Program Director of Prevention

Since 1984, Larkin Street Youth Services has helped more than 75,000 young adults in San Francisco with outreach, shelter, housing, education, employment, healthcare, and other services. Today, Larkin Street Youth Services is the largest provider of housing and services to homeless youth in the Bay Area. We serve 1,500 youth annually, operating or partnering to provide more than 500 emergency shelter, transitional, supportive, and subsidy-based housing beds at several unique sites across San Francisco. Working at Larkin Street, no matter what department, means making a real difference in the lives of young people experiencing homelessness. Our team is skilled, diverse, and passionate. Our culture encourages achievement and professional development, as well as teamwork and self-care. Our focus is always on the young people at the heart of our mission and to nurture potential, promote dignity and support bold steps by all. For more information about us, visit www.larkinstreetyouth.org . WHAT YOU'LL DO: Under the guidance of the Chief of Programs, the Program Director of Prevention leads Larkin Street Youth Services' prevention strategy across three interconnected program areas: Outreach, Direct Cash Transfer (DCT), and Aftercare. This role advances a comprehensive approach to ending youth homelessness through three core pillars: intervening early with youth at the highest risk of becoming homeless before they lose housing; rapidly identifying and engaging youth through street-based and community outreach once they become unhoused; and ensuring that youth who exit Larkin Street's programs do not return to homelessness. The Director of Prevention is a senior leader responsible for setting programmatic vision, developing and sustaining key external partnerships, ensuring fidelity to evidence-based practices, and driving cross-departmental collaboration. This position plays a critical role in building Larkin Street's prevention infrastructure and positioning the agency as a leader in youth homelessness prevention locally and nationally. This is a full-time position , eligible for full benefits. Your responsibilities: Strategic Leadership Set and advance the strategic vision for Larkin Street's prevention continuum, ensuring alignment with the agency's mission, strategic plan, and equity commitments. Serve as the agency's primary internal and external authority on youth homelessness prevention, translating emerging research, policy developments, and practice innovations into programmatic strategy. Represent Larkin Street in city-wide planning bodies, coalitions, and funder convenings related to prevention, outreach, direct cash transfer, and aftercare. Partner with the Chief of Programs and the senior leadership team to identify opportunities to expand and deepen Larkin Street's prevention impact. Contribute to agency-wide initiatives including strategic planning, budget development, and diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging work. Program Oversight and Quality Assurance Provide senior oversight of the Outreach, DCT, and Aftercare programs, ensuring high-quality, trauma-informed, and equity-centered service delivery across all three areas. Establish and monitor program standards, policies, and procedures; ensure consistent application of best practices including harm reduction, Housing First, Positive Youth Development, and Motivational Interviewing. Assess program performance through regular review of data, outcomes, and client feedback; lead continuous quality improvement efforts in response to findings. Ensure all prevention programs operate in compliance with contract, grant, and regulatory requirements. Consult with Program Managers on complex cases and emerging programmatic challenges, providing guidance and escalating issues to the Chief of Programs as appropriate. Outreach Ensure that street-based and community outreach operations are responsive, trauma-informed, and designed to rapidly identify and engage youth who are newly or recently unhoused. Build and sustain partnerships with community-based organizations, city agencies, and systems-involved settings (e.g., hospitals, juvenile justice, child welfare) to expand outreach reach and facilitate timely connections to services. Work with Program Managers to develop and refine outreach protocols that reflect the realities of youth most at risk, including QTBIPOC youth, youth with justice or child welfare involvement, and youth without stable documentation. Direct Cash Transfer (DCT) Provide senior oversight of DCT program implementation, with a focus on youth at the highest risk of homelessness — particularly youth without a high school diploma or GED and youth with histories in the child welfare and/or juvenile or criminal justice systems. Ensure that the cash transfer model is implemented with fidelity and that optional supportive programming is responsive to participants' housing, health, education, and employment needs. Manage relationships with research and evaluation partners; ensure that evaluation findings are integrated into program design on an ongoing basis. Lead or support the development of a replicable, scalable DCT model that can inform Larkin Street's advocacy and the broader field. Aftercare Direct the strategic development and ongoing refinement of the agency's aftercare model, ensuring that youth exiting Larkin Street's programs are connected to stable housing, benefits, and community supports. Work across programs to establish consistent, agency-wide aftercare protocols — including individualized transition planning, structured follow-up, and clear re-engagement pathways. Ensure aftercare practices reflect the latest evidence on exit stabilization and are informed by the lived experiences of youth who have cycled in and out of homelessness. External Relations and Partnership Development Cultivate and sustain relationships with city ag