Job Title: Assistant Program Director
Classification: Full-time, Exempt
Reports to: Vice President
Location: Hunterfly Trace, Brooklyn, NY
Status & Hours: Full-time, exempt with a regular daytime schedule and on-call responsibilities. Schedule may vary based on site and agency operational needs. On-call responsibilities are shared with the Senior Program Director.
Who We Are: Lantern Community Services helps New Yorkers impacted by homelessness move from surviving to thriving by pairing safe, supportive housing with wraparound services that build lasting stability and independence. If you believe a steady home can be the start of everything else, you'll fit right in with our mission-first team. Lantern was also recognized as a Top 2025 Workplace by City & State New York — a great place to do meaningful work with people who care!
Where You Will Work: Hunterfly Trace is located in Brooklyn, NY and includes 63 DOHMH-funded supportive housing units serving individuals transitioning out of homelessness who may be facing mental health challenges, substance use issues, or chronic illnesses.
About the Role: The Assistant Program Director (APD) provides clinical supervision, programmatic leadership, and day-to-day administrative oversight at Hunterfly Trace. Working closely with the Program Director, the APD develops the clinical aptitude of the team, ensures quality service delivery, and fosters a culture of continuous learning, professional development, and quality improvement. The ideal candidate is passionate about supportive housing, brings strong trauma-informed engagement skills, and is experienced with DOHMH-funded contracts.
Essential Functions: Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Clinical Supervision and Quality Assurance:
- Provide clinical supervision, coaching, and professional development support to case management staff.
- Review and approve case documentation; conduct internal chart reviews and ensure high standards of care.
- Review dashboards and monthly reports with staff to track outcomes and ensure accountability.
- Provide supervision in the development of treatment plans, safety planning, and crisis response.
- Evaluate clients for suicidal/homicidal risk and respond to and de-escalate crises as needed.
- Prepare, review, and manage follow-up on incident reports and funder incident reporting.
Program Operations and Collaboration:
- Support the Program Director in developing site-specific policies, tracking tools, and outcome accountability strategies.
- Co-facilitate staff meetings, clinical meetings, building management meetings, and community meetings.
- Develop and implement client-centered groups and programming that foster an inclusive, supportive community.
- Collaborate with Arete Property Management, Housing & Stability partners, Cross Buildings, Compliance, and QA/QI departments.
- Identify community resources and serve as a liaison with care coordination, health, mental health, substance use, and employment providers.
- Hire and train new staff; manage progressive disciplinary processes in collaboration with the Program Director and HR.
- Provide overall day-to-day program management in collaboration with, and in the absence of, the Program Director.
Required Education and Experience:
- MSW or MHC from an accredited institution required; LMSW or LMHC required within one year of employment.
- Minimum of one year of supervisory experience in social services.
- Knowledge of mental health, substance use, and/or chronically homeless populations.
- Experience with OMH, DOHMH, and/or HASA contracts and funder regulations.
- Strong trauma-informed clinical engagement, interpersonal, and communication skills.
- Committed to a harm reduction model and to integrating values of diversity, equity, belonging, inclusion, and justice into program culture.
- Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities and work both independently and collaboratively.
- Experience with case management databases and strong writing skills.
Preferred Qualifications:
- LMSW or LMHC preferred.
- Experience with property management partnerships, clinical group facilitation, and/or fiscal oversight.
- Experience with evidence-based models such as Motivational Interviewing.
- Bilingual proficiency preferred.
Work Environment: This position operates within a supportive housing site and works with a population that may experience mental illness, addiction, disability, HIV/AIDS, and other chronic health conditions.
Physical Demands: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, sit, stoop, climb stairs, and/or kneel. They must also use their hands to type, handle, or feel. The employee is frequently required to talk or hear and must occasionally lift and/or move up to 5 pounds. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this role.
Other Duties: Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
Equal Opportunity Employer: Lantern Community Services provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants. Lantern values the diversity of our clients, staff, Board of Directors, and partners. By bringing diverse individuals and viewpoints together, we create more vibrant, healthy, and just communities.
Skills Required
- Master of Social Work (MSW) or Mental Health Counseling (MHC) from an accredited institution
- LMSW or LMHC licensure within one year of employment
- Minimum one year of supervisory experience in social services
- Knowledge of mental health, substance use, and/or chronically homeless populations
- Experience with OMH, DOHMH, and/or HASA contracts and funder regulations
- Strong trauma-informed clinical engagement, interpersonal, and communication skills
- Commitment to harm reduction and diversity, equity, belonging, inclusion, and justice
- Strong organizational skills and ability to manage competing priorities independently and collaboratively
- Experience with case management databases
- Strong writing skills
- Experience with property management partnerships, clinical group facilitation, and/or fiscal oversight
- Experience with evidence-based models such as Motivational Interviewing
- Bilingual proficiency
- LMSW or LMHC
What We Do
Lantern Community Services is a New York City nonprofit that pairs supportive housing with personalized, holistic services for people and families moving forward from homelessness. It serves formerly homeless families and single adults, as well as young people who have aged out of foster care. Through programs in health, employment, education and life skills, Lantern helps residents build stability, well-being and independence across the Bronx, Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens.
