Location: Dept. of Community Care, Northampton, MA 01060
Department: Dept. of Community Care
Job Status: Full-Time
Shift:8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Days: Mon., Tue., Wed., Thu., Fri.
Rate of Pay:$84,385 - $95,488
Details: Cover letter upload required Apply Now
DEFINITION
DEFINITION: The Department of Community Care Implementation Director (DCCID) is a temporary position responsible for the creation and implementation of a Department of Community Care. The goal of this new city agency is to respond to calls related to behavioral health, substance use, social service-related requests, and other crisis situations of Northampton residents and visitors.
The closing date for applications is September 1, 2021.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
•Actively lead, participate, collaborate, and serve as the primary point of contact with other city departments and local agencies that serve the Northampton community to create the Department of Community Care
•Use the Northampton Policing Review Commission’s 2021 report entitled, “Reimagining Safety” as a source of information on the multiple areas of need and response that might be incorporated into the duties and responsibilities of the Department
•Work with the mayor to create and appoint an advisory committee to be comprised of community experts and stakeholders - including people with lived experience - to provide input and advice to the Implementation Director going forward
•Create and implement a community engagement plan for the department with a focus on partnerships and stakeholder involvement
•Communicate with city leadership to keep the project aligned with city goals
•Establish and implement quality standards for the development of the new department in order to maintain agreed-upon standards
•Adjust schedules and targets on the project as needs or financing for the project change
•Develop a scope of services, plan of implementation, policies and procedures to effectively create a department staffing structure that ensures the City is in compliance with all state laws and regulations and other areas required by law
•Write and secure grants which may aid in the establishment of department functions and goals
•Recruit and hire consultants, if needed, for a community needs assessment, data analysis, or other necessary studies or short term project needs
•Collaborate with public, mental and behavioral health partners including participating in at least 2 public health trainings, one of which must be racial equity training
•Incorporate Racial Equity and Program Principles promulgated by the MA Dept. of Public Health to mitigate the harm caused by structural racism and other systemic inequities
•Reach out to state and local mental health, public health, and public safety officials to effectively plan the transfer of responsibilities to the Department and to effectively incorporate the Department into routine emergency and crisis response intervention procedures
•Develop job descriptions, recruit qualified employees with a major emphasis on people with lived experience, and provide training to staff the new department
•Attend a wide variety of local, regional and state meetings to assess needs, collaborate with others and keep current with significant new ideas, funding sources and initiatives related to police reform, mental health collaboration, racial equity and community engagement.
•Develop a method or metrics for evaluating the effectiveness of the department, including indicators and outcomes, and oversee the tracking and analysis of data
•Create long- and short-term plans, including setting targets for milestones and adhering to deadlines toward the creation of the new department
•Delegate tasks on the project to employees best positioned to complete them
•Make effective decisions when presented with multiple options for how to progress with the project
•Perform similar or related work as required
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Education and Experience - Bachelor’s degree in public health, public administration, intercultural management or related field, and from five to seven years of relevant experience, including consultancy or supervisory experience, or any equivalent combination of relevant education and experience. Master’s degree preferred.
Massachusetts Class D driver’s license required.
Knowledge, Abilities, Skills - •Knowledge of the principles and practices of public health or mental health administration, including but not limited to racial equity in deliverables
•Knowledge of laws, regulations, and codes relevant to public health and public safety response
•Knowledge of current police reform models
•Knowledge of social services in Hampshire County
•Ability to interpret and enforce regulations firmly, tactfully, and impartially
•Ability to write and manage grants and budgets
•Ability to work independently with minimal supervision and as a constructive member of a team.
•Ability to work with different sectors of the community to accomplish shared goals and outcomes.
•Ability to build positive relationships with community members and organizations.
•Ability to interpret and analyze qualitative and quantitative data.
•Exceptional time management skills with ability to multitask; ability to work well under pressure, prioritize workload, and meet tight deadlines.
•Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with different sectors of the community to accomplish shared goals and outcomes.
•Effective and compassionate communication skills in writing and verbally (in-person and phone)
•Effective and skillful at facilitating groups to fully engage participants with different learning styles. Skilled in being responsive to cultural and socioeconomic diversity and the needs of individuals with low incomes.
•Strategic thinking about complex systems to create effective change.
•Understanding of data management: data capture, tracking methods, analysis
•Systemic understanding of poverty and homelessness, and its impact on individuals and families.
•Public relations skills
•Proficient computer skills including proficiency with use of mouse, email, Microsoft Office applications and databases, and the Google Office Suite.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
The physical demands and work environment described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
This position requires working from an office setting and all physical demands therein, including the ability to move within and between offices and other spaces. Some exposure to the weather may be required when moving to meeting locations. During meetings, there may be a need to sit or stand for long periods of time. Applicants for this position must be able to drive a car and maintain a class D Driver’s License.
In order to perform the tasks required, manual dexterity and hand and eye coordination is necessary to review documents and use computer equipment. In addition, vision, color vision, peripheral vision, and the ability to adjust focus are necessary to perform administrative and supervisory tasks.
MISC. INFORMATION
The 2020 killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and Rayshard Brooks sparked national protest, once again exposing historic inequities and systemic racism in policing and our society at large in the United States. Propelled by these tragic events nationally and their connection to 400 years of racial injustice, hundreds of Northampton residents called upon their elected leaders to rethink the city’s approach to policing, rethink whether and what police services could be delivered by others, and rethink how we structure and fund community safety moving forward.
On July 9, 2020, the Northampton Policing Review Commission (NPRC), a 15-member resident commission, was appointed jointly by the Mayor and City Council to conduct a sweeping public policy review and community conversation about policing and community safety and recommend reforms to the current organizational and oversight structures, municipal funding allocations, and policies and ordinances that together could transform how the city delivers policing services while ensuring community safety equitably and justly for all. The Commission delivered its final report entitled Reimagining Safety on March 18, 2021.
One of the primary recommendations of the NPRC was the establishment of a new “Department of Community Care” to provide multiple types of civilian responders to community needs, including peer response to mental health and substance use crises, as an alternative to police response. The NPRC report called for funding the establishment of this new department in FY2022 with a goal of making it operational by FY2023. It also made other immediate recommendations including further data analysis of police calls and staffing, a community needs assessment, and additional items requiring further study and community engagement.
Mayor Narkewicz’s FY2022 budget adopted by the City Council included $423,955 for a new Department of Community Care. This included funding for the hiring of a senior-level project coordinator to assemble the new department, which would include developing its staffing and organizational structure, job descriptions, operating policies, and training and licensure requirements, as well as coordinating with other city departments, forming an advisory committee, and pursuing the many emerging state and federal grants for this work.
