Director of Senior Meals on Wheels

Salary Range: $67,500 - $72,500 (based on experience)

Join our dynamic and diverse team of professionals making an impact!

We believe our team members, clients, and community matter.

Celebrating over 170 years of service, LifeBridge is a leading non-profit behavioral health organization supporting adults, children, and adolescents through mental health and substance use recovery. Our clients benefit from a team of dedicated employees who are diverse, empathetic, warm, experienced, and effective.

As a trauma-informed agency, we acknowledge the physical and mental toll that comes from adverse experiences – but we do not let those experiences be the only defining characteristics for the community or the families we serve. We ensure that all our programs and services are offered through the lens of sensitivity to those lived experiences, and policies, procedures, and spaces are developed with the goal of helping staff and patients feel physically and psychologically safe.

You’d make a great LifeBridge employee if...

• You seek to understand and relate respectfully with the various cultures and backgrounds of the people we serve.
• You believe all people can overcome what may seem like insurmountable challenges.
• You believe compassion goes a long way in helping individuals manage a crisis, seek help, and achieve wellness.
• You honor other’s trust by providing the best service possible.

Job Purpose/Function:(the main contribution of the function to the total organization.)

Under supervision of the President & CEO, the Director is responsible for supervising the day-to-day operations of the Elderly Nutrition Program (ENP) providing Community Café Meals, Home Delivered Meals, nutrition education, and nutrition counseling to eligible individuals who reside in Branford, East Haven, Hamden, New Haven, Meriden, Milford, North Haven, Orange, Wallingford, and West Haven. The Director is accountable for the development, growth and management of the Meals on Wheels program and congregate meal sites, which includes monitoring compliance with the Area Agency on Aging and Title III of the Older Americans Act of 1965.

Major Responsibilities:

• Ensure program and staff comply with Elderly Nutrition Program policies, federal and state regulations, including but not limited to Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies Section 17b-423-5, and all applicable written standards issued by the State Department on Aging or the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH), and ensure that these standards are met by any approved subcontractor.
• Develop and oversee departmental budget and direct program activities in accordance with contractual obligations and allowable costs; ensure expenditures do not exceed the total approved reimbursement costs.
• Monitor financial and program performance on a monthly basis to ensure compliance with the appropriate regulations and guidelines.
• Maintain books, records, documents, program and individual service records, and financial records to ensure documentation, monitoring and evaluation of financial activities and the provision of purchased services.
• In partnership with LifeBridge finance department, manage approved budget and submission of monthly invoices.
• Report progress in meeting targets for services, clients, and client contributions.
• Ensure accurate and timely participation in SAMS or the federal designated NAPIS Management Information System (MIS) program administered by the State Department on Aging in accordance with the schedule for reporting.
• Manage annual program compliance audit with federal and state regulatory entities, and contracted entities.
• Safeguard the use, publication, and disclosure of information on all applicants and clients receiving services.
• Ensure reporting of abuse or neglect according to state statute requirements.
• Ensure accurate inventory and maintenance of all equipment purchased with program funds, including vehicle fleet.
• Implement appropriate controls to ensure compliance with LifeBridge policies and procedures, and Area Agency on Aging policies, procedures, and regulations.
• Serve as an advocate for all persons 60 years of age or older.
• Conduct staff annual performance evaluations.
• Motivate and provide day to day guidance and leadership of staff through participative management and human resource processes.
• Hire, train and develop qualified staff of approximately 30 full- and part-time employees.
• Maintain appropriate confidentiality of client information as well as personnel issues.
• Oversee relationships with approved vendors and subcontractors and ensure quality service delivery.
• Create and strengthen relationships with community and municipal partners.
• Cover meal delivery route when staff absences occur.
• Communicate information and articulate problems or challenges in a clear, concise, courteous, non-discriminatory and professional manner.

Accountabilities: (the major end results that should be reached in the job function)

• Diligent and honest effort towards accomplishment of program goals and objectives.
• Supervising staff, including accountability for their time.
• Ensuring processes and systems are efficient and meet program needs.
• Ensuring compliance with LifeBridge policies and procedures, and Area Agency on Aging policies, procedures, and regulations.
• Managing the development budget.
• Timely, accurate, and effective financial and program reporting.

Performance Indicators: (the areas the job function has a measurable impact)

Specific indicators to be developed collaboratively between the Program Director, Meals on Wheels and President & CEO. Metrics could include:

• # home delivered meals served
• # home delivered clients served
• # congregate meals served
• # congregate clients served
• % of clients satisfied or highly satisfied with meal quality
• % of clients satisfied or highly satisfied with meal service
• Meeting or exceeding annual financial goals approved in the annual agency budget

Education and Experience Required:

• Bachelor’s degree and/or commensurate experience overseeing programs with federal or state regulations.
• Possess strong business acumen and experience overseeing budgets at or above $2million
• Must have a minimum of five years of supervisory experience
• Must have a work history that demonstrates clear leadership, accomplishment and the ability to get work accomplished on time, on budget and within predetermined specifications
• Must be computer literate
• Proficient in Office 365 (Outlook, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, OneNote, Teams, and SharePoint)
• Experience working with senior-level executives and Board of Directors
• Experience and comfortability writing reports, and speaking publicly
• Experience and comfortability in professional setting and in direct-service setting
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communications skills; ability to develop and sustain impactful relationships with various constituencies and work effectively at all levels of the organization and its stakeholders
• Self-starter who takes initiative and seeks direction as needed; willingness to take independent ownership and initiative in relation to program goals and responsibilities
• Demonstrated ability to recruit, manage, coach, motivate, and ensure ongoing professional development of high-performing staff