Program Coordinator - Leaphart Place

Job Title: Program Coordinator - Leaphart Place

FLSA Status: Full-Time/Salaried/Exempt

Reports To: Chief Information Officer Location: Leaphart Place / On-Site

Position Summary

The Program Coordinator is responsible for the day-to-day coordination of Leaphart Place, Growing Hope's transitional housing program serving young adults ages 18-21. The Coordinator helps residents develop and monitor individualized goals, connects them with practical resources and community supports, coordinates routine property operations and upkeep, and ensures program records are complete and current.

This is a hands-on position that balances direct support for residents living in transitional housing with community partnership development.. The Coordinator builds relationships with residents while maintaining clear expectations, professional boundaries, and accountability for program participation, rent, and independent living responsibilities. The role identifies needs, supports problem-solving and skill development, connects residents to appropriate services, and promptly escalates safety, behavioral health, legal, or other concerns that require leadership or specialized intervention.

Why This Role Matters

Young adults transitioning to independence need more than housing. They need reliable relationships, clear expectations, practical guidance, access to community resources, and a safe living environment where they can practice the skills required for long-term stability. This role creates the structure that helps residents move from supervised independent living toward greater independence in housing, education, employment, finances, health, and daily living.

Key Responsibilities:

Resident Transition Support & Goal Coordination

1. Meet individually with each resident on a consistent schedule, generally beginning with weekly meetings and transitioning to every other week as the resident demonstrates stability, progress, and readiness for increased independence.
2. Support residents in developing clear, individualized goals and action steps necessary to graduate from Leaphart Place and transition into independence through stable housing, education, employment, finances, transportation, health, life skills, relationships, and other areas affecting successful adulthood.
3. Monitor progress toward resident goals, document accomplishments and barriers, and help residents identify realistic next steps when progress stalls.
4. Provide practical coaching, reminders, resource navigation, and problem-solving support..
5. Help residents strengthen skills such as scheduling appointments, communicating with employers or service providers, budgeting, maintaining a home, resolving conflicts, and following through on commitments.
6. Partner and collaborate with the DSS caseworker for each resident to provide coordinated support and ensure each resident has access to all the benefits and supports available to them, including Chafee, housing vouchers, and other DSS specific support.
7. Identify needs outside the scope of the position and coordinate referrals or consultation with agency leadership, behavioral health providers, community resources, or other appropriate supports.
8. Maintain clear professional boundaries and consistently apply program expectations while using a strengths-based, trauma-responsive approach.
9. Support transition and exit planning so residents understand and are well-prepared for their next housing steps, financial obligations, available resources, and ongoing responsibilities before leaving the program.
10. Coordinate small, tailored Leaphart graduation ceremonies for each young resident accomplishing their goals and moving on to independence.

Resident Admissions, Orientation & Program Transitions

1. Coordinate the resident intake process, including referral review, collection of required information, scheduling, and communication with applicants.
2. Lead applicant interviews using consistent program criteria and coordinate on-site tours so prospective residents understand the program, property, expectations, and available supports.
3. Coordinate move-in preparation and lead first-day orientation, including review of program rules, resident responsibilities, rent expectations, safety procedures, emergency contacts, maintenance reporting, shared-space expectations, and available supports.
4. Ensure required admission forms, releases, acknowledgements, demographic information, and HMIS records are completed accurately and on time.
5. Coordinate resident move-outs, including required notices, return of agency property, documentation of unit condition, outstanding balances, and transition information.

Housing Operations, Repairs & Routine Upkeep

1. Serve as the primary coordinator for routine property needs and resident-reported maintenance concerns at Leaphart Place.
2. Receive, document, prioritize, and track repair and maintenance requests, distinguishing routine concerns from urgent health or safety issues that require immediate escalation.
3. Conduct regular walk-throughs of common areas and other authorized spaces to identify maintenance, cleanliness, supply, or safety concerns and coordinate corrective action.
4. Reinforce resident responsibility for maintaining individual and shared spaces and report repeated concerns, property damage, or significant program violations according to agency procedure.

