Job Description

December 2023

POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT

Mental Health Program Specialist II, Crisis Services Unit

Division of Integrated Community Services for Children and Families

Office of Mental Health

Grade 23

Salary: $77,695 - $88,468

The Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc. is seeking one (1) highly skilled and motivated individual for fulltime Mental Program Specialist II position managing mental health crisis program efforts in New York State. This position is located at the NYS Office of Mental Health in Albany, NY.

Function and Scope

New York State is engaging in a historic transformation of the children\'s system of care to ensure that children and families receive timely and appropriate intervention and follow-up. The New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) is committed to identifying and meeting the behavioral health needs of children and families. The New York State Office of Mental Health also believes that everyone should have an equal opportunity for mental wellness. This means removing obstacles and implementing services and policies aimed at reducing disparities in access, quality, and treatment outcomes for historically marginalized, underserved and unserved populations.

The ideal candidate will have excellent organizational skills and the ability to work independently; excellent communication and writing skills; the ability to manage multiple deliverables simultaneously; knowledge of data management and analysis; the ability to work in a multidisciplinary team and communicate with professionals with both clinical and non-clinical backgrounds.

The Division of Integrated Community Services for Children and Families is focused on meeting various goals and objectives in children\'s mental health, including, but not limited to:

• Prioritizing early identification and intervention across the lifespan and investing in programs which support the treatment and support of emotional disorders and mental illnesses.
• Addressing access to services for children in need of mental health treatment through primary care, school-based services, home and community-based services and crisis intervention.
• Supporting an array of OMH licensed residential, outpatient, crisis, and inpatient programs for children and youth
• Developing and supporting an array of robust community services, including a comprehensive and coordinated crisis response system, which will address the emergent and immediate needs of New Yorkers of all ages and at the same time, connect individuals to the wider mental health system.
• Ensuring a focus on policymaking and program development that is data-driven, youth and family centered, and advances diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice

Responsibilities

The duties of the Specialist will include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Communicate OMH initiatives, policy directives, and guidelines to other State agencies, local government units, and mental health providers.
• Collaborate with stakeholders on developing, enhancing, monitoring, and supporting children\'s initiatives.
• Monitor and evaluate licensed, designated, or funded program performance to develop progress indicators and performance measures, identify trends and compliance issues and make recommendations to resolve problems.
• Manage data needs related to programs and specialized children\'s mental health initiatives.
• Provide technical assistance for children\'s mental health providers throughout the state.
• Coordinate logistics for trainings, learning collaboratives, in-person meetings and site visits.
• Conduct virtual/in-person meetings, presentations and trainings for state partners and various community stakeholders.
• Provide project management for division initiatives.
• Lead internal and cross systems workgroups.
• Collect, analyze, and report on process and outcomes data.
• Write and revise documentation related to project implementation.
• Coordinate and manage other specific special projects as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor\'s degree in one of the major fields of study as follows: psychology, counseling and community psychology, social work, nursing, recreation therapy, rehabilitation counseling, special education, child and family studies, mental health counseling, psychoanalysis, marriage and family therapy, creative arts therapy, public administration, public policy, hospital administration, health administration, public health, sociology, or criminal justice;

• AND three (3) years of professional clinical experience or professional administrative experience in a mental health program.

• Professional clinical experience is defined as the direct care, treatment, or instruction of patients in a federal or state operated, licensed, certified, or funded mental health program in the disciplines of psychology, counseling and community psychology, social work, nursing, recreation therapy, rehabilitation counseling, mental health counseling, psychoanalysis, marriage and family therapy, or creative arts therapy.
• Professional administrative experience is defined as mental health program experience in the areas of budgeting, fiscal, business administration, and/or administrative planning; OR quality management; program evaluation; or experience in federal, state, or local government focusing on the planning, development, oversight, coordination, and operation of mental health programs.

• Substitution: A master\'s degree in one of the major fields of study indicated above may be substituted for one (1) year of the required experience above. A doctoral degree in one of the major fields of study indicated above may be substituted for two (2) years of the required experience above.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced knowledge of mental health crisis programs across the lifespan, including Home Based Crisis Intervention (HBCI), Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (CPEP), Mobile Crisis, 988 Suicide and Crisis Hotline, Crisis Residences, and Crisis Stabilization Centers.
• Five (5) years of experience in clinical or administrative experience in a mental health program, such as

• a residential program for children and youth with mental health challenges
• an inpatient psychiatric program for children and youth with mental health challenges
• a crisis program for children and youth with mental health challenges
• a partial hospital or day treatment outpatient program for children and youth with mental health challenges
• a care management program for children and youth with mental health challenges
• a mental health clinic or community based mental health services such as Child and Family Treatment Supports and Services
• a program serving at-risk children and youth
• Advanced knowledge of one or more OMH licensed, designated, or funded programs
• Two (2) years of experience in the development of regulations or policies that govern the provision of health and/or mental health services and/or training and technical assistance related to implementation of such regulations or policies.
• Three (3) years of experience working with organizations or individuals from underserved populations, including but not limited to experience gathering community level (including from families and youth) input about the unique needs of such population and the design and implementation of activities at the reduction of disparities in access, quality, and treatment outcomes.
• Two (2) years of project management, program oversight, and/or program development experience.

Work Location: 44 Holland Avenue, Albany, NY 12229

To Apply: Submit an application on our website at https://rfmh.applicantpro.com/jobs/. Click on Employment Opportunities. Please note only applications submitted through our website will be considered.

The Research Foundation is a private not-for-profit corporation and is not an agency or instrumentality of the State of New York. Employees of the Research Foundation are not state employees, do not participate in any state retirement system, and do not receive state fringe benefits. Excellent Benefits Package. Employer/Minority/Women/Disabled/Veteran Employer. VEVRAA 41 CFR 60-300.5(a) compliant

RFMH