Director, Client Engagement

The Director, Client Engagement, manages the Family Counselors (Lead Counselors, Counselor Co-Chairs), Counselor Administration, and Data Entry teams which are responsible for helping ECHO accomplish its mission of providing assistance to individuals/families in need within the Burke/Springfield community. These volunteers engage with potential clients to determine eligibly and need, and then work with clients to assure that they are receiving the needed assistance. The Director, Client Engagement, oversees a process that begins with determining the individual’s eligibility for ECHO support, the type(s) of support needed, and a pathway to self-sufficiency (if practical), or until the client moves from the ECHO support area. The Director, Client Engagement, also oversees engagement programs for school supplies, childhood enrichment, and holiday food and toys.

In managing the functions for efficiently, effectively engaging clients to help meet their needs, the Director, Client Engagement, has the following responsibilities:

• Ensure that potential clients are screened to determine eligibility for ECHO support.
• When an individual is accepted as an ECHO client:
  • Ensure that an initial meeting with a counselor is scheduled as soon as practical to assess the individual’s situation and develop a support plan that includes the nature and amount of the support ECHO can provide and schedule follow-on appointments as needed to provide that support. For assistance needs that fall outside the capacity or capability of ECHO, the support plan will include coordination with sources of support such as Fairfax County Coordinated Services Planning, and/or other Community Based Organizations.
• Ensure accurate, efficient recording of each client-counselor engagement/meeting.
  • Direct and manage the Counselor ADMIN volunteers to support Counselors in efficiently and accurately maintaining all data associated with the client’s ECHO support plan.
  • Coordinate with ECHO IT team to ensure the efficiency of Counselor processes/procedures for determining client eligibility and need.
• Train counselors and assistant counselors.
• Ensure Counselors and Assistant Counselors are up-to-date on ECHO policies and procedures to include those for efficient financial management.
• Manage the ECHO Holiday (Thanksgiving, Christmas) and School Backpack programs to ensure provision of holiday food and school supplies is efficient and equitable.
• Coordinate with the Director, Volunteer Programs, to ensure counselor staffing needs are met efficiently and in a timely manner.
• Coordinate with the ECHO Donation Director to ensure sufficient stocks of in-kind donations (food, clothing, housewares) are available to meet client needs/demand.
• Coordinate with the Planning/Development Director to help identify trends in client support and new requirements for meeting ECHO’s mission to help neighbors in need.
• Assist in prioritizing available resources (donations, volunteer time) to assist clients.
• Ensure that assistance is provided to clients in accordance with ECHO Mission, Vision and Values statements.

The Director, Client Engagement, should have at least five years’ experience in assisting those in need, preferably as a Counselor, Case Worker or comparable role; strong leadership and management skills; and an appreciation of the dynamics, capabilities and limitations of an all-volunteer organization.