Division: Health, Housing and Homeless Solutions

Reports To: Program Director

Location: Dean St and Fannie Barnes Family Shelters

Status/Hours: Full-time, Monday – Friday (flexibility required for on-call and critical incidents)

Salary Range: $90,000-$90,000

Program Description

Brooklyn Community Services (BCS) operates family shelters providing safe, supportive, and dignified transitional housing for families with children experiencing homelessness. Our shelter programs are guided by a trauma-informed, strengths-based philosophy and offer a comprehensive continuum of services—including case management, housing placement, recreation, and supportive programming—to help families achieve stability and permanent housing as quickly as possible. All shelter staff are expected to uphold BCS's commitment to equity, cultural humility, and client-centered care.

Position Overview

The Director of Social Services provides clinical and operational leadership for all social services functions of the family shelter, including case management, housing services, mental health services, and family support programming. As the shelter's designated mental health professional under NYC Local Law 35 (2023), the Director holds LCSW licensure and provides direct clinical mental health services to families, maintains required confidentiality standards, and provides clinical supervision to the Social Worker. The Director ensures the delivery of high-quality, trauma-informed services, maintains regulatory compliance, and supports the professional development of social services staff.

Key Responsibilities

Clinical Leadership and Mental Health Services (Local Law 35)

• Serve as the shelter's designated mental health professional under NYC Local Law 35 (2023), providing on-site clinical mental health services to families at the required staffing ratio.

• Provide psychosocial assessments, psychotherapy, crisis intervention, and referrals to emergency psychiatric or medical care as defined under LL35.

• Inform residents at intake and on an ongoing basis that mental health services are voluntary and that certain disclosures may trigger mandatory reporting obligations under Social Services Law Title 6 and Mental Hygiene Law §9.46.

• Maintain strict confidentiality of all mental health service information; ensure that no information shared in the course of mental health services is disclosed to shelter staff, DHS, or contractors without the resident's express written consent, except as required by law.

• Provide LCSW-level clinical supervision to the Social Worker, in accordance with NYS Education Law Article 154, authorizing the Social Worker to provide clinical services under supervision.

• Contribute to the annual LL35 report, including data on families receiving mental health services, types of services provided, and average caseload.

Program Leadership and Quality Assurance

• Provide overall direction, quality assurance, and clinical oversight for the shelter's social services department.

• Implement and sustain a trauma-informed, strengths-based model of care across all service delivery.

• Monitor case management practice standards, including timeliness of assessments, service plans, contacts, and housing progress.

• Lead case conferences, critical incident reviews, and clinical consultations.

• Ensure effective linkages to mental health, substance use, domestic violence, and other specialized services.

Staff Supervision and Development

• Directly supervise the Social Worker, Case Manager Supervisor(s), Housing Specialists, and the Recreation Coordinators.

• Provide individual and group supervision, case consultation, and ongoing training to social services staff.

• Conduct performance evaluations and support professional development goals.

• Recruit, onboard, and retain qualified social services staff.

Compliance and Reporting

• Ensure compliance with DHS, HRA, LL35, and applicable regulatory standards for social services delivery.

• Oversee documentation quality in CARES and BCS systems; conduct regular record reviews.

• Prepare programmatic reports, including case management metrics, housing placement data, mental health service data, and outcome indicators.

• Liaise with DHS case managers, PATH staff, and other regulatory contacts.

• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Education: Master's degree in Social Work (MSW) required.

• Licensure: Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) required. LCSW is mandated for this position under NYC Local Law 35 (2023), which requires a licensed mental health professional — defined to include LCSW — at a ratio of at least 1 per 50 families with children. The LCSW license is also required to provide clinical supervision to LMSW-level staff.

• Experience: Minimum of four years of post-MSW clinical social work experience, including at least two years in a supervisory role; shelter or housing services experience required.

• Knowledge: In-depth knowledge of NYC DHS shelter regulations, CARES, trauma-informed practice, housing subsidy programs, and NYC Local Law 35 (2023) requirements including confidentiality standards and reporting obligations.

• Skills: Strong clinical, supervisory, communication, and organizational skills. Demonstrated ability to manage high-need populations and complex case situations.

• Other: Bilingual ability (Spanish or another language spoken in the community served) strongly preferred. Candidates will be subject to a criminal background check in accordance with applicable law, including NYC Fair Chance Act requirements.

BCS is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.