Job Description

JOB TITLE: Program Manager

REPORTS TO: Senior Director of Programs or Program Director

ORGANIZATION:

Access Youth is a nonprofit in the District of Columbia serving high-need middle and high school students. Our mission is to keep vulnerable youth in school and out of the justice system through mediation, restorative justice, and positive youth development. Program staff work full-time on school sites delivering RESTORE, Access Youth's school-based delinquency prevention framework — a relationship-centered model built on 17 years of program implementation and evidence, addressing the top drivers of school disengagement: unexcused absences and behaviors that lead to suspension. When applicable, Program Managers also deliver M.A.D.E. programming to girls on their caseload, including weekly sessions and support for annual conferences and retreats.

POSITION OVERVIEW:

Each Program Manager implements RESTORE at a Washington, DC middle or high school, delivering a continuum of relationship-based intervention — from schoolwide connection-building to intensive, individualized case management — through mediation-based student conferences, coaching, incentives, and life skills instruction. Program Managers deliver services across this full continuum to their caseload, tailoring the level and type of support to each student's individual needs.

THE RESTORE PRACTICE MODEL

How Program Managers work with each student:

- Relationship First

- Explore the Student Story

- Surface Stressors & Barriers

- Target Needs & Supports

- Ownership & Accountability

- Rebuild the Plan

- Encourage & Follow Up

THE RESTORE CONTINUUM

Three tiers of intervention intensity Program Managers deliver across their caseload:

1. Connection & Prevention

Relationship-building, school connectedness, positive youth development, leadership opportunities, family engagement, restorative community-building.

2. Early Intervention

Attendance and behavioral intervention, goal-setting, family outreach, small-group support, restorative circles.

3. Intensive Intervention

Mediation, restorative conferences, reentry support, individualized support plans, intensive mentoring, crisis intervention, case management.

QUALIFICATIONS:

- Bachelor's Degree in related field

- Experience in truancy and/or dropout prevention programming

- Experience in restorative justice-related programming

- Experience with positive youth development frameworks and programs

- Experience working in an urban school setting

- Experience in program design, management, and evaluation

- Strong communication and relationship-building skills, including the ability to work with a diverse student and adult population

- Experience in data collection, analysis, and reporting to inform programmatic decisions

- Familiarity with Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Outlook)

VALUES:

1. Equity

2. Adaptability

3. Teamwork

4. Professionalism

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Full-time, based in a Washington, DC public middle or high school

2. Receive referrals, conduct intake, and determine appropriate support for each student

3. Schedule one-on-one meetings with students and families to build relationship and identify immediate needs

4. Deliver services across the RESTORE continuum — from connection and prevention activities through intensive case management — tailored to each student's individual needs, adjusting as those needs change

5. Conduct attendance support meetings and mediations using proven mediation skills and principles

6. Work with students on an ongoing basis to monitor compliance with attendance plans

7. Build trust, rapport, and communication with students and families

8. Coordinate with the school's attendance team to integrate Access Youth programming with school requirements

9. Make referrals to other school- or community-based services when appropriate

10. Track and maintain case information, data, and case management records completely, consistently, and on time

11. Conduct evaluations and track evaluation results

12. Complete monthly, quarterly, and annual program reporting

13. Ensure effective program implementation, evaluation, and outcome delivery

14. Build and sustain collegial relationships with principals, counselors, and school personnel as Access Youth's primary on-site representative

15. Serve as an articulate spokesperson for RESTORE and Access Youth's programs

16. Assist Directors in developing and improving program and service management systems

17. Collaborate with program colleagues across sites

18. Demonstrate professionalism in timeliness, appearance, conduct, and adherence to organizational policy

KEY DELIVERABLES:

- Participation in all required internal meetings, trainings, and professional development

- Enroll and provide RESTORE programming to 50-65+ students per school year

- Conduct initial intake/planning meetings with each student upon enrollment, including associated forms and data entry

- Conduct and document 2+ check-ins with each enrolled student per month

- Conduct and document 3/month (9/quarter) group sessions — M.A.D.E. sessions, Life Skills sessions, Roundtables, or other group sessions as appropriate

- Plan, execute, and document one special quarterly incentive event per quarter

- Participate in meetings with school attendance points-of-contact and school leadership

- Complete all required data entry and documentation, including monthly student summaries, check-ins, group sessions, and events

- Provide required information for school, grant, and other reports as needed

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