Position Summary:

The Assistant Director plays a crucial role in guiding individuals and families at risk of or currently experiencing homelessness in Cumberland County. This position involves being readily available to support guests on a walk-in basis, ensuring they receive the help they need. The Assistant Director will collaborate closely with our on-site partners and community agencies to address the comprehensive needs of each guest, providing a coordinated and compassionate approach to their care. Additionally, this role includes the important responsibility of supervising and mentoring volunteers and staff ensuring they are well-prepared and effective in their roles. The Assistant Director oversees all DRC operations in the absence of the director, including lunch services, service coordination, staff, partnerships, and volunteers. They play a key role in fostering welcoming environments and building collaborative relationships with guests, staff, volunteers, and partners while providing essential support to the community. Responsibilities include supporting the Director in relationship management, leading the DRC team, ensuring compliance with guidelines, providing mentorship to clients, networking with organizations, overseeing day-to-day operations, managing programs, fostering inclusive environments, collaborating with stakeholders, representing the DRC in external engagements, providing leadership and supervision, evaluating program outcomes, and attending required meetings. The Assistant Director needs to be flexible, knowledgeable of housing and homelessness issues, have strong de-escalation skills, familiarity with HUD guidelines, and excellent interpersonal skills. The Assistant Director is also responsible for social media, creating presentations, ensuring systems in the building are functioning properly, providing support to the director, staff, guests and volunteers.

General Responsibilities:

As a Fayetteville Cares Staff member, you will assist in the vision of the DRC by embodying the values and culture of Fayetteville Cares. By engaging with the community and modeling SERVE - See and Shape the Future, Engage and Develop Others, Reinvent Continually, Value Results and Relationships, and Embody the Values

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

The essential functions include, but are not limited to the following:

•  Work with a wide variety of clientele with a warm and welcoming attitude.
•  Provide effective leadership and guidance.
•  Cultivate a warm and welcoming atmosphere while working with a diverse clientele, ensuring all interactions uphold the agency's values.
•  Deliver services in alignment with the agency's mission, demonstrating a commitment to providing guest-centered care that respects the individuality and needs of each client.
•  Adapt, collaborate, and to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic work environment.
•  Maintain composure and facilitate teamwork while navigating rapid changes to ensure a sense of calm for guests, partners, volunteers and staff.
•  Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of housing and homelessness issues, enabling informed decision-making and effective support for clients seeking housing solutions.
•  Employ strong de-escalation and mediation skills to effectively address conflicts and challenges that may arise during client interactions or within the team.
•  Utilize expertise in HUD guidelines and experience with subsidized housing programs, including Emergency Shelter, Section 8, Shelter Plus Care, and Rapid Re-Housing, among others, to facilitate access to housing resources and support for clients.
•  Stay informed of current best practice models in the field, including Housing First, Coordinated Entry and Assessment, Mental Health Recovery, Harm Reduction, and Critical Time Intervention, and integrate these approaches into case management strategies to enhance client outcomes.
•  Serve as a compassionate navigator for individuals and families facing or experiencing homelessness in Cumberland County, providing guidance and support tailored to their unique circumstances.
•  Offer expert support to individuals who are newly homeless.
•  Connect individuals and families with a wide range of internal and external resources and programs to address their needs effectively, fostering partnerships with community agencies to enhance support options.
•  Provide assistance to guests on a walk-in basis.
•  Collaborate closely with on-site partners and community agencies to address the holistic needs of each guest, fostering a collaborative approach to service delivery.
•  Assume leadership responsibility for volunteers, providing guidance and instruction to ensure their proficiency in managing caseloads effectively.
• Required Meetings
•  DRC Meetings 
• Key software requirements:
•  Google Mail/Apps/Docs /Slides/Forms/Sheets
•  Microsoft Office Suite
•  Applicable Databases
•  Phone and System
•  Instagram, Facebook, social media

Qualifications

• A minimum of a bachelor's degree preferred, ideally in social work or a related field.
• Ability to work with a wide variety of clientele, with a warm and welcoming attitude.
• Ability to deliver services in a manner consistent with the agency’s values of human dignity for all and caring, compassionate guest-centered care.
• Ability to be flexible and work collaboratively in a fast-paced and rapidly changing work environment while maintaining a sense of calm for guests and partners.
• Extensive knowledge of housing and homelessness.
• Strong de-escalation and mediation skills.
• Knowledge of HUD guidelines and experience working with subsidized housing and programs such as Emergency Shelter, Section 8, Shelter Plus Care, Rapid Re-Housing, etc.
• Current knowledge of best practice models, including Housing First, Coordinated Entry and Assessment, Mental Health Recovery, Harm Reduction, and Critical Time Intervention.
• Excellent interpersonal skills to lead volunteers and interact with guests..

Physical Requirements:

• Able to lift and move supplies.