Sr. Program Director - Cedars & Schaf

Senior Program Director Schafer Hall / Cedars Hall

Lantern Community Services’ (Lantern) mission is to champion the independence and well-being of New Yorkers who are impacted by or threatened with homelessness.

Lantern provides innovative services to help New Yorkers who are homeless, formerly homeless or have recently aged out of foster care recreate their lives.

Our programs with proven results in health, employment, education, and life skills are delivered inside our residences and tailored to each person’s needs.

We provide our clients - many of whom live with mental illness, addiction, disability, HIV or other chronic illnesses - with the tools they need to integrate successfully into the greater community with dignity and independence.

Classification : Exempt

Reports to : Assistant Vice President

Location : Manhattan / Bronx

Position Type :

This is a full-time position with a regular schedule of Monday through Friday 9 : 00am to 5 : 00pm. Lantern staff may be asked to change the work schedule and hours depending on the operational needs of the site and the agency.

Objective :

We are seeking a dynamic and experienced Senior Program Director to oversee two supportive housing programs both located in Manhattan and The Bronx.

One building serves single and young adults with mental health illnesses. Those with disabilities and previously chronically homeless individuals.

The other building serves families, Community families and / or substance abuse individuals. The Senior Program Director will lead a team to assist this population in stabilizing their lives, maintaining their housing stability and advancing towards their individualized goals.

The Senior Program Director is also expected to work collaboratively with the Leasing and Compliance Department and Property Management staff.

The ideal candidate will be a Licensed Master Social Worker, Licensed Mental Health Counselor, or Licensed Clinical Social Worker, with demonstrated leadership skills in a supportive housing setting and keen judgment essential for planning and accomplishing goals, navigating challenging bureaucratic systems and providing strong staff supervision.

This person will also have experience working with formerly homeless families / population that has been impacted by mental illness, substance use, and medical issues.

The Senior Program Director will have very strong administrative skills, budget management experience, and operational expertise.

Essential Functions :

• Hire, train, supervise and develop a program team with a strong sense of accountability for achieving outcomes for residents and complying with Lantern and funder regulations and requirements.
• Ensure all case records (electronic and paper) are accurate, comprehensive and up to date for all residents. The Program Director is responsible for monitoring staff compliance and providing training and support resources.
• In conjunction with staff, oversee the development and implementation of program services, including groups, community / tenant meetings, activities and celebrations, etc.

to meet tenant and program needs.

• Provide regular, ongoing supervision of staff as appropriate and facilitate weekly staff and clinical meetings. Provide case management support to staff as needed.
• Identify and meet training needs for staff.
• In collaboration with Leasing and Compliance staff, screen potential clients for the program and assist with the move-in and program orientation process.
• Collaborate and manage relationship with landlord in tracking needs, managing property management issues, and client work orders
• Ensure all staff members support housing stability through a proactive active approach to working with tenants around budgeting and money management.
• Assess serious incidents, review appropriateness of incident management and make corrections as needed.
• Utilize data to ensure program goals are met and to address trends (both positive and challenging).
• Actively engage in training that promotes the Senior Program Director's professional development and identifies trainings to support Program staff.
• Provide monthly written reports to Senior Management as requested.
• Develop linkages with community organizations as well as NYPD to support the work of the program.

Required Education and Experience :

• LMSW / LMHC or LCSW required , SIFI a plus .
• At least eight years of progressive experience in Supportive Housing, with a minimum of three years supervisory experience as Program Director / Assistant Program Director.
• Knowledge of HIV / AIDS, mental health, substance use, and chronic homelessness required.
• Previous experience managing service contracts such as DOHMH, OMH, HASA, NYSSHIP, etc required
• Experience with electronic case management systems and demonstrated ability to utilize and review data to inform best practices in service provision.
• Ability to work well under pressure, including crisis situations, and be flexible with work schedule when necessary.
• Experience working with evidence-based models, specifically Motivational Interviewing, Individual Placement and Support (IPS) and harm reduction.
• Bilingual Spanish / English a plus!

Supervisory Responsibility : Oversees Social Services Teams in both sites that include an Assistant Program Director and case managers / social workers.

Work Environment : This job operates in a supportive housing site and works with a population who experiences mental illness, addiction, disability, HIV, and other chronic illnesses.

Physical Demands :

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, sit, stoop and / or kneel. They must also use their hands to type, handle, or feel.

The employee is frequently required to talk or hear and must occasionally lift and / or move up to 5 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

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