Job Description

About Covenant House New York

Join a Legacy of Hope and Empowerment at Covenant House New York!

For over 50 years, Covenant House New York (CHNY) has been at the forefront of transforming lives by providing comprehensive shelter, housing, and wrap-around support services for vulnerable homeless, runaway, and exploited youth. As the largest provider of these essential services in New York City, CHNY impacts the lives of over 1,500 young people aged 16-24 every year.

At CHNY, our doors are open to all young people in need, regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression. Our dedicated team offers various services, including shelter, housing, education, employment, health, mental health support, youth development, and anti-human trafficking initiatives. We operate with harm reduction and trauma-informed principles to ensure the best care for our youth.

But our mission goes beyond immediate support. We are passionate advocates for systemic change, influencing public policy, and raising awareness of the critical issues surrounding youth homelessness. Our ultimate goal is to provide a safe refuge and empower young people to build a brighter future founded on compassion, unconditional love, and absolute respect.

Join us in making a difference in the lives of countless young people. Join a team that inspires long-term transformation and hope.

About the role

The Director of Mental Health Services will lead CHNY’s mental health services department which includes on-site and virtual therapeutic and crisis responses services across all of CHNY’s programs, a robust anti-human services team, mental health day treatment programming and supportive housing evaluation and case management, as well as integrated behavioral health care. This role leads CHNY’s efforts to remain on the cutting edge of providing evidence based and best practice driven services and supports by ensuring that models are best in class and meet the changing needs of our youth population. Additionally, the Director plays a key role in providing support across all of CHNY’s program areas so that we are meeting youth where they are and providing trauma informed practices throughout.

Flexibility in schedule, with most days on site at our 41st Street location, ability to travel to the Bronx as needed, on-call by email and phone in off-hours, and excellent communication and problem-solving abilities are critical to successfully fulfilling the requirements of this position.

What you'll do

(Responsibilities to include, but not limited to the following)

Administrative

• Creates and manages mental health and anti-human trafficking services department that embodies CHNY’s mission and values as well as effectuates healing and positive change in the lives of young people by providing direct supervision, clinical supervision, leading evidence based model implementation efforts and ensuring ongoing fidelity, ensuring best practices are followed, leading and supporting ongoing Covenant House program model efforts, and leading specific efforts on CHNY’s Strategic Roadmap
• Spearheads and supports ongoing collaborative efforts between CHNY program departments, including facilitating collaborative discussions across departments and teams as well as managing the department’s on-call schedule so that 24/7 programs are supported when there are not social workers on site.
• Develop and conduct trainings and workshops for staff and external stakeholders
• Represent CHNY on panels, with potential funders, and with other stakeholders. Including, attending coalition and task force meetings.
• Oversees data management systems and ensures that all documentation is completed in ETO and in eCW (Electronic Health Records) in a timely manner. Including developing and providing ongoing management and support of the departmental responsibilities for timely and accurate documentation for billing.
• Responsible for managing the department’s budget and supporting fundraising efforts, along with ongoing grant management support, such as narrative writing, grant activities reports, and outcome setting and obtainment.

Clinical

• Participates in case conferences, red flag meetings and other youth focused discussions to provide clinical support and guidance
• In collaboration with health and psychiatric staff, provide clinical support to youth and staff as needed to assist youth in psychotropic medication management
• Provides clinical services including assessment, evaluation (majority of evaluations are for youth applying for supportive housing), therapy, and crisis intervention.
• Provide on-call clinical support after business hours
• Performs other duties as needed

SUPERVISORY DUTIES

• This position supervises Managers, Social Workers and Case Managers.

Qualifications

• LCSW licensure in NYS required
• Minimum of five (5) years’ experience in social services/providing counseling/clinical services to at risk youth.
• Experience providing counseling and case work with at risk youth required.
• Knowledge of trauma and mental health issues facing multi-stressed youth and families.
• Experience working in a shelter or residential setting preferred.
• Knowledge of and or previous use of evidence-based models preferred.

• Knowledge of external and social service systems.
• Solid assessment, interviewing and crisis intervention skills. Flexible work schedule to include evenings, weekends and holidays.
• Previous supervisory experience required.

Benefits

Covenant House New York offers a rich package of benefits, including but not limited to:

• Medical
• Vision
• Dental
• Life & Supplemental Life Insurance
• Short-term and Long-term disability insurance
• Eligibility for medical benefits begins on the date of hire
• PTO includes three weeks of vacation in the first year, ten holidays, 13 sick days, five personal days, and birthday days off
• 403b with employer contribution after 12 months