Research Associate (Interagency Resolution Coordinator)

Duties Description

Under the direction of the CCF Director of Interagency Resolution Unit, position will be responsible to provide cross system service coordination and resolve interagency disputes that impede access to services for children, youth and young adults with complex needs. Specific duties include, but are not limited to the following:

• Assist with centralized intake for IRU referrals. Facilitate screening interviews with youth, caregivers, and agency partners. Screen referral intake, service and treatment histories and level of care needs. Request records. Collect, review and analyze referral information to develop an individualized service plan.
• Coordinate and facilitate stakeholder planning meetings with state agency regional staff; representatives from local government and school districts; family members and advocates to support cross system collaboration.
• Provide discharge support from Hospital and Emergency Room to prevent discharge delays, and coordinated comprehensive transitional plans to assure continuity of care. Facilitate interagency disposition planning by addressing barriers to access to home and community-based services, residential and/or inpatient treatment.
• Coordinate comprehensive evaluations with agency partners for diagnostic clarification, risk assessments and/or to assess level of care needs.
• Provide advocacy and mediation services to resolve interagency disputes, achieve agreement for service provision and access to comprehensive care.
• Provide consultation and technical assistance to agency partners in addressing the treatment, service and/or placement needs of youth with complex needs. Facilitate referral and linkage to services across continuum of care.
• Maintain caseload data, progress notes, service plans in IRU data base in a timely manner. Provide ongoing development and maintenance of data base for collection of data trends. Complete meeting summaries that include complex policy discussions and disseminating them to participants and senior-level state agency stakeholders.
• Liaise with local, regional and state System of Care partners to strengthen cross agency collaboration. Maintain effective professional working relationships. Demonstrate effective working knowledge of interagency programs and service systems at the state, regional and local levels.
• Assist senior staff in identifying, analyzing, and developing strategies for addressing policy and program issues related to the overall service needs of children, youth and families requiring services from multiple systems.
• Represent CCF in assigned state/regional interagency committees and/or workgroups to address complex treatment needs of youth requiring cross-system services; develop and/or facilitate presentations to interest groups including advocacy organizations, community-based organizations, state and local governmental leaders, provider organizations, parent organizations and others. Participate in state, regional and local interagency meetings as assigned; Assist on other project activities as needed.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
  
  

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in public policy, political science, public health, sociology, social work, or other related human service degree program and two years’ experience working in a residential setting, case management, special education, service coordination or a county-level service delivery system such as a local department of social services or mental hygiene agency. A Master’s Degree is preferred. To be considered for this position, candidates will need to demonstrate very strong verbal and writing skills and have a thorough understanding of state and local children, youth young adults and family service delivery systems. The position will also require broad systems knowledge related to the provision of community-based services, placement of children and youth in out of home care, and children and youth placed out of state for residential treatment.

Additional Comments

This position has been posted on behalf of the Council on Children and Families.

Free parking available.

Background Investigation Requirements

• All prospective employees will be investigated through a Criminal Background Check (CBC), which includes State and federal Criminal History Record Checks. All convictions must be reported; conviction of a felony or misdemeanor, or any falsified or omitted information on the prospective appointee’s employment application, may bar appointment or result in removal after appointment. Each case will be determined on its own merits, consistent with the applicable provisions of State and federal laws, rules, and regulations. Prospective employees will be fingerprinted in order to obtain a record of their criminal history information, and may be required to pay any necessary fees.
• All prospective employees will be screened against the Statewide Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment (SCR). Prospective employees will be required to pay any necessary fees.
• For Division of Juvenile Justice and Opportunities for Youth (DJJOY) prospective appointees will be checked against the Staff Exclusion List (SEL) maintained by the Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs. Prospective employees whose names appear on the SEL as having been found responsible for serious or repeated acts of abuse or neglect will be barred from appointment and may have their names removed from the eligible list(s) for the title(s) if applicable.
  
  

The Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) is an equal opportunity employer. OCFS does not discriminate based upon age, race, creed, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, military or veteran status, sex, disability (including pregnancy-related conditions), predisposing genetic characteristics, familial status, marital status, or status as a victim of domestic violence, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. We devote special attention to dismantling racial injustice and recognize that diversity in our workforce is critical to fulfilling our mission. We are committed to the diversity of our staff and encourage applicants from marginalized communities to apply. In furtherance of Executive Order 31 and OCFS’s mission to have a diverse workforce, all people with disabilities are encouraged to apply. All applicants must be dedicated to working in and sustaining an environment of inclusion that affirms and celebrates the backgrounds, learned, and lived expertise, whole identities, and individual perspectives of our staff. Applicants of all backgrounds and experiences are encouraged to self-identify during the application process.