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Drexel University

Community Outreach Team Program Director (COT-PD)

🇺🇸 Hybrid - Philadelphia, PA

🕑 Full-Time

💰 $75K - $113K

💻 Other

🗓️ July 23rd, 2025

Edtech.com's Summary

Drexel University is hiring a Community Outreach Team Program Director for the Center for Nonviolence and Social Justice at the Dornsife School of Public Health. The role leads daily operations, program development, and community engagement efforts to support youth impacted by violence through partnerships with local organizations, while overseeing a multidisciplinary team and ensuring compliance with funding requirements.

Highlights
  • Leads and supervises the Community Outreach Team (COT), managing staff and programming to engage youth ages 12 to 25 affected by community violence.
  • Coordinates partnerships with multiple community-based organizations across Philadelphia to deliver trauma-informed outreach and mental health services.
  • Implements culturally relevant, evidence-informed approaches to increase behavioral health care access for marginalized youth populations.
  • Manages program reporting, compliance, fiscal responsibilities, and grant applications in alignment with Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) standards.
  • Develops and oversees Community of Young People Healing, Experiencing, and Rebuilding (CYPHER) group initiatives at partner sites.
  • Requires a Master’s degree (Social Work, Counseling, or equivalent) and at least 10 years’ experience working with at-risk youth including 4 years in supervisory roles.
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel) and familiarity with case-management software and trauma-informed practices are essential.
  • Preferred qualifications include LCSW, LPC, or LMFT licenses and experience with Motivational Interviewing and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
  • Compensation ranges from $75,200 to $112,790 annually, with the salary typically offered between minimum and midrange based on qualifications.
  • Position requires valid driver’s license and vehicle for community supervision; involves local and occasional national travel.

Community Outreach Team Program Director (COT-PD) Full Description

Job Summary
The Center for Nonviolence and Social Justice (CNSJ) at Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health Community Health and Prevention (CHP) Department is looking for a Community Outreach Team Program Director to join its team. 

The Community Outreach Team Program Director (COT-PD) is a leadership role responsible for the oversight of the daily operations and programming of COT. COT provides an assertive outreach strategy by partnering with local community-based organizations who work with young people in neighborhoods disproportionally impacted by violence. By using these new points of engagement and taking trauma-informed clinical and supportive services outside of traditional outpatient clinic settings, COT builds on the existing trusted relationships of these organizations to engage a historically marginalized population that seldom seeks mental health services or often waits until a crisis occurs to do so. COT abides by Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) standards and regulations.

This role involves staff management and supervision, strategic planning, organizational leadership, program development, and community engagement to support youth who have experienced, or at risk of, community violence and trauma. This position will report programmatic efforts and developments to the CNSJ Executive Director. The COT-PD is responsible for supervising a team of Community Health Worker/Certified Peer Specialists (CHWPs), including a Senior CHWP, and Community Intervention Specialist (CIS) to ensure the implementation, growth and coordination of COT program. This position will provide direct oversight of the COT team’s efforts to prevent future violence and promote health behaviors conducive to emotional well-being for adolescents and youth ages 12 to 25. This role will lead and coordinate the efforts at COT’s partner sites (Healing Hurt People; Youth Build Philly Charter School; Students Run Philly Style; Valley Youth House; New Foundations Charter School; Mural Arts Restorative Justice Program; Youth Sentencing and Re-entry Program; Esperanza; CBC Ministries; Mount Vernon Manor Community Development Corporation; Thomas Alva Edison High School; George Washington High School; and CORA Services). These partnerships will serve as points of outreach and identification of young people in Philadelphia’s neighborhoods impacted by chronic violence and poverty.

The COT-PD will be responsible for determining the direction of the COT program by implementing a culturally relevant, evidence-informed, creative and flexible approach to increasing access to behavioral health care for the targeted population. This position will coordinate the planning and implementation of the Community of Young People Healing, Experiencing, and Rebuilding (CYPHER) groups at partner sites. In addition, the COT PD will work closely with the CNSJ’s Executive Director and with the CNSJ Research Associate to support the evaluation and dissemination of CYPHER across diverse populations. The COT-PD will be responsible for reporting programmatic efforts and developments to the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD). This position will work closely with the CNSJ’s Data and Compliance Manager to ensure that data, reporting, and fiscal considerations are in compliance with PCCD requirements. The COT-PD will support the skills and professional growth of the front-line staff under their supervision. The COT-PD will be responsible for the execution of PCCD monthly, quarterly, and annual reporting, while providing additional information as needed for grant applications and funder inquiries. The COT-PD will support budget development and financial management efforts to ensure the fiscal health and sustainability of COT.

