DHS PROGRAM DIRECTOR 2 - 65983

Executive Service

DHS Program Director 2

Department of Human Services

VR Blind Field Staff Division

Knoxville, TN

Closing Date: 03/24/2025

For more information, visit:
https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/human-services/documents/DHS_Prog_Dir2_Knox_BlindServices_32425.pdf

This is a hybrid position

Who we are and what we do:

DHS MISSION: Strengthening Tennessee by strengthening Tennesseans

DHS VISION: To revolutionize the customer experience by growing capacity to reduce dependency

DHS VALUES:

• High Performance
• Collaboration
• Continuous Improvement
• A Shared Vision
• Customer-Centered Solutions

How you make a difference in this role:

The Tennessee Department of Human Services, Division of Rehabilitation Services (DRS), is accepting resumes for the position of Blind Services Director. DRS provides a variety of services to persons with disabilities to help them achieve independence and career aspirations. The Independent Living (IL) Program provides services to eligible individuals of all ages who are blind or who have a severe visual impairment to enable customers to care for themselves in their homes and communities.

The Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Program seeks to provide employment-focused rehabilitation services for individuals with disabilities consistent with their strengths, priorities, and resources. The VR Program provides a variety of individualized services to persons with disabilities, including low and no vision, in preparation for their employment in the competitive labor market. Services provided that reduce or eliminate disability-related barriers to employment may include counseling and guidance, training, maintenance and transportation, pre-employment services for students ages 14-22, transition services from school to work, personal care assistance, rehabilitation technology services, job placement, post-employment services, supported employment, and independent living services.

Under the general supervision of the VR Director, the Blind Services Director is responsible for providing statewide leadership and guidance on services to Tennesseans with low and no vision. this includes program management and oversight of service providers, community rehabilitation providers, and contractors for independent living and vocational rehabilitation services provided to customers with low and no vision across Tennessee. In coordination with the Assistant VR Director of Combined Field Services, TBE Director, and Area Directors, the Blind Services Director is responsible for developing and implementing strategies that identify and meet customer and employer needs statewide. The Blind Services Director is responsible for identifying, implementing, and when necessary, facilitating staff training needs.

The Blind Services Director provides leadership and direct supervision to the Blind Services Regional Manager and Independent Living Services Director and indirectly to a team of 33 rehabilitation professionals located throughout the state. In addition, the Blind Services Director builds and strengthens long-term relationships with service providers, local area workforce boards, advocacy organizations, the disability community, local education agencies, training institutions, and businesses to promote and increase independence and the employment of individuals with disabilities in the competitive integrated labor market.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide day to day oversight of the Independent Living Program, including conducting regular meetings and professional development plans and training opportunities for staff.
• Assist with the evaluation of the organization, structure, and staffing of blind service field staff in each grand region and Independent Living staff to achieve area and VR program goals including meeting the needs of individuals with low and no vision, the business community, and compliance with the requirements of Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act (WIOA).
• Ensure VR policy and procedure compliance statewide in collaboration with the policy and case management system staff.
• Recruit new blind service providers across the state and ensure all Tennesseans with low and no vision needing blind services have providers within their local communities to assist them in achieving their career and independent living goals.
• Develop and implement innovative education and outreach plans to increase awareness of VR services that targets potential clients, geographic locations and businesses tailored to the needs of both VR clients and the business community based on labor market data and employment trends in the grand region.
• Establish, maintain, and strengthen relationships with state partners at the local level including Economic and Community Development (ECD), Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DLWD) and their Workforce Investment Networks, American Job Centers and One Stops across the grand region.
• Provide leadership and guidance to all VR field staff, to include topics specific to blind services. This could include providing discussion sessions around best practices to the field in various areas within VR. Ensure policy and procedure compliance throughout the state in collaboration with the policy and case management system staff.

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree and six years of full-time professional work in one of the following: social/human services, education, and/or social services grant coordination.
Applicants for this class may be required to: complete a criminal history disclosure form in the manner approved by the appointing authority; agree to release all records involving their criminal history to the appointing authority; supply a fingerprint sample prescribed by the TBI based on criminal history records check.

Preferred Skills

• Master's degree preferred.
• 1-2 years supervisory experience including experience in leadership practices that values
  and rewards inclusion, teamwork, collaboration, innovation, and performance
  excellence.
• Proven success in establishing key relationships and exhibiting advanced influencing skills with all levels of management and external stakeholders.
• Flexible work style, ability to handle the pace of the environment with unexpected changes.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, presentation, and listening skills.

Pursuant to the State of Tennessee's Workplace Discrimination and Harassment policy, the State is firmly committed to the principle of fair and equal employment opportunities for its citizens and strives to protect the rights and opportunities of all people to seek, obtain, and hold employment without being subjected to illegal discrimination and harassment in the workplace. It is the State's policy to provide an environment free of discrimination and harassment of an individual because of that person's race, color, national origin, age (40 and over), sex, pregnancy, religion, creed, disability, veteran's status or any other category protected by state and/or federal civil rights laws