Job Description
Manager of Social Work Location: New York, NY (Harlem)
Type : Full Time
About StreetSquash
StreetSquash was founded in Harlem in September 1999 as the second squash and education program in the United States. A comprehensive youth enrichment program, StreetSquash combines academic tutoring, squash instruction, community service, college preparation, leadership development, and mentoring for young people ages 11-24. What began as an after-school program with 24 middle school students and two staff members has expanded to serve upwards of 500 participants from 6th grade through college graduation, and entry into the workforce. Learn more about us at
About the Position
StreetSquash is seeking a driven, innovative Manager of Social Work with a primary focus on adolescent counseling and family engagement, who has a passion for supporting young people and putting them on the path to achieving their higher education and career goals. The Manager of Social Work will be expected to oversee and be present at weekday sessions until 6:30 pm and select special events potentially on weekends. This position reports to the Program Director (PD).
Position Responsibilities
Programmatic Responsibilities
- Provide and train Social Workers on bio-psycho-social assessments and treatment, and family sessions
- Develop and lead weekly social-emotional curriculum and enrichment programming
- Communicate regularly with all staff and interns about student action plans
- Support students and families in their academic and personal growth through programming and relationship-building including one on one counseling, school visits, home visits, group work, action planning, casework, crisis intervention, family sessions, etc.
- Network with external stakeholders and other service providers to refer students and families as needed
- Lead and participate in Family Leadership Board initiatives including meetings, forums, and fundraising efforts
- Work closely with Social Work team to meet the needs of participants
- Work collaboratively with the Program Director, Executive Team, and Social Work team to resolve programmatic concerns
Managerial Responsibilities
- Serve as a member of the senior leadership team to oversee the Social Work department, implement organizational plans, execute defined strategies, maintain a solution-focused approach as a leader within the organization, and resolve programmatic issues and concerns
- Work closely with the PD to oversee development and implementation of social-emotional and health and wellness programming to ensure consistency, high quality, and mission alignment
- Work with the PD to ensure full participant enrollment and high attendance to achieve full space utilization and maximum impact. Support recruitment efforts accordingly.
- Manage a team of 1-2 full-time social workers and 2 interns;
- Assess staff and interns strengths and provide regular, direct feedback regarding individual performance, areas for growth, and plans for improvement
- Support PD with talent management including hiring, evaluations, retention and promotions, and performance improvement plans
- Lead supervision meetings and department meetings
- Maintain consistent high standards for staff performance and program execution and hold them accountable for excellent programs on a daily basis
- Build positive staff culture and work environment
- Network with other organizations and external services to refer students and families as necessary
- Fulfill other responsibilities assigned by members of the executive management team
Administration
- Oversee social work and team budget in conjunction with the PD
- Collaborate with the Manager of Operations & HR to ensure staff adherence to data management systems in order to generate accurate data and program insights
- Collaborate with the Development and Communications Department to support the creation of organizational collateral, partnership-building, program marketing, and stewardship
- Ensure that the social work department tracks and analyzes participant enrollment data and trends for StreetSquash related to student persistence, success, graduations, etc.
Requirements
- Licensed Master of Social Work (LMSW) required (NYS), LCSW preferred
- 2+ years of management experience
- 3+ years of professional work experience in providing therapy to youth and adolescents; ability to establish and strengthen relationships with participants and partners
- 3+ years of professional work experience with parents/caregivers and family engagement
- Knowledge of NYC Public Schools, transfer schools, and special education desirable
- Sensitivity to different cultures and communities; demonstrated ability to work well with diverse or marginalized populations; can bring in allies across diverse communities
Qualifications & Experience
We are seeking candidates with a deep commitment to healthy youth development who are results-oriented and have strong collaboration skills. You should have:
- Must have a commitment to work from a strength-based, youth and family development perspective
- Drive for success in efforts to achieve organization and departmental goals
- Solid organizational abilities, including planning, program development and task facilitation
- Able to understand program data and the purpose of its usage; use data to identify programmatic trends and develop responsive practices for improving programs
- Clear and compelling in both verbal and written communications, enjoys motivating a team around a common goal
- Ability to establish and strengthen relationships with participants and partners
- Proven ability to make good, proactive decisions in potentially emotionally-charged situations and/or in the absence of complete clarity; comfortable taking risks
- Passion for young people and enjoyment of spending time with them, coaching or tutoring them, and pushing them to set and achieve goals in all aspects of their lives
- Other languages proficiency a plus
- Google Suite, Zoom, and Salesforce experience a plus, or demonstrated experience to learn new systems
- Valid driver's license for travel
Commitment: StreetSquash values long-term, deep, impactful work with students. It takes years to cultivate relationships and staff retention is a critical component of organizational success. This is not a transitional role or a temporary stepping stone. Candidates should be prepared to commit for the long haul, just as we are committed to supporting our staff to develop and grow.
Compensation & Benefits: StreetSquash offers competitive compensation, commensurate with experience. Salary is $70,000 to $80,000. Full benefits include employer-supported health coverage, monthly MetroCard or equivalent transit stipend, monthly cell phone stipend, FSA, paid federal holidays, 20 days of paid vacation plus 5-day holiday break, 40 hours of sick time, 3 personal days (after 3 months of employment), and 401k contributions (after 3 months of employment).
Application Process: Only complete applications will be reviewed and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Final applicants will be requested to consent to a pre-employment background check and employment verification. A background check is required to extend a job offer.
StreetSquash is an equal-opportunity employer with a commitment to diversity. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply. No knowledge of squash is necessary for this position.
Job Tags
Holiday work, Full time, Temporary work, Work experience placement, Work from home, Weekend work, Weekday work,