Track: Young People’s Lodge – Program Director

Hull Services has an organizational commitment to pursuing truth and reconciliation, anti-colonialization and anti-oppression.

About Us:

Hull Services has long had a reputation for providing leading edge child, youth, and family mental health services. We work with children, youth and families who have experienced mental health struggles, behavioural problems, developmental delay, neglect, abuse and trauma. Hull offers them an opportunity to seek well-being and happiness, with a focus on mental health. Hull’s vision is for resilient young people and families to thrive within communities that support their mental health and well-being. Hull’s programs and services include prevention and early intervention, family-based treatment, school-based services, community group care, campus-based care, adult services and education and training. Located in Calgary, we have been serving Alberta’s young people and families for 60 years, and support over 8,000 young people and families each year.

For more information about Hull Services, please visit our website: www.hullservices.ca

The Program:

The Track: Young People’s Lodge program provides services to help treat adolescents with serious emotional and/or behavioural difficulties who are not yet able to be effectively served in the community. An emphasis is placed on parental involvement, community participation, and the development of relevant community-living skills. The treatment modality is DBT (Dialectical Behaviour Therapy) which focuses on teaching skills in four areas: mindfulness, emotional regulation, distress tolerance and interpersonal effectiveness.

The Position:

We are looking for a Regular full time Program Director.

The Program Director is responsible for the total operation of a program(s) and for maintaining effective service delivery linkages across all other programs at the Agency. In consultation with the Executive Management Team, the Program Director establishes program goals and addresses all aspects of the clinical, administrative and managerial systems. The Program Director serves as a member of the Senior Management Team and plays a significant “ambassador” role by advocating and actively contributing to the implementation of Agency wide goals. Through participation in regional and provincial service delivery forums, the Program Director also advocates for the Agency and all its programs.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Treatment:

• Ensure pre-placement and admission procedures follow Agency Standards for implementation and documentation.
• Ensure team members conduct appropriate case assessments and that service plans and treatment goals are established and documented in a timely fashion.
• Ensure treatment practices remain culturally relevant, humane, and ethical and represent the use of well researched and sound treatment technologies, clinical practices and judgment.
• Ensure treatment plans, goals and clinical directives are appropriately communicated, monitored, implemented and evaluated.
• Create and maintain service delivery integration, including functional transition of persons served between programs and coordination of clinical services across treatment settings.
• Utilize qualified and relevant individuals as consultants in cases where additional expertise is required to construct, implement or evaluate treatment plans.
• Provide direct clinical services to persons served, where indicated, using therapeutic interventions within one’s level of recognized competence.
• Ensure all stakeholders (e.g., parents, social workers, and educators) remain informed and appropriately involved in the treatment planning process.
• Monitor all significant clinical decision-making meetings including: intake conferences, transfer conferences, PSO meetings, progress review meetings and discharge conferences.

Staff Supervision and Development:

• In support of Supervisors and Coordinators, ensure staff are appropriately selected, trained and supervised.
• Provide active, clear and meaningful clinical consultation through monitoring individual, group and team supervision strategies.
• Ensure staff are evaluated in accordance with Agency standards, including evaluation of cross-cultural competency, that all documents are completed in a timely and professional manner and, throughout this process, that staff are treated in a fair, ethical and respectful manner.
• Ensure staff have meaningful input into their professional growth plans and performance evaluations.
• Monitor and follow-up on supervision activities or employee goals required by or established in performance appraisals.
• In collaboration with program staff and members of the Senior Management team, establish, monitor and evaluate program goals that foster health in the work environment.
• Maintain a direct liaison with supervisory or educational staff, ensuring that staff receive culturally relevant training and professional development activities, and that supports are in place to foster the integration of these skills in the program.

Administration:

• Review all professional correspondence and clinical documents, prior to external distribution, to maintain high professional standards and ensure that the person served, program and Agency’s needs are effectively communicated.
• Ensure the program operates in an effective manner and maintains eligibility for accreditation/certification.
• Ensure the effective utilization of program staffing resources.
• Ensure the program operates within established financial parameters including budget planning and expenditure control.
• Develop and monitor administrative practices, policies and procedures required to guide the workings of the unit.
• Ensure staff are aware of Agency mission, philosophy, goals, policies, procedures and ethical treatment practices.

Agency:

• Ensure Agency-wide evaluation and tracking systems are properly implemented, documented and reported back to the original source.
• Audit all available feedback tools and data sources related to program effectiveness, Agency goals and culture.
• Model and provide effective collegial team work throughout all Senior Management responsibilities and activities.
• Remain available for cross-program consultation and collaboration.

• Provide leadership on Agency-wide committees and actively participate in external, collaborative projects and planning forums.
• Contribute to Agency initiatives and partnerships involving program development.

Skills and Qualifications:

• A Master or Ph.D. degree in Psychology or Clinical Social Work from a recognized University Program with several years of clinical and managerial experience.
• High professional and ethical standards, working in accordance with ethical codes adopted by their profession and endorsed by the Agency.
• A thorough understanding of the Agency’s mission, philosophy, goals and management systems.
• Extensive experience working in clinical programs or community settings with youths, young adults and families.
• Experience in managing clinical programs and demonstrated leadership, organizational and problem solving abilities; cross-cultural competence.
• Sound clinical judgment and decision making skills.
• Excellent interpersonal qualities including maturity, flexibility, effective communication and relationship building skills.
• Self-motivated, positive and ability to take initiative.
• Ability to engage, motivate and develop others.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain professional working relations with all Agency programs and departments, as well as community partners and stakeholders.
• Working knowledge of the HOMES System.
• Willingness to be on call and available for program consultation.

How to Apply:

• If interested, please inform your supervisor and direct your cover letter, updated resume to careers@hullservices.ca
• Please indicate “Your Full Name – Program Director Track” in the subject line of your email.

The deadline for application is Thursday June 1, 2023.

At Hull, one of our core values is Inclusion and we seek to understand people’s lived experience, holding a deep respect for their unique backgrounds, ethnicities, abilities, cultures and identities. It is our desire to humbly build trust and mutual respect with the people we serve who have often been marginalized and oppressed for their differences. To achieve this, Hull seeks open, self-aware individuals who reflect the diversity of those we serve and can help us build a safe, healthy, inclusive culture. We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ancestry, place of origin, religious beliefs, gender, gender identity, gender expression, physical disability, mental disability, marital status, family status, or sexual orientation.