Transfer Opportunity:
Candidates must have permanent status as a Mental Health Program Specialist 2 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.
55b/c Opportunity:
Individuals certified eligible for the 55b/c program under the Governor’s Program to Hire Persons/Veterans with Disabilities pursuant to Section 55b/c of the Civil Service Law will also be considered. In addition to a current 55b/c eligibility letter, candidates must must possess a 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 AND and three years of professional clinical or administrative experience in a mental health program. Please provide a copy of your eligibility letter with your application.
Non-Competitive Minimum Qualifications Under the NY HELPS Program:
To be eligible for appointment, candidates must have:
Either 1. three (3) years of qualifying clinical or administrative experience (indicated below) in a federal, state, or local government operated, licensed, certified, or funded mental health program in which the primary population served (75% or more) consists of individuals who have been diagnosed with mental illness and are receiving mental health services AND a qualifying bachelor's degree (indicated below);
Or 2. two (2) years of qualifying clinical or administrative experience (indicated below) in a federal, state, or local government operated, licensed, certified, or funded mental health program in which the primary population served (75% or more) consists of individuals who have been diagnosed with mental illness and are receiving mental health services AND a qualifying master's degree (indicated below);
Or 3. one (1) year of qualifying clinical or administrative experience (indicated below) in a federal, state, or local government operated, licensed, certified, or funded mental health program in which the primary population served (75% or more) consists of individuals who have been diagnosed with mental illness and are receiving mental health services AND a qualifying doctoral degree (indicated below).
Qualifying Degrees are 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.
Professional clinical experience primarily involves the provision of professional level care, treatment, or instruction to individuals who have been diagnosed with mental illness in the disciplines of psychology, social work, nursing, recreation therapy, rehabilitation counseling, mental health counseling, psychoanalysis, marriage and family therapy, or creative arts therapy such as providing psychotherapy; psychological diagnosis, assessment, and evaluation; psychological services treatment plan development; mental health counseling; and psychiatric registered nursing.
Professional administrative experience primarily involves experience performing one or more of the following:

• Program planning, development, design, implementation, administration, or program

evaluation in a mental health program, and/or managed care program, and/or a sex offender treatment program; or

• Quality management, quality assurance, or quality improvement in a mental health program; or
• Budgeting, fiscal, business administration, or administrative planning in support of a mental health program; or
• Oversight, coordination, or operations experience in a federal, state, or local government.

Examples of non-qualifying experience include but are not limited to: experience where the primary population served consists of individuals receiving developmental disabilities services, juvenile justice services, criminal justice services, health services, foster care services, social services, or substance use disorder services OR where your experience is part of an internship or externships; providing direct care and/or support services, such as those normally provided by therapy aides, nursing assistants, direct support aides, and caseworkers.

The Office of Mental Health (OMH) is recruiting to fill a Mental Health Program Specialist Grade 23, in the OMH Western Field Office, Child and Family Services Team. This position will manage activities related to the programmatic oversight of children’s services in the 19-county OMH Western Region and other specific projects as assigned. Under the supervision of the Director of Children and Families in the Field Office, responsibilities include direct coordination with the OMH Division of Integrated Community Services for Children and Families as well as coordination with other OMH Field Office functional areas including Licensing, Budget, Managed Care and Complaint Management. The OMH Western Field Office is focused on meeting various goals and objectives in the oversight of OMH licensed and non-licensed child-serving programs.
Specific duties to be performed may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Coordinate and communicate with the Children’s Single Point of Access (SPOA) in each of the 19 counties of the OMH Western Region to monitor the effectiveness of each county’s service referral network and to understand and problem-solve issues within these networks.

• Assist in the implementation and oversight of Home-Based Crisis Intervention (HBCI) programs including provision of technical assistance, program oversight and data preparation and analysis.

• Assist in the implementation of Child and Family Treatment and Support Services (CFTSS) including provision of technical assistance, program oversight and data preparation and analysis.

• Collaborate with the region’s two State Psychiatric Centers (PC) on each facility’s children services including inpatient, residential, crisis and outpatient programming.

