Director of Drop-in Services

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Our Mission: Since 1981, the Orangewood Foundation has passionately advocated for young people facing foster care, homelessness, and trafficking. Our mission is to empower these individuals by supporting the futures they envision, providing dedicated one-on-one support to help them achieve their dreams and goals.

Our Programs & Services: We provide programs and services in four essential areas: Basic Needs & Support, Education, Life Skills & Employment, and Transitional Housing & Support.

Our Vision: A community where every young person thrives. This is our long-term goal for young people in Orange County. We embody this goal every time we talk to a young person, a volunteer, a community member, and to each other. 

Our Commitment: Equal Opportunity Employer, Flexible Scheduling, Powerful Teamwork, Personal Fulfillment, Thriving Community, Professional Development, Mental & Physical Wellness, Competitive Compensation

Our Values: At Orangewood, recently ranked #27 in Best Places to Work 2025, we take pride in fostering a positive and supportive workplace culture. We ask all staff to uphold the following core values: Trust, Respect, Empathy, Inclusion, and Advocacy

JOB DESCRIPTION

Position Title: Director, Drop-in Center Services

Employment Classification: Full Time, Exempt 

Reports to: Chief Program Officer

Department: Programs

Program Summary:

Orangewood Foundation's Drop-In Center and Emergency Housing Assistance services provide safety, stabilization, and support to youth and young adults experiencing crisis. These programs include:

• Project CHOICE – Serves youth ages 11–21 who are at-risk, currently experiencing, or survivors of sex trafficking. Services include crisis intervention, survivor-centered advocacy, safety planning, intensive care coordination, life skills, and connections to behavioral health and supportive services.
• Orangewood Resource Center (ORC) – A low-barrier drop-in center for young people ages 18–24 experiencing homelessness, housing instability, or other crises. The ORC provides access to basic needs, housing navigation, behavioral health support, education and employment resources, and intensive care coordination in a safe and trauma-informed environment.
• Emergency Housing Services – Provides rapid housing support and financial assistance to prevent or resolve homelessness among youth and young adults. Services include rental assistance, motel stays, move-in support, emergency financial resources, and housing-focused care coordination.

Together, these services offer a holistic and youth-centered continuum of care that empowers young people to build safety, stability, and self-sufficiency.

Position Summary:

The Program Director provides strategic and operational leadership for Orangewood Foundation's Drop-In Center and Emergency Housing Assistance services. This role oversees program implementation, team performance, service quality, and community partnerships to ensure youth receive coordinated, trauma-informed support.

The Program Director leads a multidisciplinary team delivering crisis response, intensive case management, housing support, and wraparound services rooted in trauma-informed care, harm reduction, cultural responsiveness, and youth empowerment. This role collaborates closely with government agencies, behavioral health systems, social services, and community partners to strengthen service coordination for vulnerable youth.

As a key member of the Leadership Team, the Program Director contributes to organizational strategy, program development, and system-level advocacy to advance Orangewood Foundation's mission. The role includes direct oversight and reflective supervision to support staff working in high-intensity environments and ensure adherence to ethical practice, service quality, and youth safety.

When considering this job opportunity, please be aware that the role may involve high stress levels due to mitigating participant crises and potential exposure to vicarious trauma. It is essential to prioritize self-care and seek appropriate support when needed.

Requirements

Major Areas of Responsibility:

Staff Supervision:

• Collaborate to recruit, hire, and retain a team of staff who are knowledgeable of issues affecting Transitional Age Youth (TAY) and can support young people who have experienced foster care, homelessness, mental health, exploitation, trafficking or are at-risk of being exploited.
• Supervises the Manager of Drop-in Center Services.
• Lead effective team meetings and weekly individual check-ins with direct report. 
• Provide feedback and coaching to staff, including goal setting and performance reviews.  
• Provides coaching and guidance to staff in crisis situations and ensures staff and program participants' safety are maintained throughout services. 

