Director of Youth and Young Adult Services

To successfully perform this job, an individual must believe in and act in accordance with the Agency’s mission/vision statements, adopted theoretical frameworks, and philosophy, and adequately carry out each essential duty. The requirements listed below reflect the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed. Reasonable accommodations may be provided to assist individuals with disabilities in performing the essential functions. In accordance with our “team” philosophy, the person filling this position may occasionally be required to carry out or assist with other tasks beyond the duties listed in this job description.

Program Oversight and Management:

• Direct, coordinate, and oversee the administration of specific youth and transition-age-youth (TAY) services and programs and related contracts within Allies, including Unlimited Possibilities for Youth (UP4Youth), youth/TAY mental health services, Healthy Families Allies, CAPIT, and other applicable programs and services as assigned. This involves planning, developing, and implementing comprehensive clinical and independent living services for youth/TAY, including those who are pregnant and parenting, as well as creating and maintaining program policies and procedures to ensure the efficient operation of assigned programs.
• Support the expansion of TAY continuum-of-care services (e.g., a future residential program and a 2Gen approach for pregnant and parenting youth/TAY).
• Provide clinical leadership, supervision, and support to Allies’ mental health providers (therapists, case managers, prevention and support staff, etc.).
• Ensure compliance with all applicable licensing and regulatory standards, including COA Accreditation.
• Support the mental health internship program and serve as a primary site supervisor for interns in compliance with the Board of Behavioral Sciences and/or the American Psychological Association.
• Assign and evaluate clinical staff caseload and standards.
• Promote and emphasize inclusive/affirming, client-centered, and trauma-informed care knowledge/practices, as well as their utilization by staff.
• Support/assist in hiring and onboarding competent and committed program staff; evaluate and ensure compliance of program staff training and requirements.

Direct Services:

• Participate in the intake process to gather information on clients (i.e., family, social, employment, medical, and mental health treatment histories). This includes conducting interviews and diagnostic assessments of clients to develop personalized treatment and recovery plans.
• Develop urgent crisis care plansto resolve and help clients cope with acute mental or emotional problems, which may include referral to another treatment source, such as a psychiatrist, a psychologist, a rehabilitation counselor, or another agency. 
• Provide crisis intervention, mental health treatment (i.e., one-on-one counseling and/or group/family counseling, as applicable), and other related mental health care services to clients (and their family members as applicable).
• Utilize evidence-based treatment modalities that are consistent with program goals and that best fit with clients’ age and treatment needs (e.g., motivational interviewing, trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, etc.).
• Participate in a multi-disciplinary team to review client cases, treatment approaches, clinical issues, client progress, and treatment recommendations.
• Participate in the development of individual treatment plans designed to address presenting problems identified through the assessment process.
• Coordinate supportive services by linking clients to community resources as needed to maximize client self-sufficiency and well-being.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date documentation in accordance with agency policies, licensing and regulatory standards, and COA accreditation requirements.
• Evening and weekend work required.

Interagency and Cross-Departmental Collaboration:

• Support on-call staff and supervisors across all Allies programs in handling escalated facility or client crises (e.g., youth runaways), which may require after-hours support.
• Partner with the Head of Educational Excellence, the Healthy Families Allies Program Manager, and the Early Childhood Mental Health and Child Welfare programs to coordinate services for pregnant or parenting TAY, utilizing a 2Gen approach.
• Work closely with the CPO to support the agency’s participation in the All Children – All Families (ACAF) program, including developing and monitoring related policies and procedures and required training plans, implementing and/or monitoring required activities, completing agency-wide assessments of conformance to ACAF standards and benchmarks, and communicating with ACAF on an ongoing basis as needed regarding all program requirements.
• Stay informed about relevant legislation, issues, and best practices in child/youth and TAY mental health and related services; provide recommendations to executive leadership on expanding and improving services.
• Collaborate with the CPO, CDO, and other departments to explore and pursue state-funded and private/public grant opportunities. Partner with the communications team to develop and share impact stories.

Quality and Performance Improvement:

• Monitor quality of care through chart/case reviews, staff training, and outcome evaluation.
• Provide leadership to ensure program staff prioritize continuous, data-informed quality improvement and quality assurance efforts. Evaluate program strengths and deficiencies and work closely with appropriate personnel for problem resolution and practice improvement.
• Understand and implement regulations, policies/procedures, and relevant contract requirements (COA, DCFS, and reasonable knowledge of any of the contracts they are providing services for).
• Work closely with the Allies Evaluation Team and CPO to develop/update relevant program logic models and related plans that align with strategic priorities.
• Ensure the timely and accurate completion of monthly, quarterly, and annual program activity reports, as well as other required documentation.

Community and Stakeholder Engagement:

• Represent Allies in community stakeholder or partner meetings and forums as needed.
• Build a referral pipeline with community organizations serving the target population (e.g., pregnant and parenting youth and young adults).
• Collaborate with the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), Juvenile Probation, Los Angeles County Office of Education, and community-based organizations to support youth/TAY needs.
• Maintain effective relationships with public and private organizations, including county departments, advocacy groups, and community-based organizations.