults and young adult families; a community center; an adoption program for children in foster care; and, training for professionals, human service workers, educators, volunteers, individuals and organizations who work within the community with children, youth and families.  The goal for all services is to promote healing and resiliency that unlocks the potential that resides in each person to help them become self-sufficient, contributing adults who have the skills to navigate life’s challenges and flourish.

Position Description:

The Vice President of Children’s Services (VPCS) is a new position for the organization and reflects our growth and potential for future growth. The individual must be a leader and forward thinker with the social and emotional intelligence necessary to build positive working relationships with a variety of diverse stakeholders, externally and internally.  The VPCS must be analytical, organized, data oriented and able to make decisions in a fast-paced environment.  The VPCS is responsible to lead the organization’s community based residential programs for children including foster children and immigrant children. They must be able to work collaboratively with CHRIS 180’s behavioral health and wraparound re-unification and adoption programs for the benefit of the children. The VPCS functions as a collaborative partner with other departmental leaders and represents CHRIS 180 to the public as needed.  The VPCS will establish and maintain positive working relationships with the State Department of Human Services, the State Division of Family and Children Services, the Office of Refugee Re-Settlement, federal funding sources and community partners on behalf of CHRIS 180.  

The Vice President of Children’s Services reports directly to the COO and serves as a member of the executive leadership team. The VPCS must have a demonstrated commitment to racial equity and social justice and represent the values of CHRIS 180 to all our stakeholders, the community at large and our diverse and inclusive management, clinical and community staff.

The VPCS is responsible for the oversight and success of CHRIS 180’s residential programs for children.  The VPCS must be knowledgeable about child development, trauma informed care, child and family welfare, compliance, and auditing guidelines.  VPCS must understand grant reporting, data collection, monitor government grant opportunities and lead efforts working with grant writers to secure federal, state, and local funding to support service delivery for the benefit of the children in care. Knowledge of budgets and managing and developing employees is critical. The position requires being on-call and a high degree of internal and external responsiveness.

Primary duties include but are not limited to the following:

Leadership, Management, Supervision, Coordination, Partnership and Support

• Responsible for up to five direct reports who lead teams of staff in four program areas.
• Ensure ongoing programmatic innovation, quality, and excellence.
• Demonstrate consistent understanding of finance and administration, performance quality improvement, communications, and systems; implement timelines and resources needed to achieve the program goals.
• Screen, interview, select and train Program Directors and assist in other hiring needs within the        department.
• Attract, develop, coach, and retain high-performance team members, coaching and empowering them to elevate their level of responsibility, span of control, and performance.
• Work with staff to promote positive working relationships and develop systems that ensure consistent, high-quality trauma-informed program management.
• Provide leadership in development of inter-team communication and cohesiveness, sustaining culture and supporting staff during service delivery and organizational growth.
• Ensure adequate staffing is maintained throughout the year.
• Promote and market CHRIS 180 programs.

Collaborative Partnerships

• Responsible for managing collaborative internal and external community partnerships to advance the mission of the organization and support achieving the goals of the department.
•  Internal partnerships involve working closely with other departments at CHRIS 180.
•  External partnerships involve working closely with partners in the community.
• Internal Coordination and Partnerships are focused on re-unification, kinship care, adoptions and on-going support services through wraparound, parent education and parent coaching.
• Develop, review, and recommend partnerships to the COO and work to ensure appropriate design, funding, and implementation.

Administrative Oversight

• Responsible for creating and managing the Children’s Services budget working with the COO, direct reports, and CFO.
• Lead Children’s Services meetings, contract meetings, partnership meetings with DFCS and ORR meetings, as appropriate.
• Remain up to date on current child welfare policies and procedures, compliance with RBWO (Room, Board, Watchful Oversight), RCCL (Residential Child Care Licensing), and the ORR (Office of Refugee Resettlement) as well as all accrediting and auditing guidelines.
• Assist and coordinate Performance Quality Improvement to maintain compliance, periodically reviewing/revising Children’s Services policies
• Ensure collection of programmatic data for each home, location, and program; and maintain a system for tracking all measures needed for compliance, the organization, contract and/or grant reporting.
• Provide monthly reports with data summaries to COO as well as to DFCS, ORR and other contacts, as necessary.
• Develop the necessary systems, processes, and tools to better support the facilitation, collection, and sharing of knowledge and results generated by the programs.

Clinical Requirements and Responsibilities

• Understand principles and practices of trauma-informed care and best clinical practices.
• Provide supervision, coaching and guidance for Program Directors.
• Remain up to date on all CHRIS 180 policies and procedures in general and specifically as it relates to Children’s services. 

Performance and Conduct

• Follow the CHRIS 180 Code of Ethics
• Maintain confidentiality of client information
• Maintain appropriate professional boundaries
• Follow mandated reporting requirements of the GA Code and State licensing
• Support and maintain an environment of emotional, psychological, and physical safety for clients, staff, and other stakeholders always

QUALIFICATIONS/COMPETENCIES

The VPCS must possess the following:

• Master’s degree in the field of social work, child development, marriage and family therapy, professional counseling, psychology, or a related field
• At least ten years of management experience
• Background and demonstrated experience in child welfare
• Knowledge and understanding of trauma-informed services
• Understanding of a systematic approach to child welfare services and adoptions
• Knowledge of budgeting processes and regulatory compliance
• Prior experience working in the child/human services field and working with traumatized populations

Schedule: The work schedule requires significant flexibility to meet the needs of the residential programs and related children’s services, clients, staff, in addition to responsiveness to emergencies. The VPCS has on-call responsibility and is required to be adaptable and work occasional evenings and/or at weekend events, as needed. The Vice President of Children’s Services is a full-time, salaried position.

Reports to: COO