Program Director, Credible Westchester

About the Organization

Center for Community Alternatives (CCA) supports and builds power with people across New York State who have been affected by mass incarceration criminalization and community disinvestment. Through a statewide network of direct services advocacy and organizing and by supporting the leadership of directly-impacted people we advance civil and human rights for all New Yorkers. CCA works to build a world where everyone has what they need to thrive.

Why Join the Team

At CCA we are committed to fair transparent pay and we strive to provide competitive market-informed compensation. The successful candidates salary is determined by the combination of knowledge skills competencies experience and geography. Our goal is to continue to make CCA one of the most desirable nonprofit places at which to work and in part recognize the importance of work-life balance.

CCA is launching Credible Westchester (CW) a new countywide initiative designed to serve Westchesters most vulnerable and atrisk residents. CW will function as a communityrooted hub for individuals navigating homelessness behavioralhealth challenges substance dependence and chronic involvement in the criminal legal and social service systems. The program is entirely supervised and staffed by individuals with lived experience.

The Director of Credible Westchester (CW) provides restorative traumainformed and communityrooted leadership to a new countywide initiative serving Westchesters most vulnerable and atrisk residents. The Director supervises a team of credible messengersstaff with lived experience in the criminal legal systemwho support individuals navigating homelessness behavioralhealth challenges substance dependence and chronic system involvement. The Director collaborates with the Project Trainer in organizing structuring and implementing the training for the project. The Director also collaborates with the PQI Department in the design and implementation of the evaluation for the addition to supervisory and systemlevel responsibilities the Director maintains a very small intentionally paced caseload of one to two lowneeds participants. This limited caseload ensures the Director remains grounded in the lived realities of CWs target population models restorative engagement for staff and maintains credibility with partners and community members.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

Restorative Supervision & Staff Development (40%)

• Provide supervision grounded in relational accountability deep listening and nonpunitive problemsolving.
• Support credible messengers in managing the emotional labor of working with individuals who cycle through homelessness crisis and repeated lowlevel arrests.
• Facilitate restorative supervision circles reflective practice sessions and healingcentered debriefs.
• Build staff capacity in traumainformed care crisis navigation and culturally competent behavioralhealth support.
• Ensure supervision practices honor lived experience as expertise consistent with CWs commitment that the program is entirely supervised and staffed by individuals with lived experience.
• Develop staff schedules ensure adequate coverage and provide ongoing coaching training and performance feedback.

Program Stewardship & Fidelity to Mission (20%)

• Ensure CW remains aligned with its stated goals:
  • to establish a needed hub for county agencies and nonprofits to refer their most vulnerable and atrisk populations
  • to increase the efficacy of service delivery by increasing client engagement and investment
  • to utilize credible messengers to gain trust and improve access to and success with social services.
• Oversee daytoday operations ensuring services are traumainformed culturally competent and communityrooted.
• Maintain fidelity to CWs design as a connectornot a duplicatorof existing county services.
• Identify emerging needs and adapt program strategies accordingly.

CrossSector Partnership & Systems Collaboration (20%)

• Lead the crosssector planning committee (with at least 50% livedexperience representation) and maintain it throughout the threeyear pilot.
• Build and sustain partnerships with DSS DCMH DOCS OMH Legal Aid 914 United CCA YSOW and other communitybased organizations.
• Develop coordinated referral pathways shared assessment tools and datasharing protocols.
• Ensure CW fulfills its role as a countywide resource hub addressing the documented challenge that highneed individuals struggle to navigate and effectively engage with these services.
• Create pathways for interagency collaboration and actively disrupt the countys tendency toward siloed service delivery by fostering shared accountability transparent communication and coordinated problemsolving across systems.
• Represent CW at county meetings interagency work groups and community events.

Directors Caseload (12 LowNeeds Participants) (5%)

• Carry a slow intentional caseload of one to two lowneeds participants to remain grounded in the lived realities of CWs target population.
• Engage participants using restorative traumainformed and dignitycentered approaches that mirror the model expected of credible messengers.
• Use this caseload to identify emerging needs gaps in service coordination and opportunities for system improvement.
• Maintain a caseload size that protects the Directors bandwidth while ensuring leadership remains relational credible and connected to community experience.

Administrative Leadership & Grants Management (15%)

• Monitor program deliverables and ensure CW meets or exceeds DCJS performance indicators.
• Prepare weekly monthly and quarterly reports for DCJS county partners and internal leadership.
• Collaborate with the Budget Analyst to develop and manage the program budget; oversee expenditures and purchasing.
• Manage subcontractor agreements MOUs and compliance documentation.
• Review staff reports and implement continuous quality improvement protocols that reflect restorative traumainformed principles.
• Ensure evaluation processes capture both quantitative outcomes and qualitative narrativebased insights.
• Maintain data integrity and ensure timely completion of all reporting obligations.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Lived experience in the criminal legal system strongly preferred.
• Bachelors degree in social work human services public health community organizing or related field required; MSW or equivalent experience preferred.
• At least 2 years supervisory experience required.
• At least 5 years experience working with justiceimpacted individuals behavioralhealth systems homelessness or communitybased reentry services.
• Demonstrated experience implementing traumainformed healingcentered or restorative justice practices.
• Strong interpersonal communication and teambuilding skills.
• Excellent organizational administrative and partnershipbuilding abilities.
• Ability to navigate complex systems and maintain collaborative relationships with county agencies and community partners.
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) a plus.

ALL APPLICANTS MUST SUBMIT COVER LETTER WITH RESUME.

• 12 paid holidays per year
• 20 days of earned time off (ETO) for full-time staff with the ability to use it after 90-days of employment.
• Time off is earned starting on your first day.
• 7 days of paid sick time
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program

CCA Website: HERE