Description

About Graham Windham:

Graham Windham is dedicated to creating a transformative impact on children, youth, and families affected by abuse, neglect, and delinquency. Through strong partnerships with families and communities, our goal is to provide each child we serve with a solid foundation for life – a safe, loving, permanent family, and the tools to thrive in school and the world. With a workforce of over 400 employees in full-time, part-time, and on-call roles, serving children and families across multiple programs in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx, Graham Windham offers an exciting and enriching work environment.

Our Enhanced Family Foster Care Program at Graham Windham is fully committed to preserving and reuniting families safely. When this isn't possible, we strive for permanency through adoption and Kinship care. We work with hundreds of compassionate and highly qualified foster parents primarily in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and the Bronx, who serve as caregivers.

About the Position:

The Director of the Recruitment, Development & Support (RDS) Program is responsible for recruiting, training, coaching, and advising over 500 foster parents. This role ensures that these parents provide safe, high-quality care and healing to Graham Windham’s children. The Director aims to create nurturing, safe, and permanent families that support children's developmental needs and enable them to thrive. The RDS Director oversees the Recruitment, Training, Foster home licensure and certification, Intake/Placement, and Support Teams.

Duties & Responsibilities (including, but not limited to):

• Design and execute effective strategies for recruiting qualified, nurturing foster parents in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx. Collaborate with the Associate Vice President to develop an online recruitment campaign. Enhance Kinship exploration strategies to identify and place children in Kinship homes according to ACS timeframes.
• Develop and implement comprehensive pre-service and ongoing training programs for Kinship and Non-Kinship foster parents, rooted in the NYS OCFS required curriculum.
• Tailor training offerings to meet the specific developmental needs of children in each foster home. Focus on areas like trauma behavior management, mental health, separation, and loss.
• Foster and maintain positive working partnerships with children, birth and foster parents, Health & Wellness, Case Planning, and FTC teams.
• Provide meaningful coaching to foster parents through the Support Team, assisting them in managing childcare challenges and advocating for stronger relationships with parents and case planning teams.
• Oversee the licensure and recertification of homes, ensuring that decisions incorporate feedback from staff and foster children.
• Monitor the achievement of outcomes in safety, education, permanency, and child wellbeing by foster parents.
• Recognize and reward outstanding foster parenting.
• Lead the foster parent council, addressing their questions and concerns with program administrators and involving their feedback in policy decisions.
• Supervise Quarterly Foster Parent Roundtable, Adoption Preparation Meeting, weekly orientations, Kinship and Network Support Groups meetings.
• Cultivate connections among nearby foster parents.
• Strengthen the foster parents coaching team to minimize negative lateral movements.
• Develop strategies for periodic review of foster parents' records to ensure compliance with OCFS, ACS, and COA standards.
• Ensure all foster parents meet children's medical, mental health, education, pro-social, extra-curricular enrichment, and preparation for adulthood needs.
• Foster a close partnership with ACS OPA and OCFS.

Position Requirements/Qualifications:

• Master’s Degree in Social Work, Psychology, Sociology, or related field, or Bachelor’s Degree and 8 years of relevant experience.
• Minimum of five (5) years’ experience in child welfare, encompassing prevention, family foster care, and/or residential care.
• At least three (3) years of supervisory/managerial experience.
• Genuine passion for working with children, teens, respondent families, and foster families.
• Proven ability to assess child safety and parenting capability.
• Willingness and demonstrated capacity to teach, train, and coach staff and foster parents in effective child and teen behavior management.
• Familiarity with OCFS and ACS regulations, Family Court processes, and the NYS mental health system.
• Availability for night/weekend on-call supervision as required.
• Ability to travel across all 5 boroughs of NYC.
• Community organizing experience, familiarity with mental health disorders and treatment, and bilingual (Spanish/English) skills are advantageous.
• Strong team-building skills and proficiency in working within a team setting.
• Effective communication skills, including oral and written, and the ability to interact with diverse cultures and demographics.
• Understanding of various social service systems such as health, mental health, education, housing, MR/DD, etc.
• Capable of managing deadlines, making decisions under stress, and handling crisis situations.
• Proficiency in computer applications, including word processing, spreadsheets, databases, and Connections.
• Willingness to travel within NYC's 5 boroughs, Long Island, and Westchester.
• High level of energy, creativity, and initiative.
• Bilingual (Spanish/English) proficiency preferred.

This is a full-time position with a salary commensurate with experience. Graham Windham offers eligible employees a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision coverage, paid time off, holiday pay, retirement savings plan, and more.

Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE)

Qualifications