Program Manager

This position is the lead position for ensuring the services and environment at Clare House is a safe and welcoming place grounded in trauma informed and responsive care. Attention to the physical environment is an important component of offering trauma informed services as well as conveying a message of dignity and respect for clients, staff, and visitors. This position supervises and trains direct care staff who provide billable interventions for the whole family system. In addition, this position purchases and manages inventory needed to ensure families have the food and supplies they need. A person with an understanding and experience with providing services to families and who is organized, kind, patient, joyful, and good with logistics is a good candidate for this position. 

CSS is a Catholic human and social services agency and behavioral health care provider that welcomes people of all faiths through its programs and employment. We provide help for our Alaskan neighbors through a variety of supportive service programs, including emergency shelter, food stability, housing, case management, and refugee assistance. CSS empowers individuals and families on their path to permanent stability, creating thriving communities for all. Located in Anchorage, Alaska, CSS is a nationally accredited organization through the Council on Accreditation (COA), which recognizes that CSS provides high quality services that meet best practice standards in the social service field. 

Mission: To promote the physical, spiritual and mental welfare of persons in need in the community. This mission is achieved by:

• Offering charitable assistance to those in need, especially persons who are poor
• Developing and conducting programs to strengthen and support families and the dignity of the human spirit
• Administering the Corporal Works of Mercy and Gospel of Jesus Christ as defined by the magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church and envisioned by the traditional concepts of Catholic Social Teaching and Action through the laity
• And advocating for social justice for the common good of all

Clare House operates 24 hours a day, every day of the year, serving women with children and expectant mothers who are unhoused. The shelter provides individual rooms along with food, clothing, and other personal hygiene items for up to 23 families at a time. Program staff facilitate many types of services designed to assist families with recognizing their resilience and build assets to move into permanent housing and remain stable. Must love kids! Children make up about two thirds of the people staying in the program; there are youth focused activities hosted in the facility and community.   Staff embrace a team spirit and enthusiastically support one and other to contribute to a thriving community. 

Accountability:   Takes ownership for delivering on commitments; accepts responsibility for mistakes and uses them as opportunities for learning and development; openly discusses his/her actions and their consequences both good and bad; has an ability to identify strengths and developmental opportunities and leverages insight to adjust to improve their effectiveness; courage to have difficult conversations.

Initiative: Ability to identify the need for change and take steps to begin and follow through with plans to make the change. 

Adapting to Change: Accepts and adapts to change in a professionally appropriate and thoughtful manner.  Is willing to offer a different perspective or approach and yet knows when and how to stand down graciously and accept a well-thought-out decision. Embraces change.

Confidentiality: Maintains the highest level of confidentiality regarding CSS’s records and information. Appropriately uses internal confidential information for business purposes only. 

Communicating Effectively: Shares information. Listens and involves others. Clearly conveys ideas in a manner that engages others and helps them understand and retain the message.  Communicates with trauma informed perspective, professionalism, empathy, and confidence.

Cultural Humility: Practices self-reflection and mindfulness of power imbalances in service delivery. Seeks to learn from others and build relationships based on mutual respect. 

Decision Making/Judgment:  Approaches problems and decisions methodically and objectively; involves others as needed; uses sound judgment in making decisions and understanding the impact to themselves, customers, their team, and the organization; conducts the appropriate analysis to identify the symptoms and root cause of issues; makes timely decisions.

Delivering High Quality Work: Makes sure responsibilities central to the role meet all requirements and expectations. Finishes tasks promptly and critically reviews work to ensure quality and accuracy. Considers impact of work to others and takes steps to mitigate. 

Results Orientation:   Is focused on outcomes and accomplishments; follows through on commitments; can be counted upon to successfully execute on goals; motivated by achievement and a need for closure; has an attention to detail and is both efficient and effective in achieving a high level of measurable outcomes; persists in achieving goals despite obstacles.

Teamwork: Interacts with people effectively. Encourages and respects the input of all team members. Communicates openly, honestly, and respectfully. Cooperates within the team and across the agency. 

Stress Tolerance: Displays emotional resilience. Deals with difficult and adverse events while maintaining professionalism and caring. Responds appropriately in the face of tension, emotion, and resistance. Seeks support from others when necessary and uses appropriate coping techniques.

Empathy: Provides empathy towards clients who are receiving services. Focuses on individualizing care based on people’s needs. Provides nonjudgmental services.

Knowledge Of: 

• Trauma informed environment and the impact environment has on mental health. 
• Supervision and leadership practices 
• Risk management concepts
• Medicaid Service Models and Standards

Skills:

• Able to organize and manage inventory.
• Able to manage purchasing within prescribed parameters. 
• Proficient use of Microsoft Office products
• Able to learn and apply rules, regulations, and best practice standards. 
• Able to build relationships and make others feel valued. 
• Goal and outcome oriented.
• Able to think critically, identify problems, and offer solutions.
• Adhere to Service Models
• Able to professionally document Medicaid services provided. 

Service Environment: Maintains the internal and external service environment in a manner that promotes a trauma informed and responsive atmosphere including but not limited to:

• Lighting
• Noise and smell
• Temperature
• Language accessibility
• Respect for diverse needs
• Clean
• Inviting
• Soothing
• Calm
• Healthy
• Organized
• Safety

Ensure vacant rooms are available for new clients efficiently and meet a standard that promotes dignity and respect for the clients. 

Supply Management: Oversee inventory management of supplies, including food and donations, in a manner that is organized, cost efficient, meets the needs of clients, and discourages waste.

Staff Support and Supervision: Provide direction and support to direct care staff as part of a shared supervision model; assist with scheduling staff to ensure safety and adequate coverage.

Document client interventions in accordance with agency and Medicaid requirements. 

Community Collaboration: Ensure the program culture promotes community civic engagement for donors and volunteers. 

Financial Management: Manage purchasing within budget parameters. Assess historical purchasing and develop plans for recurring expenses. Plan for regular replacement of high use equipment. 

Interagency collaboration: Engage with other CSS program staff to reduce waste and promote efficiency. 

Agency Facilities Liaison: Serve as main contact for agency facility department to ensure timely communication and follow through on maintenance requests. 

Facility Safety: Serve on agency safety committee. Coordinate safety drills with agency facility department.

Oversee safety training for clients and staff at the Clare House campus.

Provide Home Based Family Treatment Services, including

• Screening and service planning 
• Documenting services provided using the Strengthening Families Protective Factor Framework

Assist with training and educating colleagues about Home-Based Family Treatment services, interventions, and documentation. 

Coordinate with agency community engagement manager for volunteer group projects.

Assess and recommend revisions to program safety and service protocols.

Ensure compliance with standards required by the Council on Accreditation. 

Performs other duties as assigned to meet the needs of the program.

Minimum Education Qualification: Associate’s degree in a relevant field. Two (2) years of relevant experience may be substituted for required education. 

Minimum Experience Qualification: Two (2) years applicable experience required to perform the duties of the position. One year of supervisory experience required. 

A relevant combination of education and experience may be considered. 

Work environment: The work environment is busy and high energy. The physical site is a shelter with 23 individual rooms with other shared spaces for laundry, food preparation, and dining. May be subjected to interruptions throughout the workday.  

Physical demands: Frequently bending, reaching, stooping, and lifting of up to 25 pounds. Frequently sitting or standing at a desk for several hours at a time. Driving is required. Frequent climbing and descending stairs.

Travel: Travel out of Alaska is rare. Occasional travel within Anchorage is required. 

Location: Clare House, 4110 Spenard Road, with occasional travel to other CSS locations in Anchorage.