Regional Director, Social Services

About KIND:

Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) is a global leader in the protection of unaccompanied refugee and migrant children. Launched in 2008, KIND champions a world in which every child’s rights and well-being are protected throughout their journey to safety. Since 2008, KIND has accepted over 29,000 referrals of children seeking legal representation in their immigration proceedings. KIND has worked with over 9000 pro bono volunteers from over 740 law firms, corporate legal departments, law schools, and bar associations across the country.

KIND’s social services program ensures that migrant and refugee children – who have often endured trauma – receive counseling, educational support, medical care, and other comprehensive services.

To address the root causes of child migration from Central America and strengthen protection of unaccompanied children, KIND advocates for policy changes and educates lawmakers, the media, and the broader public on the conditions that drive these children to flee their home countries. KIND supports children returning to their home countries by connecting them to essential support services and sponsors gender-based violence prevention programs in Central America to protect children in countries of origin and transit.

KIND is also building upon its expertise in the protection of unaccompanied children to encourage the development of pro bono initiatives across Europe in partnership with European NGO

Position Summary:

KIND seeks a full-time Regional Director, Social Services (Southeast) to join the Social Services program in the provision of Trauma Informed and Culturally Responsive services to migrant and refugee children. The Regional Director of Social Services works under the supervision of the Senior Director of Social Services and in collaboration with the Legal Services team in an interdisciplinary model providing direct oversight to the Southeast Field offices and programs working with detained youth. This position will have both internal and external facing responsibilities ranging from direct supervision of Social Service Coordinators, data tracking and evaluation, program policies and guideline development, consultation, and training as well as strategic program planning. S/he also liaises with external partners including donors, funders, and the ORR facilities and disseminate best practices and social service needs of clients. This role reports into the Senior Director, Social Services.

This position will be based in one of the following KIND cities: Atlanta, Orlando, Baltimore, Northern Virginia, Washington, DC.

Essential Functions:

Social Services Team Management

• Participates in drafting Social Services team components, including metrics, logic models, and narratives, for grant applications and reports.
  Supports fundraising and development efforts, as well as grant reporting for the Social Services team.
• Supervises, analyzes, and systematizes Social Services team’s data entry and metrics tracking in Legal Server.
• Implements and updates ethical policies, procedures, and guidelines to be implemented across all field offices and compiled in an updated Social Services Handbook.
• Creates and updates guidelines for the Social Services team in an interdisciplinary model pertaining to attorney-client and work-product privilege, federal and state confidentiality, and mandatory reporting laws.
• Implements guidelines on working with unaccompanied children working with pro bono volunteer attorneys that KIND provides mentoring for.
• Creating guidelines and leads Social Services team on self-care, wellness, prevention of vicarious trauma and burn out, as well as appropriate professionalism in client relations.
• Other duties and projects as assigned or required by the flows of the work.

Supervision of Case Work

• Monitors and evaluates case activities, including client referrals, intakes, case strategy, and case closure through case rounds and regular check-ins.
• Consults and works with KIND attorneys and legal staff to integrate holistic, trauma-informed, and client-centered services that consider both legal strategy and service needs.
• Evaluates and provides expert consultation to the Social Services team and KIND attorneys on services referral, needs assessments, advocacy strategy, safety planning, and crisis management.

Technical Assistance, Training, and Outreach

• Provides technical assistance and expertise to KIND staff and community partners.
• Obtains external expertise and training for the Social Services team for relevant case situations, as needed.
• Prepares practice advisories and gather materials regarding best practices on various topics.
• Works with community partners to coordinate services and collaborate in efforts.
• Assists with training and presentations.
• Represents KIND at local coalitions, courts, and agencies.

Qualifications and Requirements:

• Graduate degree in social work, social welfare, or mental health, MSW preferred.
• Fluency in English and Spanish (oral and written) required.
• At least five to seven (5-7) years of working in social work, counseling, coordinating services, or related field.
• Experience supervising multiple staff in a social services environment for at least three (3) years.
• Experience working with immigrant and refugee children and youth, and low-income, diverse communities.
• Experience with program metrics and evaluation.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with people of diverse races, ethnicities, ages, sexual orientation and genders in a multicultural setting; experience working with ORR, CBP and Detained Populations.
• Ability to work collaboratively across disciplines, and preferably, prior experience working with attorneys, law firms, or other legal service providers; direct experience with crisis intervention, crisis counseling, and safety planning for clients; through a trauma-informed lens.
• Experience working with survivors of abuse, human trafficking, domestic violence, sexual assault or other traumatic experiences; experience advocating on behalf of limited English proficient clients.
• Ability to travel periodically to field offices sites and their satellite locations, as necessary.
• Detail and solution-oriented and be able to effectively multi-task in a high-volume, fast-paced environment.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Teams and PowerPoint) or contemporary suite of skills, and data tracking tools.
• Ability to work within an office environment, have regular interaction (via telephone, teleconference, IM and email with KIND’s team) as well as in-person meetings with clients.

Salary Range: $76,320 – $95,400 depending on experience

KIND requires all staff be COVID vaccinated with the exception of those who have medical or religious beliefs exemptions.

Application Instructions:

Please be advised that an employment application will need to be submitted along with your resume and cover letter, in order to be considered for the desired role. (Acceptable to request writing sample for certain roles). Please submit an application on our website here.

KIND has an organization-wide commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We strive to create a work environment where everyone has a sense of belonging. Individuals from historically underrepresented or underserved communities are strongly encouraged to apply.

KIND requires all staff be COVID vaccinated with the exception of those who have medical or religious beliefs exemptions.

Disclaimer: KIND is committed to an ethical recruitment and hiring process and maintains a firm “no fees” recruitment policy. We will never charge a fee or ask for money as part of the application process. KIND also conducts all interviews via telephone or video conference, and at no time will KIND engage in a text or mobile app-based application or interview process. For more information, please visit the following website: https://supportkind.org/join-the-team/kind-employment-practices/.