Job Description
Job Description
TITLE: Program Director
REPORTS: V.P. Director of Mental Health & Housing Services
PROGRAM: 239 East 121st St. New York, NY 10035
Our Mission:
Since 1967, Odyssey House has been providing innovative services and programs to a broad population of individuals and families struggling with substance use and mental health disorders. Odyssey House helps New Yorkers of all ages—and across all five boroughs—beat drugs and alcohol with highly individualized treatment programs. Odyssey House provides high quality, holistic treatment impacting all major life spheres, including: psychological, physical, social, family, educational and spiritual in order to support personal rehabilitation, renewal and family restoration.
If that sounds different than other treatment programs, you’re right. Because Odyssey is where recovery gets real.
In addition to competitive salaries, Odyssey House offers:
- A 35-hour work week (as opposed to a 40-hour work week)
- Vacation Plan and Holiday Schedule
- Life Insurance
- Medical Insurance (Two Plans)
- Dental and Vision Insurance
- Additional Insurance Coverages (hospitalization, accidental, critical illness coverage)
- Long-Term & Short-Term Disability
- Flexible Spending Account/Health Reimbursement Account
- 403(b) Plan
- Corporate Counseling Associates (CCA) EAP benefit
- Ability Assist Counseling Services (through The Hartford)
- Commuter Benefits
- Educational Assistance Programs
- Special shopping discounts through ADP Marketplace and PlumBenefits
- RUFit?! Fitness Program
- Legal Assistance through ARAG
- Optum Financial Service through ConnectYourCare
- Benefit Advocacy Center through Gallagher
Position Summary:
The Program Director is responsible for the overall management, development, and operations of a Transitional Housing program that provides integrated treatment services for justice-involved individuals. This position ensures delivery of high-quality, trauma-informed, and client-centered services that support successful reentry, recovery, and long-term stability. The Program Director leads a multidisciplinary team and collaborates with community partners, funders, and criminal justice entities to achieve program goals.
Specific duties & responsibilities:
- Oversee day-to-day operations of the transitional housing program, ensuring compliance with local, state, and federal regulations.
- Develop, implement, and monitor program policies, procedures, and protocols aligned with best practices for reentry and behavioral health services.
- Ensure integration of substance use disorder treatment, mental health services, case management, and life skills programming.
- Maintain program budget, monitor expenditures, and ensure cost-effective operations in collaboration with finance staff.
- Hire, train, supervise, and evaluate program staff including case managers, clinicians, peer support specialists, and support staff.
- Promote a culture of accountability, professional growth, and trauma-informed care.
- Facilitate regular staff meetings, trainings, and case conferences.
- Ensure individualized service planning and coordination of care to support client goals, including housing stability, employment, sobriety, and community integration.
- Monitor client progress and ensure documentation meets quality assurance and funding requirements.
- Address client concerns or crises, ensuring safety and adherence to program rules.
- Serve as liaison with criminal justice partners, behavioral health providers, housing authorities, and other stakeholders.
- Represent the program in community meetings, reentry coalitions, and interagency initiatives.
- Develop and maintain referral relationships to support holistic care for clients.
- Ensure compliance with all contractual, legal, and accreditation requirements.
- Prepare reports for funders, licensing bodies, and internal stakeholders.
- Participate in audits, evaluations, and continuous quality improvement activities.
- May require evening or weekend hours based on program needs.
- On-call responsibilities for crisis management.
Qualifications:
- Master’s degree in Social Work, Psychology, Public Administration, Criminal Justice, or related field (or equivalent experience).
- Minimum 5 years of experience in program management, preferably in transitional housing, substance use treatment, or criminal justice settings.
- Strong knowledge of reentry services, behavioral health systems, and trauma-informed care.
- Proven leadership, staff supervision, and budget management skills.
- Excellent communication, organizational, and problem-solving abilities.
Preferred:
- Clinical licensure (LCSW or LMHC)
- Experience working with justice-involved populations.
- Knowledge of harm reduction, motivational interviewing, and restorative justice approaches.
Odyssey House is an equal opportunity employer maintaining a non-discriminatory policy on hiring of its personnel. Odyssey House, and its operational divisions, will not discriminate against any employee or applicant because of race, creed, color, national origin, sex, disability, marital status, sexual orientation or citizen status in all employment decisions including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, upgrading, demotion, downgrading, transfer, training, rate of pay or other forms of compensation, layoff, termination and all other terms and conditions of employment.