Director, Safe and Supportive Schools Project Position

DESCRIPTION: 

The purpose of the position is to fulfill APA's obligations under a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in cooperation with the CDC Division of Adolescent and School Health in planning, executing, and evaluating a CDC-funded project designed to build the capacity of education agencies to assist schools in preventing HIV infection and STD in students in selected high-risk schools, particularly among three target populations in those schools: LGBT youth, with an emphasis on young men who have sex with men, homeless youth, and youth enrolled in alternative schools. APA is obligated to build the capacity of education agencies to promote one approach to HIV infection and STD prevention: establishing safe and supportive environments for middle and high school students and staff. The job fits into the overall purpose of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Concerns Office and the APA to advance the application of psychological knowledge on school climate and preventive interventions in schools to benefit society and improve people's lives, including LGBT youth.

Responsibilities:
To oversee and administer the Safe and Supportive Schools Project, funded through a cooperative agreement between CDC and APA, designed to ensure APAs cooperation with the CDC Division of Adolescent and School Health. The successful candidate is required to plan the execution, implementation, and evaluation of all activities identified in the project operational plan. Specific duties include maintaining communication and cooperation with the CDC/DASH Project Officer supervising a half time Administrative Coordinator and interns serving as the contact and spokesperson for the project developing long-range goals, objectives, and activities developing an operating budget and creating regular reports on budget performance identifying how and where sponsored funds will be disbursed recruiting staff, consultants, and volunteers; coordinating project activities with other APA offices and constituents; producing project reports and products; preparing project publications for agency clearance; responding to inquiries from APA members, members of collaborating organizations, and the public; planning and facilitating project-related meetings; monitoring and evaluating the success of project initiatives; negotiating and managing consultant and vendor contracts; and maintaining a thorough knowledge of relevant policy, programs, scholarship, and research.

To manage the process of developing and disseminating capacity-building resources for education agencies on safe and supportive environments that are science-based and integrated with the professional practice of school health and mental health providers. The Project Director will secure and coordinate the involvement of volunteer scientific experts and experienced school professionals to: (1) identify resources for schools to establish safe and supportive environments, (2) identify needed adaptations or modifications to the resources, and (3) develop mechanisms to provide guidance for using these resources in schools. The Project Director will ensure that the resources (as adapted) and guidance mechanisms are packaged for use by APA capacity building assistance providers in their work with local education agencies (see next duty), and made available to education agencies and schools through the World Wide Web.

To work with the staff and volunteers of the Behavioral and Social Science Volunteers (BSSVs) project and the HIV Office for Psychology Education (HOPE) project to build the capacity of education agency staff to support schools in implementing safe and supportive environments as an approach to HIV/STD prevention by increasing knowledge of evidence-supported tools, resources, and materials that APA will provide, including follow-up support for integrating knowledge and skills into practice.

To promote long-term sustainability of education agency efforts to improve school climate by: developing strategic partnerships and collaborations with local education agencies, members/chapters/affiliates of APA, other relevant organizations, and six professional associations representing the professions of school counseling, school psychology, nursing, and social work; disseminating scientific knowledge about school climate, its relationship to reduced HIV/STD risk, and interventions to foster positive climate; encourage professional development on school climate, support for education agenciesactivities, and community support for safe and supportive schools.

To participate in at least five DASH-sponsored or approved professional development events (e.g., onsite, webinars, DASH approved conferences) annually.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
A Doctoral degree in psychology or closely related discipline is preferred; Masters required. Exceptional specific professional experience may substitute for the aforementioned educational requirement. In such cases, candidates must demonstrate seven years of relevant experience with increasing levels of responsibility for program development and implementation, extensive knowledge of and exposure to the use of psychological science and its applications, effective communications with multiple and disparate audiences, and competence in personnel management.

Candidates must have at least three years of experience in building and implementing school-based initiatives and successfully addressing program requirements, including all aspects of budgeting, particularly those related to proposal writing and securing and maintaining an influx of external funding. Candidates must possess substantive professional experience or training in one or all of the following areas: (1) School Student Support; (2) HIV prevention for adolescents; (3) LGBT youth, homeless youth, and youth in alternative schools.

He or she must have the ability to read and comprehend psychological research and other professional literature, and to draw out their implications for policy and services development.

Candidates must have the ability to manage duties associated with several projects simultaneously balancing priorities and work flow so that tasks are accomplished accurately in a timely manner.

The candidate must have excellent written and verbal expressive language skills and exemplary interpersonal skills.

Strong skills in the facilitation of meetings as demonstrated by a high level of knowledge and experience.

• Advanced skills using Microsoft Word
• Advanced skills using Microsoft Excel
• Advanced skills using Microsoft Power Point
• Advanvced skills using Email programs
• Proficient using Research databases (e.g., PsycINFO, Medline, etc.) 

NOTE: THIS IS A GRANT FUNDED POSITION.

Qualified candidates should apply online through APA's Candidate Space portal. Candidates must complete the online application and attach a resume and cover letter for the position. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

The American Psychological Association is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer, M/F/V/DV.