Rent Tracking & Resident Financial Accountability

1. Provide residents with timely reminders regarding upcoming or past-due rent and clearly communicate balances and expectations.
2. Follow up on delinquent balances and coordinate with leadership regarding payment arrangements, repeated nonpayment, or other concerns requiring formal action.
3. Use rent-related conversations as opportunities to reinforce budgeting, planning, communication, and accountability while remaining consistent with program policies.
4. Community Partnerships, Volunteers & Resident Engagement
5. Regularly engage residents through surveys, meetings, and other opportunities to elicit feedback and lived experience to inform and influence program practice and policy, and ensure it continues to meet their needs.
6. Administer initial and interval surveys throughout the program and post-departure to assess core elements of stability and independence.
7. Develop and maintain relationships with volunteers, community partners, employers, educators, service providers, and other resources that can strengthen resident opportunities and transition skills.
8. Coordinate volunteers and community partners to provide practical training, workshops, mentoring, or resource connections aligned with resident needs and program goals.
9. Schedule sessions, confirm logistics, communicate expectations, prepare the space, track participation, and follow up with partners and residents as needed.
10. Coordinate occasional resident gatherings, community-building activities, celebrations, or educational events that support connection, belonging, healthy relationships, and program engagement.
11. Documentation & Program Administration
12. Maintain organized, current resident and program records, including goal plans, meeting documentation, admissions materials, rent records, maintenance tracking, referrals, attendance, and transition information.
13. Prepare routine program updates, data summaries, outstanding-item reports, and other information requested by leadership or funders.
14. Maintain a current program calendar for resident meetings, move-ins and move-outs, vendor appointments, partner trainings, events, deadlines, and other key activities.
15. Complete incident reports and promptly communicate safety concerns, serious policy violations, suspected abuse or exploitation, threats, emergencies, or other significant events according to agency procedure.
16. Participate in supervision, program meetings, training, quality improvement activities, audits, and other agency processes that support consistent and effective service delivery.

Other

Perform other duties as assigned to support the effective operation of Leaphart Place and the mission and success of Growing Hope.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in social work, human services, psychology, sociology, education, public administration, community development, or a related field. An equivalent combination of education and relevant experience may be considered.
• At least three years of experience in youth or young-adult services, transitional housing, independent living, homelessness services, child welfare, community-based support, residential programming, or a closely related setting.
• Demonstrated ability to build rapport with young adults while maintaining clear expectations, professional boundaries, consistency, and accountability.
• Experience supporting goal development, monitoring progress, coordinating services, and helping individuals navigate practical barriers.
• Strong organization and follow-through, including the ability to manage resident needs, vendor appointments, financial tracking, data entry, events, and multiple deadlines at the same time.
• Ability to maintain accurate, timely, confidential documentation and enter data into required systems.
• Comfort handling rent records, payments, receipts, balances, and other sensitive information with accuracy and integrity.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to communicate respectfully with residents, families, referral sources, vendors, volunteers, partners, and agency staff.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 or comparable office technology and the ability to learn HMIS and other agency systems.
• Valid driver's license, reliable transportation, and ability to travel locally for program-related responsibilities.
• Ability to successfully complete required background checks and meet agency and funder eligibility requirements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Lived experience in the foster care system.
• Experience using case-management or human-services data system.
• Experience working with young adults who have experienced foster care, housing instability, trauma, system involvement, or limited natural supports.
• Experience coordinating residential program logistics.
• Training or experience in trauma-responsive care, positive youth development, motivational interviewing, de-escalation, or independent-living skill development.

Knowledge & Skills

• Relationship-based engagement that balances empathy, resident voice, accountability, and increasing independence.
• Strong planning, prioritization, documentation, and task-management skills.
• Sound judgment and the ability to distinguish routine concerns from issues requiring urgent escalation.
• Practical problem-solving and the ability to help residents identify options rather than creating dependence.
• Ability to coordinate multiple people and moving parts, including residents, vendors, volunteers, partners, and agency staff.
• Ability to communicate difficult information clearly, calmly, and respectfully.
• Cultural humility and the ability to work effectively with residents and partners from diverse backgrounds.
• Attention to detail, reliability, discretion, and responsible handling of confidential and financial information.

Additional Requirements

• Regular on-site presence at Leaphart Place and the ability to move throughout the property to meet with residents, conduct walk-throughs, and coordinate access for vendors and partners.
• Flexibility to work occasional evenings or weekends for resident orientation, events, partner activities, urgent program needs, or scheduled responsibilities. Hours will shift for that week.
• Commitment to Growing Hope's mission, vision, values, and core principles.
• Ability to function effectively in a changing environment and bring structure, consistency, and follow-through to developing processes.
• Ability to foster respectful partnerships with residents, staff, referral sources, vendors, volunteers, funders, and community partners.

Salary Description

$50,000 - $57,000 depending on experience

Location and Work Environment

This position is primarily on-site at Leaphart Place and includes regular interaction with residents in a transitional housing environment. The role also requires local community-based work, coordination with vendors and partners, and occasional travel to agency or community locations. The position requires both independent follow-through and active collaboration with residents, agency staff, and external partners.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Growing Hope (formerly Growing Home Southeast) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to building a diverse team and strongly encourage applications from all backgrounds to apply. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, gender, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected status.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

The physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those required to perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made for individuals with disabilities.

This position requires regular movement throughout a residential property, including walking, standing, using stairs, entering resident and common spaces when authorized, and coordinating access for vendors and partners. The employee must also be able to perform routine office work, use a computer, communicate by telephone and video, and travel locally as needed.

This job description does not state or imply that these are the only duties to be performed. Duties and responsibilities may be modified to meet program needs or to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an at-will relationship.

Growing Hope (formerly Growing Home Southeast) is a drug-free workplace and complies with ADA regulations as applicable.