Overview
Under the supervision of the Chief Program Officer, the Program Director is responsible for the overall leadership, daily operations, compliance, budget oversight, staffing, and performance of Pathway Home InterimHousing Program. This role ensures the program operates in full alignment with HSH, LAHSA, contracts, grants, and other applicable funder requirements while delivering high-quality, housing-focused services grounded in Housing First, trauma-informed care, and harm reduction principles.
The Program Director provides direct oversight of all site staff and is fully accountable for program outcomes, audit readiness, safety, service delivery, staffing coverage, and overall program performance. This position leads both strategic and day-to-day operations, ensuring effective program execution, strong staff performance, fiscal responsibility, and consistent progress toward housing placement, client engagement, and retention goals.
The Program Director is responsible for ensuring that all contractual Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are met or exceed performance expectations. This includes monitoring housing placements, data quality, service delivery, documentation compliance, census management, case management performance, audit readiness, and other funder-required outcomes.
In addition, the Program Director serves as a primary representative of the program within the community. This role is responsible for building and maintaining partnerships with community stakeholders, service providers, funders, referral partners, and other collaborative partners. The Program Director also supports community engagement efforts, strengthens collaborative relationships, manages funder relationships, and identifies opportunities that contribute to program visibility, resource development, fundraising, grants, contracts, and long-term program sustainability in collaboration with agency leadership and the Development Team.
The Program Director is expected to work in close collaboration with the Quality Assurance team to ensure continuous compliance, audit readiness, documentation accuracy, corrective action follow-through, and overall program quality improvement.
The Program Director is also expected to maintain a high level of responsiveness and leadership presence, including availability to respond to program needs, emergencies, staffing concerns, security concerns, and escalations on a 24/7 basis as required. This ensures continuous support for staff, clients, site operations, safety, staffing coverage, and overall program stability.
Schedule: Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Please note that this schedule is subject to change based on programmatic needs, staffing coverage, emergencies, funder meetings, audits, site visits, or other operational priorities. The Program Director is also expected to maintain responsiveness outside of regular business hours as needed to support program operations, respond to escalations, and ensure continuity of care, safety, and site coverage.
Each Program Director may also be responsible for cross-coverage at other First Day Interim Housing locations as needed. In addition, the Program Director is expected to rotate between interim housing sites at least once per quarter to support agency-wide consistency, leadership visibility, operational alignment, and continuity of services.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Responsibilities
The following reflects management’s definition of essential functions for this position but does not restrict the tasks that may be assigned. Management may assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this position at any time due to reasonable accommodation, programmatic needs, operational priorities, or other business-related reasons. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.
Note: First Day considers this position to be a mandated reporter of elder and child abuse.
Program Operations
- Oversee the daily operations of the Pathway Home Program, ensuring alignment with organizational goals, contractual expectations, funding requirements, and programmatic priorities.
- Provide daily coordination and oversight of program operations, program activities, staffing needs, client services, and site priorities to ensure the program runs effectively and in alignment with agency and funder expectations.
- Ensure the program operates in alignment with Housing First, trauma-informed care, harm reduction, motivational interviewing, and client-centered service delivery principles.
- Promptly report significant client-related occurrences, including overdoses, emergency room visits, behavioral health crises, law enforcement involvement, or other critical incidents, through the program’s chain of command.
- Manage program budgets, oversee expenditures, monitor spending, and ensure financial compliance with grants, contracts, and agency fiscal policies.
- Develop, implement, and monitor program policies, procedures, and operational systems to ensure effective, efficient, and consistent service delivery.
- Lead the expansion, development, and continuous improvement of the Pathway Home Program in response to emerging client, community, funder, and agency needs.
- Maintain a strong leadership presence on-site and provide direct operational support as needed to ensure continuity of services and site stability.
- Provide cross-coverage and operational support at other First Day Interim Housing locations as needed. The Program Director is expected to rotate between interim housing sites at least once per quarter to support agency-wide consistency, leadership visibility, operational alignment, and continuity of services.
