Director of Neighborhood Wellness Court

The Wellness Court Program Director will be responsible for the successful implementation of the Neighborhood Wellness Court, a problem-solving, police-led, court-based program designed to increase access to treatment opportunities for individuals with substance abuse disorders. This position will be responsible for working with system partners in overseeing the daily operations of this initiative.  This includes a comprehensive analysis and recommendation for expansion from pilot to sustainable program. This also includes supervising Wellness Court staff, identifying best practices in the field and training opportunities for staff, and city agency partners, utilizing data collection and analysis to improve program design to increase positive outcomes for program participants, and coordinating high-level partnerships to deliver quality services. The mission of the Neighborhood Wellness Court is to address open air drug use by offering to individuals, who commit a summary offense associated with public drug use, the opportunity for same-day physical and behavioral health assessment, basic medical care and withdrawal management, a judicial hearing, diversion from deeper justice system involvement and treatment placement.                 NWC Overview  The Neighborhood Wellness Court (NWC) is an innovation in the community courts model and serves people arrested for public drug use. In its pilot phase, initial NWC focus is in the Kensington area of Philadelphia. A post-arrest, rapid diversion program, individuals arrested for eligible offenses are transported immediately to the OPS Kensington Wellness Support Center, located at 265 E Lehigh Avenue, where they are pre-screened for ability to attend court that day and where related medical and behavioral supports are readily available. If eligible, an individual is then brought to the Neighborhood Wellness Court located at 3901 Whitaker Avenue, Philadelphia, PA.The pilot operates once a week (although this position would be responsible for overseeing expansion) and is a partnership between The Office of Public Safety (OPS), the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD), the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS), Community Behavioral Health (CBH), the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania, the Defenders Association, Merakey, and Penn Addiction Medicine.  NWC Goals and Objectives The NWC prioritizes health and well-being by addressing the health needs of prospective participants before arrest processing or any judicial process. The NWC aims to creatively fill gaps in the current diversion continuum for people arrested for drug use in Philadelphia by having them see a medical professional who specializes in substance use disorder (SUD) first and increasing access to SUD treatment options. Participants benefit from ongoing communication, support, and involvement made possible by judicial supervision and linkage to ongoing behavioral health services.  The NWC minimizes the use of vital City resources by streamlining the diversion process. By combining a focus on health and well-being of participants with a light-touch innovative court model designed to address the substance use crisis in the city, NWC also helps to address the safety, well-being and overall needs of the greater community.  Essential FunctionsOverseeing daily operations and managing resources and personnel.Facilitating the flow of cases through the triage process and into the court system, ensuring timely processing.Developing a system for maintaining records, managing filings.Working with City of Philadelphia Municipal Criminal Court administration and other program partners to triage any issues and refine protocols and procedures.Coordinate across program partners, including the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services, Police Department, the First Judicial District, and other external partners, to ensure high-quality program delivery; identify services gaps and foster partnerships and referral networks to support program participants.Collaborate with stakeholders to reduce systemic barriers to program participation and success, including local, state, and federal entities.Oversee Wellness Court staff and staffing structure including managing recruitment and retention activities, identifying training and capacity building opportunities, and monitoring staff capacity.Develop policies, processes, and procedures that streamline program operations; evaluate processes and procedures regularly for process improvement and safety standards.Lead data collection and quality improvement measures, conduct output and outcome evaluations, and communicate program results in a timely manner.Competencies, Knowledge, Skills and AbilitiesKnowledge of program design and operations elements, staff management, performance measures, process improvement, and resource planning.Skills in synthesizing information, clear communication, and navigating high-level stakeholder engagement.Knowledge of the local criminal justice system, including criminal charges, warrants, courts proceedings, probation and parole, legal services, and diversionary programs.Familiarity with local, state and federal government.Strong reading, writing, and analytical skills.Excellent attention to detail.