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Basic Function
Under the direction of the Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services, serves as an expert on foster and homeless youth challenges, best support practices, and relevant state and federal legislation. Serves as a resource to school staff, district administrators, social services, shelters, caregivers and students by conducting trainings, sharing information, and improving coordination of services and procedures with other agencies and school districts in a visible and strategic manner. Interprets and communicates laws relating to foster and homeless youth; develops and implements programs and processes to best meet the educational needs of foster and homeless youth; measures program and process effectiveness through data analysis, and implements change in response to data analysis to improve services. In collaboration with SBCEO Juvenile Court and Community Schools (JCCS) and Special Education administrators and staff as appropriate, provides direct service to foster and homeless youth attending court and/or community schools.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Serve as the Santa Barbara County Education Office expert on homeless education and foster youth challenges, support practices, and state and federal legislation.
• Develop and communicate in-depth and current knowledge of laws, regulations, and policies that impact homeless students and foster youth. Assist agencies and schools to ensure homeless and foster youth students’ rights are respected; advocate for homeless and foster youth students’ rights.
• Conduct trainings and presentations on laws and issues related to the education of foster and homeless students to a variety of stakeholders with both small and large group audiences utilizing current technology and resources.
• Facilitate the coordination of systems among schools, districts and social service agencies to improve the educational outcomes for foster and homeless youth. May include development of a shared data system requiring some database development, negotiating needs of different agencies, and preparing detailed Memorandum Of Understanding documents and/or contracts.
• Provide leadership, strategic planning, and direction to initiate new projects involving linkages between the County Education Office, school districts, social service agencies, nonprofits, community and educational support organizations, and shelters with respect to meeting the educational needs of students who are or are at risk of entering foster care, homelessness, or are attending court and/or community schools.
• Establish and maintain relationships between the County Education Office, schools, school districts, and all relevant youth-serving agencies and organizations to meet program objectives, maximize efficiency and ensure the effective delivery of services.
• Supervise liaison staff who assist with program implementation and/or direct service delivery.
• Collect, aggregate, and analyze diverse data for reporting to community partners, and also for federal, state, local and private funders.
• Attend a variety of meetings, conferences, seminars, and workshops to increase awareness of homeless education and foster youth resources, programs, activities, and materials.
• Write and secure grants for local/state/federal funding to ensure adequate fiscal support for programs.
• Develop and monitor program budgets; prepare various budget reports.
• Perform other duties as assigned that support the overall objective of the position.

Qualifications
Knowledge and Skills
The position requires knowledge of: state and federal laws governing educational rights of homeless youth, foster youth, and youth involved in the juvenile justice system; the role, services and functions of the County Education Office as they relate to school districts, community agencies, county government, state offices and national organizations; the challenges that foster and homeless youth face in accessing and maximizing their education including the effects of trauma, instability, family challenges, school changes, and other unique factors; strategic planning for collaboratively assessing needs and establishing procedures and services to meet those needs, with assigned duties, tasks, timelines, and methods for accountability; fiscal oversight of and budgeting for multiple programs funded from a variety of sources including federal, state and local governments and private foundations; navigating student information systems and case management databases including basic use of reports and queries; the functions and procedures for schools and school districts, as well as local government and nonprofit social service agencies that serve foster and homeless youth; development and implementation of educational/social service programs for youth; juvenile court system, including both dependency and delinquency processes; diverse cultural, ethnic, and socio-economic groups; current administrative office practices and procedures. Requires well-developed skill: in the use of office equipment and technology; presenting to a wide variety of groups utilizing technology and current best practices for presentation.

Abilities
Ability to: manage multiple programs funded from a variety of sources with diverse program and reporting requirements; supervise program staff and build a positive team approach to program implementation; establish and maintain positive working relationships with school site management and staff, school district administrators, administrators and staff of public and private social service agencies, and community-based organizations; develop and implement community partnerships and collaborations that help achieve program goals and objectives; provide detailed analyses and reports about existing programs and conceptualize improvements, changes or new initiatives to improve service delivery, accountability, efficiency and effectiveness; interpret complex laws and regulations, and communicate these clearly to various agencies and schools; develop processes and systems to track program outcomes and effectiveness; maintain accurate service data, up-to-date information on relevant education rights and laws, and confidential client files; complete and comply with all required documentation and reporting to funders; plan, prepare, and monitor budgets from multiple funding sources; submit quarterly fiscal reports, track expenditures, revise budgets as needed; communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing; compose written materials independently, using correct grammar, spelling, punctuation and vocabulary; edit and proofread documents; write grants and reports; organize, plan, and control work assignments and projects involving a multiplicity of components and staff and partners to achieve goals and objectives; respond to crisis or emergency situations with youth and families; work independently with little need for direction or instruction; maintain strict confidentiality in all aspects of work.

Physical Abilities
Ability to: function indoors in an office environment engaged in work of a moderately sedentary nature; sit for extended periods of time; utilize computers and peripheral equipment; move about various school, community, or related locations; retrieve work materials from overhead, waist, and ground level files. Requires sufficient visual acuity to recognize words and numbers. Requires near visual acuity to read printed materials and computer screen. Requires sufficient auditory and verbal skills to carry on conversations in person and over the phone and project voice to small and large audiences. Requires sufficient hand-arm-eye coordination to use a personal computer keyboard. Requires manual and finger dexterity to write, keyboard, operate computer and operate other standardized office equipment.

Education and Experience
Bachelors degree preferred. Three years experience in a highly responsible administrative position, including one year of experience working with schools, locally based foundations, nonprofits and/or community organizations preferred. Experience working with high-needs students preferred.

Licenses and Certificates
Requires a valid driver’s license.

Work Conditions
Work is primarily performed indoors where minimal safety considerations exist. Some evening and weekend events and meetings. Frequent travel to various schools and community settings.

Management salary range 13

Approved by the Personnel Commission: July 30, 2015