Supervision and Leadership
- Oversee staff onboarding and orientation, conduct regular performance evaluations, and develop individualized training plans based on best practices in trauma-informed care, harm reduction, Housing First, safety, and service delivery.
- Assist Program Management staff with recruitment, candidate selection, onboarding, training, supervision, and evaluation of direct service staff.
- Lead program hiring efforts, including candidate evaluation, interview participation, reference checks, and hiring recommendations prior to final offer.
- Be available for required weekly overnight shift oversight and provide additional shift flexibility based on programmatic needs, staffing coverage, emergencies, or operational priorities.
- Coordinate staff scheduling, approve timesheets and time-off requests, and manage daily assignments to ensure appropriate staffing coverage and continuity of services.
- Provide direct supervision to the program leadership team, including the Lead Case Manager and Lead Site Supervisor.
- Directly support and oversee site staff, including Case Managers, Client Support Specialists, Environmental Support Specialists, Cook, and other support staff as applicable.
- Conduct regular team meetings to ensure staff are informed of program updates, contract expectations, policy changes, safety concerns, and best practices.
- Lead weekly case consultation meetings and facilitate ongoing professional development for program staff.
- Support staff professional development through coaching, training, mentoring, performance feedback, and corrective guidance when needed.
- Review and facilitate staff performance evaluations and address personnel matters in collaboration with Human Resources and agency leadership.
- Implement training programs for case managers and site staff related to case management standards, documentation expectations, ethical practices, crisis intervention, de-escalation, client engagement, and professional boundaries.
- Ensure staff adhere to agency policies, program procedures, funder requirements, confidentiality standards, and professional standards of service delivery.
Clinical Leadership and Program Oversight
- Ensure client care aligns with best practices in trauma-informed services, harm reduction, Housing First, cultural humility, motivational interviewing, and client-centered engagement.
- Work collaboratively with the clinical team to review complex client situations, identify appropriate interventions, support staff with clinical guidance, and ensure services are aligned with client needs and program expectations.
- Develop and implement evidence-based and housing-focused interventions to support client stability, housing readiness, and long-term housing retention.
- Oversee crisis intervention strategies, de-escalation practices, behavioral response protocols, and staff support following critical incidents.
- Provide leadership and guidance to staff in responding to complex client needs, including behavioral health concerns, substance use-related issues, medical needs, conflict resolution, crisis response, and barriers to housing stability.
- Ensure the program maintains a supportive, low-barrier, harm-reduction-focused environment for clients.
- Provide or coordinate staff debriefings following critical incidents, including death and dying debriefings, when directed by agency leadership.
Client Services
- Ensure all clients receive high-quality case management, housing navigation, supportive services, and Intensive Case Management Services as applicable.
- Ensure staff develop effective, trusting relationships with clients using a client-centered approach that includes motivational interviewing, harm reduction, trauma-informed engagement, and culturally responsive service delivery.
- Monitor client progress toward housing goals, service plan objectives, document readiness, benefits connection, healthcare linkage, and permanent housing placement.
- Ensure intake documentation, psychosocial assessments, referral documents, 5x5 assessments, Housing Service Plans, case notes, incident reports, exit summaries, and other required documentation are completed accurately and within required timelines.
- Ensure intake and psychosocial assessments are completed for all referrals within the timelines outlined in the HSH ICMS work order and other applicable funder requirements.
- Monitor goal plans and Housing Service Plans to ensure they are updated quarterly or within required program timelines.
- Organize and monitor documentation needed for housing applications, including HACoLA, HACLA, Brilliant Corners, and other housing-related applications, referral packets, or supportive documentation.
- Maintain a harm-reduction approach while ensuring services are trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and aligned with the needs of individuals experiencing homelessness.
- Support client-centered problem-solving to reduce barriers to housing stability, increase client engagement, and strengthen successful housing outcomes.
- Provide direct support with client crisis intervention, including coordination with clinical staff, emergency responders, and appropriate service providers.
