Mental Health Program Specialist 1 - Bic

If you value job security, work life balance, and opportunities for growth, join us at the New York State Office of Mental Health as a Mental Health Program Specialist to receive all of that and more!

Who We Are: New York State has a large, multi-faceted Mental Health system that serves more than 700,000 individuals each year. The Office of Mental Health (OMH) operates psychiatric centers across the State. OMH also regulates, certifies and oversees more than 4,500 programs, operated by local governments and nonprofit agencies. Our mission is to promote the Mental Health of all New Yorkers, with a particular focus on providing hope and recovery for adults with serious mental illness and children with serious emotional disturbances.

What We Offer:

• NYS pension and retirement programs
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans
• Flexible spending accounts for health and dependent care
• Paid time off, including thirteen paid holidays per year, personal leave, vacation leave, and sick leave

What We Stand For: 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.

DUTIES DESCRIPTION:
The Office of Mental Health (OMH) is seeking a qualified candidates to fill three Mental Health Program Specialist 1, G-18 position in the Office of Quality Improvement, Bureau of Inspection and Certification (BIC). OMH is responsible for application review and approval, and subsequent monitoring of compliance and quality of care. Responsibilities of BIC include policy coordination of field staff monitoring activities for licensed programs, issuance of operating certificates, and administering OMH’s Prior Approval Review (PAR) process. The accurate and timely issuance of Operating Certificates and PAR responses are critical to the bureau’s mandate for the monitoring and oversight of licensed Mental Health Programs throughout the state. These functions are not only required by statute and regulation, but they ultimately reflect the results of OMH’s processes to assure the safety of individuals served and the quality of the services they receive.
The Mental Health Program Specialist 1 duties include, but are not limited to the following:

• Assist to coordinate the PAR review process and analysis of PAR applications to determine compliance with applicable standards.
• Analyze responses and recommendations of external reviewers for inclusion in project summaries.
• Consult with county Mental Health departments, OMH field office staff and service providers.
• Preparation of detailed letters, memoranda and reports related to PAR projects.
• Review licensing reports and consult with OMH field office staff to assure that citations and duration of licenses are consistent with agency policy and regulatory requirements.
• Analyze data related to inspection visits and findings; prepare reports.
• Participate in development of program inspection protocols and licensing tools.
• Assist in maintaining the centralized database for licensed programs and recommend improvements to the system to support licensing activities.
• Assist in the development of licensing protocols used by Field Office inspection staff and training for staff in implementation protocols.
• Assist in implementation of strategies and new initiatives to enhance Division programs; interagency, intergovernmental, and stakeholder communications and cooperation; and overall program operational efficiency

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Mental Health Program Specialist Trainee 1: Bachelor’s or higher 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.

Mental Health Program Specialist Trainee 2: Trainee 1 Minimum Qualifications AND a Master’s or higher degree in a field that qualifies for Trainee 1. OR Trainee 1 Minimum Qualification AND one year of professional clinical* or administrative** experience in a federal or state operated, licensed, certified, or funded Mental Health Program

Mental Health Program Specialist 1: Trainee 1 Minimum Qualifications AND a Master’s or higher degree in a field that qualifies for Trainee 1 AND one year of professional clinical* or administrative** experience in a federal or state operated, licensed, certified, or funded Mental Health Program. OR Trainee 1 Minimum Qualifications AND Two years of professional clinical* or administrative** experience in a federal or state operated, licensed, certified, or funded 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.

The starting salaries for this position are outlined below. The salary grade to which the selected candidate is appointed will be dependent on candidate qualifications. Candidates appointed at the trainee level will be required to successfully complete the traineeship to advance to the full performance level title and salary.

• $47,925 (Trainee 1- NS equated to SG-13)
• $50,678 (Trainee 2- NS equated to SG-14)
• $63,108 (Full Performance level SG-18)

Additional Comments: Specific scheduled hours and telecommuting availability for this position will be discussed during the interview process. The number of permissible telecommuting days for each employee will be determined by the current work demands/assignments, as well as program operational needs and employee performance/productivity, but may not exceed 50% telecommuting in a two-week payroll period.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $47,925.00 - $80,248.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Tuition reimbursement
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday
• No weekends

People with a criminal record are encouraged to apply

Ability to Relocate:

• Albany, NY 12208: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Albany, NY 12208