Assistant Director of Welcome Center

Mission of Austin Street Center: Founded in 1983, Austin Street Center provides emergency shelter and meets the basic need of the most vulnerable people experiencing homelessness in Dallas.

Core Values: Kindness, Trustworthiness, Empowerment, Determination

Position Purpose

• Austin Street Center’s emergency shelter is one of the largest low-barrier shelters in Dallas, and our services are in high demand. The Welcome Center is often a neighbor’s first impression of our caring and effective work and needs a strong leader to take it to the next level! This position supervises three programs — Diversion, Street Outreach, and the Transition Center — as well as our new Dallas Area Shared Housing (DASH) pilot, ensuring that all services are trauma-informed and effective at moving people from homelessness to home, fast and forever.This leader supervises a team of staff members across these programs and is responsible for maximizing successful outcomes in each, including:
  • Connecting neighbors to immediate housing options through diversion before they enter shelter
  • Moving unsheltered neighbors directly from the streets into housing through Street Outreach
  • Providing crisis stabilization and rapid, appropriate transitions to housing, shelter, or treatment through the Transition Center
  • Rapidly connecting neighbors to stable, affordable shared housing in the community through the DASH pilot

  We are looking for a smart, data-driven people person with the heart of a teacher who can command the respect of seasoned social services professionals. Are you a kind, trustworthy, and dedicated person who wants to make a difference with some of our most vulnerable neighbors? This position may be for you

Programs Overseen by This Position

Diversion

The Diversion program works to prevent shelter entry by connecting individuals and families to immediate housing solutions. Diversion case managers conduct pre-screens with incoming clients, explore all available housing options, and work to resolve housing crises quickly so that shelter is not needed.

Street Outreach

Street Outreach case managers carry active caseloads of unsheltered individuals, meeting them where they are and working to move them directly into housing or other appropriate intervention. This team builds sustained relationships with people living outside and coordinates the services needed to support a successful housing placement.

Transition Center

The Transition Center is Austin Street Center’s hub for crisis stabilization and rapid housing transition. It provides brief, trauma-informed stabilization for individuals in acute crisis, including those referred by law enforcement and mobile crisis teams. The focus is on rapid, appropriate exits to housing, shelter, or treatment. The Transition Center operates under a contract with the North Texas Behavioral Health Authority (NTBHA), and the Assistant Director serves as the primary NTBHA liaison, overseeing compliance with contract documentation and reporting requirements.

Dallas Area Shared Housing (DASH)

DASH is Austin Street Center’s new pilot built on a shared-bedroom, split-lease model. The program matches compatible roommates in affordable shared units, supported by landlord incentive agreements and active case management. Participants receive rental assistance and structured support during their first three months in housing, followed by three months of post-subsidy check-ins to promote long-term stability. The Assistant Director leads the launch and growth of this pilot, supervising the staff who carry DASH caseloads and ensuring program compliance.

Primary Responsibilities

• Leadership, Management, and Accountability (LMA®): provide effective Leadership, Management, and Accountability to staff across all programs
• Leadership: provide clear direction, set the vision for each program, and create an environment where team members can succeed and are inspired to align with Austin Street Center’s mission and goals
• Management: ensure day-to-day operations run smoothly by setting clear expectations, monitoring performance, providing regular feedback, and ensuring that processes are followed consistently across all programs
• Accountability: hold team members responsible for their actions and outcomes, address performance issues directly, and support staff in meeting their goals
• Program Outcomes Management: track, measure, and analyze outcomes data across all programs to proactively detect opportunities to improve performance
• Cross-Program Coordination: ensure smooth referral pathways between Diversion, Street Outreach, the Transition Center, and DASH so that every neighbor is connected to the right level of care without gaps

Required Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in social work, management, or human services field
• Previous experience in crisis intervention, case management, and coordination of services in homeless services highly desired
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing
• Demonstrates experience with and sensitivity to varying cultural, ethnic, and social backgrounds, values, and attitudes
• Intermediate to advanced familiarity with digital communication, including cloud-based software, email, and Microsoft Office applications
• Familiarity with HMIS and data reporting requirements for NTBHA, CoC, or similar funders
• Must be able to lift 25 pounds on a regular basis
• Able to work outside in adverse weather conditions when needed
• Able to work in a noisy environment with a large group of people

Additional Experience a Plus

• Lived experience in homelessness, recovery, or deep poverty valued
• Previous supervisory experience
• Master’s Degree in a human services field, especially social work
• Licensure in a human services discipline (LCDC, LBSW, or LMSW)
• Bilingual in Spanish
• Training in Housing First, Motivational Interviewing, the Transtheoretical Model of Change, Harm Reduction, and/or Trauma-Informed Care
• Experience with compliance reporting or contract monitoring in a behavioral health or homeless services setting
• Experience launching or managing a new program, pilot, or partnership
• S. Military service