Friends of the Children

This is a full-time, grant funded position that will be funded from roughly June 2025-June 2027.

It's preferred that the person hired be located in either Klamath Falls, Eugene/Springfield, or Bend where our chapters are located, however remote/other locations may be considered. 

About Friends of the Children:

Friends of the Children is a nonprofit that provides long-term, professional mentoring to children and families facing significant challenges, with a focus on breaking the cycle of generational poverty and foster care. They pair these children with a full-time, paid professional mentor (a "Friend") who supports them from kindergarten through high school graduation, for 12+ years, no matter what. The organization also provides wraparound support to caregivers in the family to help maintain stability in the home environment. This program aims to empower children and families to succeed in school, develop healthy relationships, and achieve their full potential.

Project Summary:

Oregon’s behavioral health crisis continues to disproportionately impact rural and marginalized communities, where systemic inequities and severe workforce shortages prevent timely access to critical mental health services. Over 62% of Oregonians live in Health Professional Shortage Areas for mental health care, with rural counties bearing the greatest burden. Youth in these underserved regions are disproportionately affected by Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), which are directly linked to long-term health disparities, academic challenges, and socio-economic instability. Despite these challenges, Friends of the Children chapters in Klamath Basin, Central Oregon, and Lane County are uniquely positioned to address workforce capacity gaps by transitioning their existing staff into professional healthcare career paths. This initiative will establish new healthcare roles over a two-year period, creating entry points into the behavioral health workforce. In addition to attracting newcomers to healthcare, the program offers clear pathways for career and credential advancement through partnerships with local colleges and universities, paid internships, and access to clinical supervision. These resources directly address workforce shortages in underserved communities and among marginalized populations.

Last year, Friends of the Children - Lane County (located in Eugene), became recognized as a Provider of behavioral health services by the State of Oregon.  The recognition allows the organization to bill Medicaid for some aspects of the services it provides without fundamentally shifting the Friends Model.  This project seeks to emulate that success for Friends – Klamath Falls and Friends – Central Oregon.   

Position Summary:

The Executive Director of Friend - Lane County will help create a strategic plan that will allow the Project Manager to achieve success without significant specific background knowledge of Oregon’s healthcare industry or healthcare workforce.  While there are many steps to coordinate, The Project Manager will be replicating a recent successful strategy to convert Friends organizations from social services into hybrid health care organizations with a specialization in behavioral health.

Funded by the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), the project aims specifically to:

1. Help existing and new Friends of the Children employees gain their QMHA credentials.  
2. Coordinate the process of Friends – Klamath and Friends – Central Oregon becoming Providers.  This year-long+ process includes coordinating organizational policy through each organization’s Board of Directors, completing COA applications with the state and completing credentialing/contracting processes with the local Medicaid providing Care Coordination Organizations in each community. 
3. Recruit at least three staff members to achieve QMHP certification and establish at least three Clinical Supervisor (LCSW, LPC, LMFT) positions to oversee clinical service delivery, compliance, and workforce development.
4. Create career pathways in behavioral health by partnering with higher education institutions to develop structured pathways for licensure, paid internships, and clear career advancement opportunities in behavioral health, with a focus on reducing barriers to entry and enhancing workforce diversity.

The Project Manager will be responsible for the overall planning, execution, monitoring, and closure of a grant-funded workforce development project. This position will work closely with the ED of Friends – Lane County, a three-organization internal team, external community partners, educational institutions, employers, and other stakeholders to achieve the project's goals and objectives. The Project Manager will ensure the project stays on schedule, within budget, and meets the performance metrics outlined in the grant agreement. This role requires strong organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills, as well as experience managing complex projects with diverse stakeholders.

Responsibilities:

• Project Planning and Initiation:
  • In partnership with the Executive Directors of each Friends organization, develop detailed project plans, including timelines, resource allocation, communication strategies, and risk management plans, in alignment with the OHA grant requirements and project goals.
  • Establish clear project objectives, deliverables, and success metrics.
  • Coordinate and facilitate project kickoff meetings with internal and external stakeholders.
• Project Execution and Management:
  • Lead and coordinate the work of project team members, including assigning tasks, monitoring progress, and providing guidance and support.
  • Manage project budgets, track expenditures, and ensure adherence to financial guidelines.
  • Develop and maintain strong working relationships with all project stakeholders.
  • Organize and facilitate regular project meetings, prepare agendas, and distribute meeting minutes.
  • Proactively identify and manage project risks and issues, developing mitigation strategies as needed.
  • Ensure compliance with all OHA grant requirements, policies, and procedures.
• Monitoring and Evaluation:
  • Develop and implement project monitoring and evaluation plans to track progress against goals and objectives – requiring establishment of processes to gain key data from each of the three Friends chapters.
  • Coordinate timely reporting to OHA on behalf of stakeholders
  • Collect and analyze project data, prepare regular progress reports, and present findings to internal project team, OHA and other stakeholders.
  • Identify areas for improvement and implement corrective actions as necessary.
• Stakeholder Engagement and Communication:
  • Serve as the primary point of contact for all project-related communications.
  • Develop and implement effective communication strategies to keep stakeholders informed of project progress, challenges, and successes.
  • Represent the project at relevant meetings, conferences, and community events.
  • Build and maintain strong relationships with community partners, educational institutions, and employers involved in workforce development initiatives.
• Project Closure:
  • Ensure all project deliverables are completed and accepted.
  • Develop and disseminate final project reports, including lessons learned and recommendations for future initiatives.
  • Oversee the proper closure of project contracts and financial accounts.
  • Conduct post-project evaluations to assess project outcomes and impact.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in project management, public policy, public health, education, business administration, or a related field. Equivalent experience may be considered.
• Minimum of 2-3 years of experience in project management, preferably within a public health, workforce development, or grant-funded environment.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex projects with multiple stakeholders and timelines.
• Strong understanding of project management methodologies and tools.
• Excellent organizational, time management, and prioritization skills.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present information clearly and effectively to diverse audiences.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
• Ability to work independently and as part of a collaborative team.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• Commitment to health equity and workforce development principles.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working with Oregon Health Authority grants or other state or federal-level funding projects/grants.
• Proficiency in project management software (e.g., Microsoft Project, BaseCamp).  
• Knowledge of the healthcare workforce landscape in Oregon.
• Experience in developing and implementing workforce development programs or initiatives.
• Familiarity with data collection, analysis, and reporting for state and federal grant-funded projects.
• Experience working with diverse communities and promoting culturally responsive practices.

Pay and Benefits: 

$65,000 annually 

Friends of the Children – Lane County cares about the health and well-being of our employees We offer generous vacation and sick leave paid time off, paid holidays, a comprehensive medical benefits package, a 401(k)-retirement plan, and ongoing professional development opportunities. 

Employees can add optional plans, at employee expense, which include medical coverage for dependents, a Flexible Spending Account, and supplemental life insurance. 

Friends of the Children – Lane County is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to addressing discriminatory practices. The equal employment opportunity policy of Friends of the Children provides fair and equal opportunities for all employees and job applicants, in compliance with applicable federal, state and local law. Friends of the Children hires and promotes individuals solely on the basis of their qualifications for the job to be filled.