• Will serve as the back-up for the Residential Treatment Specialist program under the direction of the Western Field Office Children and Families Unit Director. This includes managing all aspects of the referral process, including coordinating the activities of the RTF Authorization Team, performing completion of disability eligibility, reviewing program staffing and operations, wait list review, admission process and discharge planning.

• Partner with school-based mental health programs to assure services are effective, therapeutic, and coordinated with other local systems of care.

• In coordination with the Field Office Licensing Team, review of PAR applications for service addition and expansion to determine compliance with applicable program standards and expectations.

• Participate in cross-system workgroups and initiatives to develop expanded supports for children and adolescents with complex service needs including collaboration with representatives from the NYS Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS), NY State Education Department (SED) and the NYS Office of People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD).

• Participate in multi-system case conferences for high-risk, high-need individuals.

• Review and evaluate Requests for Proposal (RFP) submissions for child and adolescent services as part of a multidisciplinary agency review team.

• Collaborate with the System of Care Counties

• Collaborate and partner with the Field Office Family Advocacy Specialist (FAS) and Youth Advocacy Specialists (YAS) including the provision of training and development of regional learning collaboratives.

• Programmatic Technical assistance to child’s licensed and non-licensed residential and community-based programs.

• Develop written guidance materials, forms, and documents, as needed.

• Coordinate and manage other specific special projects, as assigned.

The Office of Mental Health (OMH) is recruiting to fill a Mental Health Program Specialist Grade 23, in the OMH Western Field Office, Children's Services Team. This position will manage activities related to the programmatic oversight of children’s services in the 19-county OMH Western Region and other specific projects as assigned. Under the supervision of the Director of Children and Families in the Field Office, responsibilities include direct coordination with the OMH Division of Integrated Community Services for Children and Families as well as coordination with other OMH Field Office functional areas including Licensing, Budget, Managed Care and Complaint Management. The OMH Western Field Office is focused on meeting various goals and objectives in the oversight of OMH licensed and non-licensed child-serving programs.
Specific duties to be performed may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Coordinate and communicate with the Children’s Single Point of Access (SPOA) in each of the 19 counties of the OMH Western Region to monitor the effectiveness of each county’s service referral network and to understand and problem-solve issues within these networks.

• Assist in the implementation and oversight of Home-Based Crisis Intervention (HBCI) programs including provision of technical assistance, program oversight and data preparation and analysis.

• Assist in the implementation of Child and Family Treatment and Support Services (CFTSS) including provision of technical assistance, program oversight and data preparation and analysis.

• Collaborate with the region’s two State Psychiatric Centers (PC) on each facility’s children services including inpatient, residential, crisis and outpatient programming.

• Will serve as the back-up for the Residential Treatment Specialist program under the direction of the Western Field Office Children and Families Unit Director. This includes managing all aspects of the referral process, including coordinating the activities of the RTF Authorization Team, performing completion of disability eligibility, reviewing program staffing and operations, wait list review, admission process and discharge planning.

• Partner with school-based mental health programs to assure services are effective, therapeutic, and coordinated with other local systems of care.

• In coordination with the Field Office Licensing Team, review of PAR applications for service addition and expansion to determine compliance with applicable program standards and expectations.

• Participate in cross-system workgroups and initiatives to develop expanded supports for children and adolescents with complex service needs including collaboration with representatives from the NYS Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS), NY State Education Department (SED) and the NYS Office of People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD).

• Participate in multi-system case conferences for high-risk, high-need individuals.

• Review and evaluate Requests for Proposal (RFP) submissions for child and adolescent services as part of a multidisciplinary agency review team.

• Collaborate with the System of Care Counties

• Collaborate and partner with the Field Office Family Advocacy Specialist (FAS) and Youth Advocacy Specialists (YAS) including the provision of training and development of regional learning collaboratives.
• Programmatic Technical assistance to child’s licensed and non-licensed residential and community-based programs.

• Develop written guidance materials, forms, and documents, as needed.

• Coordinate and manage other specific special projects, as assigned.