Job SummaryProject Aware Director Job DescriptionPOSITION TITLE: Project Aware Director
SUPERVISES: LEA Project Manager, School-Based Mental Health Clinicians & Principal Investigator
JOB GOAL: Lead implementation of PCS THRIVE, the district's Project AWARE initiative, to strengthen school mental health supports, prevention, early identification, and access to services. Direct the five-year work plan, staff, partners, grant reporting, continuous improvement, and sustainability across participating settings.
Reports to the Superintendent or designated executive-level administrator. Supervises the LEA Project Manager , School-Based Mental Health Clinicians and the Principal Investigator.
Administers evaluator and service contracts while preserving evaluation independence and required clinical supervision.
Grant-Funded Position Disclosure: This position is funded exclusively through grant funds and is anticipated to be available for a period of up to five (5) years, contingent upon the continued availability of grant funding. The position will automatically end upon the expiration, termination, or discontinuation of the grant funding, whichever occurs first. Employment in this grant-funded position is not guaranteed beyond the availability of grant funds.
QUALIFICATIONS: - Bachelor's degree required; graduate degree preferred.
- At least five years of progressively responsible experience overseeing school-based mental health programs or services for school-aged youth.
- Experience managing districtwide or multisite implementation.
- Demonstrated experience with federal grants, budgets, reporting, staff supervision, partnerships, data-informed continuous improvement, and school-based mental health systems.
- Graduate preparation in public administration, social work, public health, education, counseling, or a related field; experience with substance abuse counseling and crisis and emergency risk communication.
REPORTS TO: Superintendent or Designated Executive-Level Administrator
SALARY: The annual salary for this position is only $102,000.00, subject to the continued availability of grant funding. This salary will remain in effect for the duration of the grant-funded position, up to five (5) years, or until grant funding is terminated, whichever occurs first.
Essential responsibilities - Direct daily implementation, maintain annual work plans and timelines, assign responsibilities, monitor milestones, and resolve barriers with district leadership and the LEA Project Manager.
- Supervise staff, support onboarding and professional development, review performance, and coordinate service partners, volunteers when authorized, and Advisory Board activities.
- Oversee the three-tiered support framework, SRSS-IE screening installation, STANDUP activities, family and youth engagement, and referral, crisis response, and school re-entry pathways. Coordinate operational implementation through the LEA Project Manager and qualified clinicians.
- Build and sustain strong community involvement and partnerships with schools, behavioral health providers, public health agencies, youth-serving organizations, civic and faith-based groups, and families to strengthen referrals, outreach, and long-term access to services.
- Guide community needs assessment, resource mapping, youth advocacy, and age-appropriate health education. Support life skills and prevention activities that align with approved project objectives.
- Develop clear public health messages and outreach materials for students, families, staff, and partners. Coordinate approved community presentations and sensitive or emergency communications with district leadership.
- Serve as the primary SAMHSA/eRA contact. Coordinate timely progress, SPARS, programmatic, and financial reporting with the evaluator and district finance personnel; maintain documentation of implementation and corrective actions.
- Procurement coordination, contractor monitoring, and risk controls in collaboration with authorized district personnel. Maintain required contractor classifications and prevent duplicate billing.
- Oversee permission, consent, record access, confidentiality, accessibility, secure data practices, mandatory reporting, and emergency procedures consistent with project commitments and applicable requirements.
- Coordinate grant evaluation with the independent evaluator, monitor outcomes, and use findings to guide continuous quality improvement. Report progress to district leadership and the Advisory Board; lead sustainability planning, grant writing, and development of aligned funding opportunities.
Required qualifications - Bachelor's degree required; graduate degree preferred.
- At least five years of progressively responsible experience overseeing school-based mental health programs or services for school-aged youth.
- Experience managing districtwide or multisite implementation.
- Demonstrated experience with federal grants, budgets, reporting, staff supervision, partnerships, data-informed continuous improvement, and school-based mental health systems.
- Graduate preparation in public administration, social work, public health, education, counseling, or a related field; experience with substance abuse counseling and crisis and emergency risk communication.
- Nonprofit or public-sector leadership; strategic planning; staff development; program administration; grant writing; managing grants, implementation timelines, compliance, and reporting; and community partnership development.
- Public health education, community needs assessment, public speaking, media relations, and crisis and emergency risk communication training.
- Experience as a mental health clinician or coordinating clinical mental health services; life skills coaching; youth advocacy; adolescent development; juvenile justice programming; and support for clients and families.
- Ability to organize records, communicate with diverse communities, and use Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and related office tools.
- Strong community involvement through civic, faith-based, educational, public health, and youth-serving organizations. Experience developing community education programs, recruiting and coordinating volunteers, assessing community needs, and engaging diverse families and stakeholders across multiple service locations.
- Experience with grant evaluation, outcome monitoring, interpretation of findings, and data-informed improvement. Coordinate with the independent evaluator to assess progress and strengthen implementation while preserving the evaluator's independence.
- Knowledge of solution-focused therapy and its use in school and community mental health services. Support coordination of brief, goal-oriented interventions delivered by qualified clinicians. Direct clinical practice requires the appropriate professional credentials and authorization; the Project Director title alone does not authorize clinical practice.
Knowledge and working conditionsRequires knowledge of school mental health systems, MTSS, SRSS-IE, STANDUP, federal grant administration, confidentiality and consent requirements, referral and crisis procedures, data quality, and continuous improvement. Required SAMHSA meetings and professional learning are also expected. Appointment is contingent on district action, background clearance, grant funding, and required effort documentation.
This position requires extensive travel and field work at schools, community partner sites, and other service locations. Services are delivered primarily in the field; no school district office space is required. The position operates during nontraditional office hours, with schedules determined by project responsibilities and student, family, school, and community needs rather than a traditional office schedule. Services include on-call services and documented school and community visitations. Each visitation must be recorded with the date, location, purpose, activities completed, and follow-up actions, consistent with confidentiality and project reporting requirements.
TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT: - Full-Time | 12 Month Contract
- Salary based on the approved Phenix City Board of Education Salary Schedule, experience, certifications, and credentials.
EVALUATION:Performance of this position will be evaluated in accordance with Alabama State Department of Education guidelines, Phenix City Board of Education policies, and established evaluation procedures.
DISCLAIMER:This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this position. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications required. The Board reserves the right to modify the job description as necessary.
