Interim Community Manager, Whittier

Organization Overview

United Friends of the Children empowers current and former foster/justice involved youth on their journey to self-sufficiency through service-enriched programs, advocacy, and consistent relationships with a community of people who care.

Founded over 40 years ago, United Friends’ is a leading provider of youth development services to current and former foster youth in Los Angeles County. Through its housing and education programs, the organization has helped thousands of young people imagine and actualize their own dreams and futures. United Friends’ programs focus on commitment, trauma-informed care, and empowerment by prioritizing a whole-person-development approach. Through a Social Justice Positive Youth Development (SJPYD) model, we center building relationships with youth over an extended period to achieve greater outcomes. Around those relationships, United Friends wraps an array of supportive services to help youth successfully transition to adulthood. As a result of services, United Friends alumni have greater housing and economic stability, higher educational attainment and a stronger sense of community and emotional wellbeing.

Position Overview

Pathways is a low-barrier to entry housing program that provides intensive case management and support services to transitional aged-youth (TAY), ages 18-24. The Pathways program utilizes the Housing First Approach in which, assertive engagement with our youth is essential to ensure youth are aware of and participate in a myriad of resources and supportive services offered by the program. Reporting to the Assistant Director of Housing, the Interim Community Manager will be responsible for creating a positive community experience for United Friends’ housing programs. The Interim Community Manager will coordinate community-building efforts, including events and life skills programming, oversee housing and property management, and develop strategic relationships with external partners (i.e., resource agencies and employers). In partnership with the team, the Interim Community Manager will build opportunities for residents to engage in relationships with each other, the Pathways program, and the surrounding community that will positively affect their ability to thrive.

The ideal candidate will have a keen understanding of best practice service models, such as trauma-informed care, harm reduction, and social justice positive youth development. Specific knowledge related to transitional aged youth experiencing housing instability is a plus.

United Friends currently implements a hybrid work environment – the schedule is determined at the discretion of management and the needs of the program and/or agency. This position will work full-time hours, Monday-Friday and on weekends and evenings as necessary. The Interim Community Manager is a part of the after-hours rotation schedule where they are required to respond to youth related crises and emergencies. The Community Manager will work primarily from Whittier housing cluster sites Monday-Friday of each week and on weekends. United Friends’ downtown office will serve as a hybrid work location for the Community Manager for administrative and meeting purposes (as specified). Travel between United Friends’ housing sites across Los Angeles County is required. The ideal candidate will be a visionary leader who brings critical thinking, creativity, initiative, good judgment, integrity, and a deep commitment to social justice and equity – along with a sense of humor – to the work.

Duties and Responsibilities

Community Engagement

• Collaborate with Pathways Team members to maintain an engaged, safe, and thriving community.
• Lead weekly site-based team meetings to identify and address community and facility needs and opportunities.
• Build and maintain meaningful relationships with residents; promote personal growth, independence, responsibility, and accountability and inspire individuals to reach their full potential.
• Lead team meetings with residents to identify areas of growth and improvement.
• Plan and implement dynamic community events and opportunities that bring Pathways community members together to engage in meaningful relationships.
• Respond quickly and appropriately to occurrences and critical incidents at United Friends housing sites.
• Embrace United Friends’ high-performance standard in all housing and facilities operations by partnering with our Property Management department in maintaining property conditions and resident compliance.
• Partner with the Intake and Outreach Team to create strategic linkages between residents and alumni.
• Build and maintain strategic partnerships with internal and external stakeholders and potential community partners to enhance the opportunities available to United Friends’ program participants.
• Represent United Friends’ interests and mission in the broader community.

Leadership and Program Management

• Understand and interpret the program’s contractual, ethical, and legal obligations.
• Work with the Pathways Management Team and Evaluation Team to set program goals and utilize data consistently to assess and communicate outcomes.
• Partner with the Pathways Management Team to record and uphold policies and protocols that support the program’s mission and goals.
• Partner with the Pathways Management Team to support direct serve team in the absence of Senior Community Manager or community Manager.
• Lead, coach, and develop the Advocacy Counselors in meeting established goals. This includes engaging in regular performance engagement discussions, monitoring progress, providing support, utilizing performance engagement plans as needed, and providing clinical supervision (if applicable).
• Partner with Pathways Management Team to plan annual budget and monitor expenditures to ensure alignment with projected spending for community support, including life skills workshops, community events/ projects, and property management.
• Engage in continuous knowledge development regarding rules, regulations, best practices, tools, techniques, and performance standards.
• Be a positive force for change and provide support for staff to be their best and do their best work.

Other

• Other duties as assigned.

General United Friends Responsibilities

• Act as a role model within the organization to uphold and implement United Friends’ organizational values:
  • Embrace program evaluation that leads to excellence and impact.
  • Build effective and empowering partnerships with the youth, community, and each other.
  • Create a fun and exciting environment that inspires learning and innovation.
  • Communicate openly, honestly, and with humility across all groups.
  • Work together as one organization.
• Staff hold a commitment to:
  • A culturally responsive Trauma-Informed Approach to our population and client centered advocacy
  • Strong knowledge of the communities served and centralize this cultural understanding into the work.
  • Support in Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI)
  • Evaluating the completeness, accuracy and relevance of data to determine information value and improve client services.

Direct Reports

• Advocacy Counselors

Required Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Social Work or related field
• 5+ years of experience, including program management and team leadership, in a relevant social work setting
• Experience working with vulnerable populations
• Establishes and cultivates respectful relationships with people from diverse backgrounds
• Activates network to produce results that benefit program participants
• Demonstrated experience engaging groups and individuals in effective learning activities
• Responds effectively and urgently to critical incidents
• Works collaboratively and cooperatively as a member of a multi-disciplinary service team
• Works responsibly with sensitive and confidential information
• Balances multiple competing priorities with strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Holds self-accountable, sets high expectations for self and others, works independently and collaboratively
• Conveys thoughts and ideas clearly, listens well, communicates in a solution-oriented manner, and incorporates others’ views into work
• Trauma-informed and client-centered advocacy
• Understand the communities served and centralize this cultural understanding into the work
• Passionate about United Friends’ mission
• Must have valid California Driver’s License and an insured and reliable vehicle

Preferred Qualifications

• Social Work Licensure(LCSW)
• 2+ years in housing setting with TAY population
• An understanding and sensitivity to issues concerning former foster care youth
• Knowledge of the TAY resource landscape in Los Angeles
• Knowledge of the Los Angeles County Coordinated Entry System and Measure H
• Knowledge of Positive Youth Development