What are the responsibilities and job description for the Associate Director of Supportive Services position at Volunteers of America of Pennsylvania?
General Functions:
This position is part of an integrated administrative care team. The Associate Director of Supportive Services will manage the daily operations of Volunteers of America of Pennsylvania (VOAPA)’s Lehigh Valley supportive service programs with oversight provided by the Health Director in NEPA. The primary goal of the Associate Director of Supportive Services is to oversee VOAPA’s supportive service programs, including maternal, community health and childcare and provide supervision to Program Managers and employees within their purview. The Associate Director will facilitate these programs to address the social determinants of health needs for individuals seeking support, including needs related to housing instability, food insecurity, childcare needs, transportation, and more. In addition to management responsibilities, the Associate Director will work directly with clients enrolled in community health program to improve health outcomes in vulnerable communities, particularly Black and Hispanic people affected by the health crisis. The Associate Director will advocate for individuals served to receive equitable, culturally competent, and accessible healthcare. The Associate Director will ensure programmatic adherence to the organization’s policies and procedures, fiscal responsibilities, and funder obligations. Duties will include but are not limited to working closely to provide direct support to assigned employees, conducting direct service work, monitoring cases within the purview, reporting on program statistics, outcomes, and successes, managing program fiscal responsibilities including data collection and billing(s), establishing and monitoring progress in achieving program goals, and ensuring programs adhere to contractual requirements.
Scope of Duties:
1. Demonstrate knowledge and professionalism while interacting with staff, clients, partner agencies, and the greater community. Develop trusting relationships with program managers, employees, and clients.
2. Primary responsibilities are to serve as a lead Community Health Worker (CHW), steering and implementing CHW concepts particularly as it relates to addressing community SDOH needs. Implement these principles via direct service and through managing others.
3. Overseeing programming in the supportive service category currently includes maternal health, community health and childcare services.
a. Maternal Services: Serving mothers during pregnancy and post-delivery, their children, and families through in-home support, counseling, and material assistance, the Associate Director of Supportive Services aims to improve maternal health outcomes, particularly for Black and Brown communities, through care coordination and direct support. In this management and support role, the Associate Director will oversee program needs, administrative activities, and service management within the department, including the coordination and management of the Baby Pantry and the Food Pantry operations.
b. Community Health Program: The Associate Director of Supportive Services will manage administrative and program coordination activities for the Community Health Program. They will develop and maintain community outreach initiatives to engage clients and stakeholders, identify and connect families to relevant resources, and build and sustain partnerships with community organizations and development partners. In addition, the associate director will facilitate direct client support, including educational groups and workshops, lead food pantry operations, organize and participate in community events, and lead signature programs and seasonal initiatives such as the Holiday Drive and Operation Backpack.
c. Housing: Serve as the primary liaison for housing services, maintaining consistent communication with housing management and maintenance teams, and overseeing the registration and enrollment of housing residents into the Community Health Program.
d. Childcare Services: The Associate Director of Supportive Services will collaborate with the Director of Health Programs to coordinate communication regarding scholarships, events, and partner relationships. They will address client needs related to childcare services and maintain direct communication with childcare service providers and program directors to ensure high-quality service delivery.
4. Support managed employees to evaluate their needs, their progress on program goals, and provide situational navigation. Ensure that all employees receive regular supervision.
5. Manage a caseload of families enrolled in Community Health Program. Meet with clients regularly in the setting where they live or feel most comfortable to evaluate their needs, and their progress on goals, and provide them with referrals, navigation assistance, and interventions as necessary.
a. Ensure that families receive education and support, especially those in challenging situations.
b. Receive referrals from community partners or the general public and assign those referrals to CHWs.
6. Ensure all case files, visit reports, trip logs, and notes related to programs are maintained and current.
7. If not already trained as a CHW by an accredited Pennsylvania training provider, training will be orchestrated by the organization.