The COT-PD will work with the Healing Hurt People (HHP) Program Director, the CNSJ Medical Director and the Healing Centered Learning (HCL) Director to establish new and maintain existing community partnerships and provide public health, social work, and medical students with internship opportunities at COT.
 
The COT Director will support the Executive Director to pursue grant opportunities to allow enhancement and expansion of the COT Program. The COT Director will support contracts and service agreements with COT funders, community partners, and third-party entities.
 
This position will also support the CNSJ’s social media and communications efforts and oversee the implementation of the CNSJ Youth Advisory Board (YAB). The COT Director will represent the program and the CNSJ at local, state, and national conferences.

Work Environment 
The COT Program Director will be located at CNSJ’s main office in downtown Philadelphia (3 in-person office days per week required, 4 preferred) and support the COT’s program efforts across community partners. This position requires local and occasional national travel. The CNSJ is housed within Drexel University’s Dornsife School of Public Health and affiliated with the College of Medicine. CNSJ has a dynamic relationship with various community partners.

Essential Functions
Supervisory 
  • Develops relevant and timely programmatic goals for the Community Outreach Team (COT) reflective of the current strengths and needs of the identified population.
  • Provides daily oversight of the COT program and weekly supervision of staff in compliance with the CNSJ’s, PCCD’s and other funders’ rules and regulations.
  • Oversees the quality and timely entry of staff’s documentation in COT’s case-management software.
  • Oversees the implementation of professional development and required training for the CNSJ team with the assistance of the Data and Compliance Manager.
  • Participate in the development of agency wide education programs and staff meetings.
  • Other duties as assigned.

Administrative 
  • Develops monthly, quarterly, and annual COT reports, fulfillment of contract goals, and information required by funders, third party entities, and stakeholders.
  • Supports contracts and fiscal relationships with COT funders, community partners, and third-party entities.
  • Supports the CNSJ Executive Director to pursue grant opportunities to ensure sustainability and expansion of the COT Program.
  • Participates in the preparation of required audit materials by PCCD and other stakeholders.
  • Oversees the CNSJ’s social media and communications efforts
  • Oversees the implementation of the CNSJ Youth Advisory Board (YAB)
  • Ensures evaluation and CQI projects - collecting data and programmatic outcome measures.
  • Other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications
  • Minimum of a Master's Degree in Master of Social Work, Counseling, or equivalent degree or the equivalent combination of education and work experience. 
  • Minimum of Minimum 10 years’ experience serving at-risk populations including racial and ethnic minority youth, communities living in poverty, individuals impacted by interpersonal trauma, violently injured LGBTQ youth, and/or justice-involved youth.
  • Minimum 4 years or supervisory experience is required.
  • Demonstrated ability to supervise and support community health worker peers (CHWP) and other non-traditional professionals is required.
  • Experience facilitating the Community of Young People Healing, Experiencing, and Rebuilding (CYPHER) group is strongly preferred.
  • Knowledge of formal and informal organizations in target communities and of the target populations (urban youth exposed to community violence).
  • Comfort with working with vulnerable and marginalized populations in community-based settings
  • Must have a valid driver’s license and a vehicle available for supervising community work.

Skills
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
  • Robust understanding of trauma-informed and trauma-specific practices and systems.
  • Program development and ability to operationalize ideas and trends into program outcomes.
  • Demonstrated ability to present engaging content to a diverse population.
  • Must be proficient in Microsoft Office Word and Excel.
  • Demonstrated ability to create, implement, and oversee CQI measures of programmatic deliverables and staff functioning.
  • Excellent organizational skills and ability to manage multiple projects at the same time.
  • Strong problem-solving skills and ability to function within a large complex university environment.

Preferred Qualifications
  • LCSW, LPC, or LMFT strongly preferred.
  • Minimum 2 years’ experience in the provision of Motivational Interviewing (MI), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) preferred, or other evidence-based practices strongly preferred.

Physical Demands
  • Typically sitting at a desk/table
  • Typically standing, walking
  • Typically bending, crouching, stooping
  • Lifting demands ≤ 25lbs

Location
  • Center City - Philadelphia, PA

Additional Information
This position is classified as Exempt, grade M. Compensation for this grade ranges from $75,200 to $112,790. per year. Please note that the offered rate for this position typically aligns with the minimum to midrange of this grade, but it can vary based on the successful candidate’s qualifications and experience, department budget, and an internal equity review.

Applicants are encouraged to explore the Professional Staff salary structure and Compensation Guidelines & Policies for more details on Drexel’s compensation framework. For information about benefits, please review Drexel’s Benefits Brochure.

Special Instructions to the Applicant
Please make sure you upload your CV/resume and cover letter when submitting your application.
A review of applicants will begin once a suitable candidate pool is identified.