Job Description
Senior Associate or Director (Full Time) Summary The Child Health and Development Institute (CHDI) is seeking
a Senior Associate (or Director for qualified candidates) to lead CHDI’s Quality Improvement work related to foster care. The Senior Associate will work closely with DCF and providers within the state’s Functional Family Therapy-Foster Care (FFT-FC) program. The Senior Associate will lead the development and implementation of plans to improve the recruitment and retention of foster families as well as reduce placement disruptions. The Senior Associate will manage a team that works together to accomplish project goals and activities. Project activities will include: convening and leading an advisory workgroup to understand the system’s needs, developing and implementing a strategic plan for recruitment, refining protocols and establishing new processes for when placement disruptions occur, supporting providers when a placement disruption occurs, overseeing training and professional development opportunities, and identifying strategies to improve performance and outcomes.
The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in child welfare, be knowledgeable about foster care, and understand Connecticut’s programs and context. Additionally, we seek applicants who have demonstrated experience and success in: working with diverse partners to identify needs and implement solutions, project management, using Quality Improvement methods, and excellent writing and communication skills.
Candidates may be considered for the Director position if they have five or more years of experience in directly related work including a strong record of success in managing large-scale projects, supervising a team, and overseeing budgets and contracting. Required Education and Skills - Master’s or Doctoral Degree in psychology, social work, public health, public administration, child development, or a closely related field, with a preference for those with clinical training/experience
- Knowledge about and professional experience with the child welfare system in Connecticut; experience working in the foster care system is preferred but not required; we also encourage applications from those with lived experience
- Familiarity with other child-serving systems (e.g., behavioral health education, juvenile justice, early childhood)
- Exceptional skills in organization and time management, strategic planning, and project management
- Excellent verbal and written communication, including demonstrated skill in professional writing and presentations
- Demonstrated ability to think creatively and strategically about systems or programs to engage and lead a diverse group of system and family partners
- Experience communicating with funders about project updates, deliverables, and contracts;
- Experience providing supervision and managing contracts and budgets
- Proficiency with MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook) and other software applications (e.g., Alchemer, Zoom, Microsoft Teams)
Responsibilities include: - Lead the project management, budgeting, and contracting related to the initiative
- Supervise and manage a team, including hiring and onboarding of new staff as needed
- Communicate with partners, through work groups/meetings/advisory councils to understand the needs of the system and identify proposed solutions
- Review literature and connect with subject matter experts when needed to understand best practices in the field
- Lead reviews of agency policies, activities, and practices related to recruitment and retention
- Lead development of a strategic plan for the statewide recruitment of foster parents in the FFT-FC program
- Oversee processes and protocols to better manage placement disruptions, and support providers when a placement disruption occurs; o ccasional after hours on-call support may be required to support providers when a placement disruption occurs
- Lead the team in identifying strategies to retain foster parents and prevent placement disruptions and working closely with the provider network to implement them
- Lead development of new training opportunities for the FFT-FC network
- Coordinate as needed with vendors and providers on WRAP funding distribution process to ensure it helps support FFT-FC goals
- Oversight of the administration of WRAP fund payments
- Identifying and prioritizing project activities, which may include convening workgroups, best practice/policy reviews, data reports, and/or surveys when needed
- Maintain close and consistent communication with contract managers and CHDI team about project deliverables, activities, and timelines
- Develop and deliver presentations, in written and verbal formats, to internal and external stakeholders
- Lead and contribute to issue briefs, other publications, ad hoc data analyses, and other products as needed
- Other duties as assigned
Compensation This is a full-time position with a salary range of $87,000-$100,000 for Senior Associate and $100,000-$120,000 for Director. Compensation will be determined based on candidate qualifications and includes a generous benefits package: 403b with employer contribution up to 10%, generous cost sharing of 85% of medical/dental insurance premiums including dependents, life insurance, long-term disability coverage, several ancillary/voluntary benefit plans, 9 paid holidays, up to 22 paid time off days, and paid sick time.
About Us The Child Health and Development Institute (CHDI) is an independent, non-profit organization located in Farmington, CT. CHDI is dedicated to improving the behavioral health and well-being of children in Connecticut and beyond by providing policymakers, providers, educators, and partners with a bridge to better and more equitable systems, practices, and policies. Our core initiative areas include system development and integration, evidence-based and best practice treatment dissemination, comprehensive school mental health, and data analysis & quality improvement. Primary strategic work activities include project coordination and management, data analysis, evaluation, quality improvement, research, consultation, training, technical assistance, and policy/system advocacy.
CHDI’s core values of anti-racism, respect, accountability, collaboration, and equitable action have been intentionally and collaboratively designed to reflect the culture we strive to embody and the ways that we approach our work. We aspire to uphold these values to function as change agents who transform our organization, as well as the systems, practices, and policies that promote and support the behavioral health and well-being of children.
CHDI is an equal opportunity employer. It’s our policy to provide equal opportunity to qualified individuals, at all levels of employment, regardless of race, color, religious creed, age, sex, gender identity or expression, marital or civil union status, national origin, ancestry, present or past history of mental disability, intellectual disability, learning disability, physical disability, including, but not limited to, blindness, military service, veteran status, pregnancy, genetic information, or sexual orientation. This commitment to equal opportunity applies to decisions related to all aspects of employment.
In 2022, 2023, and 2024, CHDI was named to the Hartford Business Journal's list of Best Places to Work. We are currently operating in a flexible, hybrid work environment with the expectation that employees work from our Farmington, CT office one day per week. Therefore, candidates should reside within a commutable distance of Farmington.
Please note: CHDI requires applicants to have current legal authorization to work in the United States and is unable to sponsor applicants for work visas. The successful candidate's employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a pre-employment criminal background check.
How to Apply To apply, please upload these required materials: (1) a Detailed cover letter of interest, and (2) a Resume/Curriculum Vitae.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. The position is contingent upon continued funding.
Job Tags
Holiday work, Full time, Contract work, Work visa, Flexible hours, 1 day per week,