Diversion Program Director - Youth Resource Center

Job Description

Job Description

Description:

Benefits

• Low-cost medical, dental, and vision coverage. Health savings account. 403b retirement plan with employer match (50% match up to 3%).
• Employee Assistance Program for all employees
• 33 paid days off: 11 observed paid holidays, 12 sick days, and 10 vacation days to start. Vacation increases to 12 days after 1 year, 15 days after 2 years, and more at 5 and 9 years of service
  • Sick and vacation time accrue hourly per pay period
• $50,000 in employer-paid life insurance; additional coverage available
• Employer contribution to your Health Savings Account (paid quarterly)
• Employee Referral Program including cash bonuses and paid time off

About

Volunteers of America, Utah is an affiliate of a national, nonprofit, faith-based organization that has served communities across the United States for more than 125 years. Volunteers of America, Utah’s mission is to provide community-supported pathways for those who are vulnerable to improve their lives and increase their self-reliance. Our programs serve people experiencing challenges related to mental health, substance use, and homelessness. We encourage all who are passionate about making a difference, including individuals with lived experience, to apply.

Program Mission

The Youth Resource Center provides individualized, trauma-informed support to youth and young adults experiencing homelessness. The team helps youth identify needs and goals, navigate housing and community resources, access behavioral health, employment, education, benefits, and other supports, and address barriers that may impact their stability. Through coordinated services and ongoing engagement, the team supports youth in moving toward safe housing, increased self-sufficiency, and long-term stability.

Position Summary

The Program Manager provides leadership and oversight for multidisciplinary services at the Youth Resource Center, including case management, behavioral health, peer support, employment and education, early intervention, diversion, and connections to community-based services. The position supervises assigned program and clinical staff and supports coordinated, high-quality services for youth and young adults experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

The Program Manager is responsible for program and project implementation, staff development and performance, service quality, data and outcome monitoring, community partnerships, and compliance with agency and funding requirements. The position collaborates with internal and external partners to strengthen access to behavioral health and supportive services, improve coordination across systems, and support continuous quality improvement. As assigned, the Program Manager may lead specific grants, contracts, or initiatives and support the development, implementation, evaluation, and sustainability of services in response to emerging client and community needs.

Essential Duties

• Provide leadership and oversight for assigned programs, grants, contracts, and initiatives, ensuring services are implemented in alignment with program goals, agency policies, funding requirements, and applicable regulations.
• Lead recruitment, interviewing, hiring, onboarding, staff development, performance evaluation, and corrective action for assigned staff, in coordination with Human Resources and agency leadership.
• Oversee the delivery and ongoing development of behavioral health services, case management, early intervention, diversion, peer support, employment and education, and other supportive services for youth and young adults experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
• Ensure participant screening, intake, assessment, service planning, referral, and transition processes are timely, coordinated, and responsive to individual needs.
• Ensure staff follow established procedures for suicide risk assessment, safety planning, crisis response, and coordination with emergency and crisis providers. Address and escalate safety concerns and critical incidents according to agency procedures.
• Strengthen coordination between behavioral health, housing, homelessness response, employment, education, healthcare, benefits, crisis services, and other community-based supports to promote continuity of care and successful referrals.
• Develop and maintain effective program procedures, workflows, referral pathways, documentation standards, and other tools necessary to support consistent and high-quality service delivery.
• Monitor staff caseloads, schedules, service capacity, participant flow, and program operations to ensure effective coverage and responsiveness to client needs.
• Responsible to ensure case management, clinical, and program documentation meets quality, timeliness, and compliance standards with agency, contractual, regulatory, and funding requirements.
• Collaborate with leadership, funders, government partners, evaluators, and community stakeholders on program implementation, data review, quality improvement, evaluation, training, sustainability, and required reporting.
• Use program data, participant feedback, staff input, and quality assurance findings to monitor outcomes, identify service gaps, improve workflows, and recommend program improvements.
• Support implementation of evidence-based and evidence-informed practices, including Housing Problem-Solving, Individual Placement and Support, crisis intervention, behavioral health stabilization, and other approved approaches. 
• Represent VOA and the YRC in partner, coalition, funder, and stakeholder meetings and support collaborative relationships that improve access to behavioral health, housing, and other community services.
• Work with the Division Director, Finance, and other agency leadership to support staffing plans, budget monitoring, appropriate use of program resources, required training, and administrative compliance.
• Attend work on a punctual, regular, and predictable basis; maintain an on-site presence consistent with program and supervisory needs; travel within the service area as required; and perform other duties as assigned consistent with the evolving needs of the program and agency.

Qualifications  

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

• Master’s degree in social work, counseling, psychology, behavioral science, or a related behavioral health field required.
• Current, unrestricted Utah licensure as an LCSW, CMHC, LMFT, or another independently licensed mental health professional appropriate to the position required. Must meet applicable Utah requirements to provide clinical supervision to assigned staff, including supervision toward licensure when assigned.
• Minimum of two years of experience managing programs or projects serving children, youth, or young adults with mental health conditions and/or co-occurring substance use disorders; experience serving youth or young adults experiencing homelessness strongly preferred.
• Experience supervising staff, including coaching, performance management, and supporting multidisciplinary teams in behavioral health, social services, housing, homelessness, or youth-serving settings.
• Knowledge of behavioral health, substance use treatment, crisis services, housing and homelessness systems, education, employment, child welfare, juvenile justice, healthcare, and other community-based supports.
• Knowledge of trauma-informed care, crisis intervention, recovery principles, person-centered services, culturally responsive practice, and diversion or early intervention approaches.
• Experience with grant- or contract-funded programs, program implementation, compliance, quality improvement, or outcome monitoring preferred.
• Experience with HMIS, SPARS, electronic health records, or comparable client and program data systems preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to build collaborative relationships, facilitate groups, support consensus building, and communicate effectively with staff, participants, community partners, and public systems.
• Strong organizational, written and verbal communication, problem-solving, and project-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and adapt to changing program needs.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams.
• Must be at least 21 years of age, possess a current driver’s license, have a good driving record, and be insurable under the agency’s liability policy.
• Must be able to pass required Utah Office of Licensing background screening, maintain eligible/passing determination through continuous monitoring, and other pre-employment requirements.
• Must pass pre-employment drug test.

Physical Demands

• Ability to work in an office and emergency shelter environment and move throughout the facility to interact with staff and participants.
• Ability to use a computer and other standard office equipment for extended periods.
• Ability to travel locally for meetings, trainings, outreach, and partner coordination as needed.
• Ability to lift and carry up to 25 pounds.