Children & Youth Program Coordinator - 04272023-45378

Job Information

LOCATION OF (1) POSITION(S) TO BE FILLED: COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND YOUTH, REGIONAL COUNCILS DIVISION, SHELBY COUNTY

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree and experience equivalent to three years of professional experience in one or more of the following areas (1) social work, mental health, juvenile justice, marketing/community relations or educational program work (including managing, consulting or administering the services;) or (2) Grants administration; or resource cultivation/development, public health community education or government affairs; or (3) post-secondary instruction of sociology, social work, early childhood education, related social sciences or criminal justice.

Substitution of Education for Experience: Additional graduate coursework in one or a combination of the following professional areas may substitute for the required experience on a year-for-year basis to a maximum of two years: (1) law, criminology, or sociology; (2) public policy and program development; or (3) psychology, public health, community education, social work, or other fields which involve child and family studies.

Other Requirements

Necessary Special Qualifications:

• Applicants for this class must be willing to travel locally, regionally and statewide to meet specific job requirements.

Examination Method: Education and Experience,100%, for Preferred Service positions.

Job Overview

Summary: Under general supervision, is responsible for community development and organizing; event organization, planning and implementation; government affairs; professional field monitoring, grants management and administration; and coordination, research and planning of children's programs or juvenile justice programs of considerable difficulty and performs related work as required.

Distinguishing Features: An employee in this class is responsible for advocacy for children and families, including the evaluation of policy issues affecting children and youth in Tennessee. An employee in this class may be assigned responsibilities in grants administration, juvenile justice, community organizing, or government affairs. Employees will be required to travel locally, regionally and statewide to meet their specific job requirements. This class differs from Children's Program Director in that the incumbent of the latter is responsible for supervisory work.

Work Activities

Developing and Building Teams:

• Recruits members, staffs and maintains a Regional Council on Children and Youth, comprised of child advocates to provide for the mutual exchange of information and networking among service providers, advocates and elected officials.
• Makes recommendations on the needs of and problems of children and youth.
• Coordinates regional and local efforts between public and private service providers to enhance services for children and youth.
• Educates, or creates learning opportunities to educate, council members, officials, and others involved in services for children and youth, and the general public concerning the needs and problems of children and youth in the region and the state.
• Collects, compiles and distributes data.
• Advocates for legislation, policies and programs at the local, regional, and state level to promote and protect the health, well-being and development of children and youth.

Developing Objectives and Strategies:

• Gathers recommendations of juvenile justice programming needs from Commission Members and other officials.
• Evaluates the quality, need, and priority of grant applications.
• Provides on-site monitoring to recipients of grants to ensure funds are being spent in stipulated ways and to ensure the appropriate detention of juveniles.
• Ensures funds for programs are spent in a fiscally responsible and effective way.
• Notifies prospective grantees of grant funds available with the Commission.
• Coordinates and monitors the distribution of state and federal grants for children and families.
• Organizes and implements grant-writing workshops and provide technical assistance for prospective grantees.
• Writes complex monitoring reports stating whether mandates are being met by grantees and/or the state.

Training and Teaching Others:

• Provides training to agency grantees, juvenile court judges and juvenile court staff across Tennessee to keep them informed of current changes in law.
• Trains grant recipients on new programs, policies, grant requirements, and other children's issues.
• Educates, or creates learning opportunities to educate, council members, officials, and others involved in services for children and youth, and the general public concerning the needs and problems of children and youth in the region and the state.

Provide Consultation and Advice to Others:

• Engages in capacity building activities by providing consultative services to public and private providers, child and family advocates, elected officials and/or the general public. These may include, but are not limited to, technical assistance, community building, information and access, case management support and crisis assistance.
• Meets with agency grantees, juvenile court judges and juvenile court staff from across Tennessee to keep them informed of current changes in law.

Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards:

• Monitors juvenile and adult detention facilities in compliance with the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention guidelines and submit required reports to ensure compliance.
• Monitors grantees to ensure compliance with the Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration's Policy 22 requirements.

Communicating with Persons Outside the Organization:

• Participates as a speaker or facilitator of special events.
• Communicates with local print and broadcast media about issues affecting children, youth and families.
• Publicizes and shares the Commission's viewpoint on legislation and issues affecting children, youth and families.

Analyzing Data or Information:

• Interprets data relevant to children, youth and families and be able to summarize data for members of the media, elected officials and/or child advocates.
• Collects, compiles and distributes data.
• Writes complex reports stating whether mandates are being met by agency grantees and/or the state, which will ensure Federal Juvenile Justice funding continues.

Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships:

• Supports, encourages and helps strengthen child and family focused networks and organizations by identifying, engaging and participating in activities that cultivate linkages, which will improve the status of children, youth and families.
• Serves on advisory boards, task forces or other groups, which will or have the potential to improve outcomes for children, youth and families.

Competencies (KSA'S)

Competencies:

• Organizational Agility
• Political Savvy
• Command Skills
• Intellectual Horsepower
• Written Communications
• Compassion
• Planning
• Dealing with Ambiguity
• Organizing
• Delegation
• Perspective
• Informing
• Presentation Skills
• Decision Quality
• Creativity
• Strategic Agility
• Time Management

Knowledge:

• Clerical
• Administration and Management
• Psychology
• Communications and Media
• Law and Government
• Sociology and Anthropology
• Therapy and Counseling
• Customer and Personal Service
• Public Safety and Security

Skills:

• Systems Analysis
• Monitoring
• Speaking
• Learning Strategies
• Writing
• Coordination
• Critical Thinking
• Complex Problem Solving
• Social Perceptiveness
• Persuasion
• Time Management
• Judgment and Decision Making
• Reading Comprehension

Abilities:

• Fluency of Ideas
• Written Expression
• Oral Comprehension
• Speech Clarity
• Speech Recognition
• Time Sharing
• Originality
• Oral Expression
• Written Comprehension

Tools and Equipment Used

• Telephone/Cellular Devices
• Fax Machine
• Printer/Copier/Scanner
• Personal Computer Including Skill with Microsoft Office Suite