Director of Programs

For a complete understanding of this opportunity, and what will be required to be a successful applicant, read on.

Who We Are

Solid Ground is an award-winning nonprofit organization whose proven, holistic approach helps families build the strong foundations they need to emerge from homelessness into a brighter future.

Through safe, affordable housing and innovative supportive programming, Solid Ground helps families transition to a higher-level of self-sufficiency and break the cycle of homelessness and poverty for the next generation.

Why You’ll Love Working Here

At the heart of Solid Ground is the belief that housing stability is fundamental to the healthy development of children and to a family’s ability to be contributing members of the community.

Solid Ground currently runs eight programs in suburban Ramsey and Washington Counties and housing over 660 individuals annually.

Our mission is to prevent and end homelessness for families with children in the communities we serve through housing, resources, and opportunity.

Wages and Benefits

• $85,000 - $95,000 annual salary range; paid vacation time, sick time, plus nine paid holidays and two floating holidays; competitive health, dental, and vision insurance;
• Health Savings Account (HSA), and options for Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), employer paid basic life and Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) insurance with the option for additional coverage, and employer paid short and long-term disability insurance;

agency sponsored retirement plan with automatic enrollment at 3% and a 3% employer match after one year of service, plus immediate vesting.

A Typical Day in the Life

A typical day as Solid Ground’s Director of Programs provides an opportunity to develop, implement, and evaluate agency programs and services and to provide direction to staff and interns to offer services that meet the needs of Solid Ground participants and advance the mission of the organization.

Responsibilities will include the following :

• Overseeing the activities of all Solid Ground housing programs.
• Supporting Program Manager positions, including aiding with tenant selection procedures to ensure a vacancy rate of 5% or less at site-based programs.
• Serving as the liaison with Federal, State, County, and other contract / funding sources to ensure compliance regarding resident eligibility, allowable expenses, Housing First, and service models.
• Overseeing Prevention funding to ensure that it is being spent, tracked, and managed appropriately.
• Coordinating services with the Family, Youth & Community Engagement Manager to provide basic needs and offer meaningful, participant-driven activities for Solid Ground program participants.
• Staying well-informed of best practices and issues affecting supportive housing and the participant populations served to create and / or enhance programs and delivery of services to better meet the needs of families.
• Participating in key provider networks, such as Heading Home Ramsey and Heading Home Washington County.
• Representing and marketing Solid Ground and its programs to other organizations, agencies, and the community at large through presentations, attendance at meetings, and events.
• Collaborating with Senior Leadership and the Grants Manager to develop, implement, and ensure compliance with a Medicaid-billable service model for all applicable Solid Ground programs.
• Overseeing the case consultation process, which may include facilitating meetings as needed with Program Managers to discuss participant progress, intervention strategies, and programmatic and systemic issues.
• Regularly auditing with Program Managers participant assessments, goal plans, and case files of all Solid Ground participants to ensure compliance with contract funding.
• Overseeing crisis intervention and termination of services, as appropriate, for all Solid Ground program participants.
• Supporting Program Managers with training opportunities for direct service staff to ensure compliance with service contracts and to develop staff knowledge, skills, and abilities to best meet participant needs.
• Serving as the Chief Privacy Officer for all Solid Ground programs and contracts.
• Ensuring accuracy, completeness, and confidentiality of participant records.
• Overseeing agency activities in the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) and internal ClientTrack system.
• Preparing and presenting accurate monthly, quarterly, and annual reports as assigned by the Executive Director and / or the Solid Ground Board of Directors.
• Analyzing program outcomes and working with Program Managers to create and / or modify programs or delivery of services to better meet participants' needs.
• Participating in site visits and monitoring of all Solid Ground programs by Federal, State, and local service contract funders.
• Assisting with the development of a new Client Data management system.
• Assisting in the annual budget creation process and monitoring program budgets to ensure compliance with allowable expenses and adherence to projected spending targets.
• Managing employee and team performance and the hiring process for positions within the team.

Who You Are

You hold a bachelor’s degree in social work or a relevant field, or you demonstrate equivalent knowledge through alternative courses of study and life experience.

It is preferable if you have your MSW and / or LICSW.

• You possess a minimum of five years of supervisory experience in a social services agency or have a combination of education and experience providing equivalent knowledge.
• You have knowledge of the human services nonprofit sector and preferably have experience working in a nonprofit setting.
• You understand and demonstrate commitment to the 'Housing First' philosophy and Trauma Informed Care practice. You are also committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• You understand poverty, chemical and mental health issues, domestic violence, and other factors affecting program participants, ensuring that programs and services meet their needs.
• You know tenant-landlord laws and best practices in supportive housing, as well as the rules and regulations of HUD Supportive Housing Program (HUD-SHP), Ending Long Term Homelessness Initiative Fund (LTH), Transitional Housing Program (THP), Family Homeless Prevention & Assistance Program (FHPAP), and other relevant contract / funding sources regarding participant eligibility and allowable costs.
• You understand program evaluation tools and techniques in the social services field.
• You have the ability to make effective decisions under pressure and maintain composure in crisis situations.
• You are skilled in supervising and coaching staff.
• You have the ability to manage multiple priorities to ensure work is completed in a timely and effective manner.
• You demonstrate excellent communication skills.
• You have the ability to travel to various locations for daytime, evening, and weekend meetings and events.
• You have a valid driver’s license, access to reliable transportation, and the ability to meet Solid Ground’s driving record requirements.

Please note that if the license was not issued in the state of Minnesota, you have 60 days after becoming a Minnesota resident in which to apply for your Minnesota driver's license or permit (not applicable for new hires living out of state).

Diversity and open expression are fundamental to the work of Solid Ground. We are passionate about building and sustaining an inclusive and equitable working environment where everyone can belong.

Every member of our team enriches our work by exposing us to a broad range of ways to understand and engage with the world, identify challenges, and to discover, design, and deliver solutions.

We welcome everyone to apply, especially those individuals who are underrepresented in our sector : individuals who identify as BIPOC, Indigenous or people of culture, LGBTQI+ and gender fluid or gender nonconforming, individuals with disabilities (both seen and unseen), veterans, people of any age or family status.

We value the contributions of a diverse workforce, and we welcome and encourage applications from all underrepresented groups.

We encourage you to apply even if you feel like you don't fit 100% of the technical requirements.

Equal Opportunity Employer : All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, disability, marital status, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, familial status, genetic information or a protected veteran’s status.

Our organization has a partnership with Metropolitan Alliance of Connected Communities (MACC) to provide administrative services including management of the hiring process.

If you apply for this position, you may see references to MACC in some online materials.

Solid Ground participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.

S. See E-Verify’s official poster at https : / / e-verify.uscis.gov / web / media / resourcesContents / E-Verify Participation Poster ES.

pdf. See E-Verify’s Right to Work poster at https : / / www.e-verify.gov / sites / default / files / everify / posters / IER RightToWorkPoster%20Eng Es.pdf.

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