Director of Family Social Work

Job Description

Job Description

Originally   founded in 1991  as Harlem RBI, DREAM has grown to annually serve more than 2,500 youth across East Harlem and the South Bronx through a network of seven PreK-12, extended-day, extended-year DREAM Charter Schools and community sports-based youth development programs. Through our commitment to rigorous academics, social-emotional learning, deep family and community engagement, and health and wellness, we create lifelong learners who are equipped to fulfill their vision of success in and out of the classroom. We dream big, as well, with an aggressive five-year plan to expand to serve 3,500 students across seven schools —growing our organization’s impact and leveling the playing field for all children. To learn more, visit wearedream.org .

Reporting to the Managing Director of Community Impact, the Director of K-12 Family Services (posted as the Director of Family Social Work) is responsible for developing, implementing and refining our family engagement approach. Through direct services, oversight of case management, and coordination of the work of Family Social Workers across our network, the Director of K-12 Family Services will ensure excellent outcomes for all DREAM families.

Responsibilities

Systems Design and Implementation

• Build, manage, implement, and scale network-wide systems and structures to provide high-quality case management to families in need;

• Lead through others to enact strategies that support families, ensuring their short and long-term needs are met;

• Design and lead on-site workshops and programming for families and train others in doing so;

• Establish metrics, monitor outcomes, and use data to assess impact, drive continuous improvement, and inform strategic decision-making.

Relationship and Community Building

• Secure and maintain long-term partnerships with CBOs and service providers to support families;

• Foster strong, trust-based relationships across the DREAM community, including families, school leaders, and staff;

• Coordinate with partner organizations for the benefit of DREAM families;

• Train others on fostering and maintaining strong relationships in support of families;

People Leadership and Coaching

• Provide vision, direction, and coaching, as it relates to Family Services across the network;

• Oversee and develop Family Social Workers’ ability to effectively manage the implementation Family Services at their school, serving as their “dotted line” coach;

• Train and develop others on a philosophy of Family Services as created by the Managing Director of Community Impact;

• Serve as a Family Social Worker in founding schools or when schools have vacancies as needed.

• Other responsibilities as assigned.

Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Social Work, Mental Health Counseling, Marriage and Family Therapy, or a similar field, required;

• 5+ years of previous case management and community services experience, required; experience coordinating these supports across a school network, highly preferred;

• 2+ years of team and people leadership experience, required; experience managing Social Workers or similar staff, highly preferred;

• Experience working at the Network leadership level in a high-performing charter school, highly preferred;

• Bilingual (Spanish/English), highly preferred;

• Proven success coordinating services across campuses and driving work through others;

• Strong understanding of issues impacting historically underserved communities, including economic mobility, housing stability, healthcare access, and civic engagement;

• Experience using and training others on case management, referral, and data systems;

• Adaptive & inspirational leader, able to effectively influence and engage various stakeholders;

• Exceptional relationship-building, communication, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to engage families, community leaders, and organizational partners;

• Ability to operate with clear vision while also ensuring strong execution and follow-through in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment;

• A strong belief in the mission and values of DREAM, including the desire to make a difference in the lives of our students, families, and community.

Benefits and Paid Time Off

• We offer comprehensive benefits including:
• Flexible Medical Health Plans, subsidizing the majority of costs for the employee, their spouse/domestic partner and children;
• The ability to select between a variety of medical plans according to what best suits the employee’s needs;
• Dental and vision plans;
• Disability benefits;
• Life insurance;
• Up to 12 weeks fully paid of Parental Leave;
• Flexible spending account options;
• Pre-tax commuter benefits (parking and transit);
• Fitness and entertainment discounts;
• A variety of support through our employee assistance program (EAP);
• 403(b) retirement plan with employer match starting at 4% after one year, with increases tied to DREAM tenure;
• Referral, performance, and tenure milestones bonuses;
• Discounted school meals through our in-house Scratch Food Program;
• Tuition reimbursement support;
• Access to a professional development fund;
• All full-time Network Support Team employees are eligible for approximately 48 days off throughout the year including holidays, sick days, personal days and summer Fridays.
• Benefits are subject to change.

Compensation

• DREAM offers a competitive salary commensurate with relevant experience. The incoming annual salary range for this position is $125,000 - $140,000. New hires are typically brought into the organization at a salary closer to the start of the range depending on qualifications, internal equity, and the budgeted amount for the role. All regular employees receive annual compensation increases and have the opportunity to earn both performance- and tenure-based bonuses. Because we value tenure in each role, our salary ranges are not capped.

DREAM Maxims  

All Kids Can. This Kid Can.

DREAM is Family.

Fun is a Serious Value.

Teamwork Makes the DREAM Work.

Fail. Persist. Exceed.

DREAM Big.

Applying to DREAM

We know applying for a new job can be a daunting process. In addition, studies have shown that historically underrepresented individuals often only apply to roles if they meet 100% of the qualifications. We encourage all applications! You may be just the person we need. If you have any questions about your application or interview process, do not hesitate to ask your recruiter; we are here to help!

DREAM provides reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and applicable state and local laws. If accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact your recruiter.

If you are a current DREAM employee, please click here to review our Internal Selection Process before applying.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.