Senior Program Manager – Coordinated Entry

With a workforce of over 30,000 people, and opportunities in more than 1,000 different job categories, the City of Philadelphia is the sixth largest city in the United States and one of the largest employers in Southeastern Pennsylvania. As an employer, the City of Philadelphia operates through the guiding principles of service, integrity, respect, accountability, collaboration, diversity and inclusion. Through these principles, we strive to effectively deliver services, to resolve the challenges facing our city, and to make Philadelphia a place where all of our residents have the opportunity to reach their potential. 

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Benefits - We care about your well being.

Agency Description

The mission of the Office of Homeless Services is to make homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring. OHS works collaboratively with a broad-based network of public and private providers focused on utilizing practices that are informed by data, honor the different perspectives of all stakeholders, and are trauma-informed. OHS works to maximize resources while monitoring emerging trends, tracking progress, and shifting priorities as needed. 

OHS is the Collaborative Applicant for the Philadelphia Continuum of Care, and is located within the Health and Human Services Cabinet, which includes the Departments of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS), Human Services (DHS), Mayor’s Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity, and Public Health (DPH).

OHS seeks a Program Manager who will be responsible for coordinating the HUD-mandated Coordinated Entry System, known locally as “CEA-BHRS” (Coordinated Entry & Assessment-Based Housing Referral System). CEA-BHRS is the process by which people who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness get connected to services and housing.

Under the direction of the Deputy Director of Housing Services, the Program Manager will work with staff and community stakeholders to understand the Coordinated Entry requirements as well as the strengths and gaps of the system, and will coordinate implementation of the expansion and continuous improvement of CEA-BHRS. 

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

The Program Manager develops and coordinates the implementation of the components of the CEA-BHRS system in accordance with HUD requirements and best practices, including:

• Access – Ensure that all Philadelphians, with a close focus on underserved populations and individuals who are unsheltered, have equitable access to housing services and assistance.
• Assessment – Ensure that assessment tools and processes effectively capture vulnerability and lead to the equitable distribution of resources.
• Prioritization – Ensure OHS processes lead to distribution of resources according to the prioritization set by the Continuum of Care board.
• Referral – Ensure the housing and services matching and referral processes are streamlined and oriented to rapidly house participants.

The Program Manager’s primary tools for accomplishing the above are information and data from Philadelphia’s Homeless Management Information System as well as from staff, providers, external stakeholders, and participants.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Responsibilities:

1) Remain current with HUD changes and guidance, best practices, etc., related to all aspects of Coordinated Entry Systems.

2) Implement CEA-BHRS related grants, APRs and budgets:

• Track metrics
• generate grant reports
• manage CEA-BHRS Administration and Operations budget

3) Develop and utilize project plans to ensure Homeless Services is implementing CEA-BHRS in compliance with HUD requirements and local policies.

4) Serve as the lead on collaborative efforts to create, maintain, and improve systems, policies, operational protocols, and associated tools for the integration of CEA-BHRS into the daily operations of Homeless Services, in accordance with HUD requirements and local policies, including:

• Expanding access points to ensure access is easily available to all and is obtained in a dignified and respectful manner: safe, welcoming, accessible.
• Implementing By-Name List processes, conducted with collaborating agencies, for individuals and families.
• Documenting written standards for CEA-BHRS assistance and processes, to ensure their compliance with HUD requirements.
• Uncovering and addressing programmatic performance and challenges related to the coordinated entry system.
• Developing, implementing, and monitoring of Homeless Services policies and procedures, workflows, and CEA-BHRS data collection efforts.

5) Serve as lead for responding to CEA-BHRS inquiries, phone calls, and correspondence, internal and external, including implementation status.

6) Assist with CEA-BHRS data analysis and reporting so that all participating programs see how they are performing.

7) Participate in development of all CEA-BHRS-related trainings including (but not limited to) Coordinated Entry 101, HMIS, VI-SPDAT; and provide support to address CEA-BHRS related training needs.

8) Participate in regular meetings of OHS leadership staff.

9) Other duties as needed.

COMPETENCIES

•  Experience with federal funding requirements and programs.
• Experience with program evaluation.
• Experience working with Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) data.
• Proven ability and experience with data review, data analysis, and data quality oversight.
• Demonstrated excellent project coordination and management ability:

1. Start to finish – development to successful completion
2. Ensure consistency with other work
3. Meet deadlines without supervision
4. Coordinate co-worker contributions to projects
5. Leader within a group/committee structure, including outside stakeholders and providers
6. Synthesize input from various stakeholders

• Strong planning, analytical, negotiation, and problem-solving skills to resolve complex and diverse issues.
• Experience in interpreting public policy and disseminating information to relevant groups in a clear, concise, and comprehensible manner.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills to effectively communicate ideas and information to a variety of audiences (internal staff, media, community leaders, elected officials, and other senior level external staff), including creation and delivery of presentations and written reports.
• Excellent organizational skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Able to work (and thrive) under pressure.
• Background in low-income housing/poverty/homelessness.

Experience with federal funding requirements and programs. Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.  Masters’ degree preferred in a related field and at least four (4) years work experience; or any combination of equivalent education and experience deemed adequate.

SALARY: $72,000 / year

Did you know?

●        We are a Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program qualified employer

●        25% tuition discount program for City employees (and sometimes spouses and dependents as well) in partnership with area colleges and universities

●        We offer Comprehensive health coverage for employees and their eligible dependents

●        Our wellness program offers eligibility into the discounted medical plan

●        Employees receive paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays

●        Generous retirement savings options are available

Successful candidate must be a city of Philadelphia resident within six months of hire

The City of Philadelphia is an Equal Opportunity employer and does not permit discrimination based on race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, source of income, familial status, genetic information or domestic or sexual violence victim status. If you believe you were discriminated against, call the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations at 215-686-4670 or send an email to faqpchr @phila.gov. For more information, go to: Human Relations Website: http://www.phila.gov/humanrelations/Pages/default.aspx