Mental Health Program Specialist 2 (Clinical) - (NY HELPS), Central Office;

Non-Competitive Minimum Qualifications Under the NY HELPS Program:
A bachelor's degree in a health or human services area and three years of professional clinical experience in a mental health program.+

+A master's degree in child and family studies, counseling and community psychology, creative arts therapy, criminal justice, health administration, hospital administration, marriage and family therapy, mental health counseling, nursing, psychoanalysis, psychology, public administration, public health, public policy, recreation therapy, rehabilitation counseling, social work, sociology, or special education can substitute for one year of specialized experience.

Transfer Opportunity:
Candidates must have permanent service as a Mental Health Program Specialist 2, Grade 23, and be eligible for lateral transfer; OR be eligible to transfer via Section 70.1 of the Civil Service Law by having at least one year of permanent service in a qualifying title within two salary grades of the Grade 23 level.

Candidates with clinical background and/or prior hospital experience are preferred for these roles.

Duties Description The New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) is recruiting to fill Mental Health Program Specialist 2 (Clinical) positions in the Division of Planning and Quality Management, Office of Hospital Care and Community Transitions. The incumbents of these positions will be part of a new unit of multi-disciplinary teams of professionals focused on improving care and care transitions for individuals with complex needs throughout the continuum of care (inpatient, psychiatry, Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Programs (CPEPS), and within the community). Mental Health Program Specialists 2 (Clinical) will be responsible to provide hospital coordination to Article 31 and Article 28 mental health emergency departments, CPEPS, and inpatient units around patient transport, evaluation, treatment, disposition, admission, and discharge. In addition, incumbents will provide higher level technical assistance to the community mental health system providers on the development and maintenance of high-quality programming to help improve outcomes for individuals with complex needs served in these programs. Incumbents will support local community operations within the geographic regions assigned, and a majority of the work will be field based at various provider agencies. The incumbent will be responsible for assisting in a variety of activities related to the transition of mental health services into an integrated network of physical and behavioral health providers which involve the development and transformation of mental health services. The focus will be assisting in moving hospitals and providers into new roles related to recovery and wellness, and in identifying, developing and nurturing high quality cost-effective solutions, products and services. Specific duties to be performed may include, but are not limited to, the following:

Provide higher level technical assistance to provider community to ensure compliance and knowledge of OMH regulations, guidelines, and notifications, sharing information to improve communication, accountability, and quality of care through linkages.

Provide technical assistance, case consultation and support to licensed or designated providers on complex cases.

Provide technical assistance and support on therapeutic interventions, drawing upon a wide range of treatment modalities to high-risk and complex cases. Coordinate case conferences as needed.

Support programs in identifying and navigating resources, providing assistance with systems navigation.

Represents OMH in key stakeholder meetings with Article 28 mental health emergency departments, CPEPS, and community-based provider organizations, as well as with patients and family members in identifying and supporting the development of regional-specific initiatives to support system transformation. Support consumer involvement in the evaluation and development of recovery-based programs.

Clarify standards of care for existing hospital activities/protocols regarding psychiatric admission and discharge and modifying or establishing new policies/processes/ checklists as needed to create equity, systemic accountability, and standards for evaluation.

Serve as the liaison to providers in promoting the delivery of evidence-based treatment.

Facilitate communication between various provider agencies.

May serves as a member of the High Risk/High Profile and Quality Management Committees assisting with developing resolutions to difficult client situations that may involve both intra-agency and inter-agency collaboration.

Assist in providing program and operational information.

Identify and report on systems barriers, challenges, and problem areas.

Gather and monitor service, management, clinical, and quality of care data/statistics.

May assist higher-level Mental Health Program Specialists in the prevention or resolution of issues among patients and local providers.

Work with OMH staff in promoting and supporting housing stability by nurturing and shepherding the continued development of a system of community-based care and support by OMH providers and our other partners.

May identify compliance issues, and communicate findings to the appropriate departments.

Work with providers and other stakeholders, as well as coordinate efforts with other OMH divisions to address issues related to service delivery and implementation.

Train Mental Health Program Specialists 1 on the team with program protocols and processes.

Assist and support on specific special projects as assigned.

Additional Comments Employment with New York State offers unmatched benefits, individual support, and career mobility for motivated individuals including: NYS pension and retirement programs; annual cost of living and performance advance increases; comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans; flexible spending accounts for health and dependent care; paid time off, including thirteen paid holidays per year, and paid personal leave, vacation leave, and sick leave.

Specific scheduled hours and telecommuting availability for this position will be discussed during the interview process. Please note, employees are required to apply and obtain approval through management to telecommute according to operational needs and Agency Telecommuting Program Guidelines.

The Mission of the New York State Office of Mental Health is to promote the mental health of all New Yorkers, with a focus on providing hope and supporting recovery for adults with serious mental illness and children with serious emotional disturbances. Applicants with lived mental health experience are encouraged to apply. OMH is deeply committed to supporting underserved individuals, organizations, and communities. To this end, OMH is focused on implementing activities and initiatives to reduce disparities in access, quality, and treatment outcomes for underserved populations. A critical component of these efforts is ensuring OMH is a diverse and inclusive workplace where all employees' unique attributes and skills are valued and utilized to support the mission of the Agency. OMH is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

This title is part of the New York Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement Statewide Program (NY HELPS). For the duration of NY HELPS, this title maybe filled via a non-competitive appointment, which means no examination is required but all candidates must meet the minimum qualifications of the title for which they apply.

At a future date, it is expected that employees hired under NY HELPS will have their non-competitive employment status converted to competitive status, without having to compete in an examination. Employees will then be afforded with all of the same rights and privileges of competitive class employees of New York State. While serving permanently in a NY HELPS title, employees may take part in any promotion examination for which they are qualified.

Some positions may require additional credentials or a background check to verify your identity.

Name Ciara Palmo

Telephone

Fax (518) 486-3897

Email Address OMHHRM@OMH.NY.GOV

Address

Street NYS Office of Mental Health

44 Holland Avenue

City Albany

State NY

Zip Code 12229

Notes on Applying To be considered, interested candidates should email a cover letter and resume in Microsoft Word or PDF format to omhhrm@omh.ny.gov. Please include the title of the position and Vacancy ID #165403 in the subject line of your email when applying.

You are advised that, should you accept a job offer with the Office of Mental Health, you may be required to be fingerprinted and pay a fingerprint fee.