8. Organize training opportunities and scheduling, both mandated by the organization and program-specific, to ensure staff are engaged in professional development, learning about trends specific to their work, and networking with other organizations. Monitor that all training certificates are maintained in employee files.
9. Assist in handling employee and client complaints in a cooperative way to obtain positive resolutions and outcomes.
10. Collaborate with the Health Director to respond to critical incidents.
11. Develop and implement policies and procedures as needed. Ensure all policies and procedures including emergency plans are centrally located and readily available for all employees.
12. Stay connected to the perspective of the clients as it relates to their needs in order to shape VOAPA’s response and services to most effectively support the clientele.
13. Be familiar with and assist in the development of the budgets related to assigned programs to maintain fiscal responsibility. Ensure inventories are maintained and secure.
14. Read and understand program-specific contracts and the obligations they entail. Ensure the programs are adhering to contractual regulations and fulfilling their contractual obligations, including billing under contracts.
15. Maintain programmatic statistics. Provide program data to the organization and funders upon request.
16. Assist in grant writing and fundraising related to the programs assigned.
17. Coordinate and host bi-monthly group activities with internal and external entities for maternal and community health clients and their families, aimed at building a health-pro-social network while increasing parenting, child safety, and mental health knowledge and tools.
18. Attend and participate in staff meetings and follow directives accurately.
19. Attend community-based meetings and provide reports when requested.
20. Act as liaison for VOAPA by demonstrating a positive and professional image toward clients and agency representatives.
21. Clock in and out daily and ensure that correct working hours are submitted to the supervisor.
22. Review and approve the time cards of direct employees through Paychex.
23. In situations where policy is questioned or in case of emergency, the supervisor is to be contacted.
24. Perform other duties as assigned by the supervisor.
Hard Skills:
1. Advocacy – educating entities and organizations about the issues experienced by the community served.
2. Cultural Competency – understanding the nuances of cultural sensitivities and how they may impact the organization’s delivery of services.
3. Strength Based Interpersonal Skills OR Motivational Interviewing – the use of verbal and nonverbal communication and interpreting social contexts from a strengths perspective to build rapport.
4. Relational Social Skills – establishing trust and helping employees understand and articulate their needs to overcome barriers.
5. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion – the ability to mitigate inequities and reduce barriers to health equity for all.
6. Strength Based - must approach relationships from a strengths-based/motivational interviewing and healing-informed approach.
ADA Essential Functions:
1. Regularly required to stand, walk, sit, use hands to handle or feel, reach with hands and arms, climb stairs, talk, hear, and smell.
2. Regularly lift and move up to 25 lbs.
3. Ability to see clearly at 20 inches or less.
4. Ability to identify and/or distinguish colors.
5. Ability to observe an area that can be seen up and down or to the left and right while remaining fixed on a given point.
Credentials/Abilities:
The employee in this position is preferred to have a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in social work, healthcare, or a related field and/or a combination of 3 to 5 years of experience in a similar social service or in-home setting, as well as a willingness to obtain the Community Health Worker certification when available. At least 2 years of management experience and experience working with Black and Brown communities is preferred. FBI fingerprints, Pennsylvania State Police, and Child Abuse clearances are required annually. A driver’s license is required; the employee will drive for in-home visits with clients, meetings, community events, etc. The employee must possess a strong ability to make immediate decisions when faced with a crisis or unusual situation. The employee must have an excellent knowledge of and proficiency with computer software, specifically Microsoft Office; including Outlook, Excel, and Word, as well as effective written and verbal communication skills.
EEO of "Individuals with Disabilities" and "Veteran Status"/AA
About Volunteers of America of Pennsylvania
Volunteers of America of Pennsylvania’s (VOAPA) ministry of service is to empower vulnerable communities, families, and individuals through support and resources that lead to health and stability. We use evidence-based, data-driven information to develop community-based, contextualized, holistic, and empowering interventions. Our core values are: Person-Centered; Empowering; Community-Based; Responsive. VOAPA has regional offices located in Northeast, Lehigh Valley, Central, and Southwest Pennsylvania Communities.