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In a new role that will, in its first year, sit within the Executive Office and report directly to DHS’s Director, the Senior Liaison will interface with staff and youth at Highland Detention Center as part of DHS's commitment to ensuring the quality of the center’s programming and operations. DHS holds the contract with the provider who operates Highland and is looking for a Senior Liaison who can serve as a leader in contracting monitoring, program design, dissemination of public data, and quality assurance around education, health care, client (youth) satisfaction, and programming. DHS seeks a proactive, inventive, and thoughtful leader who will work in the service of improving outcomes for youth in detention, championing our commitment to trauma-informed care. This role will include a substantial amount of time on-site at Highland. Additionally, the Senior Liaison will act as a collaborative partner with Allegheny County Jail (ACJ) staff in their efforts to provide effective programming to youth at the ACJ. In addition to working with stakeholders at Highland and the ACJ, the Liaison will regularly collaborate with the State of Pennsylvania’s Office of Children, Youth, and Families (OCYF) and the County’s Juvenile Probation Office (JPO) and will periodically collaborate with members of DHS’ Justice Collaborations team and DHS’ Office of Children, Youth, and Families (CYF).

• Serve as a Liaison: Act as the primary point of contact between the Highland Detention Center’s operator and the Department of Human Services (DHS) Executive Office. This role will include a substantial amount of time on-site at Highland. Additionally, act as a point of contact between the Allegheny County Jail staff and DHS’ Executive Office, on matters related to youth at the ACJ.

• Drive Data-Driven Performance: Develop a set of key performance indictors around both operational processes at Highland and outcomes for youth, and monitor and support the quality of programming, operations, and the experience of youth at Highland in a manner that drives progress on each indicator.

• Contract Monitoring: Ensure that the operating provider’s practices align with their DHS contract and ensure that the operating provider is in fiscal compliance. Spot potential fiscal and contractual issues early, bring potential issues to DHS’ Director, and strategize on ways to mitigate these issues.

• System Stakeholder Engagement: Regularly communicate and coordinate with the State of Pennsylvania’s Office of Child, Youth, and Families (OCYF) as that office regularly visits Highland (meeting with the operating provider’s staff and requesting records). This coordination would, in part, seek to ensure that DHS is not duplicating requests and overburdening the operating provider’s staff. Regularly communicate and coordinate with the Juvenile Probation Office (JPO) in service of improving programming and operations at Highland. Periodically collaborate with DHS’ Justice Collaborations team and DHS’ Office of Children, Youth, and Families (CYF) in service of improving programming and operations at Highland.

• Quality Assurance on Health Care, Education, Client (Youth) Satisfaction, and Programming: Monitor and support the quality of health care, education, and programming at Highland, as well as the satisfaction of youth at the center. Champion our commitment to trauma-informed care by ensuring that services and programming integrate trauma-informed approaches. Develop strategies and plans to enhance the quality of services and increase satisfaction. Spot potential challenges early, bring those challenges to DHS’ Director, and strategize on ways to mitigate them. Additionally, support policy and procedure improvement in service of these goals. Support, as a collaborative advisor, the quality of health care, education, and programming at the ACJ for juveniles and offer, where requested, support on policy and procedure improvement.

• Lead on Facility Issues: Act as DHS’ lead as issues with the facility are discovered and addressed, including prompting other parts of County government to be responsive to requests from the operating provider.

• Review Incident Reports: Review incident reports produced by the operating provider. Have a perspective on each incident and bring an informed summary of critical incidents to DHS’ Director. Spot patterns across incident reports and proactively and collaboratively work to address them.

• Dissemination of Public Data: Lead efforts, in partnership with DHS’ Analytics, Technology, and Planning (ATP) office, to disseminate public about the center and youth outcomes.

• Internal Reporting and Communication: Provide regular updates to DHS’ Director and other relevant stakeholders regarding progress, challenges, and opportunities for improvement.

• Performs other related duties as requested or required.

• The juvenile justice system and/or juvenile detention.
• Juvenile justice programs, particularly those that operate in a trauma-informed manner.
• Quality assurance and compliance as it relates to contract management.

• Microsoft Office Suite.
• Developing key performance indicators and driving success around these indicators.
• Developing strategies and plans that enhance the quality of programs and operations.
• Monitoring contracts in a manner that proactively flags issues.
• Establishing and maintaining effective and collaborative working relationships with cross-departmental and cross-system teams.

• Learn quickly and adapt to shifting priorities.
• Use data to identify opportunities for improvement in practice and processes.
• Effectively communicate verbally and in writing.
• Display strong attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Professionally interact with County staff, provider staff, and the public in an office environment. 
• Use independent judgement and discretion on matters of significance.
• Embrace the DHS mission and guiding principles, including a commitment to equity and inclusion.