START Program Director (Closes 8/18/2025)

Summary

The START Program Director is a professional position within the Office of Developmental Supports (ODS), Allegheny County Department of Human Services (DHS). The START Program Director is responsible for the overall supervision of the START Allegheny program. This is a leadership role that requires professional boundaries, establishing a cohesive goal-oriented team working with internal and external stakeholders and systems to further enhance the service systems in Allegheny County. 

Position requires some travel to family/individual homes or other community locations for visits. Flexible hours may be required. Travel within and outside the county is also required.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Seek out and establish community linkages with various service partners.


• Serve as liaison to community network partners


• Ability to develop positive relationships with system partners, provider systems, families and/or caregivers.


• Serves as a positive representative for the START Program with other professionals, families, systems and community.


• Coordinate trainings utilizing expertise of psychologists and psychiatrists, team leaders, and specialists within the community


• Maintain communication with other regional START directors and partner agencies.


• Respond to requests from state agencies for data and program information


• Chair and coordinate the START Advisory Council


• Provide support as needed to clinical team


• Rotating Administrative on-call duties.


• Collaborate with other members of the START leadership team to monitor quality of START service delivery and assure fidelity to the START model


• Participate in and complete the START Coordinator Certification training process


• Enter, monitor and assure data entry for all team members in the START Information Reporting System. Use data to inform programmatic decision-making.


• Monitor START team completion of certifications and required training modules within the necessary timeframe for NCSS and funding partners.


• Explore and facilitate opportunities for on-going in-service and continuing education opportunities for START team.


• Participation in the START National Training Institute (SNTI)


• Active participant in referral reviews for enrollment.


• Lead/participate in daily Triage meetings with the START team and external partners.


• Maintain knowledge of various assessments and practices through attending training and in-service opportunities presented or discovered.

Supervisory Responsibilities

The START Program Director will provide direct supervision for the Clinical Director and indirect supervision for the Clinical Team Lead and Therapeutic Coach Team Leader, in collaboration with the Medical Director.

Additional Responsibilities

From time to time the employee will be required to perform additional tasks and duties as required by the employer.        

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Working knowledge of PERMA+, strength spotting and evidence-based assessment provided by the START team.


• Ability to problem solve personnel barriers and facilitate a positive work environment with human resources and County partners.


• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written.


• Excellent organizational, problem solving and analytical skills.


• Strong knowledge of the ID, Adult and Children’s Mental Health service delivery systems, systems theory and provider delivery systems.


• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients, community agencies, providers, project partners and stakeholders.


• Knowledge of ID/Autism Eligibility criteria.


• Knowledge of various computer systems (i.e. MS Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, Adobe).


• Experience collaborating and partnering with community service systems


• Ability to work independently and part of a cohesive support team.


• Excellent written and verbal communication skills when presenting to senior management, stakeholders and system partners.


• Knowledge of applicable regulations for the systems involved with enrollees.


• Demonstrate creative problem-solving skills that promote maximum effectiveness of both natural and community resources.


• Demonstrated excellence in customer service by resolving issues promptly and maintaining high levels of satisfaction.


• Proven ability to mentor and develop team members, fostering a collaborative and consensus-based environment.


• Demonstrate an ability to facilitate, plan, and organize muti-system activities and handle multiple priorities simultaneously.


• Demonstrate an ability to manage conflict by addressing issues and negotiate a solution-based outcome.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education/Experience Requirements

• 2 years of supervision experience required.


• A minimum of a master’s degree in social work, psychology, counseling, or other human service field with 2 years’ experience working with people with ID/A and behavioral health needs


• Master’s degree in social work or related field, plus 1 year of practical experience.

-OR-

Bachelor’s degree in social work or related field, plus at least 3 years of experience in an MH/ID setting.

-OR-

Any equivalent combination of education and experience that meets the required knowledge, skills and abilities.

• Prior experience as a START Coordinator and/or START clinical team leader preferred. Must be a certified START Coordinator or able to complete the START Coordinator certification process within 6-12 months of hire.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations

Act 33 and 34 clearances.

-AND-

Valid driver’s license and access to a reliable vehicle.

Why DHS?

- It is innovative. Most recently, the national attention and awards we’ve gotten are for how DHS integrates data and uses them to improve the safety and well-being of children through tools that support front-line staff in making decisions (using predictive analytics).

- DHS is diverse, but we strive to be even more inclusive. Our director has made it her top priority that DHS is “the kind of place where a diverse group of talented people want to come, grow, and do their best work.” This includes equity in hiring and advancement, as well as in unleashing the creativity and ideas of staff at every level of DHS.

-  It has strong, assertive leaders. We do not hire yes-people.

 You can make a big impact here. We stand out as one of the best human services organizations in the country. But we need problem-solvers, innovators, and terrific leaders to make sure we are smart in how we use our funding so that we reach the people who most need our help to make their lives better. 

 DHS strives to be the kind of place where a diverse mix of talented people want to come to grow and do their best work.