Mental Health Program Specialist 1/Mental Health Program Specialist Trainee – (NY HELPS), Central Office;

About the Role

The Office of Mental Health (OMH) is seeking a qualified candidate for a Mental Health Program Specialist 1 (G18) position within a new unit focused on improving care and care transitions for individuals with complex needs across the continuum of care, including inpatient psychiatry, Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Programs (CPEP), and community settings.

This role involves providing hospital coordination, guidance, and technical assistance to Article 31 and Article 28 mental health emergency departments, CPEPs, and inpatient units regarding patient transport, evaluation, treatment, disposition, admission, and discharge. The incumbent will also support community mental health providers in developing and maintaining high-quality programming to improve outcomes for individuals with complex needs. A majority of the work will be field-based at various provider agencies within assigned geographic regions.

Responsibilities

• Clarify standards of care for existing hospital activities/protocols regarding psychiatric admission and discharge, and modify or establish new policies, processes, or checklists to promote equity, systemic accountability, and evaluation standards.
• Facilitate communication between provider agencies and assist in providing program and operational information.
• Support higher-level staff in providing guidance to hospital and community providers, responding to inquiries about services and programs, and offering technical assistance and case consultation for complex cases.
• Assist programs in identifying and navigating resources, including systems navigation support.
• Identify and report on systems barriers, challenges, and problem areas.
• Review and monitor required reports, including data collection, incident reports, expenditure reports, site visit summaries, and corrective action plans to identify programmatic trends and challenges.
• Assist in the prevention or resolution of issues among patients and local providers.
• Advise and support Mental Health Program Specialist 3 with requests and collaborate with field office staff and other departments on monitoring efforts.
• Identify or review programs for compliance issues and communicate findings to appropriate departments.
• Work with providers and stakeholders, coordinating efforts with other OMH divisions to address service delivery and implementation issues.
• Support specific special projects as assigned.

Requirements

This position is part of the New York Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement Statewide Program (NY HELPS) and may be filled via a non-competitive appointment. Candidates must meet the following minimum qualifications:

• Mental Health Program Specialist Trainee 1 (starting salary $57,764): A bachelor’s degree in a qualifying field*.
• Mental Health Program Specialist Trainee 2 (starting salary $63,994): A bachelor’s degree in a qualifying field* 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 (starting salary $70,951): A bachelor’s degree in a qualifying field* and two years of professional clinical or administrative experience in a federal or state-operated, licensed, certified, or funded mental health program.+

*Qualifying degree fields include: biology (and subspecialties relating to human biology), 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.

+A master’s degree in one of the qualifying fields may substitute for one year of specialized experience.

Transfer and Eligibility Opportunities

• Transfer Opportunity: Candidates must have permanent competitive or 55b/c status as a Mental Health Program Specialist 1, Grade 18, and be eligible for lateral transfer; OR be eligible to transfer via Section 70.1 of the Civil Service Law to the Mental Health Program Specialist 1 title or trainee levels (Mental Health Program Specialist Trainee 1 or 2). Transfer candidates must possess a bachelor’s or higher degree in a qualifying field.
• 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 AND possess a bachelor’s or higher degree in a qualifying field. A copy of the eligibility letter must be provided.
• PCO Opportunity: Individuals active on the current 2022 holding of the PCO eligible list who possess a bachelor’s or higher degree in a qualifying field and did not receive a canvass letter are encouraged to apply.

Candidates with a clinical background and/or prior hospital experience are preferred.

Benefits

• NYS pension and retirement programs.
• Annual cost-of-living and performance-based salary increases.
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans.
• Flexible spending accounts for health and dependent care.
• Paid time off, including 13 paid holidays per year, and paid personal leave, vacation leave, and sick leave.

Pay

Starting salaries vary based on education and experience:

• $57,764 (Mental Health Program Specialist Trainee 1).
• $63,994 (Mental Health Program Specialist Trainee 2).
• $70,951 (Mental Health Program Specialist 1, full performance level).

For current New York State employees, the starting salary is based on the candidate’s salary at the time of hire. Candidates appointed at a trainee level must successfully complete the traineeship to advance to the full performance level.

Schedule

Specific scheduled hours and telecommuting availability will be discussed during the interview process. Employees may be required to apply and obtain approval for telecommuting based on operational needs and Agency Telecommuting Program Guidelines.