Director of Youth Safety & Social Services

Director of Youth Safety & Social Services

Department: Programs / Community Services
Reports To: Executive Director
Works Closely With: Compliance, Volunteer & HR, Public Relations, Research & Development
Classification: Volunteer (Pre-Funding Phase) → Full-Time (Post-Funding)

Position Overview

The Director of Youth Safety & Social Services is responsible for designing, implementing, and overseeing all youth-focused safety, protection, and social support systems within The Black Homestead Society. This role ensures that all youth-facing programs operate in a manner that is safe, trauma-informed, legally compliant, and developmentally appropriate.

This position establishes the organization’s youth safeguarding infrastructure, including policies, risk prevention systems, incident response protocols, and supportive services that promote the well-being of youth participating in programs such as community gardens, educational workshops, and homestead-based experiences.

The Director serves as the organization’s subject matter authority on youth protection and social support systems.

Core Responsibilities

1. Youth Safety & Safeguarding Systems

Design and implement a Youth Protection Framework across all programs 

Establish mandatory child safety standards and supervision ratios 

Develop protocols for: 

Abuse prevention 

Boundary setting 

Safe interactions between adults and youth 

Ensure all programming environments are physically and emotionally safe 

2. Policy Development & Compliance Alignment

Draft and maintain youth-related policies, including: 

Youth Protection & Safeguarding Policy 

Mandatory Reporting Policy 

Background Check & Screening Policy (in coordination with Volunteer & HR) 

Incident Reporting & Response Policy (aligned with Compliance) 

Ensure adherence to: 

Federal and Maryland youth protection laws 

Nonprofit risk management standards 

Partner with Compliance to ensure audit-ready documentation 

3. Incident Response & Risk Management

Lead response to all youth-related incidents or safety concerns 

Establish clear escalation protocols and documentation procedures 

Coordinate with Compliance for investigations and reporting 

Maintain confidential records of incidents and resolutions 

4. Social Services & Support Systems

Develop support pathways for youth, including: 

Emotional and behavioral support frameworks 

Referral systems to external social services when necessary 

Build relationships with: 

Local schools 

Social workers 

Community-based service providers 

Ensure programs are inclusive, equitable, and supportive of diverse needs 

5. Training & Capacity Building

Design and deliver mandatory youth safety training for: 

Board members 

Volunteers 

Program leaders 

Train staff on: 

Recognizing signs of abuse or neglect 

Mandatory reporting responsibilities 

Trauma-informed engagement practices 

6. Program Integration

Work with program leaders to embed safety standards into: 

The Grow Together Initiative 

The Model Homestead Project 

Youth educational and STEM programming 

Conduct pre-program safety reviews and risk assessments 

7. Data, Monitoring & Continuous Improvement

Track safety metrics, incidents, and program outcomes 

Partner with Research & Development to: 

Evaluate program safety effectiveness 

Identify trends and improvement areas 

Provide regular reports to leadership and the Board 

Authority & Decision-Making Scope

The Director of Youth Safety & Social Services has authority to:

Halt or modify any program that poses a risk to youth safety 

Enforce compliance with youth protection policies across all committees 

Escalate critical incidents directly to Executive Leadership and Compliance 

Require corrective actions for unsafe practices 

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Public Health, Psychology, Education, or related field 

5+ years experience in: 

Youth services 

Child protection 

Social services or community programming 

Demonstrated knowledge of: 

Mandatory reporting laws 

Youth safeguarding best practices 

Trauma-informed care principles 

Preferred Qualifications

Master’s degree (MSW, MPH, M.Ed, or related) 

Experience working with nonprofit or community-based programs 

Experience developing safeguarding systems from the ground up 

Familiarity with agricultural, outdoor, or experiential education settings 

Core Competencies

Youth advocacy and protection mindset 

High ethical standards and confidentiality 

Risk assessment and crisis response capability 

Policy development and systems thinking 

Strong interpersonal and training skills 

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

100% compliance with youth safety training requirements 

Zero unresolved safety incidents 

Timely incident reporting and documentation (within defined SLAs) 

Implementation of all required youth protection policies 

Positive youth safety and well-being indicators 

Work Environment & Expectations

Combination of remote planning and on-site program oversight 

Active presence during youth programming and events 

Availability for urgent incident response if needed 

Pre-Funding Expectations (Critical for Your Phase)

During the startup phase, this role will prioritize:

Building the Youth Safety Policy Framework (Board-Adoptable) 

Establishing baseline safeguarding systems before youth engagement begins 

Creating training materials and onboarding protocols 

Conducting risk assessments for all planned youth programs 

Strategic Importance of This Role

This position is non-negotiable for long-term organizational credibility and legal protection. It directly supports:

501(c)(3) compliance readiness 

Liability mitigation 

Community trust and partnership eligibility 

Safe program scaling