- Support the completion of 5150 applications when appropriate, authorized, and within the scope of the employee’s role, training, and applicable legal requirements.
- Follow up on client grievances and work toward appropriate resolution for clients, staff, and the program in alignment with agency policies and funder expectations.
- Maintain client confidentiality at all times and ensure compliance with agency policies, state requirements, HIPAA, and all applicable confidentiality laws.
Community Engagement and Partnership Development
- Build and maintain strong relationships with community partners, service providers, funders, government agencies, referral partners, and other stakeholders.
- Develop and maintain a strong understanding of funder expectations, contractual requirements, and program deliverables.
- Respond to funders with appropriate, timely, and professional communication, ensuring coordination of services, follow-up items, and program updates are handled effectively.
- Collaborate with local healthcare providers, mental health agencies, substance use providers, SPA 7 partners, housing partners, and community-based organizations to expand client resources.
- Represent the Pathway Home Program in community meetings, funder meetings, collaborative spaces, audits, site visits, and local coalitions as required.
- Engage volunteers, donors, stakeholders, and community partners to enhance the program’s capacity, resources, and community impact.
- Support community engagement, resource development, fundraising, grant opportunities, and contract opportunities in collaboration with agency leadership and the Development Team.
Health, Safety, and Security Oversight
- Ensure the safety, cleanliness, and overall maintenance of the program facility by overseeing regular health, safety, and site inspections.
- Manage crisis situations involving clients, including medical emergencies, mental health crises, overdoses, behavioral incidents, and conflict resolution.
- Collaborate with the Facilities Manager, Operations team, security personnel, and site leadership to address safety concerns and ensure compliance with local regulations and agency safety standards.
- Address security-related concerns as needed, including coordinating with security staff, responding to coverage gaps, escalating safety issues, and ensuring appropriate security coverage is maintained to support safe site operations.
- Oversee incident reporting, emergency response, safety planning, risk management, and follow-up actions to ensure concerns are addressed timely and appropriately.
Reporting, Data Quality, and Compliance
- Ensure program compliance with local, state, federal, contractual, grant, HSH, LAHSA, and agency requirements.
- Ensure data is entered into required systems, including the HSH, CHAMP database and LAHSA HMIS database, in a timely and accurate manner.
- Oversee accurate data entry and reporting through HMIS, CHAMP, and other required databases or reporting systems.
- Monitor data quality to ensure accuracy for reporting requirements, contractual outcomes, audits, and program performance measures.
- Monitor staff documentation to ensure appropriate levels of service are being provided and that progress notes are completed accurately and within required timelines.
- Maintain audit-ready operations by ensuring documentation accuracy, file compliance, data quality, and timely completion of required reports.
- Prepare regular programmatic reports for funders and agency leadership, detailing outcomes, successes, challenges, corrective actions, and program needs.
- Conduct quarterly program evaluations and use feedback, data, quality assurance findings, and funder feedback to improve service delivery.
- Attend Quality Assurance meetings and participate in compliance review, corrective action planning, documentation improvement, and program quality improvement efforts.
- Work collaboratively with the Quality Assurance team to monitor compliance, address corrective actions, improve documentation practices, and strengthen overall program performance.
- Ensure adherence to all agency policies, program procedures, funder requirements, safety protocols, confidentiality standards, and documentation standards.
Schedule and Availability
- Schedule: Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
- Please note that this schedule is subject to change based on programmatic needs, staffing coverage, emergencies, overnight shift oversight, funder meetings, audits, site visits, or other operational priorities.
- The Program Director is expected to maintain responsiveness outside of regular business hours as needed to support program operations, respond to escalations, address staffing or security concerns, and ensure continuity of care, safety, and site coverage.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $85,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Dental insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Flexible spending account
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Retirement plan
- Vision insurance
Education:
Experience:
- Budgeting: 2 years (Required)
- Program Management: 2 years (Required)
- Program Director: 2 years (Required)
- Contract management: 2 years (Required)
- Interim Housing: 3 years (Required)
Ability to Commute:
- Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670 (Required)
Work Location: In person
