Equal Opportunity Specialist 1, Central Office;

Duties Description

The New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) is seeking a qualified candidate for the non-competitive policy position of Equal Opportunity Specialist 1, G-18, in the Office of Diversity & Inclusion. Under the general direction of the Equal Opportunity Specialist 3, the Equal Opportunity Specialist 1, G-18, will be responsible for assignments for the reasonable accommodation program within the Office of Mental Health. Additionally, the incumbent will collaborate directly with program staff and facility management staff on reasonable accommodation requests. As well with Counsel’s Office on alternate accommodations, denials or appeals. The incumbent will actively engage with the employee in the interactive process and provide timely determinations.

Specific duties include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Reports directly to the Equal Opportunity Specialist 3 on all reasonable accommodation requests in OMH.
• Follows the technical requirements for administration of OMH’s reasonable accommodation program in accordance with federal ADA regulations.
• Ensures compliance with the ADA both programmatically and with the physical plant and maintain documentation of results, findings and recommendations.
• Ensures the consistent application of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the New York State Human Rights Law, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, and Equal Employment Opportunity in New York State-Rights and Responsibilities, A Handbook for Employees of New York State Agencies.
• Reports issues or concerns to the supervisor and completes weekly/monthly tracking reports.
• Receives, reviews and processes Reasonable Accommodation Requests, and Reasonable Accommodations of Religious Observance or Practice.
• Utilize requestor provided documentation, medical records, input from the supervisor, facility management, and, if necessary, seek the expertise of Counsel’s Office for legality issues.
• Actively engages in the interactive process with the employee on behalf of the agency.
• Ensure that RA determinations are reached in a timely and equitable manner.
• Completes the required sections of the Reasonable Accommodation request form.
• Responds and represent the agency at the DCS Reasonable Accommodation Appeals Review Committee.
• Keeps up-to-date with all new information concerning ADA responsibilities and legal requirements for the protection of staff with disabilities.
• Consults with supervisors on requests for adaptive equipment for qualified staff with disabilities.
• Oversees the administration of the requests for religious accommodations.
• Drafts correspondence and responses to employees regarding reasonable accommodations, following required time frames.
• Gather and analyze data about the reasonable accommodations in the agency’s workforce.
• Conduct training on reasonable and religious accommodations for OMH staff.
• Serve as liaison on agency committees, task forces, or work groups as assigned.
  
  

Minimum Qualifications

Six years of the qualifying experience in equal opportunity, diversity and inclusion or human rights.

Qualifying experience includes working with organizations concerned with equal opportunity, diversity and inclusion, civil rights, minority business development, or similar programs; or in recruiting, training, and upgrading the educational and job qualifications of protected class members.

Substitutions: An Associate’s degree may substitute for two years of the non-supervisory experience; Bachelor’s degree for four years; and J.D. or Master’s degree for five years.

Additional Comments

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.

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.