Director of Social Services

You run the department — the staff, the programs, the budget, and the impossible task of doing more with less every single year. You're in meetings with hospital administrators, county officials, and grant funders instead of sitting with clients. You miss the direct work, but you've realized you can help more people by running the system than by working case-by-case. The politics are exhausting, the paperwork is endless, and the budget is never enough.

Learn the skills

Courses and certifications to get you job-ready

What you'll actually do

• 01Oversee all social services programs — staffing, budgets, outcomes
• 02Write grant proposals and manage funding streams that keep the lights on
• 03Present program data and outcomes to boards and funding agencies
• 04Hire, supervise, and retain staff in a field with crushing turnover
• 05Navigate organizational politics between clinical, admin, and executive teams
• 06Make resource allocation decisions knowing there's never enough for everyone