Program Manager for Upstream Child Welfare Mapping and PATHS Family Treatment Courts

Title: Program Manager for Upstream Child Welfare Mapping and PATHS Family Treatment Courts

Pay Grade: MGT

Starting Pay: $ 80,114.47

Departmental Mission Statement: The Juvenile Court's mission is to protect children from abuse and neglect, to strengthen families, to rehabilitate juveniles, and to protect the public from delinquent and criminal behavior. The Juvenile Court has 42 judges, including Chief Justice Amy L. Nechtem, in more than 40 locations. There are 11 divisions of the Juvenile Court.

JUVENILE COURT ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILE:

Notes: This position is funded through a grant from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) awarded in early 2022 and expected to end in 2025. Continued funding for this position after the grant will be sought but is not guaranteed.

Position Summary: The Program Manager for Upstream Child Welfare Mapping and PATHS Family Treatment Courts will be a Trial Court employee working full-time on the coordination and facilitation of child welfare mapping across the Commonwealth and the establishment of and support for PATHS (Prevention and Treatment for the Health and Stability of children and families) practice and court sessions within the Juvenile Court. Massachusetts Upstream is a capacity building child welfare mapping which convenes community partners in child welfare to identify resources and gaps in resources, determine priorities for action, and implement community-led change. The PATHS Family Treatment Court will implement across Massachusetts Juvenile Courts best practices in family treatment court as well as establish specialized family treatment court sessions as appropriate in conjunction with Juvenile Court judges, staff and Specialty Court Coordinators. Both are part of the Juvenile Court’s Pathways initiative, and the Upstream mappings will be foundational in establishing the PATHS practices and courts by identifying and assessing effective prevention and intervention strategies as well as resources and gaps.

The Program Manager will ensure the programs’ effectiveness and sustainability, managing all aspects of the development, implementation and sustainability. The Program Manager will provide leadership on interagency and interdepartmental teams, moving the work forward with organization, motivation, oversight, and communication among interdisciplinary stakeholders as well as conducting data collection and reporting. The Program Manager will manage all aspects of both programs, including the work of the Child Welfare Coordinator, and will work closely and in conjunction with partners including the Chief Justice of the Juvenile Court, Juvenile Court judges and the Specialty Court Coordinators.

Supervision Received: This Program Manager for Upstream Child Welfare Mapping and PATHS Family Treatment Courts position will operate under the direct supervision of the Chief Justice of the Juvenile Court or their designee. 

Major Duties:

• Responsible for the planning, implementation and management of the Upstream Child Welfare Mapping and PATHS Family Treatment Courts projects;
• Supervises the activities of the Child Welfare Coordinator;
  Works closely with the Chief Justice of the Juvenile Court Department, the
• Upstream-PATHS Project Director, the Specialty Courts Administrator, PATHS Specialty Court Coordinators, the Trial Court Grants Unit, the Court
• Improvement Project, court personnel, and external stakeholders and organizations in the planning, implementation, and coordination of child welfare mapping and family treatment courts;
• Oversees and manages expenditures and the project budget;
• Facilitates and leads interviews, focus groups, summits, and other meetings for Upstream throughout the mapping as well as meetings and conversations required for the development, implementation, and adaptation of Family Treatment Court sessions;
• Ensures communication and coordination with Juvenile Court and Trial Court staff in each Juvenile Court division according to the phase of Upstream Child Welfare Mapping in that division;
• Ensures communication and coordination with Juvenile Court and Trial Court staff in each Juvenile Court division regarding family treatment court best practice implementation and in each division where a PATHS Family
• Treatment Court session has been established;
• Convenes and communicates with Leadership Team;
• Continuously evaluates effectiveness of program activities;
• Oversees data collection and grant reporting;
• Prepares materials and presents information to partners and stakeholders regarding the Upstream and PATHS projects; and
• Performs other related duties as required.

Job Competencies: All applicants must be able, through the interview process, to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the following areas:
Ethics and Values: Communicates and demonstrates the ethics and values of the Trial Court.
Mission: Understands, upholds, and communicates the Juvenile Court and Trial Court missions.
Applied Knowledge: Understands Family Treatment Court principles and has an understanding of the training programs and professional development needs of the staff participating in Family Treatment Court.
Attention to Detail: Demonstrates an ability to manage data compiled from Juvenile and Family Treatment Court operations to identify training needs as appropriate.
Strategic Thinking and Planning: Utilizes the best available information to successfully plan and achieve positive future training goals and objectives of the Upstream and PATHS Court projects.
Commitment to Diversity: Promotes an environment of diversity through understanding, respect, and positive communication with persons of varied racial, ethnic, economic, and cultural backgrounds.
Performance Measurement: Understands the value and importance of performance measures as a basis for both individual and departmental assessments
Collaboration: Works with others cooperatively, demonstrating a willingness to be a team player, and contributing to a work environment that focuses on shared departmental goals.

Minimum Requirements: These are the minimum requirements necessary to apply for the position of Program Manager for Upstream Child Welfare Mapping and PATHS Family Treatment Courts:

• Master’s degree in child welfare, public health, public administration or related field from an accredited college or university, or law degree and (2) two years of experience in the field of child welfare, public health, public administration, or related field;
  Or
• Bachelor’s degree in child welfare, public health, public administration or related field from an accredited college or university and (5) five years of experience in project management the field of child welfare, public health, public administration, or related field; or an equivalent combination of education and experience;
• Experience working with the court or justice-system partners;
• Knowledge of child welfare system and/or court processes;
• Demonstrated expertise in project development, implementation, and evaluation;
• Experience managing budgets;
• Strong facilitation and leadership skills;
• Ability to initiate and carry out projects with a high degree of independence;
• Ability to organize work, prioritize assignments, establish clear work expectations and standards, and communicate effectively orally and in writing;
• Experience successfully managing large projects;
• Ability to organize, direct, and coordinate administrative and programmatic activities and to supervise staff;
• Ability to identify and understand problems and to determine the appropriate measures to take to solve those problems;
• Strong degree of flexibility and ability to manage multiple project components and complex situations;
• Ability to produce professional written memorandum, proposals, and reports;
• Considerable knowledge and experience using personal computers, including word processing software such as MS Word, and the ability to teach and train staff in the use and solve problems;
• Experience with MS Excel and PowerPoint;
• Considerable interpersonal skills, including the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others;
• Ability to serve the public and others with business with the court in a courteous and professional manner;
• Ability to work well under pressure and within limited time frames;
• Ability to travel throughout the Commonwealth;
  And
• Ability to work in a hybrid virtual/in-person work environment.