Advanced Education Director

Presbyterian Children’s Homes and Services is a faith-based Christian organization. Guided by Christ’s love, we empower children, young adults, and families by nurturing their strengths, resilience, and faith. We strive to serve like Jesus. We meet our clients where they are and treat them with respect. We focus on our clients’ strengths rather than their problems. And we encourage our clients to focus on their future rather than their past. When we do this well, we help our clients find hope and know the love of God. 

In response to this community-wide challenge, Presbyterian Children’s Homes and Services (PCHAS), provides 14 programs and services in 28 locations in Texas, Missouri and Louisiana. In all of our programs, we seek to provide children with permanent homes and adults with increased self-sufficiency. This is accomplished by the agency’s commitment to “The PCHAS Way” which inspires the agency to be strength-focused, family-centered, and goal driven with every client.

Benefits of serving children and families in need through PCHAS include competitive salaries, flex work schedules, paid time off, medical, dental and vision insurance options, voluntary life insurance options, paid holidays, and a very generous retirement plan (after one year of service and working 1,000 hours the agency matches an employee’s contribution).

Status: Exempt

The Advanced Education Director will work with students that enter the Advanced Education Program and offer aftercare services to other former residents when possible. The Advanced Education Director will serve as a consultant to staff and foster parents for advanced education services and preparation for independent living for the Foster Care Village in Itasca, Texas, emphasizing the PCHAS Way. Reporting to the DFW Regional Director, the Advanced Education Director is responsible for implementation and evaluation for Advanced Education Services.

Essential Job Functions for Advanced Education:

1. Accept applications, conduct interviews, manage intake processes and advocate for the needs of students accepted into PCHAS Advanced Education Program.
2. Build relationships with applicants and guide them in the college admission/enrollment processes.

For those accepted into the Advanced Education Program:

1. Consult with FCV staff and/or case managers to provide awareness of advanced education eligibility and application processes as the student proceeds to graduation or dismissal from PCHAS programs.
2. Consult with FCV staff and foster parents to coordinate college tours, college advisement, and/or college orientation for first-year students, as needed.
3. Consult with FCV staff and foster parents on educational benefits available to Wards of the State of Texas, as needed (Tuition Waiver, Education & Training Voucher (ETV application).
4. Guide advanced education students to develop an academic plan towards a career pathway, lifelong learning and academic development.
5. Coordinate the Senior Retreat including educational activities/events for seniors preparing for AE program. 
6. coordinate educational activities/event for seniors preparing for AE program
7. Communicate with RD and/or VP of Finances regarding allowance needs and financial decisions for advanced education students, as needed.
8. Monitor and manage ongoing advanced education students and their financial aid (loans, grants, and scholarships), grades, academic progress, student housing, and wellbeing.
9. Maintain documentation, case records, and program data collection of information, as required.
10. Coordinate with church network to provide contact and support for advanced education students while in college.
11. Coordinate the repayment of student loans to the Dept. of Education, as approved by the RD and/or VP of Finances.   

Working Conditions: Typical office setting but with frequent travel in agency vehicle to other locations required. Maximum of 24 hours, with some flexing necessary, and some additional time required as needed. No unusual physical demands.

Job Requirements: An advanced degree in education or a related field with at least five years of education experience preferred.

Other Requirements:

Must hold a valid driver’s license, have and maintain a risk-free driving record. Must be willing to undergo initial and periodic child abuse/neglect, criminal history, sexual offender, and child care/elder care disqualification list screenings. As requested, must submit fingerprints for review by the state of your employment and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Must undergo a pre-employment drug screen and a pre-employment physical with the results showing no evidence of communicable disease.

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