Planning and Evaluation:

• Proposes, plans, implements, maintains, and evaluates Orangewood Foundation's Drop-in Center programs and related service strategies. 
• Accountable for the fulfilment of contract outcomes for the Drop-in Center programs. 
• Meets regularly with funders and reports on contracted outcomes and deliverables.
• Ensures data accuracy in adherence to guidelines for reporting. 
• Use evaluation findings to make improvements to the programs. 
• Work with the Chief Program Officer to plan new program initiatives and expansion. 
• Assist in the identification of new partnerships and resources for programming and support. 
• Support fundraising and marketing efforts to grow the program resources. 

Program Leadership:

• Provide on-call after-hours response to emergency situations.
• Develop, update, and implement Program policies and procedure, ensuring all Program staff are knowledgeable of processes and expectations and the fidelity of organizational policies. 
• Responsible for utilizing youth input on program practices to maintain services that are current, relevant, and consistent with the needs of young people.
• Solve daily problems by analyzing situations, determining next steps and implementation.
• Demonstrate a solid understanding of child welfare issues to include trauma-informed care best practices and its implementation as well as cultural competency.
• Comprehensive understanding and experience in providing direct care and coordinated services to individuals who have experienced traumatic events. 

Organizational Leadership:

• Ensure a safe, friendly, and supportive environment for program participants and staff. 
• Establish open communication and positive relationships with staff across programs and departments. 
• Participate in leadership meetings, program events and staff retreats. 
• Represent Orangewood Foundation and those we serve at relevant community meetings.

Knowledge, Skill, and Experience Requirements:

• Graduate of an Accredited Master's Program in Social Work, Psychology, Counseling or related field. 
• Ability to assist Manager, Supervisors and direct service staff with their skills development.
• Minimum of 2-3 years of experience in organizations servicing transitional age youth.
• Minimum of 3-5 years of leadership experience including supervision of multiple teams.
• Have an understanding of systemic issues which impact TAY such as issues with social services, law enforcement, criminal and civil legal systems. 
• Experience in the development of new programs and enhancement of existing ones.
• Makes sound and timely decisions under pressure. Recognizes what is most suitable in particular situations. Effectively makes decisions in non-standard situations. Exhibits independence, decisiveness and responsibility.  
• Ability to work under pressure, manage and meet deadlines.
• Strong written and oral communication skills and comfortable speaking in public or to large groups. 
• Maintain a flexible schedule to be available as needed by the Programs. 
• Ability to use Microsoft Office, Outlook and develop presentations using Power Point or other applications.
• Possess a valid California driver's license and proof of automobile insurance. Position requires DMV clearance.
• Pre-employment screenings include criminal background check, FBI/DOJ fingerprinting, TB test, drug screen, and previous employment verification. 
• A assessment is a required part of the application process, and your application will be reviewed after assessment submission. Visit this link to learn more  

Essential Qualities:

• Understanding of and passion for the Foundation's mission, vision, and values.
• Enjoys working directly with young people, volunteers, community partners, etc.
• Flexibility with a value for teamwork and ability to be a positive role model. 
• Ability to multi-task with the capacity to learn quickly and integrate efficiently.

Working Environment/Physical Requirements:

• This position is not remote
• Weekend and evening hours are required as needed to fulfill contractual requirements and support team. 
• Position may require use of personal vehicle. 
• Physical requirements include standing, sitting, typing, bending and lifting up to approximately 25lbs. (i.e. tables, chairs, food, water, etc.). 
• Modification to work schedule may be made based on needs of the Foundation.

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS

Benefits:

• Medical – Blue Shield HMO & PPO + HRA 
• Delta Dental 
• Vision (EyeMed Network) 
• FSA – Healthcare & Dependent Care
• Mental Health through Headspace (virtual & in person therapy included) 
• EAP – through Umum & Headspace 
• Life/Disability/Accident/Critical Illness 
• Pet Insurance 
• 403b with company match 
• Cell Phone Stipend

Time-off Benefits:

• 5 Sick Days per year 
• Up to 3 Floating Holidays per year 
• Year one - 15 Days of PTO accrued at 5 hours per pay period 
• 13 Company Paid Holidays 

Orangewood Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race (including hair texture and protective hair styles such as braids, locks, and twists), religious creed (including religious dress and grooming practices), color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and/or related medical conditions), gender, gender identity (including individuals who are transgender and/or transitioning), gender expression, age, sexual orientation, reproductive health decision-making, military and veteran status, or any other protected group, in accordance with all applicable federal or State laws.