Director For Workforce Development

Job Title: Director for Workforce Development

Salary: $98,844 - $122,198

Grade: 27

The Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc. is seeking (1) highly skilled and motivated individuals for a fulltime Unit Director for Workforce Development position managing workforce development and training efforts in New York State. This position is located at the New York State (NYS) Office of Mental Health (OMH), Albany, NY or New York City, 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 OMH is committed to identifying and meeting the behavioral health needs of children and families. The New York State OMH 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:

Under the general direction of the Associate Commissioner and the Deputy Director, the Unit Director has statewide responsibility for workforce development initiatives, including but not limited to OMH provider training, capacity building in school, primary care, and other non-traditional mental health settings, Mental Health First Aid Training, workforce recruitment and retention initiatives, and pipeline initiatives for mental health professionals, including peer workers. The incumbent is responsible for making independent decisions concerning complex programmatic and operational issues. The duties of the Unit Director will include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Direct statewide provider training initiatives
  • Provide expert technical assistance and programmatic oversight to local mental health providers and agency Executive Directors concerning program development and operational issues
  • Identify and recommend resolution of operational, programmatic, financial, and quality of care issues for provider training initiatives
• Manage statewide implementation of OMH policy directives related to workforce within all children's crisis services and programs.
  • Ensure policies and guidance developed conform to State and federal regulations and requirements.
  • Identify needs for programmatic and regulatory reform in cases where current policies and/or regulations hamper the implementation of appropriate and effective mental health services for children and adolescents.
• Collaborate with agency and Division colleagues to use data to drive workforce development activities
  • Review program trends/findings and recommend program changes or support activities to expand or improve workforce development activities.
  • Review quality improvement initiatives as relevant to workforce development for all children's programs statewide.
  • Administer the on-going evaluation of workforce development initiatives provided to children. Participate with OMH Office of Population Health and Evaluation staff to assess the effectiveness of services and develop strategies for improvements. Conduct and oversee program evaluation activities to determine whether the changes implemented are effective.
• Review and recommend fiscal strategy for workforce development activities and corresponding justification.
• Supervise subordinate staff. Assign and review work. Ensure staff is provided training necessary to perform their duties and conduct performance evaluations. Support professional development of staff.

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 five 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 year of the required experience above.
  • A doctoral degree in one of the major fields of study indicated above may be substituted for two years of the required experience above.

Preferred Qualifications:

• License as a mental health practitioner
• Five 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 program serving at-risk children and youth
• Two years of experience in implementing one or more evidence-based behavioral health practices or training in clinical practices related to youth behavioral health
• Three 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 years of project management, program oversight, and/or program development experience.
• Two years of experience in an academic setting or organization in education, training and/or research on topics related to mental health treatment and services and evidenced-based practices or approaches.

RFMH employees may be required to be vaccinated for COVID-19 depending on work location and must provide proof of vaccination. Individuals that are not vaccinated for COVID-19 are ineligible for appointment to positions that require vaccination. Fully vaccinated is defined as two (2) or more weeks since receiving either the second dose in a two-dose COVID-19 vaccination series (e.g., Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) or the first and only dose of a single-dose vaccine (e.g., Johnson & Johnson [J&J]/Janssen).

Work Location: OMH Albany: 44 Holland Ave Albany, NY 12229 (Central Office)

To Apply: Submit an application through our website at https://rfmh.applicantpro.com/jobs/ 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.